Taijiquan (Tai Chi Chuan) plays an important part in Chinese martial arts. The term 'taiji' was first used during the Zhou Dynasty in the Yi Jing, the "Book of Changes". Its origins cannot be historically proven beyond any doubt. However, the Chen family from Chenjiagou in Henan Province is widely regarded as the creators of the martial art.

Taijiquan is very different from many other styles. Hard attacks are countered with soft moves. One movement flows into the next one in an uninterrupted rythmical harmony. Most of the time, its movements are very slow while others are energetic and fast. However, it is not the aim to practice Taiji as slowly as possible – practicing slowly is the key to success, to execute the techniques in the right way, to always being aware of the positions of arms and legs, of the centre of gravity, of the co-ordination of breathing and moving.
While Taiji practice in the past put an emphasis on it being a system of self-defence, nowadays its health-promoting aspects are becoming more important. The system of Taijiquan is based on Daoist principles.

In the case of chronic ailments, practicing Taiji may have positive effects on the process of healing and recovery. It helps strengthen the immune system and calms down body and mind. Also, it supports organic and metabolic functions and improves the practitioner's overall constitution.

Chen style Taijiquan is probably the best example of the original idea behind this unique art. Three historical persons of 16th century China have decidedly influenced its development: Wang Zongyue, Li Sanfan and Jiang Fa. In those days, it was a standard practice for martial artists to travel around the country in order to deepen their knowledge, to swap ideas or to compete with other martial artists. On one of his journeys, master Wang met masters Li Sanfan and Jiang Fa. He showed them soft fighting techniques which they later passed on to Chen Wangting (1600-1680). Chen Wangting was a renowned fighter and martial arts expert. He combined his experience with the teachings of Li Sanfan and Jiang Fa and developed the style that was to bear his family's name - the Chen style. For a long time, this style was practised only in secret and was passed on only within the family. Not until the beginning of the 19th century was the style becoming more widely known. This passing on of knowledge resulted in the development of the other major styles of Taijiquan (Yang, Wu, Wu/Hao, Sun).

The original forms of Chen style were very long and complex and contained acrobatic elements and flying kicks as can still be found in other martial styles such as Shaolin Quan. The forms practised nowadays are a shortened and simplified condensate of those in the early days of this art. Fluid and light movements are followed by explosive ones. One of this style's specialties is the power of body vibration, called Fajin.

The routines of Chen style are divided into Old (Lao Jia) and New Frame (Xin Jia). Within each frame, there are two forms: the slower Yi Lu, which emphasises nurturing the inner strength by means of the spiral movements of Chansigong and the faster Er Lu, also referred to as Cannon Fist (Pao Chui), which promotes the outer strength and contains a range of techniques for attack and defence. Additionally, several short forms with 38, 19, 18 and 13 movements have been developed recently. They can be learned easier and faster and are suitable for beginners.
Chen style also contains weapon routines with broadsword, sword, spear, guan dao, double- broadsword, double-sword and long pole.

Beginners will learn several basic exercises – the so-called Silk-Reeling exercises (Chansigong). They help loosening body and joints and give learners a feeling for correct posture and body movement in the routines. Their spiral movements also develop the inner strength, which is crucial for the effective application of techniques.
The basic principles being understood, the first routine taught is Chen Zhenglei's 18-step routine Shi Ba Shi. It is a shortened version of the Lao Jia Yi Lu and contains all the important aspects of that routine. The Shi Ba Shi offers easy access to the complex art of Chen style Taijiquan and, once understood and internalised, takes about three to four minutes to complete. As practitioners progress, the longer and more demanding Lao Jia Yi Lu and Er Lu as well as the first weapon routines with broadsword and sword will follow. Push Hands exercises complement the lessons.