Famous Taiji Treatises
The classical literature of Taijiquan is a fairly bounded canon of texts written between the 18th and early 20th centuries, supplemented by works attributed to earlier, sometimes legendary figures. The list below collects the principal treatises and songs that practitioners and scholars actually draw on, organised into foundational treatises, classical songs (歌訣), and the nine secret transmissions attributed to Yang Banhou.
Foundational Treatises
- The Treatise on Tai Chi Chuan (太極拳論) by Wang Zongyue
The foundational text of the art, outlining the core principles of Taiji, the harmony of yin and yang, and the use of softness to overcome hardness. The cornerstone of all later Tai Chi theory. - The Tai Chi Chuan Classic (太極拳經) attributed to Zhang Sanfeng
A treatise blending Daoist philosophy with martial principles and traditionally regarded as the spiritual foundation of Tai Chi. It introduces the concepts of internal energy and the unity of mind and body. - Tai Chi Chuan Explained (太極拳解) by Wu Yuxiang
Wu Yuxiang’s own commentary on the principles of the art, expanding on Wang Zongyue’s treatise and clarifying the relationships between intention, energy, and movement. - Mental Elucidation of the Practice of the Thirteen Postures (十三勢行功心解) by Wu Yuxiang
Four short sections that delve into the internal aspects of practice, emphasising the mind-body connection and the use of intention to direct energy. - Essentials of Playing Hands (打手要言) by Wu Yuxiang
Ten annotations to the Thirteen Postures Song that distil the essentials of pushing hands and the practical application of internal principles. - Four-Character Secret Formula (太極拳四字密訣) by Wu Yuxiang
A short text built around four characters — 敷 (apply), 蓋 (cover), 對 (match), 吞 (swallow) — describing advanced energy methods reserved for those who have already developed listening and understanding energy. - Eight Essentials of Body Method (身法八要) by Wu Yuxiang
A concise listing of the essential structural and postural requirements for practice, including containing the chest, plucking up the back, sinking the shoulders, and protecting the lower abdomen. - The Five-Word Formula (五字訣) by Li Yiyu
Breaks down Tai Chi practice into five key qualities — calmness, agility, breath, internal power, and spirit — serving as a concise guide to the fundamental qualities of skilled practice. - Ten Essential Points (太極拳十要) by Yang Chengfu
Ten crucial principles dictated by Yang Chengfu and recorded by Chen Weiming, focusing on posture, relaxation, and mental concentration. Vital for achieving correct form and maximising the benefits of practice. - Complete Book of the Form and Application of Tai Chi Chuan (太極拳體用全書) by Yang Chengfu
Yang Chengfu’s comprehensive instruction manual with detailed photographs of the Yang style. Instrumental in popularising Tai Chi globally and essential reading for Yang-style practitioners. - Methods of Applying Tai Chi Chuan (太極拳使用法) by Yang Chengfu
Published in 1931, this earlier manual presents the martial applications of the Yang form and is the source from which many classical texts were later carried into the Form and Application volume. - Explaining Tai Chi Principles (太極法說) attributed to Yang Banhou
Also known as the Forty Chapters, this manuscript was passed from Yang Banhou to Wu Quanyou and preserved in the Wu family. It applies the imagery of the trigrams, five elements, and Daoist alchemy to Tai Chi theory and practice. - Tai Chi Chuan Explained (太極拳講義) by Wu Gongzao
Wu Jianquan’s son presents the Wu family’s teachings on form, pushing hands, and theory. The 1985 reprint includes the Forty Chapters manuscript inherited from Yang Banhou. - A Study of Tai Chi Chuan (太極拳學) by Sun Lutang
Sun Lutang, the founder of Sun-style Tai Chi Chuan, integrates concepts from Xingyiquan and Baguazhang, providing a unique perspective on Tai Chi theory and emphasising the unity of internal and external training. - Chen Family Tai Chi Chuan Illustrated and Explained (陳氏太極拳圖說) by Chen Xin
A comprehensive work offering detailed explanations and illustrations of Chen-style Tai Chi Chuan, delving into its techniques, theories, and philosophical underpinnings. A cornerstone of Chen-style literature. - Chen Style Tai Chi Chuan Practical Method (陳式太極拳實用拳法) by Hong Junsheng
Emphasises the practical applications of Chen-style Tai Chi Chuan, detailing precise movements and combat techniques. Valuable for those interested in the martial aspects of the art.
