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75-545: Traditionally, tai chi is practiced as a martial art but has expanded into other domains of practice such as health or performances. Some argue that Chen-style tai chi has preserved and emphasized the martial efficacy to a greater extent. It is not clear how the Chen family actually came to practise their unique martial style and contradictory "histories" abound. What is known is that the other four tai chi styles (Yang, Sun, Wu and Wu (Hao)) trace their teachings back to Chen village in

150-691: A disposable income of 19,545 yuan per capita, which stood at 30,848 yuan for urban residents, and 13,025 yuan for rural residents. Major agricultural products in the county include corn , wheat , millet , beans , yams , apples , red dates , and edible nuts . Major industrial products in the county include coal , coal coke , benzene , refined methanol , cast iron , natural gas , cement , chemical fertilizers , and plastic products. Hongtong County has 352 schools, which includes 145 kindergartens , 162 elementary schools , 33 junior high schools , 9 ordinary high schools , and 3 secondary vocational schools . The Locust Tree of Hongtong retains

225-487: A high degree of cultural significance, which is visited by about 200,000 tourists each year. The Great Pagoda Tree has become a notable site in Chinese ancestor veneration , with tourists leaving messages at the site for their ancestors, and paying homage to them. The site also hosts large events for the annual Qingming Festival . By the end of 2019, there were 417 registered taxis, as well as 16 bus lines operational in

300-578: A major style of martial art within China and around the world. A strong Chen tradition have developed in countries such as the US, Canada, Britain, Austria, New Zealand, Germany, Italy, Czech Republic, Japan, Singapore and Malaysia. The story of Chen-style tai chi is rich and complex. The lineage tree is a concise summary and highlights some of the important personalities that contributed to its history. However, there are some missing details that can provide insight to

375-488: A new generation of Chen-style teachers. The start of the internationalisation of Chen-style can be traced to 1981. A tai chi association from Japan went on a promotional tour to the Chen village. The success of this trip created interest in Chen-style tai chi both nationally and internationally. Soon tai chi enthusiasts from other countries started their pilgrimage to Chen village. The increasing interest led all levels of

450-427: A new generation of practitioners, (e.g. the "Four Jingang," aka the "Four Tigers": Chen Xiaowang (陈小旺), Chen Zhenglei, Wang Xi'an (王西安), and Zhu Tiancai (朱天才)), he taught Chen Fake's practice methods that were unfamiliar to them. He made three separate visits, totaling under two years. Zhu Tian Cai, who was a young man at the time, claimed that they all started calling it "Xinjia" (New Frame) because it seemed adapted from

525-406: A ninth generation Chen Village leader, was credited with the creation of seven routines: The first five sets were a curriculum known as the five routines of tai chi (太極拳五路). The 108-form Long Fist (Boxing) (一百零八勢長拳, Yībǎi líng bā shì zhǎngquán) and a form known as Cannon Fist (Pounding) (炮捶, Pào chuí) were considered to be a separate curriculum. Most of these forms were not commonly practiced after

600-459: A partner exercise, is commonly used to apply the principles learned in Yilu training. Push hands involves controlling an opponent through yielding, attaching, redirecting, manipulating, grappling, breaking structure, and other skills. Originally focused on refining the usage of tai chi, push hands has evolved over time into a competitive sport that is somewhat disconnected from its martial roots. Erlu,

675-440: A period of Chen-style tai chi decline. Radical students led a campaign to suppress the " Four Olds ", which included the practice of martial arts. Training facilities were closed and practitioners were prosecuted. Many Chen masters were publicly denounced. For example, Chen Zhaopei was pushed to the point of attempting suicide, and Hong Junsheng was left malnourished. Training was continued in secret and at great personal risk ensuring

