The 5 Major Schools

Chen Style is considered the original Tai Chi. It's faster than other styles with more up and down movements. In Chen Style, breathing is heavier which allows opponents to see the flow of the participant's Qi and anticipate their moves.


Yang Style is the most popular around the world right now. It has a slower pace than Chen Style and requires a straight back (upright posture). It's similar to Sun Style but uses the bow stance (which has a distinct line of space between the feet) and the hands are slightly more closed than in Sun.


Hao and Wu Style are less popular styles and are sometimes mistaken as the same style. However, Hao has more rounded moves and Wu uses a slightly bent forward posture. 


Sun Style is the most recent of the major schools and the easiest to learn. It's used in the Tai Chi for Arthritis program because it's very flexible and can be adapted for anyone regardless of their physical limitations. 

Source: in class lecture
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