Classical Songs (歌訣)
- The Thirteen Postures Song (十三勢歌)
An anonymous poetic work in 140 characters describing the fundamental movements and their philosophical significance. One of the most quoted texts in the canon. - The Playing Hands Song (打手歌 / 推手歌)
An anonymous piece focusing on the techniques and principles of partner practice. It teaches how to develop sensitivity, balance, and responsiveness to an opponent’s movements. - Song of the Eight Characters (八字歌) attributed to Xu Xuanping
Discusses the secondary techniques of Tai Chi (採, 挒, 肘, 靠) and their relationship to the four primary techniques (掤, 捋, 擠, 按), emphasising that mastery requires both. - On Mental Understanding (心會論) attributed to Xu Xuanping
Three parts addressing waist and spine, throat and breath, and mind and body, identifying these as the principal, secondary, and tertiary commands of practice. - Song of Function (功用歌) attributed to Xu Xuanping
A short verse on the practical use of the principles, including suspending the headtop, sinking qi to the dantian, and the progression from listening energy to understanding energy to spiritual brightness. - On Fully Using the Body (周身大用論) attributed to Xu Xuanping
Describes how the whole body — eyes, mind, waist, and limbs — must work as a unified whole, with the qualities of softness, lightness, and continuous engagement. - The Sixteen Key Points (十六關要論) attributed to Xu Xuanping
Sixteen pairs of key points describing the proper structural and energetic relationships throughout the body during practice and application. - Song of the Four Natures Returning to the Source (四性歸元歌) (Han Gongyue lineage)
On the integration of the four natures — seeing, hearing, knowing, and feeling — back into a unified perceptive whole, fundamental to advanced sensitivity work. - Song of Silk Reeling (纏絲歌)
Focuses on the concept of silk reeling, the spiral movement that generates internal power. Fundamental to Chen-style Tai Chi. - Song of the Eight Gates and Five Steps (八門五步歌)
Explains the strategic directions and footwork patterns of Tai Chi, linking the eight techniques to the eight trigrams and the five steps to the five elements.
Yang Banhou’s Nine Secrets (太極拳九訣)
A set of nine related verses transmitted through Yang Banhou to Niu Lianyuan, and later annotated and published by Wu Mengxia in his Annotations on Taijiquan’s Nine Songs and Eighty-One Postures.
- Song of Comprehensive Application (全體大用訣)
Catalogues the martial applications of the postures across the whole form, linking each technique to its strategic use. - Song of Practising the Thirteen Words (十三字行功訣)
A practical verse on how to perform the thirteen postures (掤捋擠按採挒肘靠進退顧盼定) with proper structure and intent. - Song of Applying the Thirteen Words (十三字用功訣)
The companion verse on the combative application of the thirteen postures, including counters and follow-ups in pushing hands. - Song of the Eight Methods (八字法訣)
Expands on the application of the four primary and four secondary techniques, particularly the spiral nature of issuing power and the close-range use of elbow, shoulder, hip, and knee. - Song of Insubstantial and Substantial (虛實訣)
On the strategic and tactical use of empty and full in both form and pushing hands — guarding the empty, issuing on the full, and never being doubly weighted. - Song of Chaotic Circles (亂環訣)
On the layered, overlapping circular movements through which Tai Chi neutralises and counters incoming force, with attention to the up-down and front-back dimensions. - Song of Yin and Yang (陰陽訣)
On the principle that yin and yang must alternate and contain each other in every movement, and how this manifests in the exchange of substantial and insubstantial during application. - Song of the Eighteen Locations (十八在訣)
Eighteen short phrases identifying where the energy of each of the thirteen postures resides — for example, warding-off in the two arms, rolling-back in the palms, central equilibrium in the gaps. - The Five-Word Classic (五字經訣)
A condensed, mnemonic verse summarising the strategic principles of Tai Chi combat in five-character lines.
An earlier version of this post listed a much longer set of “Songs” which, on careful checking against authoritative sources (Brennan Translations, Wile, Yang Jwing-Ming, the Hao and Wu family transmissions, and the Yang Banhou Nine Secrets as recorded by Wu Mengxia), turned out not to correspond to actual classical texts. The list above has been pruned to the verified canon.
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