Li Min/China Daily

A Shanghai businessman is repackaging the martial art for the 21st century and an international market. Ma Zhenhuan finds out.

The flowing movements of tai chi may seem strange to the uninitiated, but for tai chi master Huang Zhongda it is standard exercise. "It's easy to learn but difficult to grasp tai chi, due to the lack of standards. Once the standard is set, a novice can learn the skill within a month," says Huang, a businessman-turned tai chi master, who has been practicing the art since 2000.

"If you can dovetail your tai chi to your stress levels and body, the meridian points will flow freely," says Huang, founder of Shanghai iTaiching, a tai chi training and health center.

Huang is the first person to raise the concept of "standardized tai chi" and is working with the Shanghai Strength and Conditioning Association to launch the nation's first industry standard for tai chi practitioners and coaches.

The standard, to be finalized within the next two months, will help tai chi learners and professionals once the Ministry of Labor and the General Administration of Sports approves it, Huang says.

His dedication to tai chi has aroused the interest of billionaire Guo Guangchang, a tai chi fan and chairman of the private investment company Fosun.

"Guo inspired me to promote tai chi to more people," Huang says.

Headquartered in an old building in Zhabei Park, Shanghai, the center has opened four centers in Shanghai and a few more in Beijing and Suzhou, employing 80 coaches providing classes on the history and practice of the martial art.

According to Huang's theory, a novice needs to understand the principle of tai chi and then apply them.

"After talking to many tai chi masters, I found they often failed to tell practitioners how they can match tai chi to their health condition and the yin-yang theory of tai chi."

This is important, as tai chi shouldn't simply be about imitation, he says.

Tai chi, practiced for both self-defense and health, is practiced by more than 150 million people worldwide and Huang intends for it to be even more popular.

He says there are many different styles of tai chi but many don't practice the true essence of the craft.

"Tai chi can enable a clear and peaceful mind and improve your health," he says.

Looking ahead, Huang intends to set up iTaiching centers in New York, London and Paris.

"Tai chi is a martial art of integration and harmony, it is my mission to promote it further afield."