02/19/2026
*** 25 Secrets of Tai Chi: Chen Family Taijiquan 25 Disciplines ***
Tai Chi is often misunderstood as merely a practice of slow and gentle movements.
In authentic Chen Family Taijiquan, however, slowness is not the objective.
The true purpose is the construction of an internal structure.
In Chen Family Taijiquan, principles refer to broad conceptual frameworks—such as Yin–Yang or empty and full.
Disciplines, by contrast, are precise and time-tested training methods, carefully crafted and transmitted within the lineage over centuries.
The 25 Secrets of Tai Chi belong to this second category: they are disciplines, not abstractions.
Within Chinese martial arts, Chen Family Taijiquan belongs to 内家拳 (Nei Jia Quan), which translates directly as “Internal House Fist.”
This term does not imply mysticism. Rather, it describes a systematic process of constructing an internal house within the body—a functional integration of body structure, mental regulation, and internal movement mechanics.
In Chen Family Taijiquan, this internal house is built through four foundational components:
The Law of Body (身法 · Shen Fa)
The Law of Mind (心法 · Xin Fa)
The Law of Silk-Reeling (纏絲法 · Chan Si Fa)
The Four Major Characteristics (四大特點 · Si Da Te Dian)
When the first three laws are genuinely cultivated rather than superficially imitated,
the four major characteristics emerge naturally.
Together, these four parts constitute what is known within the Chen family as the 25 Secrets of Tai Chi.
These teachings are not modern interpretations. They are oral transmissions handed down from Chen Wangting, the founder of Taijiquan, through successive generations of the Chen family. While the disciplines can be translated literally, their true meaning cannot be grasped through words alone. They must be decoded through authentic lineage transmission, where the teachings are embodied through practice rather than merely explained.
[Chen Family Taijiquan: 25 Disciplines (Direct Translation) by Master Bosco Baek]
Note: A literal translation alone may lack clarity for native English readers. Authentic lineage transmission provides the essential context required to correctly interpret, embody, and apply these disciplines.
- 身法 · Shēn Fǎ (The Law of Body) -
01. 虛領頂勁 · Xū Lǐng Dǐng Jìn
Empty the neck and gently lift energy to the crown of the head.
02. 鬆肩沈肘 · Sōng Jiān Chěn Zhǒu
Relax the shoulders and sink the elbows.
03. 含胸塌腰，尾閭中正 · Hán Xiōng Tā Yāo, Wěi Lǘ Zhōng Zhèng
Contain the chest and relax the lower back; keep the tailbone upright and centered.
04. 屈膝鬆胯 · Qū Xī Sōng Kuà
Bend the knees and relax the hips.
05. 垂臀圓襠 · Chuí Tún Yuán Dāng
Let the buttocks sink and round the groin.
06. 下盘稳固 · Xià Pán Wěn Gù
Stabilize the lower base.
07. 立身中正 · Lì Shēn Zhōng Zhèng
Stand the body upright and centered.
08. 上虛下實，虛實分明 · Shàng Xū Xià Shí, Xū Shí Fēn Míng
The upper body is empty, the lower body is full; empty and full are clearly distinguished.
09. 八面支撑 · Bā Miàn Zhī Chēng
Support is present in all eight directions.
- 心法 · Xīn Fǎ (The Law of Mind) -
10. 全身放鬆 · Quán Shēn Fàng Sōng
Relax the entire body deeply.
11. 心氣下降 · Xīn Qì Xià Jiàng
Sink the mind and its energy downward.
12. 意守丹田，氣沈丹田 · Yì Shǒu Dān Tián, Qì Chén Dān Tián
Guard the dantian with intention; sink energy into the dantian.
13. 感受呼吸 · Gǎn Shòu Hū Xī
Feel and regulate inhalation and exhalation.
14. 氣貫周身 · Qì Guàn Zhōu Shēn
Energy penetrates throughout the entire body.
15. 不丢不頂 · Bù Diū Bù Dǐng
Neither collapse nor resist; do not lose contact and do not oppose force.
- 纏絲法 · Chán Sī Fǎ (The Law of Silk-Reeling) -
16. 以腰爲軸 · Yǐ Yāo Wéi Zhóu
Use the waist as the central axis.
