Master Sun Peiqiang. Used with permission.
When most people picture Taijiquan, better known as Tai Chi (太极拳), two contrasting images tend to come to mind. One is the slow-moving routine practised by elderly people in parks in the early morning, often compared to a moving yoga. The other is a dramatic, fast-paced martial arts scene seen in Chinese action films, full of flips and powerful moves. While both are rooted in the same tradition, what lies behind this centuries-old practice is far more complex — and spiritual — than either stereotype suggests.
Curious about the truth behind the flow, GV contributor, Jo Carter (JC), interviewed Master Sun Peiqiang (孙佩强), a fourth-generation inheritor of the Chen style Xiaojia Taijiquan, in person to explore what Tai-Chi really means beyond the clichés.
Tai Chi is widely practiced in contemporary China and around the world, and commonly seen in parks, fitness classes, and other such places. However, beyond these familiar forms, Tai Chi has another conventional method of transmission: through the master-apprentice system or within families, passed down from generation to generation, excluding outsiders. These folk practitioners typically begin training at a young age, emphasizing internal cultivation and practical combat skills — Master Sun is one such folk practitioner.
Master Sun was born into a family that had passed down Wuxing Quan (五行拳/Five Element Fist) for generations. He began his martial arts training at the age of eight under the strict guidance of his grandfather. Today, he runs a Taijiquan school in Changchun, Jilin Province, where he teaches more than a thousand students of all ages from within and outside the country, continuing the legacy of traditional martial arts through hands-on instruction and community engagement.
Jo Carter (JC): How did you pick up Tai Chi?
孙佩强（孙）：我八岁开始跟我爷爷学五行拳及陈式小架太极拳。学了陈式，杨式，孙式这三家。太极拳根本上是武术。如果只练广场上健身的那种，是不能跟人打。但是像我们家传的，很重视实战。
我太爷是道士，我们家传了一套功夫，叫做五行长生功。就是一种养生，练气的拳法。这个和太极拳一起练，人就会比较长寿。太极拳练的是肾，中医认为人的生命之源在于肾，肾左右人的衰老程度，还有助于旺盛的气血。而五行拳，对应的是五脏（心脏，肝脏，脾，胃，肾），所以练一遍拳，等于给五脏六腑做按摩，有长寿功能。而且我家的人都偏瘦，因为练拳会燃脂，把多余脂肪消耗掉。练功达到一种境界，保持气血的充沛和活力，活到九十岁是很普遍的。我太爷活到了九十四，爷爷活到了九十七岁。现在我已近40岁，身体哪都没有毛病或疼什么的。
Sun Peiqiang (SP): I started learning Wuxing Quan and Chen Style Xiaojia Taijiquan from my grandfather when I was eight years old. I learned Chen style, Yang style and Sun style. Taijiquan is basically a martial art. But if you only practice Tai Chi for fitness in the square, you can’t fight with people. But the way we practice it, as passed down in our family, places great emphasis on actual combat.
My great-grandfather was a Taoist priest. Our family has passed down a set of martial arts called the Five Elements Longevity Practice — a form of Qigong, breathing and boxing exercises. When practiced alongside Tai Chi, it is said to promote longevity. Tai Chi focuses on the kidneys, which, according to traditional Chinese medicine, are the foundation of humans life. The condition of the kidneys determines the rate of aging, so cultivating the kidneys helps to invigorate the blood circulation. The Five Elements Fist corresponds to the five major organs (heart, liver, spleen, stomach, and kidneys), so practicing the form is like giving the internal organs a massage, which can help to prolong life. My family members tend to be slender because practicing the form burns fat, eliminating excess fat. If one reaches a certain level of practice, maintaining abundant and vibrant qi and blood, living to ninety is quite common. My great-grandfather lived to ninety-four, and my grandfather lived to ninety-seven; now, at nearly forty, my body is generally free of any ailments or pain.
JC: The most widely practiced forms of Taichiquan around the world are probably Yang-style and Chen-style. What are the differences between the two?
孙：陈氏太极拳起源是因为战场和劳作相结合出来的，当年在陈家沟，白天种地而引起的身体的疲劳用太极拳来起到健身作用。还有就是，王宗岳的《太极拳论述》，把最早的陈家沟的陈氏108式长拳转化为太极拳，通过这个过程，逐渐转化的适合养生。
杨氏是因为杨露蝉去北京教高官子弟时，那些人不适合练习太激烈的，所以变得比较柔和。而陈氏太极拳重视阴和阳的平衡。陈氏比杨氏要难一些，因为它讲究均衡，有发力的，也有没有力量的。杨氏是讲究平缓，是不发力的，适合一些中老年人，也更易学。
各种太极拳都有养生效果，只是各种派别之间有些区别。但如果想达到养生的境界，还是要刚柔并进，因为人的技能会随着年龄的增长会退化。如果你一味的练没有力量的，年龄大了之后，肌肉的力量会变弱，动作会变慢，不会那么凌厉。所以，陈氏太极拳同时要有发力和不发力的，两者结合才能达到健身养生作用。因为毕竟太极拳最早是用来技击用的，防身或打人的，现在转化成养生的，也要并行的练，你的肌肉和气血不会退化，才能保持年轻的状态。
SP: The origin of Chen-style Taichiquan was rooted in the dual objectives of practical combat and physical fitness. Back then in Chenjiagou [Chen’s home village], Chen relied on the practice to maintain his physical fitness and alleviate the physical fatigue resulting from daytime farming. Later, Wang Zongyue, through his writing, ‘Tai Chi Treaties,’ further developed the original Chen’s 108-form long fist style from Chenjiagou into Taichiquan, which became more suitable for health and fitness purposes.
