Thai Chi - Name

Name

T'ai chi ch'uan / Taijiquan is formed by the combination of three hanzi:
(Hanzi – Wade-Giles / Pinyin – Meaning)

• 太 – t'ai / tai – supreme, grand, great
• 極 – chi / ji – ultimate, extreme
• 拳 – ch'uan / quan – fist, boxing

Despite having a single Chinese spelling, 太極拳, there are two different spellings in English usage, one derived from the Wade-Giles and the other from the Pinyin transliteration, with the West mostly being familiar with the Wade-Giles, t'ai chi ch'uan. This name is often shortened by Westerners to "t'ai chi" (or "tai chi," a common misspelling). This shortened name is the same as that of t'ai chi philosophy, sometimes resulting in confusion between the two. The chi in the martial art's name can also be mistaken for ch'i (氣), especially as ch'i is involved in the practice of t'ai chi ch'uan. The 'up-to-date' Pinyin transliteration, taijiquan, is not subject to such misinterpretation, as the spelling of the hanzi 極, ji is quite distinct from that of 氣, qi. "T'ai chi ch'uan" (including "t'ai chi" and their misspellings) still remains the popular spelling used by the general public today, however, many professional practitioners, masters and martial arts bodies (such as the IWUF) write it as taijiquan.