Taiji Shadow Boxing

Essay # 66189

Asian Studies > East Asian Cultures
Religion and Theology > Eastern
Sport > History

Taiji Shadow Boxing

This paper discusses the basic ideas of Daoism as reflected in the physical practice of taiji shadow boxing.

1,500 words () | 8 sources | MLA | 2003 France

Paper Summary:

This paper explains that, as a complementary philosophy to Confucianism, Daoism, which enriches in every way the spiritual and intellectual life of Chinese people, is reflected in the Chinese martial art of taiji shadow boxing. The author points out that taiji boxing, was invented by a Daoist called Zhang Sanfeng in the Ming dynasty on the Wudang Mountain; the name "taiji", which means "the supreme ultimate", itself suggests an essential concept of Daoist cosmology. The paper stresses that, if the forces of the western boxing are like a hard and straight oak tree, the movement of Taiji boxing is more like that of soft reed or bamboo, which knows how to move, how to yield, so it can survive a strong wind; whereas, the oak tree will probably be broken down. Many quotations from the writings of the founders of Daoism, Laozi and Zhuangzi. Symbol included.

Table of Contents
A Brief Introduction to Daoism
The Dao Reflected in the Taiji Boxing
The Name and the Diagram
The Value of Gentleness
The Non-Action
The Dialectics in Taiji Boxing
A Way of Getting Close to the Dao

From the Paper:

"Knowing the power of softness, Taiji practitioners learn to yield to the opponent, become even in harmony with the attacker so as to use the strength of the attacker himself. The soft movement of Taiji will control the force not by resist to it but by swinging with it, leading the force to its extreme, transforming it to its natural opposite side again. You can see it clearer in the diagram. When there's a strong positive Yang power coming from one side, the natural way is not to confront it with another Yang force, instead, you guide the force by using the negative Yin force. In this way, there will be no more conflict, the inner harmony is regained. the "non-action" is another important element of Daoism."