My mom, my aunt, me, and the Tao
As I sit at my computer staring at this question, I’ve run into one of Taoism's quintessential aspects. Paradox. I could very easily say, “Yes,” and list seven reasons why. I could do the same thing for “No.” Neither post would be wrong, but both would be right, so let’s explore some angles.
Reasons Why You Can Study Tai Chi Without Studying The Tao Or Taoism
The simplest reason is that you’re reading this in English. Let’s look up both words in the dictionary. Merriam-Webster has always seemed like the most comprehensive dictionary for American English. That said, other dictionaries may produce other results.
tai chi
noun
variants or less commonly t'ai chi or tai chi chuan or t'ai chi ch'uan ˈtī-ˈchē-chü-ˈän, ˈtī-ˈjē- , often Tai Chi
: an ancient Chinese discipline of meditative movements practiced as a system of exercises
Tao
noun
1 a: the unconditional and unknowable source and guiding principle of all reality as conceived by Taoists
b: the process of nature by which all things change and which is to be followed for a life of harmony
2 often tao : the path of virtuous conduct as conceived by Confucians
3 often tao : the art or skill of doing something in harmony with the essential nature of the thing
the Tao of archery
Taoism
noun
Tao·ism ˈdau̇-ˌi-zəm ˈtau̇-
variants or less commonly Daoism ˈdau̇-ˌi-zəm
1 : a Chinese mystical philosophy traditionally founded by Lao-tzu in the sixth century b.c. that teaches conformity to the Tao by unassertive action and simplicity
2 : a religion developed from Taoist philosophy and folk and Buddhist religion and concerned with obtaining long life and good fortune often by magical means
As you can see, in English, there is no connection between Tai Chi and Tao or Taoism, so of course you can do one without the other! That said, if you're on this website reading this post, you’re probably looking for something deeper!
Another reason you can study tai chi without studying Taoism is that you’ll find many people in the West who practice tai chi in a nondenominational way. They want the health benefits but want to avoid anything religious. That’s totally reasonable.
Some people might want to study Tai Chi and Taoism but don’t have access to anything beyond translations of the Tao Te Ching. This serves as a crucial entry point for many people’s paths to studying Taoism, but with books alone you’re reading about Taoism, not studying it. In this situation, studying Tai Chi diligently while thinking about the lessons in the Tao Te Ching and other texts like Zhuangzi and Wenzi, embodying these lessons and bringing them out into the world will take you far and, eventually, introduce you to your teacher.
Reasons Why You Can’t Study Tai Chi Without Studying The Tao Or Taoism
The simplest reason here is the same as in English, just in Chinese. In English, we call it Tai Chi; in Chinese, it's Tai Chi Boxing, or Fist, 太極拳 (Tàijí quán). Taiji in Chinese is directly related to Taoism. Everyone in the West is familiar with the Yin-Yang symbol. Taiji is actually the step before Yin-Yang. It goes like this:
Wuji → Taiji → Yin-Yang
Wuji (無極) — The Boundless Void is essentially the nothingness before the Big Bang.
Taiji (太極) — The Supreme Ultimate is essentially the nothingness turned into somethingness through movement.
Yin-Yang (陰陽) ☯️ — The Duality of Opposites is what you’re already familiar with.
I could dedicate a series of posts to discuss any of these three states, but what’s important to understand is that, in Chinese, you can’t separate Tai Chi from Taoism because it’s literally in the name, and anyone in the Chinese world practicing Tai Chi knows this.
So in English, by definition, you can practice Tai Chi without studying Taoism, but in Chinese you cannot.
Another reason you can’t study Tai Chi without Taoism is that your skills will hit a ceiling if you study one without the other. In fact, you can’t study Taoism without Tai Chi! I mean, technically you can. You can pair Taoism with any number of arts and crafts, but you’re far more likely to find a master of some art and a Master of Taoism if that art is Tai Chi. Basically, Tai Chi as an internal and external art pairs with Taoism as a philosophical and spiritual art. The stronger your bridge gets between the two disciplines, the stronger each discipline gets. For example, learning to relax when your body is under physical pressure during push hands practice translates perfectly to relaxing under pressure from a spouse, a boss, a stranger, etc. So studying Taoism as both a philosophical and spiritual art GREATLY improves your Tai Chi skills.
And finally, you can’t study Tai Chi without studying Taoism, because literally everything is the Tao. That doesn’t make everything Taoist, but Tai Chi is Taoist by design. Whether or not you decide to study Taoism formally, you’ll study it through osmosis. Every great Tai Chi teacher is a student of the Tao. Whatever Tai Chi form you’re practicing was created by a serious student of the Tao.
It’s like riding a horse. Even if you don’t want to know anything about animals, you have to deal with one, so you’ll learn something. Odds are, through riding, you’ll get more curious about animals and pay more attention to them. Then you might hit a limit on what you can observe and decide to ask a master equestrian to tell you more.
Tai Chi is like this. You’re the rider, and the Tao is the horse.