TAI CHI TERMS AND DEFINITIONS

Tai Chi Terms and Definitions
"The teacher however, can only lead the student to the correct gate, he cannot compel him to go further, Somewhere inside the gates masses gold and diamonds lie hidden. It is up to the student to go beyond the door and into the inner rooms to search for the treasure."

― Master T.T. Liang "Tai Chi Chuan for Health and Self Defense"

A list of the Most Commonly Used Tai Chi Terms and Definitions

As the quote above by Tai Chi Master T.T. Liang suggests, a teacher can guide you, but your understanding of Tai Chi grows through your own study and practice.

Whether you're new to Tai Chi or have been practicing for years, you'll hear Chinese words and phrases that may seem unfamiliar at first. Understanding these common Tai Chi and Qigong terms will help you follow instruction more confidently, better understand books and articles, and deepen your appreciation of the art.

Below is a glossary of some of the most commonly used Tai Chi terms, definitions, and meanings to support you on your Tai Chi journey.

Other accepted spellings of Tai Chi include: t'ai-chi, tai ji, taiji, taijiquan, t'ai chi ch'uan
tai-chi Chuan.

An: Push. A technique for pushing or striking an opponent.4
Baihui: An acupuncture cavity on top of the head.2
Ba Duan Jin: Eight Pieces of Brocade.
Bubbling Well: The center of the foot where the root lies.3
Chai: Pluck. A technique for unbalancing the opponent or pulling him into an exposed position.4
Chi: An intrinsic energy which circulates in all living things.
Chin Na: Joint lock (seize or grab).
Chi Kung: A type of Kung Fu training that specializes in building up the Chi circulation in the body for health and/or martial purposes.4
Chou: Elbow Stroke.
Dao: The way.
Dantien: The storage depot of qi that is located about two inches beneath the navel.1
Dojo: A room or hall where martial arts are practiced.
Eight Gates: Peng, Lu, Ji, An, T'sai, Lieh, Kao, Chou.
Fa Chin: To release the internal force (chin).3
Five main family styles of tai chi: Chen, Yang, Wu, Sun and Hao.
Gou: Hook hand.2
Grasp the Sparrow's Tail: A series of four postures (Peng (Wardoff), Lu (Rollback), Ji (Press), An (Push)).3
Ha: Sound emitted during practice.2
Heng: Sound emitted during practice.2
Huantiao: An acupuncture cavity located on the buttocks.2
Huiyin: An acupuncture cavity located on the perineum.2
I: Mind.3
Ji: Press
Jin: Martial arts power.2
Jing: Power; flow of energy.4
Hui Yin: The point between the genitals and the anus.
Kao: Shoulder-Stroke. A technique of using the shoulder to strike or throw the opponent.4
Kua - Hip socket.
Laogong: An acupuncture cavity located on the palm.2
Li: Muscular Power, strength.4
Lieh: Split.
Liu or Lu: Rollback. A technique for leading an opponent's attack past you.4
Mcdojo: A derogatory term for a martial arts school that is solely established to make money instead of genuinely teaching martial arts.
Mingmen: An acupuncture cavity located on the back, near the 14th vertebra.2
Mushin: No mind.
Nei Dan: Internal.
Peng: Ward—off. A technique for bouncing the opponent's force back in the direction it came from.4
Push Hands: A Tai Chi partner exercise that develops sensitivity, balance, and internal strength. Two practitioners maintain contact while trying to disrupt each other's center of gravity.
Nei Kung (Nei Gung) - Internal work.
Qi: The internal energy that circulates around specific pathways in the body, identified in Chinese medicine as meridians.1
Qi Gong: A type of Kung Fu training that specializes in building up the Chi
Qinna (Chin Na): Seize and control techniques.2
Quan: Fist.2
Root: The connection to the ground that provides stability, balance, and structural integrity, often compared to the roots of a tree.
Sanjiao: Triple burner. The body is divided into three sections: the upper burner (lungs and heart), the middle burner (spleen, stomach, liver, and gallbladder), and the lower burner(spleen, stomach, liver, and gallbladder). 
Sanshou: Freestyle sparring, which typically includes both striking and grappling techniques.
Shen: Spirit.3 The consciousness within which the mind and thought function.4
Seven Stars: Refers to the seven points of the body - head, shoulder, elbow, hand, hip, knee, and foot.
Shen: Spirit.
Shifu or Sifu: Teacher
Silk Reeling: a fundamental, internal, spiraling, or coiling energy that moves through the body to create continuous, fluid, and connected movement.
Sung: (pronounced soong) means to relax completely mentally and physically; releasing any tension in the mind and body.
Taiji: Grand Ultimate.2
Tai Chi Chuan: Grand Ultimate Fist. (pronounced Tie Jee Chuan).4.
Ti Fang: Uproot
Tui Shou: Pushing Hands (Partner Exercise)
Yi: Mind (focused attention).
Yang: Positive, male. White
Yin: Negative, female. Black
Yin and Yang: The traditional Chinese philosophical concepts of opposites that conceptually define and seek balance in all endeavors.1
Yongquan: An acupuncture cavity on the bottom of the foot.2
Chan Szu Jing: (Silk Reeling): The movement and path of internal energy, expressed in a coiling nature of the body.1
Wei Gong - External work.
World Tai Chi and Qigong Day: an annual event held the last Saturday of April each year to promote Tai chi Chuan and Qigong.
Wai Dan: External.
Wushu: Chinese martial arts; or a performance-oriented martial sport. 2
Wuji: The beginning of the Dao (Tao). or the cosmo; the undifferentiated beginning.2
Wu Chi: Literally no extremity. This is the state of undifferentiated emptiness before beginning. As soon as there is a beginning or movement, there is differentiation and opposites, and this is called Tai Chi.4
Wu wei: is an ancient Chinese concept that literally means "actionlessness" or "motionlessness". To practice wu wei, accept and go with the natural flow of life instead of forcing outcomes, which involves acting with patience, flexibility, and mindfulness.
Zou: Elbow strike. The technique for striking with the elbow.4
Zhan Zhuang: Standing post training
Zhang, San Feng: Well-known Daoist Qigong and martial arts master credited as the creator of Tai Chi Chuan.
Zhong Ding: Central equilibrium

Continue Your Tai Chi Journey

Learning the terminology used in Tai Chi is a great first step, but these definitions are intended to introduce some of the more common words and phrases you may hear in class.

Some of the deeper principles of Tai Chi have intentionally been left out because they are best learned through the guidance of a qualified teacher and years of dedicated practice. Reading about them can never replace the understanding that comes through proper instruction and personal experience.

I hope this glossary helps you feel more confident as you continue your Tai Chi journey, and encourages you to keep learning one step at a time.

Your journey, our shared path.™

 

  1. Taijiquan, Chen Taiji 38 form and applications. Ren Guang Yi.
  2. Tai Chi Chuan 24 & 48 Postures With Martial Applications, Master Liang, Shou-Yu and Wu, Wen-Ching.
  3. Cheng Tzu's Thirteen Treatises on T'ai Chi Ch'uan, Cheng Man Ching.
  4. Advanced Yang Style Tai Chi Chuan, Volume 1, Dr. Yang Jwing-Ming.