Taijiquan, also known as shadowboxing (or Tai Chi or Tai-Chi-Chuan), is a martial art developed in Imperial China. It belongs to the family of so-called internal martial arts for armed or unarmed close combat. Especially in recent times, it has often been viewed as a system of movement or exercise that can promote health (to improve the flow of Qi, formerly Ch'i, according to Traditional Chinese Medicine), personal development, and meditation. As such, Taijiquan is practiced by millions of people worldwide. These movement sequences ("forms," ​​"taolù") are practiced as a national sport and form of exercise in the People's Republic of China. Against this backdrop, the actual martial arts aspect is increasingly overlooked and sometimes disappears entirely.