We are not fluent in Chinese, but enjoy learning about the language (spoken and written), particularly as it relates to Tai Chi.

This website includes a number of Chinese language terms for important concepts in Tai Chi, since Chinese terms and ideas are nuanced & multi-layered. In addition, translations sometimes translate two different characters/concepts in Chinese to the same English term, which can lead to confusion and misunderstanding. Many of the core texts of our style of Tai Chi were translated into English using the Wade-Giles romanization system still in use in Taiwan and elsewhere, so familiarity with the system is useful. Typically, terms will be presented in both Wade-Giles and the Hanyu Pinyin system, except when quoting other works, in which case the original text is not altered.

"P'eng, Lu, Chi, An are special terms in the martial arts. These terms are used differently in the Shuo Wen Chih, and the meanings are not related." – Cheng Man-ching, Cheng Tzu's Thirteen Treatises on T'ai Chi Ch'uan, 76

Note: Some of the characters here are presented with meanings specific to Tai Chi, as they were adapted to the context of martial arts. So, the descriptions may be somewhat different than or augmented compared to their normal meaning.


Characters Pinyin Wade-Giles Description
既濟 jì jì After Completion After Completion, the 63rd hexagram of the Book of Changes
未濟 wèi jì Before Completion Before Completion, the 64th hexagram of the Book of Changes
四象 sì xiàng Sze Hsiang four symbols/manifestations/images which generate the eight trigrams of the Book of Changes
qián ch'ien heaven trigram (☰) of the Book of Changes
zhèn chen thunder trigram (☳) of the Book of Changes
kǎn k'an water trigram (☵) of the Book of Changes
kūn k'un earth trigram (☷) of the Book of Changes
gèn ken mountain trigram (☶) of the Book of Changes
li fire trigram (☲) of the Book of Changes
八卦 bā guà pa kua the eight trigrams of the I Ching ("Book of Changes")
xùn sun wind trigram (☴) of the Book of Changes
duì tui lake trigram (☱) of the Book of Changes
少林 Shào lín Shaolin Shaolin; external martial arts styles, named after the Shaolin monestary where they are said to have originated
太极 Taì jí T'ai Chi great polarity, supreme ultimate
武当拳 Wǔ dāng quán Wu-tang ch'uan internal martial arts styles, named after the mountains where they are said to have originated
àn an Push; one of the 'eight gates' postures and part of the original thirteen postures of Tai Chi
长拳 cháng quán ch'ang ch'uan long boxing
chén ch'en sink
ch'i breath or breath energy
气海 qì hai ch'i hai "Sea of ch'i or tan t'ien. Located in the abdomen, this point is critical for the development of the ch'i. It corresponds to the sixth point on the jen channel of the body." – Lo/Inn/Amacker/Foe
气功 qì gōng ch'i kung ch'i development practices.
气势 qì shì ch'i shih an adventageous/powerful position
起式 qǐ shì ch'i shih Beginning Posture
抽丝劲 chōu sī jìn ch'ou ssu chin drawing silk skill; moving continuously and smoothly, integrating the movement & changes throughout the body to be connected and flowing internally as well as externally
quán ch'uan discipline, system of self-defense, boxing, fist
zhān chan adhering and lifting from above; also just adhering in some circumstances
粘劲 zhān jìn chan chin adhering to strength
站宫 zhàn gōng chan kung standing practice of postures, for example the one-legged postures Lift Hands & Play Guitar and the 70/30 posture Single Whip
zháo chao to touch
chi Press; one of the 'eight gates' postures and part of the original thirteen postures of Tai Chi
chi the spine; the back
夹脊 jiā jǐ chia chi second of the Taoist 'gates', located between the shoulder blades.
接劲 jiē jìn chieh chin receiving energy