750-594: A series of visits. Chen Zhaokui's teaching of the Xinjia was explicitly practiced with the purpose of developing tangible and effective martial arts methods based on spiral energy usage, fajin (energy release) and qinna (joint locking) movements. The stances in Xinjia tend to be more compact with the goal of training for better mobility in fighting applications, while they still remain quite low. This includes more dynamic, springing and jumping movements. This form tends to emphasize manipulation, seizing and grappling ( qin na ) and

825-554: A small frame lineage. To simplify matters for new students, the Chen Family divided their tai chi into Large Frame, originating from Chen Fake, and Small Frame, associated with Chen Ziming. Large Frame may be further divided: Old Frame (老架, Lǎo jia) taught in the Chen Village by Chen Zhaopei and New Frame (新架, Xīn jià) taught in the Chen Village by Chen Zhaokui. Both teachers of Large Frame were students of Chen Fake. Although

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900-454: A student of Yang Luchan and the eventual founder of Wu (Hao)-style tai chi , was known to have briefly studied the Chen Family small frame system under Chen Qingping . This situation changed with the fall of the Qing empire when Chinese society sought to discover and improve their understanding of traditional philosophies and methods. The current availability and popularity of Chen-style tai chi

975-541: A teenager, held temporary jobs. One period of temporary work was spent doing odd jobs at the Taihetang Chinese pharmacy located in the west part of Yongnian City, opened by Chen Dehu of the Chen Village in Huaiqing Prefecture, Wen County, Henan . As a child, Yang liked martial arts and studied Changquan , gaining a certain level of skill. One day Yang reportedly witnessed one of the partners of

1050-508: A tight method of spiral winding for both long and shorter range striking. Zhu Tian Cai has commented that the Xinjia emphasizes the silk reeling movements to help beginners more easily learn the internal principles in form and to make application more obvious in relation to the Old Frame forms. The New Frame Cannon Fist is generally performed faster than other empty hand forms. Chen Xiaoxing also emphasized that "the fundamental principles of

1125-729: Is a county in the southwest of Shanxi Province , China. It is under the administration of the prefecture-level city of Linfen . The county spans an area of 1,494 square kilometers, and has a population of approximately 766,579 as of 2019. During the reigns of the Hongwu Emperor through the Yongle Emperor , there was a concerted effort to resettle Chinese peasants to the North China Plains , which had been afflicted by conflict and natural disasters shortly before their reigns. While en route to their new homes in

1200-428: Is also a key focus. The Yilu form aims to teach practitioners how to synchronize their minds, bodies, and internal energy in accordance with tai chi principles. Chen-style practitioners describe the Yilu form as having large and stretching movements, brisk and steady footwork, a naturally straight body, and the integration of internal energy throughout the entire body. (拳架舒展大方，步法轻灵稳健，身法中正自然，内劲统领全身。) The Yilu form requires

1275-477: Is at least two and a half shoulder widths wide, and the hand techniques appear large and expansive. On the other hand, the Small Frame (小架, Xiǎo jià), the standard horse stance is two shoulders width wide and the hand techniques are perceived as generally shorter and more compact. The classification of all tai chi styles into "frames" based on the size of stance and other criteria was introduced by Tang Hao in

1350-530: Is considered the foundation form. Because it is steady, fluid, and readily comprehended, it is always taught first. Near the end of the Cultural Revolution and later after Chen Zhaopei's death in 1972, tai chi practitioners in Chen Village petitioned Chen Zhaokui (陈照奎, 1928 – 1981), Chen Fake's only living son, to come and continue their education in the art. When Chen Zhaokui visited Chen Village to assist and later succeed Chen Zhaopei in training

1425-531: Is grounded in the same fundamental principles, transcending mere external appearances. Within the Chen-style tai chi umbrella, there are various teaching traditions, and their practices may often vary somewhat from one another - often due to differences in how they cultivated their skill throughout their decades of practice. Chen Ziming wrote, "In the beginning of the training, conform to patterns. At an intermediate level, you may change patterns. Then finally, patterns are driven by spirit.” Over time and distance within

