The most common story about the origins of Tai Chi Chuan is that a 13th Century Taoist hermit, Chang San Feng, who lived on Wu Tang Mountain, devised it after observing a fight between a snake and a crane. The soft, yielding movements of the snake overcame the strength and direct force of the crane’s attack with its beak and wings. Chang San Fen was inspired to devise a set of movements which synthesised the efficiency of the martial arts with meditation, movements and relaxation for mind, body and spirit.