jìn chin internal energy/strength; one of the main objectives of T'ai Chi Ch'uan is the development of chin and the ability to sense it in others.
jīn chin the sinews and muscles of the body, though primarily referring to the ligiments, tendons, and fascia.
进步 jìn bù chin {pu} Step Forward; one of the 'five steps' postures and part of the original thirteen postures of Tai Chi
jìng ching still, calm, quiet, not moving
jīng ching classics; classic text; scripture
jīng ching essence of the internal organs
精神 jīng shén ching shen spirit, mind, vitality, drive, spiritual
九曲珠 jiǔ qū zhū chiu ch'u chu pearl with nine bends/passages; literally: nine bend pearl/bead
借劲 jiè jìn chìeh chin borrowing energy
截劲 jié jìn chíeh chin intercepting energy
zhǒu chou Elbow; one of the 'eight gates' postures and part of the original thirteen postures of Tai Chi
转劲 zhuàn jìn chuan chin rolling energy
zhōng chung center, central
中定 zhōng dìng chung ting Central Equilibrium; one of the 'five steps' postures and part of the original thirteen postures of Tai Chi; stable middle point
中文 Zhōng wén chung wen Chinese written language, Chinese writing
中庸 zhōng yōng chung yung golden mean; Doctrine of the Mean; immutable straightness
fa discharging; to send out; to issue
发劲 fā jìn fa chin to release the internal force (chin)
发放 fā fàng fa fang discharging release
fàng fang to release
放劲 fàng jìn fang chin releasing/discharging energy
fēng feng seal
gēn gen root, rooted; the quality of being relaxed, and sinking (ch'en, chén) to be well-connected to the ground and with good equilibrium
工夫 gōng fu gung fu practice or discipline
浩然之气 hào rán zhī qì hao jan chih ch'i Great Ch'i
先天 xiān tiān hsien tien inborn; innate; prenatal
xīn hsin heart, heart-mind; "The essential mind which produces the I (idea or will)" – Lo/Inn/Amacker/Foe
心静 xīn jìng hsin ching heart-mind still; calm, tranquil
hsu insubstantial, empty or unoccupied
huà hua neutralize an opponents incoming energy/push by returning it back to them.
化劲 huà jìn hua chin neutralizing energy
i mind, thought, idea, to think
一家 yī jiā i chia one family; one group
ru ju to entter
入劲 ru jìn ju chin entering energy
kào k'ao Shoulder; one of the 'eight gates' postures and part of the original thirteen postures of Tai Chi
客气 kè qi k'e ch'i polite, courteous; acting with the 'air of the guest'
kuà k`ua hip, hipbone
左顧 zuǒ gù ku Look Left; one of the 'five steps' postures and part of the original thirteen postures of Tai Chi; part of the idiom 左顧右盼 meaning 'glancing to left and right' or 'to look all around'
lán lan parry
劳宫 láo gōng lao kung "This refers to the eighth point on the pericardium meridian which is located on the middle of the palm of the hand." – Lo/Inn
老師 lǎo shī laoshi teacher
li external, hard strength
两仪 liǎng yí liang i the two primordial powers, heaven and earth, yin and yang
liè lieh Split; Strike with an open palm; one of the 'eight gates' postures and part of the original thirteen postures of Tai Chi
lián lien adhering and supporting from below
líng ling agile, lively, quick, alert
手履 lu Rollback; one of the 'eight gates' postures and part of the original thirteen postures of Tai Chi
命门 mìng mén ming men gate of life, a point in the lower back located at the lower border of the second lumbar vertebrae and an important ch'i cultivation area
泥丸 ní wán ni wan an energetic point in/on the head, sometimes considered to be at the crown of the head, sometimes inside the head on the centerline. It was considered to be one of the [[Three Taoist Gates]] by [[Cheng Man-ch'ing (Zhèng Mànqīng)|Cheng Man-ch'ing]].
内家 nèi jiā nie chia inner school; internal martial arts
内功 nèi gōng nie kung internal work; internal exercises
nián nien adherance or sticking power; sticky, glutenous
凝神 níng shén ning shen pay attention; with rapt attention