1500-467: Is known as "Small Frame" (Chinese: 小架 ; pinyin: xiǎo jià ). Small Frame system of training eventually lead to the formation of two other styles of tai chi that show strong Chen family influences, Zhaobao tai chi and Hulei jia (Chinese: 忽雷架 ; lit. 'thunder frame'). However, these are not considered a part of the Chen family lineage. Some legends assert that a disciple of Zhang Sanfeng named Wang Zongyue taught Chen family

1575-819: Is reflective of the radical changes that occurred within Chinese society during the 20th century. In the decline of the Qing dynasty , the creation of the Republic of China and subsequently the Chinese Communist Revolution , Chen-style tai chi underwent a period of re-discovery, popularization, and finally internationalization. In 1928, Chen Zhaopei  [ zh ] (1893–1972) and later his uncle, Chen Fake moved from Chen village to teach in Beiping (now known as Beijing). Their Chen-style practice

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1650-469: Is worth noting that while the Cannon Fist form is widely taught in various traditions, very few teach the self-defense skills associated with Erlu due to their inherent dangers. Even when taught, Erlu self-defense techniques are typically reserved for a select few trusted students. In some training traditions today, both forms may be employed to train practitioners in each path of the curriculum. Within

1725-684: The Internal martial arts . These included the principles of Yin Yang , the techniques of Daoyin , Tui na , Qigong , and the theory of meridians . Those theories are encountered in Classical Chinese Medicine and described in such texts as the Huangdi Neijing . In addition, Wangting incorporated the boxing theories from sixteen different martial art styles as described in the classic text Jixiao Xinshu , written by

1800-608: The Ming dynasty General Qi Jiguang . Chen Changxing , a 14th-generation Chen Village martial artist, synthesized Chen Wangting's open fist training corpus into two routines that came to be known as "Old Frame" (老架; lao jia). Those two routines are named individually as the First Form (Yilu; 一路) and the Second Form (Erlu; 二路, more commonly known as the Cannon Fist 炮捶). Chen Changxing, contrary to Chen family tradition, also took

1875-419: The 66-movement Thirteen Postures (十三势) form as it was passed to him in his book, Chen Family Taijiquan Illustrated and Explained (陳氏太極拳圖說, Chén shì tàijí quán túshuō). Push hands as a means of training was not mentioned in the Chen historical manuals, rather it was described as a form of pair training. From a military perspective, empty-hand training was a foundation for weapons training and push hands training

1950-611: The Chen Family martial art to gain international recognition. It closely resembles both the 66-movement form described in Chen Xin's (陈鑫, 1849-1929) book Chen Family Taijiquan Illustrated and Explained (陳氏太極拳圖說, Chén shì tàijí quán túshuō) published posthumously in 1933 and the photographed form of his student, Chen Ziming (陳子明, d.:1951), in his book Inherited Chen Family Taiji Boxing Art’ ’ (1932) . Hongtong County Hongtong County ( simplified Chinese : 洪洞县 ; traditional Chinese : 洪洞縣 ; pinyin : Hóngtóng Xiàn )

2025-470: The Chen Family, there are currently three main variants, or frames, of Chen-style forms that are practiced today. Each frame represents a distinct perspective within the Chen-style tai chi tradition. The concept of frames (架, jià, frame, rack, framework) refers to the general width of stances and range of motion employed in the forms. For example, in the Large Frame (大架, Dà jià ), the standard horse stance

2100-405: The Chen style practitioner upholds a more stringent requirement, focusing on the underlying principles rather than external appearances. As practitioners delve into the different frames and forms within Chen-style tai chi, they strive to honor and embody the profound principles handed down through the Chen Family's tai chi legacy. While uncertainties may exist due to the lack of written sources and

2175-418: The Chen style, these interpretations have given rise to subdivisions. Each variation is influenced by its own history and the training insights of master teachers. The current subdivisions include historical training methods from Chen Village, forms derived from the lineage of Chen Fake (commonly known as Big or Large Frame, including Old Frame and New Frame), Chen family Small Frame attributed to teachings within

