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Before any headway can be made in this article, I must first emphasize that I practice only two of the multiple branches of this style. The Yang form is the most common in America, and is what you see people doing in the parks. Most books and DVDs relating to the subject portray Yang. The other form I practice is Old Frame Chen, which is the original Taijiquan by tradition. It is far more martial and strenuous than what most are used to when they think of the art.

Historically, the actual origins of taijiquan are subject to intense debate. As there are so many, I shall instead choose to relate the myth of its creation as taught to me.

There was a monk who lived on the holiest of the Taoist mountains, Wudang. At the monastery there, he lived a simple, holistic life of Taoist reflection. One day, he witnessed a battle between a crane and a snake, and was transfixed. Later that night, a goddess descended into his dreams, and it is there that she explained how he too could move like the crane and the snake. When he awoke, the monk was struck with enlightenment and began teaching his art to others.

More likely than intervention from a goddess, it seems that the people of Chen village developed the original taijiquan as a form of healthful qigong, that is, moving meditation. It was likely later transformed into a martial style to help combat incursions by bandits. The style stuck, and branched into multiple styles under the same name.

Characterized by soft motions and harmonious movement, taijiquan is known to be a reactive martial art. The force of the opponent is redirected to force him into a less-than-ideal position which allows the taiji practitioner to exercise control of the fight, defending himself while minimizing damage to both parties. This is a core principle of the art. All things possess qi, and are connected as such, therefore to seriously harm another except in the most dire of circumstances is unacceptable.

The principles of taijiquan are different from those of harder, more external styles. Rather than focusing on the body's outside, a taiji player focuses on building his internal structure and qi energy. This typically (though not always) leads to external improvement as well, though not generally the chiseled musculature of those who practice arts focusing on such things. Traditionally, a taiji practitioner must study for at least ten years before being allowed to teach others. This is to allow for internal growth and an understanding of the deep nuances of the deceptively soft technique.

Typically, the casual outsider sees taijiquan and thinks of it as little more than a smooth dance with no application. Until recent years, it was rarely regarded as a martial art outside of China, and for years it seemed inevitable that the art would die out. Only recently (with some help from Hollywood and Hong Kong) has taijiquan received fair martial treatment. Based upon these facts, I am often confronted with surprise by students when I tell them the technique I just showed them is not, in fact, based upon any martial style they might be familiar with but instead comes from the sluggish appearing taijiquan.

Due to the nature of taijiquan, it is one of the martial arts that can be more easily learned by oneself. If one is willing to devote the time to understanding the motions and their application, and is capable of deciphering the obscure meaning behind some of the statements regarding internal energy this person can learn the art totally from watching others with no interaction. This is not recommended, merely possible.

The soft motions often seen by the public are called forms. These forms are found in many martial arts, and serve the exact same principle in taijiquan. They are not the art itself, for one would quickly find themselves defeated if they simply performed the form in a defensive situation. Instead, these forms are to teach a person how to move properly within the context of the art. Performed properly, the sluggish, quiet motions of taijiquan become a blurring, twisting, blasting series of movements with so many subtle nuances the eye cannot follow.

that's the literal translation to Taijiquan

yeah I always thought Tai Chi was always a meditative type of martial art ...

I always knew there were two "styles" of Tai Chi Chaun ... I just wish that I saw it in application ... I have heard that it is quite devastating ...

it is very flowy ... I like the fact that they choose the beach for their sparring ground ... symbolizing the ebb and flow ...

Honestly, I believe the reason for the "ultimate fist" nomenclature is due to the original teachers wanting to promote it. Studying two styles of taijiquan (Chen and Yang) I have yet to once use a fist to strike in any motion.

Taijiquan is often confusing because it is a purely internal art. Unlike any sort of Shaolin, kenpo, karate, tkd, kickboxing, et cetra et cetra ad nauseum, the whole concept of taijiquan (and its sister arts xingyiquan and baguazhang) is completely opposite of conventional thinking. It is a pure, smooth use of mechanics and internal energy that teaches the Taoist philosophy of internal perfection leading to external perfection. Those who have studied other (specifically Chinese) martial arts will know that most of them either blend the concepts of external and internal or focus on the external with the belief that external perfection will lead to internal perfection.

As to the Mantis format, if I understand it correctly Mantis is considered one of the few external martial arts that employs any real subtlety and significant qi development.

Tai Chi is basically the building of Energy through body-mastery techniques.It was discovered,however,that those Techniques could be used Martially.This is where Ch'uan or Ch'uan Fa comes in.Ch'uan Fa translates to The Law of the fist and is said to be the Martial application of Tai Chi,giving it the title of the systematic deconstruction of the human body.These two,Ch'uan Fa and Tai Chi complete each other.Tai Chi teaches the building of energy,and Ch'uan Fa teaches deconstruction of energy directed towards your opponent.Together they are Tai Chi Ch'uan.They can learned as one,and as separate arts.

Ch'uan Fa alone was a style developed out of Tai Chi from Tai Chi practitioners.Although once the brutality of the art was established,it was banned,giving the practitioners two choices: Give up Martial Arts or Go into hiding.So they went into hiding,and developed a clan known as the Triads.The Triads needed some way to get money so they serviced themselves as bodyguards and other types of security.In doing so they applied their Ch'uan Fa techniques,most notably when protecting shipments of Opium from bandits.Ch'uan fa became more known because of its use and found it's way to Japan.As the art began to spread certain practitioners developed their own alterations.And so there was now a Traditional Chinese version and a Japanese version.The Japanese called their Version Kempo,and the Chinese version Kenpo.

I am a practitioner of Chinese Kenpo,and that's the story I was taught.

I spent a while studying Wu style. Not Hao, but the plain old Wu style. It's really surprising to me that push hands champions haven't been going to to fight in MMA bouts. It's extremely disappointing to me!