péng p'eng Wardoff; one of the 'eight gates' postures and part of the original thirteen postures of Tai Chi
琵琶 pí pá p'i p'a A traditional Chinese musical instrument with a pear-shaped body, four strings, and frets on the fingerboard; sometimes called the "Chinese lute".
bān pan deflect
右盼 yòu pàn pan Look Right; one of the 'five steps' postures and part of the original thirteen postures of Tai Chi; part of the idiom 左顧右盼 meaning 'look left and look right'
bèi pei detach or become stuck; literally: the back of a body or object, to turn one's back
pi close
po parry
不丢不顶 bù diū bù dǐng pu tiu pu ting not to lose (connection) not go against; to not lose adherence nor resist
不丢顶 bù diū dǐng pu tiu ting not disconnecting nor going against
散手 sàn shǒu san shou free fighting
shén shen soul, spirit, lively
神聚 shén jù shen chü concentrated spirit
shí shih substantial, real, solid
时中 shí zhōng shih chung precise timing at the center
十字手 shí zì shǒu shih tzu shou cross-shaped hands; Cross Hands posture
shùn shun to follow
suí sui adhering from the rear; follow
sōng sung "To relax and sink. A distinction should be made between the relaxation of the whole body and a limp or flaccid condition of the body." – Lo/Inn/Amacker/Foe
太极拳 taìjíquán t'ai chi ch'uan supreme ultimate boxing; system of self-defense based upon the great polarity
t'i uproot
t'i form, substance
提劲 tí jìn t'i chin uprooting strength
提放 tí fàng t'i fang uprooting discharge
提合 tí hé t'i ho raise and bring together
tiē t'ieh adhering horizontally
tīng t'ing to listen, to hear, to obey
听劲 tīng jìn t'ing chin listening to energy
头悬 tóu xuán t'ou hsüan headtop suspended
推手 tuī shǒu t'ui shou Push Hands; a two person exercise for exploring and refining one's ability to embody the principles of T'ai Chi
退步 tuì bù t'ui {pu} Step Back; one of the 'five steps' postures and part of the original thirteen postures of Tai Chi
大手履 dà lǚ ta lu long rollback; four corners push hands; literally 'great rollback'
丹田 dān tián tan t'ien field of elixir
dìng ting equilibrium; short version of chung ting (zhōng dìng) and one of the 'five steps' postures and part of the original thirteen postures of Tai Chi
dǐng ting the crown of the head; to go against
定劲 dìng jìn ting chin "This is the ability to be rooted and immovable as opposed to being hard and resistant to the opponent's attack."
丢顶 diū dǐng tiu ting losing the attachment
抖擞 dǒu sǒu tou sou enliven; invigorate; to shake out & shake
抖擞劲 dǒu sǒu jìn tou sou chin shaking out energy
cǎi ts'ai Pull; one of the 'eight gates' postures and part of the original thirteen postures of Tai Chi
zǒu tsou yielding by turning quickly; also known as tsou chin (zǒu jìn)
走劲 zǒu jìn tsou chin yielding energy
dòng tung to set in motion; start to change
懂劲 dǒng jìn tung chin interpreting energy
尾闾 wěi lǘ weilu the lowest of the three Taoist gates, in the sacral area of the spine
无极 wú jí wu chi everlasting; unbounded; primordial void in Taoist philosophy
武德 wǔ dé wu te martial virtue
yáng yang hard, positive, active, light, male
yāo yao waist, really the lower torso including the waist, the tan t'ien (dān tián) and ming men (mìng mén)
yīn yin soft, negative, passive, dark, feminine
玉枕骨 yù zhěn gǔ yu chen ku occiptial bone, where the skull sits on the neck; literally 'jade rest-your-head bone' or 'jade occipital bone'
涌泉 yǒng quán yung ch'uan bubbling well; "The point on the foot where the root lies: on the center line, two-thirds forward from the heel." – Lo/Inn/Amacker/Foe
qián ch'ien The 'heaven' trigram of the eight trigrams of the Pa Kua (bā guà)
Questions?

To learn about Tai Chi, start with our introduction to Tai Chi. To learn more about our style, you can read about the lineage of the school. You may find answers to other questions in the Frequently Asked Questions. Or you can email us.