The fluid combination of slow, graceful movements and lightning-quick strikes easily sets taijiquan apart from other martial arts. The earliest traceable origin is in mid-17th century Henan province, home to its first popularizer, the Ming Dynasty general Chen Wangting. Taijiquan, influenced by Taoist and Confucian thoughts, as well as traditional Chinese medicine, builds upon theories of bodily energies, the yin …
