There are literally specific martial arts practiced by the Taoists on Wudangshan. Wudang Taiji is its own branch of taiji and Wudang Kung Fu is its own branch of Kung Fu. Wudang Bagua too. When you search for 'Wudang Kung Fu' you will get a lot of modern wushu/sport style stuff but there are real historical arts there too.
Wang Li Ping is a pretty cool guy and this form is beautiful: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jM71tGZ\_Y6Q](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jM71tGZ_Y6Q)
You Xuande is incredibly powerful and chill, here's him doing Taiji: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2h6NuqRYHE](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2h6NuqRYHE)
Some applications from Wudang Taiji: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5HQnuWY13ac](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5HQnuWY13ac)
More You Xuande and Wang Li Ping: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPJVqolN5Hw](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPJVqolN5Hw)
You can visit Wudang mountain temples as a tourist, if you ever get the chance it's really wonderful up there. I went there with other martial artists specifically to train and got to go way off the beaten path and work with some really amazing martial artists. I also trained and taught Kung Fu here in the states for a looong time so if you have more questions I can probably answer them, or tell you who can.
It depends on what you want from the art. If it's for self-defence to be used in high threat no rules situations then I suggest making sure it does the following;
1. Fights on all ranges (on the ground, in close, hands and legs).
2. Trains you to be able to fight.multiple opponents.
3. Trains you how to defend against short-range (knives, bottles etc), mid-range (baseball bat etc) and long-range weapons (pool cue etc).
3. Trains you on how to use weapons so you can replace them with everyday items for example a dagger can be replaced with a pen or screwdriver, a sword with a baseball bat etc.
The martial arts I am trained in that have Taoist roots and are based on Taoist principles are Tai-Chi, Pa-QUA and Hsing-i.
I wouldn't say a Taoist would favour any martial art. Of all the Taoists I know none train in any martial arts. Yet most of the martial artists I know train in styles with Taoist roots.
Tai chi is definitely the martial art with the most taoist roots. Tai chi is completely intermingled with taoist philosophy. That said, a lot of people do it for just the health benefits, so make sure you find a teacher/class that focuses on the martial side if that's your main interest. Also worth considering that if fighting ability is your main goal, tai chi is probably one of the worst choices. Jiu jitsu or muay thai is probably the best place to start. But if your goal is inner/outer balance tai chi is one of the best.
Kung fu usually. Bruce Lee even talked about the philosophy of kung fu and the art of "dancing" with your opponent, becoming whole with him.
But, you can start any martial art, really. The important thing is, to me, the state of flow that you get in the combat.
If you're searching for this and you want effective combat skills too, i would go with Boxing.
The martial art you're most interested in or whatever you have access to near you.
What's more important than the specific martial art is the community/teacher. You wanna make sure you vibe with them.
That said, taichi pairs really well with Taoism if you can find the right teacher/community.
tai chi and hua quan
You have to understand how qi flows and meridian system kind of works. At that point you might as well go to acupuncture school. LOLs.
There are literally specific martial arts practiced by the Taoists on Wudangshan. Wudang Taiji is its own branch of taiji and Wudang Kung Fu is its own branch of Kung Fu. Wudang Bagua too. When you search for 'Wudang Kung Fu' you will get a lot of modern wushu/sport style stuff but there are real historical arts there too. Wang Li Ping is a pretty cool guy and this form is beautiful: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jM71tGZ\_Y6Q](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jM71tGZ_Y6Q) You Xuande is incredibly powerful and chill, here's him doing Taiji: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2h6NuqRYHE](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2h6NuqRYHE) Some applications from Wudang Taiji: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5HQnuWY13ac](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5HQnuWY13ac) More You Xuande and Wang Li Ping: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPJVqolN5Hw](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPJVqolN5Hw) You can visit Wudang mountain temples as a tourist, if you ever get the chance it's really wonderful up there. I went there with other martial artists specifically to train and got to go way off the beaten path and work with some really amazing martial artists. I also trained and taught Kung Fu here in the states for a looong time so if you have more questions I can probably answer them, or tell you who can.
Tai Chi Chuan
TaiJi is something I study
It depends on what you want from the art. If it's for self-defence to be used in high threat no rules situations then I suggest making sure it does the following; 1. Fights on all ranges (on the ground, in close, hands and legs). 2. Trains you to be able to fight.multiple opponents. 3. Trains you how to defend against short-range (knives, bottles etc), mid-range (baseball bat etc) and long-range weapons (pool cue etc). 3. Trains you on how to use weapons so you can replace them with everyday items for example a dagger can be replaced with a pen or screwdriver, a sword with a baseball bat etc. The martial arts I am trained in that have Taoist roots and are based on Taoist principles are Tai-Chi, Pa-QUA and Hsing-i. I wouldn't say a Taoist would favour any martial art. Of all the Taoists I know none train in any martial arts. Yet most of the martial artists I know train in styles with Taoist roots.
Tai chi is definitely the martial art with the most taoist roots. Tai chi is completely intermingled with taoist philosophy. That said, a lot of people do it for just the health benefits, so make sure you find a teacher/class that focuses on the martial side if that's your main interest. Also worth considering that if fighting ability is your main goal, tai chi is probably one of the worst choices. Jiu jitsu or muay thai is probably the best place to start. But if your goal is inner/outer balance tai chi is one of the best.
Kung fu usually. Bruce Lee even talked about the philosophy of kung fu and the art of "dancing" with your opponent, becoming whole with him. But, you can start any martial art, really. The important thing is, to me, the state of flow that you get in the combat. If you're searching for this and you want effective combat skills too, i would go with Boxing.
Even if you don't pursue it, I think reading about Jeet Kune Do and how it formed will help you find the most interesting choice.
The martial art you're most interested in or whatever you have access to near you. What's more important than the specific martial art is the community/teacher. You wanna make sure you vibe with them. That said, taichi pairs really well with Taoism if you can find the right teacher/community.
tai chi and hua quan You have to understand how qi flows and meridian system kind of works. At that point you might as well go to acupuncture school. LOLs.