Tai Chi Chuan is an ancient Chinese martial art and a profound healing system. Its smooth, flowing movements create an appearance of simplicity. But don’t be deceived by how it looks. Tai Chi Chuan—especially Chen Style Tai Chi—is extremely challenging to learn and master.
Created by Chen Wangting (1600–1680), Chen Style Tai Chi is widely recognized as the origin of all Tai Chi systems. He selected effective martial techniques and infused them with the theory of Qi flowing through the meridian system, along with Qigong Dao Yin principles. The result is a highly efficient, whole-body movement system that offers profound holistic health benefits while remaining a sophisticated martial art.
Because of its depth and complexity, Chen Style Tai Chi demands precise body alignment, strict movement synchronicity, and mastery of intricate spirals and turns—including full 360-degree rotations. Many practitioners become disoriented even after a 180-degree turn.
Today, countless instructional videos are available online and in the marketplace. Yet even the most professionally produced videos—with front, back, and side views—remain limited by their two-dimensional format. Unless one has the privilege of learning in person from a qualified instructor and taking private lessons, it can take years simply to learn the Chen Style foundational form, Lao Jia Yi Lu (Old Frame Routine One). Without close, detailed observation, many subtle mechanics remain difficult to grasp.
But now, there is a new solution.
A Transformative Christmas Gift
On Christmas Eve 2025, I received a package. Inside was a Meta Quest 3 headset.
I am not particularly tech-savvy, nor am I a gamer. After a few attempts I managed to put on the headset. Instantly, Chen Tai Chi XR amazed me.
Standing before me was the avatar of Master Fu Nengbin, moving with extraordinary clarity and precision – I could even see each of his fingers twining. It felt as though I could reach out and touch him. I have taken private lessons with Grandmaster Chen and other Chen Style masters, yet I had never perceived the details of movement so clearly. In XR, I can bring the virtual master closer, examine his posture from any angle, and observe details that are often difficult to see in a traditional class setting. I can even sense his energy strongly.
In private lessons, one may hesitate to ask the instructor to repeatedly turn around or allow extremely close observation of the hands and arms. With a simple controller, I can rotate the virtual master instantly. I can view him from the front, from the back, from the side, from above, from below—any angle I choose. Fast movements can be slowed down nearly frame by frame. I can rewind and repeat endlessly.
The experience is immersive and empowering.
How the Technology Works
The Meta Quest 3 is a virtual reality headset that also supports extended reality (XR). Chen Tai Chi XR utilizes its passthrough feature, allowing me to move freely in my studio without bumping into walls or furniture while wearing the headset. Users can set boundaries that trigger alerts when approached. Personally, I prefer the passthrough feature, as I become deeply absorbed in the movements.
The effect is remarkable: a three-dimensional, life-sized Tai Chi master practicing in your own space.
The Soul Behind Chen Tai Chi XR
The visionary behind this project is Lukas Haene of Switzerland. He studied sinology and computational linguistics at the University of Zurich, where he first began practicing Tai Chi as an exercise and hobby. To deepen his Chinese proficiency, he studied at Guangxi University in Nanning, China, and began private training with Master Fu Nengbin, an in-chamber disciple of Grandmaster Chen Zhenglei.
Lukas later completed six years at Guangxi University of Chinese Medicine, earning a bachelor’s degree in Chinese medicine with a focus on acupuncture, Tuina (medical massage), and medical Qigong—all while continuing his Tai Chi training.
Returning to Switzerland, he became both a Traditional Chinese Medicine therapist and a Tai Chi instructor. Out of his passion for the healing arts, he founded the non-profit Tai Chi Club Wil, with Master Fu serving as honorary president.
In 2017, when Microsoft Mixed Reality Capture Studio opened in London, Lukas became fascinated with the idea of capturing Tai Chi movements in 3D. Years later, in 2024, he invited Master Fu to Switzerland to realize this vision. In 2025, Master Fu traveled there to record the movements.
It was deeply moving to learn that Tai Chi Club Wil donated 15 years of accumulated income to fund this project, supplemented by savings from Lukas’s TCM practice. Their shared vision was to preserve the beauty and precision of Master Fu’s movements and provide a powerful learning tool for future generations.
As Lukas expressed: “Tai Chi has given me tremendous benefits in physical health, flexibility, emotional balance, and daily life. These experiences motivate me to pass on the ancient skills of Tai Chi so others can benefit from its positive effects on human health and society.”
The Making of Chen Tai Chi XR
Production took place at Quantum Stage. Master Fu wore a specially fitted motion-capture suit embedded with 77 retroreflective markers. These reflective spheres allowed infrared cameras to capture every detail of his movements. The digital rendering is based entirely on real motion capture—not artificial intelligence.
To control costs, the entire recording session was completed in a single setting, with each form performed in one take. Despite the discomfort of the tight suit and the physical intensity of the Chen forms—many of which include powerful kicks—Master Fu remained focused and professional. The reflective markers on his fingers occasionally struck his feet during kicks, yet he persisted without complaint.
The result is extraordinary.
What Chen Tai Chi XR Includes
Chen Tai Chi XR offers rich content divided into three major categories:
- Joint Flexibility Warm-ups
- 24 Silk-Reeling Exercises
- Six Chen Style Forms, including:
- Chen 18
- Lao Jia Yi Lu (Old Frame Routine One)
- Lao Jia Er Lu (Old Frame Routine Two)
- Xin Jia Yi Lu (New Frame Routine One)
- Xin Jia Er Lu (New Frame Routine Two)
- Chen Style Single Straight Sword
They also created a website for the product. People can browse through the pages and have a good understanding what the product offers. You can get preview of 30 videos. of the The program does not include verbal instruction or detailed explanations. Its purpose is not to replace a teacher, but to provide practitioners with a complete, three-dimensional view of authentic Chen Style movement. It serves as a powerful companion tool for serious students.
For those without access to a qualified Chen Style instructor, it can be used alongside books and instructional videos. When I loaned my Meta Quest 3 to others, an experienced practitioner found it immensely helpful. Even a complete beginner felt comfortable following along.
A Historic Launch
Chen Tai Chi XR will launch on March 21, 2026, coinciding with the inaugural International Taijiquan Day, designated by the United Nations on November 5, 2025.
The product will also be presented at the “Tai Chi & Qigong as Whole Person Health” science conference hosted by the Osher Center for Integrative Health in Boston, Massachusetts, on April 30–May 1, 2026.
As a lifelong Tai Chi enthusiast, I am deeply excited to witness how tradition and technology have come together—bridging centuries of wisdom with cutting-edge innovation—for better health and a better humanity.