In the distant past, the effectiveness and efficacy of a training method was determined through actual combat. In the modern era, such tests of skills no longer takes place. There are no recognized central authorities for the martial arts. This had led to the determination of authenticity for any style depending on anecdotal stories or appeal to historical lineage.[33] Chen t’ai chi ch’uan also follows this trend. However, the Chen style practitioner follows a more stringent requirement. According to Chen Fake, the last great proponent of the Chen style in the modern era, the external appearance of the form is not important. A correct Chen style t’ai chi ch’uan form should be based on the same fundamental principle and that each element of a form should have a purpose. In Chen Fake’s words: “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”). [8][9] The understanding of each sub-division should be interpreted with this idea in mind.
The fundamental principles for Chen style tai chi chuan are summarized as follows:[6][34]
- Keeping the head upright (虚领顶劲, xū lǐng dǐng jìn)
- Keeping the body straight (立身中正, lìshēn zhōngzhèng)
- Drop the shoulders and sink the elbow (松肩沉肘, sōng jiān chén zhǒu)
- The chest curve inwards and the waist pressed forward.(含胸塌腰, hán xiōng tā yāo)
- Sink the energy to the dantian (心气下降, xīn qì xià jiàng)
- Breath naturally (呼吸自然, hū xī zì rán)
- Relax the hip and keep the knees bent (松胯屈膝 ,sōng kuà qū xī)
- The crotch is arch shaped (裆劲开圆, dāng jìn kāi yuán)
- keep the mind pure and clear (虚实分明, xū shí fēn míng)
- The top and bottom works together (上下相随. shàng xià xiāng suí)
- Adjust hardness and softness (刚柔相济, gāng róu xiāng jì)
- Alternate fast and slow (快慢相间, (kuài màn xiāng jiàn)
- The external shape is curved (外形走弧线, wài xíng zǒu hú xiàn)
- The internal energy travels a spiral path (内劲走螺旋, nèi jìn zǒu luó xuán)
- The body leads the hand (以身领手, yǐ shēn lǐng shǒu)
- The waist is an axis (以腰为轴, yǐ yāo wèi zhóu)
Historical forms from Chen Village[edit]
Historical forms refers to training methods that are described in traditional boxing manuals from Chen village [35] or through oral recollections or through verbal histories.[8][9] Those forms are no longer being practiced since Chen Changxing (陳長興, 1771–1853), 14th generation Chen Village martial artist, reduce the methods into two routines.
Chen Wangting (陳王廷; 陈王庭; 1580–1660), ninth generation Chen Village leader, was credited with the creation of seven routines. Those routines were:[6]
- The First Set of Thirteen Movements with 66 Forms (头套十三式 66式)
- The Second Set with 27 forms (二套 27式)
- The Third Set with 24 forms also known as the Four Big Hammer Set (三套24式 又称大四套捶)
- Red Fist with 23 forms (红拳 23式)
- The Fifth Set with 29 forms (五套29式)
- The Long Fist with 108 forms (长拳 108式)
- The Canon Fist with 71 forms now commonly known as the second form (炮捶 俗称二路71式)
- Weapon forms including the broadsword, the sword, the staff and the hook (器械 刀, 枪, 棍, 钩等多种)
- Two man training routines (对练套路)
The first five sets is known as the five routines of t’ai chi ch’uan (太極拳五路). The 108 form Long Fist (一百零八勢長拳) and a form known as Cannon Fist(炮捶一路) was considered to be a separate curriculum. In terms of weapons, the Chen clan writings described a variety of weapons including: spear, staff, swords, halberd, mace, sickles but the manual specifically describes training for spear, staff, broadsword and straight sword. Pushhands as a means of training was not described in those historical manuals but rather it was described as a form of pair training.
Existing Chen Village Forms: Frames – Large and Small, Old and New[edit]
There are three main variants of Chen forms that are being practiced today. Each variant uses the concept of frames (架, jia) to describe the difference in appearance within each form. The concept of frames refer to the general width of stances and range of motion within the form. In Large Frame (大架, da jia ), the standard horse stance is at least two and half shoulder widths wide and hand techniques that are large and expansive in appearance. In contrast, small frame (小架; xiao jia), the standard horse stance is at most two shoulder width wide and the hand techniques are shorter and more compact. Each frame have their own distinctive lineage and training ideas. There are two types of Large Frame: old frame (老架; Lǎo jia) and new frame (新架 xin jia). Both type of large frame are traced directly to the teachings of Chen Fake.
