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It is said that a healthy body has ample and free flowing “qi” with the appropriate amount and quality of qi at each part of the body and each organ. It is thought that qi is the energy flowing throughout the Universe.

There are five traditional schools of taijiquan: Chen, Yang, Wu/Hao, Wu and Sun – of which only the first will be introduced here – and two overarching groups of so-called frames, or paradigms: one based on old frames and one based on new frames. The old frame is said to have been created by Chen Wangting, one of the great masters of taiji quan and the founder of the Chen school of taiji quan. Both of these paradigms include boxing routines, where the boxing referred to was so-called empty-handed boxing (nothing either in or on the hand), while today, taiji quan, practiced as a competition sport, generally makes use of boxing gloves, so as not to cause lasting bodily harm.

Taijiquan, according to one legend, was developed by a Taoist immortal (the Buddhist equivalent would be one who has achieved nirvanna) by the name of Chang San-feng (alternatively, Zhang Sanfeng ) who was inspired to develop this internal wushu discipline while witnessing a duel between a cobra and an eagle. Chang San-feng was impressed by the defensive tactics deployed by the snake (had the cobra attempted to flee it would have been paralyzingly wounded by the eagle's piercing peck, then strangled to death in the clutch of the eagle's powerful claws). By controlling its fear and maintaining total concentration on the eagle's various lunges and retreats, the cobra managed not only to avoid being hit by the eagle's deadly pecks, but itself managed to deliver a fatal blow to the eagle's neck, killing it.