2250-540: The Chen style. Chen Xin's legacy is his book and his student, Chen Ziming (陈子明). Chen Ziming, went on to promote Chen style small frame throughout China and wrote books promoting the art. Chen Ziming was in the same generation as Chen Fake. Forms , also called Taolu (Chinese: 套路, tàolù: routine, pattern, standard method), play a fundamental role in Chen-style tai chi as choreographed sequences of movements that serve as repositories for various methods, techniques, stances, and types of energy and force production. Within

2325-418: The Chen village, training methods from Chen Fake's students, and closely related traditions like Zhaobao tai chi . In the past, the effectiveness of training methods was determined through actual combat, but such tests of skill are less common in the modern era. With no recognized central authorities for tai chi, authenticity is often determined through anecdotal stories or appeals to historical lineage. However,

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2400-468: The Chen-style tai chi tradition, there are at least two forms: Yi Lu (First Form) and Er Lu (Second Form). These forms represent the embodiment of the intricate theories unique to the Chen style. In the words of Chen Fake, the last great proponent of the Chen style in the modern era, 'This set of Taijiquan does not have one technique which is useless. Everything was carefully designed for a purpose' ('这套拳没有一个动作是空的, 都是有用的'). A correct Chen-style tai chi form

2475-762: The Chinese governments to improve the infrastructure and support of the village including the establishment of martial art schools, hotels and tourist associations. In 1983, martial artists from the Chen village received full government support to promote Chen-style tai chi abroad. Some of the best Chen stylists became international "roaming ambassadors" known as the "Four Buddha Warrior Attendants". Those four Chen stylists including Chen Xiaowang , Chen Zhenglei , Wang Xian (王西安) and Zhu Tiancai (朱天才) traveled relentlessly giving global workshops and creating an international group of Chen-style practitioners. Other well known Chen teachers active in China or overseas include: In recent decades Chen-style tai chi has come to be recognized as

2550-504: The Large Frame. However, Chen Zhaopei also studied theory with Chen Xin, who is now recognized as a Small Frame practitioner. In 1958, Chen Zhaopei (陈照丕, 1893-1972), nephew of Chen Fake, returned to visit Chen Village. There, he found that war, hardship, and migration had reduced Chen Style practitioners still teaching in the Village to a couple of aging teachers with a handful of students. He immediately took early retirement and returned to

2625-1152: The North China Plains, many migrants gathered at the Great Pagoda Tree of Hongtong , and many even chose to settle in and around Pingyang Fu  [ zh ] , which contained present-day Hongtong County. Hongtong County is divided into nine towns and seven townships . The county's seat of government is located in the town of Dahuaishu  [ zh ] . The county's nine towns are Dahuaishu, Ganting  [ zh ] , Quting  [ zh ] , Subao  [ zh ] , Guangshengsi  [ zh ] , Mingjiang  [ zh ] , Zhaocheng  [ zh ] , Wan'an , and Liujiayuan  [ zh ] . The county's seven townships are Yandi Township  [ zh ] , Xingtangsi Township  [ zh ] , Dicun Township  [ zh ] , Xincun Township  [ zh ] , Longma Township  [ zh ] , Shantou Township  [ zh ] , and Zuomu Township  [ zh ] . Lying in

2700-512: The Second Path, typically comes after a student has achieved proficiency in Yilu. Erlu training concentrates on expressing the internal skills cultivated during Yilu practice. The applications in Erlu incorporate more striking, jumping, lunging, and athletically demanding movements. While Yilu emphasized using the body to guide the hands (以身领手, yǐ shēn lǐng shǒu), Erlu shifts the emphasis to using

2775-617: The Yang Wudi character: In Chinese, tai chi is now known as taijiquan (literally " taiji boxing"). But when Yang Luchan first taught in Yongnian County, his art was referred to as Mianquan (綿拳 Cotton Fist) or Huaquan (化拳 Neutralising Fist). Whilst teaching at the Imperial Court, Yang met many challenges, some friendly some not. But he invariably won and in so doing he gained a great reputation. Many who frequented

