Why Study Chen Style Taijiquan?

Why Study Chen Style Taijiquan? There have been many answers to this question since the development of this theoretically simple, yet methodically complex "art of yin and yang."

What we now know as Taijiquan first began as a system of self defense, a practical means of protection which was practiced by an overwhelming majority of the villagers of Chenjiagou, a small farming settlement in Henan province. During a period of tumultuous upheaval and unchecked banditry as the power of Ming dynasty waned, the people of Chenjiagou developed a sophisticated martial system, which at the time was referred to as "Cannon Fist," drawing from contemporary regional martial arts styles.

The legendary founder of the art, Chen Wangting, was a well-respected military officer, whom in addition to his military training manuals was said to have also highly cherished a copy of the Classic of the Yellow Courtyard, a guidebook of Daoist methods for attaining immortality through biospiritual hygiene. It is thus surmised that elements of Daoist health preservation were incorporated into what were otherwise battlefield techniques.

As the Qing dynasty struggled to pacify a country which largely remained loyal toward the previous regime, the Chen family continued to develop their art and many advanced practitioners, taking advantage of the social instability, found employment as bodyguards or escorts. Through the exploits of these heroes, the family art gained renown throughout the martial world, although its methods would be held secret from outsiders until the turn of the 20^th century (with the notable exception of Yang Luchan, a favored servant of the Chen family and creator of the popular offshoot, Yang Style Taijiquan).

After the fall of imperial China, the traditional safeties on the exclusivity of hereditary knowledge began to relax slightly and those of the leisure class courted several masters from the rural Chen family to relocate to the cities of eastern China, whereby they might learn something of this favorably rumored art. These metropolitans were not only seekers of curiosity, but were also interested in girding their own health and promoting the effectiveness of indigenous boxing systems at a time when the importance of sport was elevated by nationalistic fervor. Thus, high level skills were developed by people outside of the Chen family and individuals such as Hong Junsheng, Feng Zhiqiang, and Tian Xiuchen became recognized experts of Chen Style Taijiquan.

Despite the suppression of traditional arts during some of the bitterest years of the Cultural Revolution undertaken by the communist republic, Chen Style Taijiquan and other martial systems eventually reemerged with renewed vigor. Government sponsorship of the martial arts provided opportunities for skilled practitioners to serve as coaches and allowed talented youths to train on a full-time basis for competition in the performance of choreographed forms, push hands and free fighting.

Chen Style Taijiquan has since become a worldwide phenomenon with training centers found on every continent, living testaments to the validity of its time-honored self defense aspects and extraordinary health benefits.

Personally, I am attracted to the unique method of leverage and spiral power of Chen Style Taijiquan. Although I do not have the physical strength of a power lifter or the flexibility and athleticism of a gymnast, through the method of Chen Style Taijiquan I can neutralize and issue force with great efficiency and overcome much larger opponents without the use of momentum-based movements. I am also in love with the dynamic grace of its shadowboxing and the feeling of euphoric openness that comes with the practice thereof.

Please leave a comment below and pray tell the reasons why you practice Chen Style Taijiquan.