A spry 80-year-old who still flashes a sly smile from time to time, Xiong Wei aspires to demonstrate the philosophy of Laozi's Dao De Jing. The taiji daoyin school of tai chi that Xiong invented has provided an entree to the martial arts for many working people who want to keep in shape. (Chuang Kung-ju)

Tai chi (taiji quan) is a martial art, a way of keeping fit, and a philosophy of life. Passed down through the ages, this ancient culture of the human body is tightly connected to Taoism. It is a healthy path toward uniting the mind and the body-and, at a deeper level, a way of seeking harmony between an individual and the myriad things of the universe.

Born in Hunan Province, Xiong Wei was a weak and sickly youth. He first practiced tai chi to grow stronger. At various times, he studied the Yang, Hao and Chen schools of tai chi. Taking the best parts from each, he created taiji daoyin, a school of tai chi that has taken Taiwan by storm.

Its sequence of martial arts forms appears to be quite simple at first glance, but it is in fact very meaningful. Emphasizing stretching and regulating the breath, it is easy for beginners and consequently has become quite popular, attracting an estimated 100,000 students in the 40 years of its existence. Among its most famous practitioners is Zhang Zhongren, former US tai chi champion and the martial arts director for Lee Ang's film Pushing Hands.

Small and thin, and clad in simple martial arts garb in every season of the year, Xiong keeps a low profile and has steadfastly refused to take a more commercialized approach to promoting his school despite possessing outstanding martial arts skills. Nearly 80, he still diligently practices and gives lessons. He has had a great influence on his students. Whether university professors or small or big business owners, they all greatly admire him.

From a lowly soldier who crossed the Taiwan Strait during the chaos of war, to a master who has carried the torch for a martial arts discipline with a long tradition and also staked out new ground within that tradition, Xiong Wei has lived a life reminiscent of the ancient masters of the martial arts world-only his is a story set in contemporary Taiwan.

The first secret of taiji daoyin is its rotations, which relax the body and make it supple. In order to demonstrate rotating, Xiong Wei moves the five fingers of his hands in toward his palms, creating a wavelike movement that in turn leads his hands and wrists to move slowly. Next, he leans his torso at a slight angle, and makes a rotating motion that starts with the tips of his fingers and moves upward to his wrist, elbow and finally to his shoulders, which rise and sink, slowly making a circle.

Taiji daoyin is split into 12 forms. Six of these are daoqi forms, which aim to channel the body's energy by regulating the breath. The other six are yinti forms, which focus on stretching the body. A student starts with the yinti forms and then moves on to the more difficult daoqi forms. Sitting in his living room in Xindian, Xiong is demonstrating the first yinti form that a novice learns: "rotating the wrists and arms."

Although nearly 80, Master Xiong is still very muscular. After three minutes of demonstrating the form, the individual muscles in his forearm are distinct and slightly protruding, bowing toward the center of the circle he is making.