Traditional Taijiquan's Three Evolutionary Forms and Characteristics in Their Development

Abstract

Chinese martial arts both reflect the lifestyle of the Chinese people and serves as an important link in understanding local cultural life in China. With Taijiquan’s recent recognition as an intangible cultural heritage by the UNESCO, the guardians of traditional Taijiquan now face the question of what to protect, how to protect, and how to develop and preserve its history. This paper uses literature reviews and logical analysis to resolve the development of Chen-style Taijiquan and explains how traditional Taijiquan has evolved into three different forms; traditional, competitive, and health- oriented. It analyzes the characteristics of the three evolutionary forms and proposes that in this era, the protection and inheritance of traditional Taijiquan as an intangible cultural heritage should highlight the cultural core elements within the Taiji record, and it is necessary to study the effect, and the crucial link between martial arts and health, in order to continue to preserve its legacy, and permit its future developments to all future generations, worldwide.