Yang style was created by Yang Luchan. As he started teaching in Beijing, the offspring of nobles and officials could not handle the powerful movement, so he softened the action. Chen’s style focuses on the balance between Yin and Yang and comparatively speaking, is more difficult than Yang’s as the form is about balancing with and without the release of explosive power. Yang’s is gentle without explosive power, suitable for some middle-aged and elderly people, and easier to learn.
In fact, all forms of Tai Chi have health benefits, though there are some differences between the various schools. However, to optimize the benefits, you still need to practice both the soft and powerful motions.
Humans deteriorate with age. If one only practices the soft style, the muscles will become weaker when getting old and the motions will become less agile. Therefore, Chen’s Taichiquan must incorporate both forceful and non-forceful movements; only by combining the two can one maintain health and fitness. After all, Tai Chi was originally developed for combat, self-defense, or attack. Even though it has now evolved for fitness purposes, it is still necessary to practice both aspects simultaneously. This ensures that your muscles and blood circulation are in a youthful state with a slower degeneration.
JC: What is the difference between Yoga and Taijiquan?
孙：瑜伽和太极拳有异曲同工之妙。外人练瑜伽可能光练形，就是抻拉什么的，但是瑜伽也是练气的，就是内在的。它有动功和静功同时练的，它和中国的八段锦，五禽戏，易筋经比较相像。他们都是以抻筋为主，练气为辅，让你的筋骨和筋膜保持弹性和柔软度。中国有句古话，叫“筋长一寸，多活十年”。
所以瑜伽的好处和太极拳是一样的，但是相左的地方是，瑜伽只是抻拉为主，太极拳从起源上是武术。特别是陈氏，讲究攻守兼备，阴阳始终是平衡的。
SP: Yoga and Taijiquan are similar. Beginners may only practice Yoga — that is, stretching and so on — but Yoga also involves the practice of Qi, which is internal. It has both dynamic and static exercises, and it is similar to the Chinese Eight Section Brocade or Baduanjin, Five Animal Styles, and Yijin Jing. They all focus on stretching the tendons and practicing Qi to keep your tendons and fascia flexible and supple. There is an old Chinese saying: “An inch longer tendon means ten more years of life.”
Hence both Taichiquan and Yoga have similar benefits, the main difference is that Yoga’s motion is primarily about stretching, whereas Taijiquan is a martial art in origin, especially Chen’s, which emphasises both offense and defense, and always balances Yin and Yang.
JC: What is the meaning of “energy” in Taijiquan?
孙：是指内在的力量。它要把外部的力量卸掉，转换成内劲。比如，我们练内气，不是空气的气，是炁。这个炁是由我们的呼吸的空气转化而来的，然后再转化为劲，是有个习练的过程的。呼吸的空气进入我们的肺，但是进不了丹田的。
现在家传的功夫和外面传的功夫不一样的是，家传的会有古老的完整的体系。现在学院派和外面练的，只要不是家传的，都没有这个。这个呼吸的气，要转换到炁, 再转换为内劲，把外力卸掉，用内气催动身体去发力，才能达到懂劲的巅峰。
外力就是蛮力，拙力。如果我们用棒子去敲打，这个是外力。可是，内力就如用子弹引火线的一瞬间，能爆发出很大的力量。
這個「力量」是指內在的力量──它要把外部的力量卸掉，轉換成內勁。我們太極拳練內氣，不是空氣的氣，是炁；這個炁是由我們呼吸的空氣轉化而來，然後再轉化為勁，是有個習練的過程的。如果只是呼吸的空氣，它能進入我們的肺，但是進不了丹田的。
SP: It refers to the inner strength. It is a kind of strength that can absorb external forces (unrestrained and uncoordinated physical forces) and transform them into internal power. When we practice internal Qi, an energy derived from the air we breathe in, it is converted into explosive power. This process requires some hard practice as the air we breathe only enters our lungs, but not directly into our dantian (or core — the body’s energy center below the navel, where the conversion of air to Qi takes place).
The difference between martial arts passed on within family and those taught to outsiders is that the former has a conventional and complete system. Nowadays, most martial art schools , as long as they are not family-based, do not teach Qi. The breath must be converted into Qi, then into internal energy that can absorb external force. Only after you can use internal energy to propel the body to move with force, then you can truly grasped the essence of ‘energy.’
External force is unrestrained force or uncoordinated use of force — for example, using a stick to strike something is external force. However, using internal force is like firing a bullet, which can unleash immense power in an instant.
JC: What advice would you give to beginners of Taijiquan?
孙：武术，艺术都是没有国界的，大家都可以练。男女之间没有什么差异，最重要的是真心喜欢。
刚开始练的是架式，练熟了以后，要练力量和动作，最后练的是心，就是心境的提高。刚开始可能是想养生，健身，后来也许是防身，自卫，最后发现练的是心境。尽量看书。我平时看中国历史，文化方面（比如周易）。中文说文武不分家。
最后，返璞归真，进入忘我的境界，就是练成了。
(SP): Both martial arts and art are without borders, everyone can practice them. There is no gender difference, all you need is to genuinely enjoy the practice.
At the beginning, you practice forms. Once you master them, you focus on strength and movements. Finally, you cultivate the mind—that is, the elevation of one’s mental state. At the beginning, you may practice for health and fitness, then perhaps for self-defense, but ultimately, you realize you are cultivating your mental state. Try to read more books. I usually read about Chinese history and culture (such as the I Ching). The Chinese saying goes, ‘Martial arts and literature are inseparable.’
Finally, you can say the art is genuinely yours when you return to basics without being aware of the forms.
