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Taijiquan is a Chinese martial art. Not only is it very effective in combat, it is also beneficial for health and spiritual refinement. The term Taijiquan is short for Taiji Quanfa which can be translated into ?supreme ultimate fist technique. Every movement in Taijiquan is based on martial considerations. A Taijiquan practitioner moves in a particular way that gives him the best advantage in a given combat situation.
The term Taijiquan originates from the 19th century, although Taijiquan as a martial art is said to have a history of many thousand years.
Taijiquan as a martial art is based on the yin-yang concept. A Taijiquan practitioner does not confront an opponent's force head on, instead he allows the opponent to move on and thus cause him to lose balance. By increasing his sensitivity to the opponent's movements and intentions, he has to keep his body, muscles, and mind relaxed and thus will be able to counterattack more effectively. Following the movements of his opponent, he is constantly shifting directions and making use of the yin-yang complement of the opponent's motion.
While across China people practicing Taijiquan can be seen everywhere, in the West, Taijiquan has become popular only in recent years. As practically anyone can learn at least the basic moves, it has become one of the fastest growing fitness and healthcare activities around. Unfortunately, many so called teachers do not fully understand the martial aspect of Taijiquan and often teach a mixture of motions out of some other self-defence systems. The former martial art is being changed into a simpler, more Westernized form, something that is easy and quick to learn. By doing that, the martial aspects of Taijiquan are lost. What is being taught today as being representative, is merely a shell of the great art of Taijiquan.
