Styles of Tai Chi Chuan

There are many different styles or families of Tai Chi Chuan. The five which are practiced most commonly today are the following styles. Each named after the Chinese family from which it originated. All Tai Chi styles, however, are derived from the original Chen family style.

1. Chen Style Tai Chi Chuan

The Chen family style is the oldest and parent form of the five main Tai Chi Chuan styles. It is divided into two categories, the Old Frame and the New Frame. The old frame was created by Chen Wangting. It had five routines which were also known as the 13-movement Chuan. And Chen also developed a long-style Chuan routine of 108 movements and a cannon Chuan routine. It was then handed down to Chen Changxing and Chen Youben, boxers in the Chenjia Valley who were all proficient at the old frame. The present Chen-style Chuan boasts of the old routine, the cannon routine and the new routine.

With jumps, leaps and explosions of strength, the performance followed a circular path. The Chen Style Tai Chi Chuan was known by the name "Lao Jia" ("old frame").

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