17. 胸腰折疊 · Xiōng Yāo Zhé Dié
The chest and waist fold and coil.
18. 丹田運轉 · Dān Tián Yùn Zhuǎn
The dantian rotates and moves.
19. 節節貫串 · Jié Jié Guàn Chuàn
Energy connects continuously, joint by joint.
20. 意到氣到，氣到形到 · Yì Dào Qì Dào, Qì Dào Xíng Dào
When intention arrives, energy arrives; when energy arrives, form follows.
21. 內外相合，周身一家 · Nèi Wài Xiāng Hé, Zhōu Shēn Yì Jiā
Internal and external unite; the whole body becomes one house.
- 四大特點 · Sì Dà Tè Diǎn (The Four Major Characteristics) -
22. 剛柔幷(相)濟，快慢相間 · Gāng Róu Bīng(Xiàng) Jǐ, Kuài Màn Xiàng Jiàn
23. Hard and soft harmonize each other; fast and slow alternate.
蓄發相變 · Xù Fā Xiāng Biàn
Storing and issuing transform into one another.
24. 鬆活彈抖 · Sōng Huó Tán Dǒu
Be relaxed, alive, elastic, and vibrating.
25. 外形走弧線，內勁走螺旋 · Wài Xíng Zǒu Hú Xiàn, Nèi Jìn Zǒu Luó Xuán
Externally, movement follows circular arcs; internally, force rotates in spirals.
[Closing Note]
These are not merely training tips.
They describe the internal architecture of 内家拳 (Nèi Jiā Quán, “Internal House Fist”)—a house constructed through correct body alignment, refined mental regulation, and continuous silk-reeling movement.
When
身法 (Shēn Fǎ, “the Law of Body”),
心法 (Xīn Fǎ, “the Law of Mind”), and
纏絲法 (Chán Sī Fǎ, “the Law of Silk-Reeling”)
are fully established, the four major characteristics manifest naturally and without force.
This integrated system is known within the Chen family as the 25 Secrets of Tai Chi, an oral transmission passed down from 陳王廷 (Chén Wángtíng), the founder of Taijiquan, through successive generations of the Chen clan lineage (陳氏家族, Chén Shì Jiāzú).
[Final Advisory Note]
It must be clearly stated that the 25 Secrets of Tai Chi cannot be learned through text alone.
Although these disciplines can be written, translated, and studied conceptually, their true substance exists beyond words.
Chen Family Taijiquan is an embodied art. The correct alignment, timing, internal connection, and qualitative movement described in the 25 disciplines cannot be reliably self-taught through reading or imitation. They must be directly transmitted, personally demonstrated, and refined through hands-on correction.
For this reason, serious practitioners are strongly advised to study under a legitimate successor—either one who originates from 陳家溝 (Chén Jiā Gōu, Chen Village), or one who has undergone long-term, formal training within the Chen clan (陳氏, Chén Shì). Only through sustained personal instruction, repeated physical adjustment, and long-term practice under qualified guidance can these disciplines be correctly understood and internalized.
Without such direct transmission, the words may be memorized,
but the internal house will remain unbuilt.
[For Serious Practitioners]
For those who wish to study the 25 Secrets of Tai Chi in their complete and authoritative form—including the original Chinese text, pinyin, direct English translations, and lineage-based interpretation—the material is presented in the book:
25 Secrets of Tai Chi: Taijiquan 25 Disciplines by Bosco Baek
This work serves as a formal reference for serious practitioners and instructors who seek a clear, structured presentation of the Chen Family’s internal disciplines, grounded in authentic 内家拳 (Nei Jia Quan, Internal House Fist) transmission rather than modern reinterpretation.
👉 Purchase the book on Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/Secrets-Tai-Chi-Taijiquan-Disciplines/dp/1548554553
This book is not intended to replace direct instruction, but to serve as a reliable guide and companion for those committed to legitimate Chen Family Taijiquan training.
Author: Bosco Baek, Founding Principal, Chen Bing Taiji Academy USA, Los Angeles, California
Original Posting from
https://chenbing.org/insights/f/25-secrets-of-tai-chi-chen-family-taijiquan-25-disciplines
TRANSMITTING THE MOTHER FORM OF TAI CHI FROM ITS BIRTHPLACE LOCATED IN LOS FELIZ, LOS ANGELES
