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1. Tai Chi Chuan / Tai Ji Quan
3. Tai Chi Chuan Dao / Tai Ji Quan Dao
4. Tai Chi Chuan Fa / Tai Ji Quan Fa
6. Tai Jutsu
7. Tai Chi Ball
10. Five Elements Tai Chi Fist
11. Fundamental Principles of Tai Chi Chuan
13. Muay Thai
14. Wu Chi / Wuji
15. Shintai
16. Taekwondo
18. Tarzan
19. Body / Karada
20. Life Energy / Spiritual Energy
21. Energy Sword Body in Concert
22. Sword
太極拳 is the famous Taoist meditation and martial art exercise. The direct translation of these characters would be something like “grand ultimate fist,” but that does not quite hit the mark for what this title really means.
An early-morning walk through any city in China near a park or an open area will yield a view of Chinese people practicing this ancient technique.
A typical scene is an old man of no less than 80 years on this earth, with a wispy white beard and perhaps a sword in one hand. He makes slow moves that are impossibly smooth. He is steady-footed and always in balance. For him, time is meaningless and proper form, and technique is far more important than speed.
For the younger generation, faster moves may look impressive and seem smooth to the casual observer. But more discipline and mental strength are needed to create perfectly smooth moves in virtual slow motion.
Note: There are two ways to Romanize these Chinese characters, as seen in the title above. The pronunciation and actual characters are the same in Chinese. If you really used English sounds/words to pronounce this, it would be something like “tie jee chew-on” (make the “chew-on” one flowing syllable).
太極 is the shortened title for Tai Chi Chuan or Tai Ji Quan that is sometimes used in Western countries.
Basically just removing the last character which means fist. I don't recommend this two-character selection because it's not really a word without the third character in Japanese and Chinese.
気剣体一致 is the title Ki Ken-Tai Icchi.
気 = energy, 剣 = sword, 体 = body, 一致 = synchronization/unity. So, “energy, sword, and body in unison” would be one way to translate this. Sometimes written with the possessive article, の, making it 気剣体の一致 or “Ki Ken-Tai no Icchi.” Let me know in the special instructions if you want that の character added by the calligrapher.
体術 is the martial arts term Tai Jutsu in Japanese Kanji.
Taijutsu is a general term referring to virtually all Japanese martial arts styles that involve the use of the body (perhaps not weapons). The literal meaning of 体術 is “body technique” or “body skill.”
I included the Chinese pronunciation, but this is rarely used in Chinese.
心技体 is the Japanese title “shin gi tai” or “shingitai.”
This can refer to the three elements of Sumo wrestlers or martial artists, “heart-technique-physique.”
Here is what each character represents:
心 (shin) mind, heart, and spirit.
技 (gi) skill, knowledge, and experience.
体 (tai) body and physical effort.
心技体 have the same meanings in Chinese, though this title is used much more often in Japanese.
五行太極拳 is a certain school or style of Tai Chi (Taiji).
The characters literally mean “Five Elements Tai Chi Fist.”
Notes:
In Taiwan, it would be Romanized as “Wu Hsing Tai Chi Chuan” - see the standard Mandarin method above in the gray box (used in mainland China and the official Romanization used by the Library of Congress).
The last three characters are sometimes translated as “Grand Ultimate Fist,” so the whole thing can be “Five Elements Grand Ultimate Fist” if you wish.
I have not confirmed the use of this title in Korean but if it is used, it's probably only by martial arts enthusiasts. The pronunciation is correct, as shown above for Korean.
Peng, Lu, Ji, An, Cai, Lie, Zhou, and Kao are the eight fundamentals or forces of Tai Chi Chuan or Taiqiquan.
棚 (Peng) refers to the outward (or upward) expansion of energy.
履 (Lu) is often referred to as “rollback.” Lu is the ability to absorb, yield/deflect incoming force.
擠 (Ji) is often thought of as a “forward press.” However, it is also best described as a “squeezing out of space.”
按 (An) is a downward movement of energy, best translated as “(relaxed) sinking.”
採 (Cai or Tsai) translated as “downward pluck.” Cai is a combination of Lu and An.