Large frame: old frame tradition[edit]
The large frame — old frame system of training consists of two forms. They are known simply as the First form (Yi Lu) and the Second Form (Er Lu) also known as the Cannon Fist (Pao Chui). These two forms known as the basis of Chen-style Tai chi Quan. This system was first taught by Chen Fake in Beijing in 1928. There are 72 moves in the First Form and 42 moves in the Second Form. The historical roots can be traced back to Chen Fake’s great grandfather, Chen Changxing (陳長興 Chén Chángxīng, Ch’en Chang-hsing, 1771–1853) who was also the teacher of Yang Luchan. Due to this common lineage, there are similarities on stances even though more than fifty years separates the Yang training traditions and the form revealed by Chen Fake in Beijing. The description of Yilu in Chen style parlance are: Movements are large and stretching, Footwork is brisk and steady, the body is naturally straight, the entire body controlled by internal energy. (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 exercise requires the close coordination between mind-intent, internal energy, and the body; the outer appearance is an arc and the internal energy travels along the path of a spiral; the energy winds around so that the external action appears soft but corresponding internal action is hard. (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。) [36]
Erlu training starts after the student is proficient in performing Yilu. Yilu trains the student on the unique principles of Tai chi in contrast Erlu focus on fighting applications based on those principles. In appearance, the Erlu stances are shorter, the moves are faster and more explosive. The intent is that each posture is training for a strike rather than on a grapple and the technique uses the energies of smaller and smaller circles.[37]
Large frame: new frame tradition[edit]
An older Chen Fake plays the “xin jia” form he introduced to the world
The Xin Jia (New Frame; 新架) is attributed to Chen Fake, and some regard him as the author of the style, while others see him as the inheritor of a mix of different older methods held by the family that he developed as his own practice. Credit for actual public teaching/spread of these two new routines probably goes to his senior students (especially his son, Chen Zhaokui).
When Chen Zhaokui returned to Chen Village (to assist and then succeed Chen ZhaoPei) to train today’s generation of Masters (e.g. the “Four Buddhas”) he taught Chen Fake’s, unknown (to them) practice methods. Zhu Tian Cai, who was a young man at the time, claims that they all started calling it “xin jia” (new frame) because it was adapted from classic old frame.
Some of the main differences that ‘new’ frame has compared to ‘old’ frame are xiongyao zhedie (chest and waist layered folding), which 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. The stances tend to be more compact in the goal of better mobility for fighting applications, while they still remain quite low. This form tends to emphasize manipulation, seizing and grappling (qin na) and a tight method of spiral winding for both long and shorter range striking.
Zhu Tian Cai has commented that the xinjia (new frame) emphasises 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 big frame forms.
It was also recounted that by the time of the cultural revolution, Chen Village was losing qualified teachers of Taijiquan, and the resident students (who are now the more famous exponents of the style) had not been taught much in the areas of tuishou (push hand) or martial application methods. It was not until the return of Chen Zhaokui that these methods were covered in detail, over a series of visits. What some called “Xinjia”, or Chen Zhaokui’s form, was explicitly practiced with the purpose of developing tangible and effective martial arts methods and strengths. This is another reason it was said to be exciting for younger students.
In Chen Village xin jia is traditionally learned only after lao jia. Like lao jia, xin jia consists of two routines, yi lu and er lu (cannon fist). The new frame cannon fist is generally performed faster than the other empty hand forms, at the standardized speed its 83 movements finish in under 15 minutes.[citation needed]!
Small frame tradition[edit]
The small frame (xiao jia; 小架) style was until recently not publicly known outside of Chen Village. DVD material has been made available in more recent times though authentic, public teaching is still hard to find. The reasons for this may be more to do with the nature of small frame tradition itself rather than any particular motivation of secrecy.
Although it recently had the term “small frame” attached to it “xiao jia” was previously known as “xin jia” (new frame). Apparently the name change occurred to differentiate it from the new routines that Chen Fake created (from big frame tradition’s “old frame” routines) in the 1950s, which then became called “Xin Jia” (by the young men of Chen Village).
Even today some people confuse Chen Fake’s altered routines (from big frame tradition’s “old frame” routines) with small frame tradition and believe he revealed the secret teaching of small frame tradition as well.
