Although some writings exist, there are no actual proofs that the exercizes called "great dances” correspond to today's T'ai Chi Ch'uan. This is why a much closer theory about the gradual development of today's T'ai Chi Ch'uan as a synthesis of many Chinese martial and medicinal exercizes prevails. Namely, during the T'ang dynasty (around 750 A.D.), there existed several Chinese boxing schools which grips and grasps were described in books of that era and had the same names as some parts of today's "long exercizes” of T'ai Chi Ch'uan.
However, the most popular theory speaks of the Taoist priest Chang San-Feng who was an acupuncture and martial arts master. He lived during the Yuan dynasty (1279 - 1368 A.D.) and, according to some legends, started to come up with and teach the so-called "long exercizes”. The last theory says that the exercize as we know it today came about during the Ch'ing dynasty (1736 – 1795 A.D.). Its creator was a martial arts master Wang Tsung- Yueh who collected many punches, blocks and grips and combined them into an exercize which traditionally has 108 positions. According to a legend, the number 108 has a special meaning and was taken from Zen philosophy. And so, today we have 108 positions in a Mok Jan Dong exercize and it is believed that Karate has 108 katas for that same reason.
Thanks to a gradual development of T'ai Chi Ch'uan, 5 traditional styles have emerged (in Chinese, style is called "p'ai”) and they have based their names on their creators who were martial arts masters and lived in a town called Chen.
They were: Chen p'ai, Yang p'ai, Wu (Hao p'ai), Wu p'ai and Sun p'ai. The Chen style was created by the master Yang Luchan (1799 – 1872), the Wu Hao style was made by the master Wu Yuxiang (1812 – 1880), the Wu style was though of by the master Wu Quanyou (1834 – 1902) and was completed by his son Wu Jianquan (1870 – 1942).