In 1954, the State Sports Commission of China formulated the policy of “exploring, sorting, researching and improving” for martial arts and established a martial arts research room. It was decided to start with Tai Chi and compile unified and standardized martial arts teaching materials to create conditions for the popularization of martial arts activities. To this end, the State Sports Commission of China invited Tai Chi masters such as Wu Tunan, Chen Fake, Gao Ruizhou, Tian Zhenfeng, Li Tianji, and Tang Hao to discuss and formulate a simplified Tai Chi draft, which consists of representative movements of various schools of Tai Chi.
After the first draft was published, it was generally reflected that the content was not concise enough and it was difficult to popularize it widely. In 1955, experts such as Mao Bohao, Li Tianji, Tang Hao, and Wu Gaoming from the Wushu Department of the State Sports Commission conducted another study and decided to take Yang Style Tai Chi, which has the widest circulation and adaptability, as the basis, and select the main content for re-arrangement according to the principles of simplicity, clarity, and easy learning and practice, retaining the traditional style of Tai Chi and highlighting the mass and fitness nature of Tai Chi. Following the above plan, after repeated revisions, the first unified martial arts textbook edited by the national sports authorities in New China was finally produced – Simplified Tai Chi. Since the whole set has 24 movements, it is also called 24-style Simplified Tai Chi.
Now people are used to calling this set of boxing 24-style Tai Chi, and rarely mention the word “simplified”. Although this set of boxing is based on Yang-style Tai Chi, according to people familiar with the matter, the opinions of Soviet gymnastics experts were referred to when the routine was created, so the kicking and lowering movements seen now are very different from those of traditional Yang-style Tai Chi. The 24-style emphasizes beauty, and the movements are more stretched and generous. You have to be able to kick high and go low. It is a boxing that is displayed and performed for others to watch.
Traditional Yang style Tai Chi emphasizes combat skills, and the transformation between the real and the fake runs through the whole process. Although the characteristics of the movements are also stretching and generous, they are round and full, and the whole body is one, without excess or deficiency. The 24-style is far behind. This is determined by the development direction of the 24-style Tai Chi, which is for national fitness and collective performances, and requires uniformity.
The biggest difference between the 24-style and traditional Yang style Tai Chi is in the details. Because the creator is not a descendant of the Yang family, he paid more attention to the ease of learning, practicing and promotion when creating it, so many training methods are different from traditional Yang style Tai Chi. For example, the most obvious kick is too high. People in the industry say “this is what we are competing for”. Traditional people never practice like that. The old boxing theory says “half of the leg is empty when you raise it”. The leg should be raised with a purpose, not only to go straight to the target but also to protect yourself.
In the 24-style, the legs should be flat, the joints are twisted, the knees are straight, and it looks like a posture for being beaten. It’s okay for young people to practice it. Everyone agrees that the boxing of the Queen of Tai Chi, Gao Jiamin, is beautiful, but she has been injured all over her body after practicing it, including teacher Li Deyin who came back from teaching abroad with a limp. Some people even gave up learning Tai Chi because of pain. The original intention of practicing boxing is to maintain health, so it is better not to practice it after practicing to this point. As for the differences in other detailed training methods, I will not list them one by one here.
The reason why Tai Chi is called internal boxing is that the key is to practice the inside and use the inside to lead the outside, or the saying “If the inside does not move, the outside will not move.” If you can’t practice the internal things, you will only do superficial body movements. Although it is vigorous, it is still just doing exercises. In the words of our old boxer in Yang style, “That set of boxing is enough to strengthen the body. If you want to practice kung fu, then you can’t practice it.” This set of boxing simplifies the traditional roots. The 42-style Tai Chi created by Grandmaster Cui Yishi is called simple Tai Chi, and it is definitely not simplified Tai Chi. He believes that the forms can be reduced, but the movements cannot be simplified.
Some people said that beginners of Tai Chi must first learn the 24 forms, but some professionals believe that traditional boxing is also a single swing of one form at a time, two or three forms in a string, and can be practiced in sections if there is little time. Learning traditional boxing is not as difficult as people imagine. The important thing is to move and spend time practicing in depth. As long as the learner is focused, and practices more with his heart, it is also relatively easy to get started.
“42-Form Simple Tai Chi” is practiced for seven or eight minutes. After learning it well, both left and right forms are practiced, which is more complete than the left and right forms included in the 24 forms. Practicing Tai Chi according to traditional methods also has its experience inheritance and advantages.
The 24-Form Tai Chi simplifies and promotes difficulty, which is conducive to popular fitness. While inheriting the essence of traditional Tai Chi, it is boldly innovative and highlights modern science in the arrangement of routines. Compared with traditional routine Tai Chi, it also has its own practice characteristics.
When learning Tai Chi, which routine to start with should be determined based on each person’s physical condition, level of understanding, purpose of learning, and the master or coach they can contact, etc. In short, as long as it can help to exercise the body and cultivate the mind, it is fine.