You must be familiar with the word Taoism? But do you know how it got its name? The word 'Tao', which is sometimes spelled as Dao, has the literal meaning of path, way, or truth. It is based on the principle that there will always be change, no matter how much we want to stop it. Change is eternal; there is no end in that change.

It is on this principle that Taoism was born. They are teaching that in order to properly harmonize oneself to changes, one has to have a change within oneself first. The symbol of Tao is two opposite teardrop, wedged together to form a circle, one called the Yin and the other the Yang. Confucianism and Taoism are alike since their moral teachings and social ethics are mixed together.

Traditional Tai Chi can be considered a Taoist way of life, or Taoist Tai Chi, clearly since combat and health qualities of Taoist Tai Chi are founded in the teachings of religious Taoism. Its conception started when a Taoist monk Chang San Feng dreamt about two divine spirits of a crane and a snake fighting. Feng was amazed at the skills of the combatant that he created an art of fighting based on the divine spirits movements.

Chang San Feng was from the Wudang sect of the Taoism religion, a renowned sect within the streams of Taoism. The Wudang sect advocates the 'return to origin' principle of Tao, which means 'returning' ones body to pure health, like that of a child, which is the origin. Naturally, Feng injected some of this Taoist principle in Tai Chi.

Being an astute follower Taoist philosophy, Chang San Feng, was honored by the Emperor Ying-Tsung as "a Holy man who achieved the Tao". His teachings of Tai chi were extremely influenced by his Taoism nature. He painstakingly followed every Taoism principles on doing the Tai chi including the principle of yielding, the slow over fast, soft over hard, and the wrong over right. But unlike the Tai Chi today which is soft, flowing and graceful version, the Tai Chi Chang San Feng taught was a fast fighting kind of Tai Chi

Taoism also teaches about contemplation and appreciation of nature. And it is quite apparent too that the Taoist Tai Chi movements are reflections of nature, the natural action of animals in their habitats. This kind of beauty amazed the author of Tai Chi during his wanderings and thus, inspired him to include them in his Tai Chi teachings.

Since then, Taoist Tai Chi has encouraged many to engage on this martial art. Its applications and benefits are put to use for other practical purposes. Today, not all Tai Chi advocates are following the teachings of Taoist Tai Chi. Only very few are sticking to the Taoism lifestyle. But despite that Taoism has long been gone, its principle will remain intact and continue to motivate the practice of Tai Chi.