Sun Style of Tai Chi Chuan 孙氏太极拳

The Sun family style (孫氏) T’ai Chi Ch’uan was developed by Sun Lu-t’ang (孫祿堂, 1861-1932), who was considered expert in two other internal martial arts styles: Hsing-i Ch’uan (Xingyiquan) and Pa Kua Chang (Baguazhang) before he came to study T’ai Chi. Today, Sun style ranks fourth in popularity and fifth in terms of seniority among the five family styles of T’ai Chi.

He was also considered an accomplished Neo-Confucian and Taoist scholar, especially in the I Ching. Sun learned Wu/Hao style T’ai Chi Ch’üan from Hao Wei-chen (郝為真), who was Li I-yü’s (李亦畬) chief disciple. In creating Sun style, Sun Lu-t’ang was said to have used Bagua’s stepping method, Xingyi’s hand and waist methods, and Tai Chi’s continuity of movement.

Sun tai chi is well known for its smooth, flowing movements which omit the more physically vigorous crouching, leaping and Fa jing of some other styles. The footwork of Sun style is deceptively simple looking, and sometimes called the “free-stepping method of taijiquan”; for when one foot advances or retreats the other follows. It also uses an open palm throughout the entirety of its main form, and exhibits small circular movements with the hand.

Its gentle postures and high stances make it very suitable for geriatric exercise and martial arts therapy. Sun style tai chi formed the basis for a 32-movement set created by Australian teacher Dr. Paul Lam for the U.S. Arthritis Foundation subsequently called “Tai Chi for Arthritis”.

 The most modern of the five major styles of Tai Chi, (the other four being Yang, Wu, family Wu and Chen) Sun Tai Chi was developed in the early 1900s by the famous grandmaster Sun Lutang and is unique in that it fuses Ba Gua and Xing Yi with classical Tai Chi Chuan.

Grandmaster Sun Lu-t’ang (孫祿堂, 1861-1932)