Zhu Tian Cai comments that small frame tradition routines also used to be practiced by “retired” Chen villagers. It seems this was because the more demanding leaping, stomping, low frame, and intensive fa jing of the advanced big frame tradition routines have been eliminated and the retained movements emphasize use of the more subtle internal skills, which is a more appropriate regimen for the bodies of elder practitioners. He also observed that young children used to imitate Small Frame routines by watching older villagers practicing and this was encouraged for health reasons.
Xiao Jia is known mainly for its emphasis on internal movements, 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.
— https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chen-style_taijiquan
In the 1670s, Chen Wangting developed several Tai Chi routines which included the old frame (classical Chen style) form still practised today. He was greatly influenced by schools of boxing, particularly that of a famous general of the Imperial army, Qi Jiguang. Qi Jiguang wrote an important textbook on military training called Boxing in 32 Forms. Perhaps more significantly, Chen Wangting assimilated the ancient philosophical techniques of Daoyin and Tuina into his martial art routines. These techniques, together with the use of clarity of consciousness, developed into the practice of Taoism. Daoyin is the concentrated exertion of inner force, while Tuina is a set of deep breathing exercises. Tuina has recently developed into the popular Qigong exercises. He also adapt the core philosophical understanding of Traditional Chinese Medicine. By combining martial art exercises, the practice of Daoyin and Tuina and Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tai Chi became a complete system of exercise in which the practitioner’s mental concentration, breathing and actions are closely connected. It paved the way for its current use as an ideal form of exercise for all aspects of health care. Since then, Chen style had been kept almost in secrecy within his village. The clan taught Tai Chi to their daughters-in-law, but not their daughters, lest they took the art outside the village (there was no such thing as divorce in those days!).
In his later years, Chen Xin, a member of the 16th generation of the Chen family, wrote and illustrated a detailed book about the Chen school of Tai Chi. In it, he described the correct postures and movements, and explained the philosophical and medical background of the routines. This was not, however, published until 1932, after Chen Fake, a great grandson of the celebrated Chen Changxing, had taught the Chen style Tai Chi outside Chen Village.
Chen Fake, who was of the 17th generation of the Chen family, was one of the most highly accomplished and possibly the greatest leader of the Chen style Tai Chi. There have been many stories told about his amazing prowess in Tai Chi, and also about his near perfect disposition: He was universally well-liked, making no enemies during the 29 years he lived and taught in Beijing up until his death in 1957.
Chen Fake was the youngest child in his family and his father was 60 years old when he was born. His two elder brothers died in an epidemic, and as a result, Chen Fake was very spoiled. He was also rather a weakling and, because he was spoiled, he was never forced to practice Tai Chi. Chen Fake was also lazy and, even though he knew Tai Chi would improve his health, he did not bother practicing it. By the time Chen Fake was 14 years old, he was the laughing stock of his village. His father, on the other hand, was recognized within the village as a leader and the most highly skilled practitioner of Tai Chi. As Chen Fake grew older, he began to feel ashamed, realizing that he was letting his father down. He decided to try to catch up to his cousin, who was very highly respected for his skill, strength and expertise in Tai Chi. But no matter how much Chen Fake improved, his cousin improved by an equal amount. Chen Fake began to worry that he would never catch up with his cousin.
Then one day, while Chen Fake and his cousin were walking in the fields, his cousin remembered they had left something behind and told Chen Fake, “… Run back and fetch it. I shall walk slowly so that you can catch up with me.” As Chen Fake was running back to catch up with his cousin, it suddenly occurred to him that if he practiced harder than his cousin he would eventually catch up to him. From then on, Chen Fake used every available minute to practice. Soon, he improved so much in strength and technique that he was able to beat his cousin in a sparring match. His father had been away from home at that time for about 3 years so Chen Fake’s spectacular improvement could not have been attributed to any special coaching from him. Rather, it was the result of the incredible number of hours he had put into practicing.
Chen Fake taught thousands of students during his years in Beijing. Many started Tai Chi to improve their health or even to cure a specific illness. Famous students of Chen Fake included Tian Xiuchen, Hong Junsheng, Liu Ruizhan, Tang Hao, Gu Liuxin, Lei Mumin, Li Jinwu, Feng Zhiqiang and Li Zhongyiun.
Chen Style is characterized by its emphasis on spiral force. Its movements are similar to other martial arts. Slow and soft movements intermix with fast and hard ones. It is also characterized by explosive power and low stances. Chen Style is rich with combat techniques that are practical and effective, making it more suitable for younger people.
(For more information about the historical founders and creators of the Chen Taiji forms, please click on the link at the bottom of this page.)
