Chen Style Taijiquan

The origin of Taiji (also commonly known as Tai Chi) is a focus of dispute within the Chinese Wushu (Martial Arts) community. According to historic records, Taiji originated in Chenjiagou Village, of Wenxian County, Henan Province by Chen Wang Ting more than 300 years ago.

Chen Wang Ting(1600-1680) was a well versed gentleman both in letters and martial arts. He was a successful provincial candidate in the imperial military examinations during late period of the Ming Dynasty and in the imperial civil examinations during the early part of the Qing Dynasty. Chen Wang Ting was appointed "Commander of the Garrison Force" of Wenxian County in 1641 with the duty of mopping up bandits in Shandon Province. It is said that criminals would flee after only hearing that he was in the area. In 1644 the Ming Dynasty was overthrown by Qing. His dreams of pursuing scholarly honor or a military career were smashed by radical social turbulence, and Chen Wang Ting went back to Chenjiagou to live in seclusion. This involuntary retirement provided him the opportunity of researching the philosophies of Lao Zi and Zhuang Zi. Based on his experience and understanding of the universe, Chen Wang Ting assimilated the doctrine of Yin(Negative) and Yang(Positive) energies within the practice form of Taiji.The main contributions of Chen Style Taijiquan to Chinese Wushu are:

1. Integrating Taiji with traditional Chinese breathing techniques.
2. Integrating Wushu with the theory of main and collateral meridians from traditional Chinese medicine, creating in Taiji a set of winding and spiral movements.
3. Creating Push Hands training to maximize sensitivity while avoiding injury.
4. Creating the simple and practical skills of Taiji Spear.
5. Revealing the Theory of Taiji.

At first Chen Style Taijiquan was taught only among the Chen family members. Chen Chang Xing, 14th generation descendant, broke the tradition by teaching Yang Lu Chan. Yang, Wu, Wu and Sun Styles of Taijiquan are derived from Chen Style Taijiquan.

Today, Taiji is one of the most important forms of Chinese Wushu training. Some people call it "Philosophic Fist" due to its high level skills, aerobic quality and rich cultural content. In a more general sense, Taiji promotes harmony within each practitioner with the result of greater harmony within families and communities.