Daoism & the martial arts 道與武
Tai chi, qigong and the internal arts grew from Daoist soil: yin and yang, qi, softness overcoming hardness, stillness in motion.
Wudang and the internal arts
By tradition the Daoist Zhang Sanfeng created tai chi on the Wudang Mountains after watching a crane and a snake. Historians trace documented tai chi to Chen Village in the 1600s, but its ideas are thoroughly Daoist: the taiji (supreme ultimate) diagram, yin-yang, the Five Phases and wu wei. Wudang is also linked with baguazhang and xingyiquan, the other "internal family" arts.
- Tai chi styles & forms
- Wudang tai chi
- Wudang quan · Baguazhang · Xingyiquan
- Qigong sets (Baduanjin, Five Animals and Yijinjing)
Where Shaolin stands
The Shaolin Temple is Buddhist, the birthplace by tradition of Chan (Zen). Shaolin kung fu is called the "external" family and Wudang the "internal", but the line is softer than the saying. Both share qi cultivation, and both trained beside each other on Mount Song: the Daoist Zhongyue Temple stands only a few miles from Shaolin. Chan itself was shaped by Daoist words like wu wei, naturalness and emptiness. Read more on the Zen & Shaolin page.
| Shaolin (Chan Buddhist) | Wudang (Daoist) | |
|---|---|---|
| Mountain | Songshan, Henan | Wudang Shan, Hubei |
| Patron | Bodhidharma; Vajrapani (Narayana) as guardian | Zhenwu (Perfected Warrior); Zhang Sanfeng |
| Saying | "Chan and martial arts are one body" | "Use stillness to overcome motion; soft overcomes hard" |
| Family | External (wai jia) | Internal (nei jia) |
| Meditation | Zazen / Chan sitting; Yijinjing | Zuowang, inner alchemy, standing post |
CGTN: Wudang, a Daoist mecca
Free Documentary: Wudang Mountains
In my own practice
The tai chi & qi gong flow I teach (learned from Dr Adam Potts) is a gentle, moving way to taste these ideas. My time with Shifu Heng Chao at the USA Shaolin Kung Fu Academy shows me the Chan side of the same mountain.
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