列 (Lie or Lieh) is “Split” and is a combination of Peng and Ji.
肘 (Zhou) Elbowing.
靠 (Kao) Shouldering (for when the arms are bound/distance is too close to punch).
Source: https://combativecorner.wordpress.com/2015/12/03/the-8-energies-and-5-movements-of-taijiquan/
推手 is the martial arts title “Pushing Hands.”
推手 is the title for two-person training routines practiced in internal Chinese martial arts such as Baguazhang, Xingyiquan, Tai Chi Chuan (Taijiquan), Liuhebafa, Chuan Fa, and Yiquan.
The first character means “pushing.”
The second character means “hand” (or “hands”).
This term can be romanized as “Tui Sau,” “Tui Sao,” or from Mandarin, “Tui Shou.”
If you are looking for this term, chances are, you already know the meaning within the context of Tai Chi and other martial arts.
Without Limit
This is Wu Chi or Wuji in Chinese characters.
Wu Chi as a philosophy is often associated with Tai Chi (Taiji).
In the context of the Japanese Shinto religion, shintai/shin-tai or 神体 is an object of worship believed to contain the spirit of a deity, typically housed in a shrine.
This may not the the Shintai that you are looking for. This is NOT the Shintai massage technique.
身体 (body/health) and 心体 (heart/mind body) also romanize as Shintai. But I don't know what Saul Goodman is referring to as "light body" though the second character should be 体 which means body.
跆拳道 is one of the most widespread types of martial arts in the world as well as being an Olympic sport. Taekwondo was born in Korea with influences of Chinese and Japanese styles combined with traditional Korean combat skills. Some will define it as the “Korean art of empty-handed self-defense.”
In the simplest translation, the first character means “kick,” the second character can mean either “fist” or “punching,” and the third means “way” or “method.” Altogether, you could say this is the “Kick Punch Method.” When heard or read in various Asian languages, all will automatically think of this famous Korean martial art. It is written the same in Japanese Kanji, Chinese, and Korean Hanja characters - so the appearance of the characters is universal. However, you should note that there is another way to write this in modern Korean Hangul characters, which looks like the image to the right.
We suggest the original Korean Hanja (Chinese characters) for a wall scroll, but if you need the Hangul version, you must use master calligrapher Cao Bin: Order Taekwondo in Korean Hangul
Note: Taekwondo is sometimes Romanized as Tae-Kwondo, Tae Kwon Do, Taekwon-do, Taegwondo, Tae Gweon Do, Tai Kwon Do, Taikwondo, Taekwando, Tae Kwan Do and in Chinese Taiquandao, Tai Quan Dao, Taichuando, or Tai Chuan Tao.
氣功 or Qigong is the title of a technique that is somewhere between medical practice, meditation, and in some cases, religion.
The definition is blurred depending on which school of Qigong you are following. In some cases, it is even incorporated with martial arts.
Some people (even Chinese people) mix this title with Tai Chi (Tai Qi) exercises.
Lately, in China, people will claim to practice Tai Chi rather than Qigong because the Qigong title was recently used as a cover for an illegal pseudo-religious movement in China with the initials F.G. or F.D. (I can not write those names here for fear of our website being banned in China).
You can learn those names and more here: Further info about Qigong
If you are wondering why I wrote “Qi Gong” and “Chi Kung” as the title of this calligraphy entry, I should teach you a little about the various ways in which Chinese can be Romanized. One form writes this as “Chi Kung” or “Chikung” (Taiwan). In the mainland and elsewhere, it is Romanized as “Qi Gong” or “Qigong.” The pronunciation is the same in Taiwan, mainland, and Singapore Mandarin. Neither Romanization is exactly like English. If you want to know how to say this with English rules, it would be something like “Chee Gong” (but the “gong” has a vowel sound like the “O” in “go”).
Romanization is a really confusing topic and has caused many Chinese words to be mispronounced in the west. One example is “Kung Pao Chicken,” which should actually be more like “Gong Bao” with the “O” sounding like “oh” for both characters. Neither the Romanization system in Taiwan nor the Mainland is perfect, in my opinion, and leads to many misunderstandings.
