The History of Taijiquan

taken from Chen Style Taijiquan: The Source of Taiji Boxing (Sim and Gaffney, 2002)

The birthplace of Taijiquan is commonly accepted to be Chenjiagou, in Wenxian, Henan province of China. There are many accounts of how Taijiquan came to be, some historical, some fictional, but the most recent and credible findings point to the Chen family.

Chen Bu was the patriarch of the Chen family and lived during the Ming dynasty (1368-1644). Chen Bu migrated from Shanxi Province to Huaiqing, founding what would be named Chenjiagou in an area north of the Yellow River. The area was prone to flooding from the Yellow River, and drainage ditches were created to help divert flood waters. Chenjiagou means "Chen Family Ditch".

Some believe that Shaolin Boxing was practiced in the village before the compilation of Taijiquan. The village was quite close to the Shaolin Temple, giving credence to this theory. Historical records did not start until the 7th generation, and detailed records of people, marriages, and martial arts began with the 9th generation.

Chen Wangting of the 9th generation was a martial artist and scholar. He had a reputation as a strong fighter and was able to defeat over 1000 bandits, according to records. He was in the military and retired soon after the fall of the Ming dynasty. After his retirement, he began compiling a form of martial art called "The First Method". This method included:

• yin yang theory
• jingluo theory of traditional Chinese medicine (energy channel theory)
• the "Canon of Boxing" of Qi Jigyang (classic text on strategy and martial arts by a famous general)
• tuishou (pushing hands) training
• creation of a basic spear practice routine

The original Taijiquan contained five sets of forms, one set of long fist, and one set of cannon fist, for seven sets total. The emphasis is on whole body relaxation, training the mind, softness progressing to firmness then back to softness, and slow and fast actions. The Chen family relied on their martial skills not only for survival but for their livelihood, and worked as bodyguards and escorts. They kept their secret skills in the family and the village for five generations.

Chen Changxing of the 14th generation is given credit for synthesizing the forms created by his ancestors. The two resulting forms, Laojia Yi Lu and Laojia Er Lu, mutually complement each other and preserve many of the original postures and all of the principles of the original forms of Chen Wangting. This was the biggest change in the complete evolution of Taijiquan. All other forms of Taijiquan today were derived from the original form of Laojia Yi Lu.

Chen Changxing was the first of the family to teach the art to an outsider. Yang Luchan went to Chenjiagou to study with Chen Changxing, and through persistence and diligence he was able to convince Chen Changxing the Chen family style. Yang agreed not to teach the Chen style to the public, and changed the form and gave it his own name to create Yang Style Taijiquan.

Also of the 14th generation, Chen Youben created another routine he called Xiaojia (small frame), and eliminated some of the more difficult and explosive movements. This style is still known today, but not widely practiced.

In the late 1800s, Chen Xin of the 16th generation began documenting the Chen family's martial art. In his groundbreaking book, Illustrated Explanations of Chen Family Taijiquan, he explained the principles and theories of Taijiquan, and the application of postures and guidelines for beginners. Many of the secrets of the Chen family were revealed in this book. Translations of passages from this book can be found at Jarek's Martial Arts Pages.

The next major development occured in the 17th generation with Chen Fa-Ke (1887-1957), the great grandson of Chen Changxing. Chen Fa-Ke (Chen Xiaowang's grandfather) created the Xinjia (new frame) which is widely practiced in the world today. Xinjia combined the elements of Laojia Yi Lu and Er Lu, added moves, and incorporated more complex silk reeling and explosive discharges (fajing). Chen Fa-Ke wanted to enhance the fighting applications and make the form more efficient in practical use. He applied the same changes to the Er Lu. He taught Chen style Taijiquan in Beijing for nearly 30 years, making more people aware of the style.

The 18th generation included Chen Zhaopei and Chen Zhaokui (Chen Xiaowang's uncle) . Chen Zhaopei is credited with initiating a renaissance of Taijiquan in Chenjiagou and nurtured current masters including Chen Xiaowang, Chen Zhenglei, Wang Xian and Zhu Tiancai, known collectively as the Four Buddha's Warrior Attendants or Four Tigers of Chen Taijiquan. Chen Zhaokui was the youngest son of Chen Fa-Ke and brought the Xinjia back to Chenjiagou in 1973.

Chen Style Taijiquan is enjoying worldwide popularity today, with students from all around the world traveling to Chenjiagou to study with the Chen family. The art is still taught as it was created by Chen Wangting, and the 20th and 21st generation artists still live and teach in the village.

Other notables include:

• Chen Xiaoxing (Chen Xiaowang's brother)
• Chen Bing (Chen Xiaowang's nephew)
• Chen Ziqiang (Chen Xiaoxing's son)
• Chen Yu (Chen Xiaowang's cousin)
• Chen Jung (Chen Xiaowang's second son)
• Chen Pengfei (Chen Xiaowang's youngest son)
• Ren Guangyi (Chen Xiaowang's disciple)

Students of Chen Xiaowang, the current 19th generation Standard Bearer of the family, teach all over the world. Chen Xiaowang recently accepted 27 students as 20th generation Indoor Disciples and continues to gather followers in all countries. Chen Style Taijiquan is alive and well in the 21st century, and the Taoist Sanctuary remains committed to transmitting this unique and very special art as it was meant to be taught.