What's behind the name

White Horse Tai Chi

What is in a name? I started teaching back in 2015 with no form of identity. Taiji means a lot to me and I have relatives who train in the same lineage. So what's with the white horse? Well, I have lived in Kent for over 30 years and the Garden of England is home away from home. The name of my school is as such that it is in the Chinese form, recognisable in Chinese speaking areas, but also Japan and Korea, where the use of Chinese is like the Latin of the East. The name translate well in various languages.

The white horse is the symbol of Kent, but rather than using the white horse rampant on the Kentish Arms. I decided to use the Gansu Flying Horse as my symbol, a nod to my Chinese roots. The horse appears to be galloping but gently steps onto a swallow. This is an analogy to how we step in Taiji. The white horse is also taken from The White Horse Temple, which is one of the oldest Buddhist temples in China. A temple that received Buddhist monks that have travelled over from India. And then from the white horse there is the Wind Horse, a symbol of well-being and good fortune in Tibet and Central Asia. Whilst Daoism originated in China, the teachings have spread to other parts of Asia and have returned. In spirituality, as martial arts, everybody learns from somebody else.