In modern Japan, you may see this written as 気功, but the original 氣功 is still recognized. If you need the Japanese version, please contact me.
泰山 is Tarzan (a fictional character reared by apes in the jungle) in Mandarin Chinese.
The meaning of 泰山 is large mountain.
泰山 can also represent Taishan township in New Taipei City, Taiwan.
This can also be Mt. Taishan (or Tai Shan) in Shandong, the eastern sacred mountain of China.
In Japanese, this can be the surname Yasuyama or that same Mt. Taishan in China.
体 is used in Japanese to mean “body.”
体 can also refer to the form, style, corporeal existence, appearance, identity, or state of something or someone. 體 is also used in Buddhism in regard to the corporeal existence of someone (their earthy vessel). It's kind of a broad term that can be used in a lot of different ways.
As a single character, it's usually pronounced “karada” but it can also be pronounced “tai” or “te” (Japanese pronunciation borrowed from the original Chinese).
體 is not a common Kanji to use for a wall scroll. Only select this if you have a personal and meaningful reason to do so. Also, consider this version to be “Japanese only” - see below...
In Chinese and old Korean Hanja, this character is written in the traditional form shown to the right. If you want this version, click on the character to the right instead of the button above.
Chi Energy: Essence of Life / Energy Flow
This 氣 energy flow is a fundamental concept of traditional Asian culture.
氣 is romanized as “Qi” or “Chi” in Chinese, “Gi” in Korean, and “Ki” in Japanese.
Chi is believed to be part of everything that exists, as in “life force” or “spiritual energy.” It is most often translated as “energy flow” or literally as “air” or “breath.” Some people will simply translate this as “spirit,” but you must consider the kind of spirit we're talking about. I think this is weighted more toward energy than spirit.
The character itself is a representation of steam (or breath) rising from rice. To clarify, the character for rice looks like this:
Steam was apparently seen as visual evidence of the release of “life energy” when this concept was first developed. The Qi / Chi / Ki character is still used in compound words to mean steam or vapor.
The etymology of this character is a bit complicated. It's suggested that the first form of this character from bronze script (about 2500 years ago) looked like these samples:
However, it was easy to confuse this with the character for the number three. So the rice radical was added by 221 B.C. (the exact time of this change is debated). This first version with the rice radical looks like this:
The idea of Qi / Chi / Ki is really a philosophical concept. It's often used to refer to the “flow” of metaphysical energy that sustains living beings. Yet there is much debate that has continued for thousands of years as to whether Qi / Chi / Ki is pure energy or consists partially or fully of matter.
You can also see the character for Qi / Chi / Ki in common compound words such as Tai Chi / Tai Qi, Aikido, Reiki, and Qi Gong / Chi Kung.
In the modern Japanese Kanji, the rice radical has been changed into two strokes that form an X.
The original and traditional Chinese form is still understood in Japanese, but we can also offer that modern Kanji form in our custom calligraphy. If you want this Japanese Kanji, please click on the character to the right instead of the “Select and Customize” button above.
More language notes: This is pronounced like “chee” in Mandarin Chinese, and like “key” in Japanese.
This is also the same way to write this in Korean Hanja where it is Romanized as “gi” and pronounced like “gee” but with a real G-sound, not a J-sound.
Though Vietnamese no longer use Chinese characters in their daily language, this character is still widely known in Vietnam.
See Also: Energy | Life Force | Vitality | Life | Birth | Soul
Spirit, Sword & Body as One
气剑体一致 often gets translated as “Mind Sword Body,” or “Spirit, Sword, and Body as One.” But I think these translations don't tell you enough about what this is really saying.
In this context, 気, which is the modern Japanese version of 氣, means spiritual and unseen energy or “life energy.” In some cases, 気 can be translated as spirit, feeling, or nature. If defined as the mind, it's more about the invisible or intangible parts of one's mind (or soul).
剣 is the Japanese version of 劍 meaning sword.
体 is the modern Japanese version of 體 meaning body.
The Kanji 一 means one, and in this case, suggests “all in one.”