2850-614: The art to them. After emerging from Chenjiagou, Yang became famous for never losing a match and never seriously injuring his opponents. Having refined his martial skill to an extremely high level, Yang Luchan came to be known as Yang Wudi ( Chinese : 楊無敵 ; lit. 'Yang the Invincible';). In time, many legends sprang up around Yang's martial prowess. These legends would serve to inform various biographical books and movies. Though not independently verifiable, several noteworthy episodes are worth mentioning to illustrate

2925-424: The chest and waist. Xiongyao zhedie (chest and waist layered folding) is the coordinated opening and closing of back and chest along with a type of rippling wave (folding) running vertically up and down the dantian/waist area, connected to twisting of the waist/torso. Rotations of the waist and dantian become more apparent in Xinjia. Chen Zhaopei also added tuishou (push hands) and martial application methods over

3000-518: The continuation of the tradition. During the Era of Reconstruction (1976–1989) , the policy of repression of traditional Chinese culture was reversed. Under this new climate, Chen-style tai chi was once again allowed to be practiced openly. Through a series of government-sponsored meetings and various provincial and national tournaments, Chen-style tai chi regained its reputation as an important branch of Chinese martial arts. In addition, those meetings created

3075-640: The county serviced by 223 buses. Major expressways which run through Hongtong County include National Highway 108 , National Highway 309 , the G5 Beijing–Kunming Expressway , and the G22 Qingdao–Lanzhou Expressway . The Datong–Xi'an passenger railway and Datong–Puzhou railway both run through Hongtong County. Yang Luchan Yang Luchan ( Chinese : 杨露禅 ; pinyin : Yáng Lùchán ; Wade–Giles : Yang Lu-ch'an ), also known as Yang Fukui (1799–1872),

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3150-495: The current understanding of this art. Chen Xin (1849-1929), 8th generation Chen family member, provided one of the most important written description of the Chen style. He was the grandson of Chen Youshen (陈有恒), 6th generation Chen family member. Chen Youshen was the brother of Chen Youben (陈有本), the creator of Small Frame. Chen Xin's father was Chen Zhongshen and Chen Xin's uncle, Chen Jishen were twins. In that 7th generation Chen family, Chen Zhongshen, Chen Jishen, Chen Gengyun (陈耕耘,

3225-535: The distance. He got up and traced the sound to an old building. Peeking through the broken wall, he saw his master Chen Changxing teaching the techniques of grasp, control, and emitting jin in coordination with the sounds " Hen " and " Ha ." He was amazed by the techniques and from that time on, unknown to master Chen, he continued to watch this secret practice session every night. He would then return to his room to ponder and study. Because of this, his martial ability advanced rapidly. One day, Chen ordered him to spar with

3300-455: The early 1800s. The Chen family were originally from Hongtong County in Shanxi . In the 13th or 14th century, later documents claim that the head of the Chen family, Chen Bu (陳仆; 陈卜), migrated to Wen County , Henan . The new area was originally known as Changyang Cun (Chinese: 常陽村 ; lit. 'Sunshine village') and grew to include a large number of Chen descendants. Because of

3375-410: The evolution of Chen-style tai chi continues. The Small Frame gaining international recognition, shares similarities with teachings by Chen Xin and Chen Ziming. Despite their differences, these frames share common origins and principles, making them integral to the Chen-style tai chi system. Today, the two-path curriculum, originally developed by Chen Changxing, a master of the 14th generation, serves as

