The different styles (schools) of Tai Chi Chuan
In the year 1956 the national committee for sports of the People's Republic of China has developed for the followers of Tai Chi Chuan out of the Yang-style a short form consisting of 24 sequences, the so-called Beijing-style, and in 1957 the long form with 88 sequences. The Beijing-style is the form that is most practiced in China and the westrn world. The reason for this is on one hand the simple postures and on the other side the logic movements which facilitate their learning.
The posture is natural, the body stretched, the movements are slowl and equally flowing . Moreover flexible movements and a balance between agility and stableness. Da-Jia has similarities to the Chen- and Yang-styles.
A moderate posture and pronounced movements are characteristic.
The characteristics are the short range of the movements and their fast and agile execution.
The longest tradition among the different styles has the style of the Chen-family out of the province of He-Nan. The characteristics are the change from flexible movements with or without power and the change from sudden jumps to slow, round and flowing sequences (similar to movements under water). This style is also called Lao-Jia (Old Frame), that encompasses the Small, Medium and Big Frame.
The Yang-style encompasses a short form with 24 sequences and a long form with 88 sequences and is the most practiced in the western world. Its founder is master Yang Lu-Chan, who learned Tai Chi Chuan from master Chen Chang-Xing who belonged to the Chen-school. Yang Lu-Chan refined the Chen-style, which his grandson lateron was continueing.the distinguishing marks of this new style are calm, flowing harmonic and smooth movements to a quick whole.
there are two different Wu-styles according to each of their two founders:
Wu Yu-Xiang first was pupil of master Yang Lu-Chan from the Yang-school and later pupil of Chen Qing-Ping , a master of the Chen-school. He changed the Da-Jia (Big Frame) to Xiao-Jia (Small Frame). Under the later master Hao Wei-Zhen this style was strongly proliferated, the reason why this school is also called Hao-style. Characteristic are agile movements and quick steps with a short range and a fast change of opening and closing the arms.
According
to Quan-You
Quan-You was a member of the people of the Manju
in north-eastern China. Together with his son Jian-Quan,
who later took the Chinese family name Wu, he
founded this Wu-style. Quan-You was
pupil of Wu Yu-Xiang, the founder of the other Wu-style
as well as of Yang Lu-Chan and his son Yang
Ban-Hou, who both belonged to the Yang-school.
Der Quan-You's Wu-style is like the Yang-style
marked by harmonic elements, that make the movements
appear natural and casual. This Tai Chi Chuan-style
is also called Zhong-Jia (Medium Frame)
This style has similarities with the Xiao-Jia (Small Frame), and was founded by master Sun Lu-Tang (1861-1932), a pupil of Wu Yu-Xiang (Wu-school), completed with elements of other boxing-styles like i.e. Xing-Yi-Quan and Ba-Gua-Quan. This style is also called Huo-Bu-Jia (Frame of the fast step). Fast, because the Sun-style is characterized by quick and agile movements of hands and feet together with a harmonic change of forward with backward movements.