The Kanji 到 means to send, deliver, or convey. But together, 一到 suggests all these things in agreement, union cooperation, or in concert.
Note: Arguments exist as to whether this should be romanized as Kikentaiitchi, Kikentaiicchi, or kikentaiichi. Technically, if you drop the last character, you get 気剣体一 and kikentaiichi (ki ken tai ichi), which is also a valid phrase.
劍 is pronounced “jian” in Chinese. When you say it, imagine that you are making the sound of a sword as it clashes with a metal shield. This might get you closer to the correct pronunciation in Chinese.
I actually wonder if this word came from the metallic ringing sounds of a sword in battle - but such knowledge is lost in history.
The sword is a symbol of a warrior. The one thing that a soldier in ancient China lived and died by. A warrior with his skills and sword proves himself of great value. A warrior who losses his sword instantly becomes worthless.
劍 is an excellent scroll for someone in the military (especially officers of all services - as well as enlisted NCO Marines since they still carry swords even if mainly for ceremonial purposes). Or perhaps someone who practices variations of kung fu or tai chi that involve weapons.
Please note that while this character is understood with the sword meaning in Japanese, you might be looking for the word “katana” which also means sword in Japanese but means “knife” in Chinese.
There are other ways to write sword, and here are a few...
If you are particular about the version you receive, please let me know when you place your order (Note: Special styles are only available from one of our master calligraphers).
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The following table may be helpful for those studying Chinese or Japanese...
Title | Characters | Romaji (Romanized Japanese) | Various forms of Romanized Chinese | |
Tai Chi Chuan Tai Ji Quan | 太極拳 太极拳 | tai kyoku ken taikyokuken | tài jí quán tai4 ji2 quan2 tai ji quan taijiquan | t`ai chi ch`üan taichichüan tai chi chüan |
Tai Chi Tai Ji | 太極 太极 | taikyoku | tài jí / tai4 ji2 / tai ji / taiji | t`ai chi / taichi / tai chi |
Tai Chi Chuan Dao Tai Ji Quan Dao | 太極拳道 太极拳道 | tài jí quán dào tai4 ji2 quan2 dao4 tai ji quan dao taijiquandao | t`ai chi ch`üan tao taichichüantao tai chi chüan tao |
|
Tai Chi Chuan Fa Tai Ji Quan Fa | 太極拳法 太极拳法 | tài jí quán fǎ tai4 ji2 quan2 fa3 tai ji quan fa taijiquanfa | t`ai chi ch`üan fa taichichüanfa tai chi chüan fa |
|
Ki Ken-Tai Icchi | 気剣体一致 | ki ken tai icchi kikentaiicchi ki ken tai ichi | ||
Tai Jutsu | 體術 体術 | tai jutsu / taijutsu | tǐ shù / / | |
Tai Chi Ball | 太極球 太极球 | tai kyoku kyuu taikyokukyuu tai kyoku kyu | tài jí qiú tai4 ji2 qiu2 tai ji qiu taijiqiu | t`ai chi ch`iu taichichiu tai chi chiu |
Shingitai Shin Gi Tai | 心技体 | shin gi tai shingitai | xīn jì tǐ xin1 ji4 ti3 xin ji ti xinjiti | hsin chi t`i hsinchiti hsin chi ti |
Tai Chi Wing Chun Kung Fu | 太極詠春功夫 太极咏春功夫 | tài jí yǒng chūn gōng fu tai4 ji2 yong3 chun1 gong1 fu tai ji yong chun gong fu taijiyongchungongfu | t`ai chi yung ch`un kung fu taichiyungchunkungfu tai chi yung chun kung fu |
|
Five Elements Tai Chi Fist | 五行太極拳 五行太极拳 | go gyou tai kyoku ken gogyoutaikyokuken go gyo tai kyoku ken | wǔ xíng tài jí quán wu3 xing2 tai4 ji2 quan2 wu xing tai ji quan wuxingtaijiquan | wu hsing t`ai chi ch`üan wuhsingtaichichüan wu hsing tai chi chüan |
Fundamental Principles of Tai Chi Chuan | 棚履擠按採列肘靠 棚履挤按采列肘靠 | péng lǚ jǐ àn cǎi liè zhǒu kào peng2 lv3 ji3 an4 cai3 lie4 zhou3 kao4 peng lv ji an cai lie zhou kao penglvjiancailiezhoukao | p`eng lü chi an ts`ai lieh chou k`ao peng lü chi an tsai lieh chou kao |