3450-769: The first modern Chinese martial art historians, to visit and document the martial lineage in Chen Village in 1930 with Chen Ziming. During the course of his research, he consulted with a manuscript written by 16th generation family member Chen Xin (陳鑫; Ch'en Hsin; 1849–1929) detailing Chen Xin's understanding of the Chen Village heritage. Chen Xin's nephew, Chen Chunyuan , together with Chen Panling (president of Henan Province Martial Arts Academy ), Han Zibu (president of Henan Archives Bureau), Wang Zemin, Bai Yusheng of Kaiming Publishing House, Guan Baiyi (director of Henan Provincial Museum) and Zhang Jiamou helped publish Chen Xin's work posthumously. The book entitled Chen Style Taijiquan Illustrated and Explained (太極拳圖說 see tai chi classics )

3525-412: The first recorded non-family member as a disciple, Yang Luchan , who went on to popularize the art throughout China, but as his own family tradition known as Yang-style tai chi . The Chen family system was only taught within the Chen village region until 1928. Chen Youben , also of the 14th Chen generation, is credited with starting another Chen training tradition. This system also based on two routines

3600-683: The foundation for training in all branches of Chen-style tai chi. Each path is typically associated with a specific form: the First Form ( Yi Lu ), also known as the Thirteen Movements (十三势, Shísān shì), and the Second Form ( Er Lu ), sometimes referred to as Cannon Fist (炮捶, Pào Chuí). These paths follow distinct approaches to training. The Yilu form initiates students into the fundamental principles of tai chi. It emphasizes essential aspects such as footwork, stances, and overall movement. Internal development, including silk reeling training,

3675-427: The frames share more similarities than differences, the variations provide valuable insights. Despite the existence of clear lineage charts, many students are known to have trained with multiple teachers, often without strict adherence to a single lineage. For instance, Chen Zhaopei studied with his father Chen Dengke, his father's uncle Chen Yanxi, and Yanxi's son Chen Fake, all of whom are now considered practitioners of

3750-412: The hands to lead the body (以手领身, yǐ shǒu lǐng shēn). In terms of appearance, the Erlu form is often executed at a faster pace and is characterized by more explosive movements compared to Yilu. The intent of Erlu is focused on self-defense, with each posture training the practitioner for strikes or breaks rather than grappling. The techniques in Erlu employ smaller and tighter circles to generate power. It

3825-447: The hardships of village life in order to ensure the survival of his family martial art. His teachings are known today as Laojia (Old Frame). In Laojia , there are 74 moves in the First Form and 44 moves in the Second Form. Chen Zhaopei recorded photographs of his First Form with instructions in a book, General Explanations of Taiji Boxing Fundamentals (太極拳學入門總解, Tàijí quán xué rùmén zǒng jiě ) published in 1930. In Chen Village, Laojia

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3900-418: The imperial households would come to view his matches. At one such gathering in which Yang had won against several reputable opponents, the scholar Weng Tonghe was present. Inspired by the way Yang moved and executed his techniques, Weng felt that Yang's movements and techniques expressed the physical manifestation of the philosophy of taiji . Weng wrote for him a matching verse: Hands Holding taiji shakes

3975-509: The late 1930s and became common practice by the 1950s. Chen Fake's Chen-style tai chi was classified as Large Frame, while Wu Yuxiang's Wu (Hao)-style tai chi was classified as Small Frame at the time, based on research into the Hao family branch . Chen Qingping, Wu Yuxiang's Chen-style teacher, is associated with the Zhaobao style which includes large and small frame training, and this also suggested

4050-403: The martial art later to be known as tai chi. Other legends speak of Jiang Fa  [ zh ] , reputedly a monk from Wudang mountain who came to Chen village. He is said to have helped transform the Chen family art with Chen Wangting by emphasizing internal fighting practices. However, there are significant difficulties with this explanation, as it is no longer clear if their relationship

4125-403: The ninth generation Chen Village leader, Chen Wangting . He codified pre-existing Chen training practice into a corpus of seven routines. This included five routines of 108 form Long Fist (一百零八勢長拳) and a more rigorous routine known as Cannon Fist (炮捶一路). Chen Wangting integrated different elements of Chinese philosophy into the martial arts training to create a new approach that we now recognize as

