Taijitu prior to 1686. It combines several abstract shapes, including a "Taiji" symbol illustrating the mutual complement of man and woman. In socialist times, it was alternatively interpreted as two fish symbolizing vigilance, because fish never close their eyes. The modern symbol has also been widely used in martial arts, particularly t'ai chi ch'uan (Taijiquan), and Jeet Kune Do, since the 1970s. In this context, it is generally used to represent the interplay between hard and soft techniques. The dots in the modern "yin-yang symbol" have been given the additional interpretation of "intense interaction" between the complementary principles. Similarities can be
Yin and yang yang are represented by broken and solid lines: yin is broken (⚋) and yang is solid (⚊). These are then combined into trigrams, which are more yang ("e.g." ☱) or more yin ("e.g." ☵) depending on the number of broken and solid lines ("e.g.", ☰ is heavily yang, while ☷ is heavily yin), and trigrams are combined into hexagrams ("e.g." ䷕ and ䷟). The relative positions and numbers of yin and yang lines within the trigrams determines the meaning of a trigram, and in hexagrams the upper trigram is considered yang with respect to the lower trigram, yin, which allows