|
Pushing Hands Tui Sau | 推手 | tuī shǒu / tui1 shou3 / tui shou / tuishou | t`ui shou / tuishou / tui shou | |
Muay Thai | 泰拳 | tài quán / tai4 quan2 / tai quan / taiquan | t`ai ch`üan / taichüan / tai chüan | |
Wu Chi Wuji | 無極 无极 | wú jí / wu2 ji2 / wu ji / wuji | wu chi / wuchi | |
Shintai | 神体 | shin tai / shintai | ||
Taekwondo | 跆拳道 | te kon do / tekondo | tái quán dào tai2 quan2 dao4 tai quan dao taiquandao | t`ai ch`üan tao taichüantao tai chüan tao |
Qi Gong Chi Kung | 氣功 气功 | ki kou / kikou / ki ko | qì gōng / qi4 gong1 / qi gong / qigong | ch`i kung / chikung / chi kung |
Tarzan | 泰山 | yasuyama | tài shān / tai4 shan1 / tai shan / taishan | t`ai shan / taishan / tai shan |
Body Karada | 體 体 | karada / tai / te | tǐ / ti3 / ti | t`i / ti |
Life Energy Spiritual Energy | 氣 气 / 気 | ki | qì / qi4 / qi | ch`i / chi |
Energy Sword Body in Concert | 気剣体一致 / 氣劍體一致 气剑体一致 | ki ken tai icchi kikentaiicchi ki ken tai ichi | ||
Sword | 劍 剑 | ken / tsurugi | jiàn / jian4 / jian | chien |
In some entries above you will see that characters have different versions above and below a line. In these cases, the characters above the line are Traditional Chinese, while the ones below are Simplified Chinese. |
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All of our calligraphy wall scrolls are handmade.
When the calligrapher finishes creating your artwork, it is taken to my art mounting workshop in Beijing where a wall scroll is made by hand from a combination of silk, rice paper, and wood.
After we create your wall scroll, it takes at least two weeks for air mail delivery from Beijing to you.
Allow a few weeks for delivery. Rush service speeds it up by a week or two for $10!
When you select your calligraphy, you'll be taken to another page where you can choose various custom options.
The wall scroll that Sandy is holding in this picture is a "large size"
single-character wall scroll.
We also offer custom wall scrolls in small, medium, and an even-larger jumbo size.
Professional calligraphers are getting to be hard to find these days.
Instead of drawing characters by hand, the new generation in China merely type roman letters into their computer keyboards and pick the character that they want from a list that pops up.
There is some fear that true Chinese calligraphy may become a lost art in the coming years. Many art institutes in China are now promoting calligraphy programs in hopes of keeping this unique form
of art alive.
Even with the teachings of a top-ranked calligrapher in China, my calligraphy will never be good enough to sell. I will leave that to the experts.
The same calligrapher who gave me those lessons also attracted a crowd of thousands and a TV crew as he created characters over 6-feet high. He happens to be ranked as one of the top 100 calligraphers in all of China. He is also one of very few that would actually attempt such a feat.
Check out my lists of Japanese Kanji Calligraphy Wall Scrolls and Old Korean Hanja Calligraphy Wall Scrolls.
Some people may refer to this entry as An Tai Kanji, An Tai Characters, An Tai in Mandarin Chinese, An Tai Characters, An Tai in Chinese Writing, An Tai in Japanese Writing, An Tai in Asian Writing, An Tai Ideograms, Chinese An Tai symbols, An Tai Hieroglyphics, An Tai Glyphs, An Tai in Chinese Letters, An Tai Hanzi, An Tai in Japanese Kanji, An Tai Pictograms, An Tai in the Chinese Written-Language, or An Tai in the Japanese Written-Language.