4200-462: The northern end of the Linfen Basin, Hongtong County has an average altitude of 430 meters, with its highest peak, Huoshan, reaching 2,347 meters in elevation. The Fen River runs north to south through the county. On an annual basis, Hongtong County experiences an average temperature of 12.7 °C, 441.5 millimeters of precipitation, and 2079.1 hours of sunshine. The county's population

4275-506: The other disciples. To his surprise, none of the other students could defeat him. Chen realized that Yang had great potential and after that taught him the secrets sincerely. After mastering the martial art, Yang was given permission by his teacher to go to Beijing and teach his own students, who would include Wu Yuxiang and his brothers, who were Imperial Chinese officials in the Imperial Chinese bureaucracy . In 1850, Yang

4350-403: The pharmacy utilizing a style of martial art that he had never before seen to easily subdue a group of would-be thieves. Because of this, Yang requested to study with the pharmacy's owner, Chen Dehu. Chen referred Yang to the Chen Village to seek out his own teacher—the 14th generation of the Chen Family, Chen Changxing . One night, he was awakened by the sounds of " Hen " (哼) and " Ha " (哈) in

4425-430: The practitioner to closely coordinate their mind, intent, internal energy, and body. Externally, the form's movements follow an arc, while internally, the energy flows in a spiral pattern. This interplay between soft external actions and corresponding hard internal actions is a hallmark of the Yilu form. (练习时，要求意、气、身密切配合，外形走弧线，内劲走螺旋，缠绕圆转，外柔内刚。) Training application on this path is through the method of push hands. Push hands,

4500-402: The reliance on oral traditions, practitioners endeavor to interpret each subdivision. The Chen Family's tai chi legacy continues to captivate practitioners, as they aspire to unlock the essence of Chen-style tai chi and integrate its profound principles into their dedicated practice. The fundamental principles of Chen-style tai chi find their roots in various poems, stories from Chen Village, and

4575-559: The son of Chen Chanxing), Yang Luchan (杨露禅, founder of Yang Style) and Chen Qingping (陈清萍, promoter of Zhaobao style tai chi) were all martial artists with exceptional abilities. Chen Xin initially trained with his father but his father ordered him to study literature rather than the martial arts. It was only later that he decided to use his literature skills to describe his understanding of the secrets of Chen style. In Chen Xin's generation, his older brother, Chen Yao and his cousin, Chen Yanxi (陈延熙, father of Chen Fake) were considered masters of

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4650-411: The superficial differences, the Old Frame and New Frame are the same style, sharing the same origin and guiding principles. In Chen Village, people have the advantage of knowing both the first routines." However, because of common fundamentals and training methods, either frame, Laojia or Xinjia, can each be trained as a complete curriculum. The Small Frame (小架, Xiǎo jià) is the most recent subdivision of

4725-439: The teachings of Chen Fake. These principles, which encapsulate the essence of the art, can be summarized as follows: The term 'historical forms' refers to training methods described in traditional boxing manuals from Chen Village, as well as through oral recollections and verbal histories. Although efforts have been made to find and recover them, most of these forms are considered lost and are no longer practiced. Chen Wangting ,

4800-413: The teachings they had previously learned from Chen Zhaopei, which they called “Laojia” (Old Frame). In Xinjia, there are 83 moves counted in the First Form and 71 moves in Second Form. Chen Xiaoxing, Chen Xiaowang’s brother and a student of Chen Zhaokui, said the primary differences between the Xinjia and Laojia are the small circles, which highlight the turning of the wrists and make visible the folding of

4875-415: The three deep ravines beside the village it came to be known as Chen Jia Gou (Chinese: 陳家溝 ; lit. 'Chen Family Creek'). According to Chen Village family history, Chen Bu was a skilled martial artist who started the martial arts tradition within Chen Village. For generations onwards, the Chen Village was known for their martial arts. The special nature of tai chi practice was attributed to

