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Chen-style tai chi

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The Chen style (陳氏) is considered to be the senior branch of the five main Tai Chi Chuan family styles and the third in terms of popularity. Compared to the other main Taijiquan styles, Chen style today is known for its lower stances, silk reeling, and bursts of power known as fajin practised at an earlier stage of training than the other styles. While there are many hundreds of schools teaching Tai Chi Chuan around the world, the five family styles are said to go the farthest in maintaining the martial art style of teaching (as opposed to health focus) that has been normative for Tai Chi Chuan instruction for most of its history.

History

Historically documented from the 1600s, the Chen family originates in Chen Village in Wen County, Henan Province.(溫縣陳家溝). Their best known teacher was Chen Changxing (陳長興 Chén Chángxīng, Ch'en Chang-hsing, 1771-1853). Chen Changxing started teaching the famous Yang Luchan in 1820. Yang went on to found the Yang style Taijiquan, and from there all the other main styles of the art. Chen Changxing is also traditionally associated with a teacher known as Jiang Fa (蔣發 Jiǎng Fā), although it is no longer clear if their relationship was a teacher/student one (or even who was senior) or if they were colleagues. Some traditions teach that a disciple of Zhang Sanfeng named Wang Zongyue (王宗岳) taught the martial art later to be known as Taijiquan to the Chen family, but this cannot be confirmed. On the other hand, some in the Chen family claim that it was Wang Zongyue who learned Taijiquan from them.

Chen family Tai Chi Chuan

How the Chen family came to practise an internal style is not clear and disputed. It is attributed by modern exponents of a Chen family origin for Taijiquan to Chen Wangting (1600-1680) who created a style he called "The first method". Chen Wangting is said to have incorporated theories from a classic text, Jixiaoxinshu (new book of effective techniques), which described martial arts from 16 different styles. Many scholars also believe that Jiang Fa was a monk from Wudang mountain and came to the Chen village and taught internal fighting practices to the family. Others believe the Tai Chi from Wudang mountain was something created recently and based on the five main Tai Chi styles. When the name Tai Chi Chuan was first used to describe the Chen style is not clear, many believe Yang style to be the first to use the name, others believe Taijiquan from Wudang has been using the name for centuries.

Today

Chen style has become well recognized internationally in recent years, due mostly to the efforts of Chen Fake (陳發科, Chén Fākē, Ch'en Fa-k'e 1887-1957), who taught for many years in Beijing. Many direct descendants of the Chen family and their students are still teaching Tai Chi Chuan around the world. The most well-known today are Chen Fake's grandson, Chen Xiaowang and Feng Zhiqiang who have helped spread Chen Tai Chi throughout the world.

Variants

Lao Jia – Old frame

The Chen Lao Jia consists of two forms Yi lu and Er lu and is the style taught by Chen Fake in Beijing.

Yi lu (the first empty hand form) is mostly done slowly with large motions interrupted by occasional sequences of fast outburst, with the overall purpose of teaching the body to move correctly. The second empty hand form, "Er Lu" or "cannon fist" is done faster and is used to train explosive power (fajin). Both forms also teach various martial techniques.

The name "Old frame" or "Old style" derives from the fact that it was traditionally regarded as being older in origin than Xin Jia. This view is especially predominant is Western literature, however in China many think that Xin Jia coexisted as the same style, being a more advanced version not taught in public, perhaps explaining why people saw it as a new art when it was revealed by Chen Fake. No literature of Chen style before 1932 mentions anything about new, old, big or small styles [citation needed].

Note: According to Grand Master Zhu Tiancai, Lao Jia has been practiced in Chen Village for generation. Xin Jia was practiced in Chenjiaguo in the 60s when Late Grand Master Chen Zhaokui went back to Chen Village to teach the form started by his father, Chen Fake[citation needed].

Xin Jia – New frame

This style was first seen practiced by Chen Fake and many regard him as the author of the style. The main difference to Lao Jia is that the movements are smaller and more twisting (chansijin) is employed. In fighting there is less hitting and more manipulation, seizing and grappling (qinna). In Chen Village Xin Jia is traditionally learned only after Lao Jia.

The New frame Cannon Fist is the fastest, and most difficult to master form of Tai Chi. A present day Chen Village Tai Chi master can perform this entire form of 72 moves in under 4 minutes [citation needed]!

Xiao Jia – Small frame

This style was until recently not publicly known. Although it recently has the term 'small frame' attached to it, both large and small motions are used, with the smaller motions considered to be more advanced. Many claim small frame to be older in origin than old and new frame. [citation needed]. Xiao Jia is known mainly for it's emphasis on internal movements, or nejian, this being the main reason that people refer to it as "small frame"; all "silk-reeling" action is within the body, the limbs are the last place the motion occurs. The current lineage successors (20th generation) are Master Chen Peishan and Master Chen Peiju, founders of the International Society of Chen Taijiquan. They continue to travel and teach original Chen Taijiquan around the world.

Hun Yuan Chen Style Xin Yi Tai Chi

This style is much like Lao Jia with an influence from Shanxi Xingyi. It was created by Chen Fake's senior student Feng Zhiqiang. In Master Feng's own words: "Our style of Tai chi is called Chen style Hun Yuan Taiji. It belongs in the big frame family. Why is it called Hun Yuan? Hun Yuan symbolizes the orbital path of the sun, the moon, the constellations, the earth; when everything is moving together, it is Hun Yuan. For example, bicycles, it spins; automobiles, the wheels spin; ships, steamboats, airplanes, rockets; it’s just that they have different directions of spin. Airplanes with rotary propellers, they spin like this. Bullets from guns they also spin. When everything is spinning, it’s Hun Yuan. In our own body there is circulation of qi and blood, and they follow particular meridians. For example, up the inner leg and down the outer side. Same thing with the arms, and also around the belt meridian. When everything is circulating and spinning together, this is Hun Yuan. Nothing can leave this basic foundation. Even when we’re walking, there are also curved lines involved. Curved lines are better. Everything moves in the orbit of curved lines." [citation needed].

趙堡 Zhao Bao

Some claim this newly discovered style from the Zhao Bao village to be an old version of Chen Tai Chi. No none knows for sure, but its Shaolinquan root is much more evident to observers. It was said to have been created by Chen Qingping.

Non-form Training

Before teaching the forms, the instructor may have the students do stance training such as standing post and various qigongs such as silk reeling exercises. These stance training and qigong exercises are done to condition and strengthen the body to have the correct frame and alignment before moving to the more complicated movements that are in the forms.

Other methods of training for Chen style using training aids including: tai chi ball, tai chi ruler, and pole/spear shaking exercises.

In addition to the solo exercises listed above, there are partner exercises known as pushing hands, designed to help students maintain the correct body structure when faced with (some) resistance. There are a few push hands patterns that students may learn before they can move on to a more free-style push hands structure.

References

  • Gaffney, David (2002). Chen Style Taijiquan: The source of Taiji Boxing. Berkeley, CA: North Atlantic Books. ISBN 1-55643-377-8.
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