"A unique and unsurpassed school for internal martial arts and qigong training."

    Taoism is the foremost indigenous philosophical thought of China. The name Taoism comes from Tao, a word that means “road” or “way”: a way to follow, a way of thought, a method, and a principle. The Tao is seen as the everlasting principle at the origin of the universe. It permeates and transcends all beings; it is at the origin of all transformations. At its most fundamental level, the name Taoism does not refer to a god or a founding figure, but to a universal principle.

    According to Taoist cosmology (the study of the origin and structure of the universe), in the beginning was the Tao, conceived of as an empty void of infinite potential. Then over a period of many eons, out of Tao emerged qi (vital energy; pronounced “chee”). Taoists believed that all things are made of qi, which is the smallest element in the universe. Originally the universe was in a state of chaos, but eventually the light qi rose and formed the heavens, while the heavy qi sank and formed the earth. Taoists believe that physical matter cannot be distinguished from its basic substance, qi, and thus matter and energy are interchangeable.

    The mission of the Chinese Taoist Martial Arts Association (CTMAA) is to promote the martial arts practiced by the Chinese Taoists for health and self-defense. The major objective of training and cultivation for a Taoist is to achieve longevity and even immortality. The meditative practice known as Inner Alchemy (neidan) was designed as a means to create the “Gold Elixir” in the body and achieve individual spiritual perfection. Since most of the methods require the practitioners to sit for a long time, there is a need for some exercises (such as dynamic qigong) which require the practitioners to move and are complementary to the still methods. The Taoist martial arts were created by adding the component of self-defense to these methods. They are the natural extension of the dynamic qigong.

    But, why do the Taoists need martial art skills if their ultimate objective is enlightenment and immortality? This is because they have recognized the existence of evil force in the world and it is necessary to learn the skills to protect the good and regulate the evil force. Not only do they have to practice but they also strive to achieve the highest level. Their philosophy is that one may not have to use it in a hundred years but one cannot lose the skill even a day. The disciplines also require the cultivation of one’s moral integrity and spiritual purity; without these, all the training and other efforts would be in vain. Therefore, the Taoist martial arts are only used passively in combat situations and their strategy is always based on the principles such as “wait until the opponent initiates the attack”, “attack later but arrive earlier”, and “emphasize neutralization than resistance.” In sum, the Taoists view martial art as “indispensable but least important” in their training curriculum.

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