4950-493: The time of Chen Changxing (陳長興, 1771–1853) and Chen Youben (陳有本, 1780–1858) of the 14th generation. Around that time, the curriculum was streamlined into two forms representing the two paths of curricula, the Yilu, the First Path, or Road, trained by the Thirteen Movements (十三势, Shísān shì) form, and the Erlu, the Second Path, trained by the Cannon Fist (炮捶, Pào chuí) form. In order to preserve it, Chen Xin (1849-1929) recorded

5025-435: The two frames, (Laojia and Xinjia), are the same with regards to postural requirements and movement principles. Both require the practitioner to exhibit movements that are continuous, round and pliant, connecting all movements section by section and closely synchronising the actions of the upper and lower body....The Old and New Frames should not be viewed as different entities because both are foundation forms. If you look beyond

5100-523: The two main forms used in any Chen-style tai chi training. The main variants in training with direct connection to Chen Village are: Large Frame (Old Frame and New Frame) and Small Frame. These frames developed and passed down by key figures such as Chen Zhaopei, Chen Zhaokui and others, embody distinct lineages and training approaches. From the dedication of Chen Zhaopei in preserving the art to Chen Zhaokui's introduction of innovative practices in New Frame,

5175-478: Was 766,579 as of 2019, of which 45.7% of the population lived in urbanized areas, whereas the remaining 54.3% lived in rural areas. As of 2019, Hongtong County has a GDP of 15.15 billion Renminbi . Of this, the primary sector accounted for 6.6% of the economy, the secondary sector accounted for 45.8% of the economy, and the tertiary sector accounted for 47.6% of the economy. Retail sales in 2019 totaled 7.03 billion Renminbi. Residents of Hongtong County had

5250-402: Was a method to prevail in the bind (two weapons locked or pressed against each other). In terms of weapons, the Chen clan writings described a variety of weapons training including: spear, staff, swords, halberd, mace, and sickles, but the manuals specifically described training for spear (枪, qiāng), staff (棍, gùn), broadsword (saber)(刀, dāo), and straight sword (剑, jiàn). The two paths represent

5325-403: Was an influential Chinese practitioner and teacher of the internal style tai chi martial art. He is known as the founder of Yang-style tai chi , the most popular and widely practised tai chi style in the world today. Yang Luchan's family was a poor farming/worker class from Hebei Province, Guangping Prefecture, Yongnian County . Yang would follow his father in planting the fields and, as

5400-598: Was initially perceived as radically different from other prevalent martial art schools (including established tai chi traditions) of the time. Chen Fake proved the effectiveness of Chen-style tai chi through various private challenges and even a series of lei tai matches. Within a short time, the Beijing martial arts community was convinced of the effectiveness of Chen-style tai chi and a large group of martial enthusiasts started to train and publicly promote it. The increased interest in Chen-style tai chi led Tang Hao , one of

5475-440: Was paid by wealthy residents to teach tai chi to them. Among this group was Yang's best known non-family student, Wu Quanyou . This was the beginning of the spread of tai chi from the family art of a small village in central China to an international phenomenon. Due to his influence and the number of teachers he trained, including his own descendants, Yang is directly acknowledged by 4 of the 5 tai chi families as having transmitted

5550-484: Was published in 1933 with the first print run of thousand copies. For nearly thirty years, until his death in 1958, Chen Fake diligently taught the art of Chen-style tai chi to a select group of students. As a result, a strong Beijing Chen-style tradition centered around his "New Frame" variant of Chen Village "Old Frame" survived after his death. His legacy was spread throughout China by the efforts of his senior students . The Cultural Revolution (1966–1976) resulted in

5625-415: Was that of teacher/student or even who taught whom. During the second half of the 19th century, Yang Luchan and his family established a reputation of Yang-style tai chi throughout the Qing empire. Few people knew that Yang Luchan first learned his martial arts from Chen Changxing in the Chen Village. Fewer people still visited the Chen village to improve their understanding of tai chi. Only Wu Yuxiang ,

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