Chen Wangting (1580–1660),

courtesy name A courtesy name ( zh, s=字, p=zì, l=character), also known as a style name, is an additional name bestowed upon individuals at adulthood, complementing their given name. This tradition is prevalent in the East Asian cultural sphere, particula ...

Chen Zouting, was a

Ming dynasty The Ming dynasty, officially the Great Ming, was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol Empire, Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming was the last imperial dynasty of ...

military officer who may have founded

Chen-style tai chi The Chen-style tai chi ( zh, s=陳氏太极拳, p=Chén shì tàijíquán) is a Northern Wushu (sport), Chinese martial art and the original form of tai chi. Chen (surname), Chen-style is characterized by silk reeling, alternating fast and slow m ...

, one of the five major styles of the popular

Chinese martial art Chinese martial arts, commonly referred to with umbrella terms Kung fu (term), kung fu (; ), kuoshu () or wushu (sport), wushu (), are Styles of Chinese martial arts, multiple fighting styles that have developed over the centuries in Greater Ch ...

. He reputedly devised his style of tai chi after his retirement following the fall of the Ming dynasty.

Military career

During the Ming dynasty, Chen served as Commander of the Wen County

garrison A garrison is any body of troops stationed in a particular location, originally to guard it. The term now often applies to certain facilities that constitute a military base or fortified military headquarters. A garrison is usually in a city ...

, and was distinguished for his protection of merchant caravans in Henan and

Shandong Shandong is a coastal Provinces of China, province in East China. Shandong has played a major role in Chinese history since the beginning of Chinese civilization along the lower reaches of the Yellow River. It has served as a pivotal cultural ...

. After the Ming dynasty ended and the reign of the

Qing dynasty The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing, was a Manchu-led Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China and an early modern empire in East Asia. The last imperial dynasty in Chinese history, the Qing dynasty was preceded by the ...

began, Chen's military career was effectively over, and he retired to the family settlement.

Influence on tai chi

Whether or not Chen invented the earliest form of tai chi is in dispute. Traditional folklore and many lineages name the semi-mythical figure of

Zhang Sanfeng Zhang Sanfeng (also spelled Zhang San Feng, Chang San-Feng) refers to a legendary Chinese Taoist who many believe invented the Chinese martial art tai chi. However, other sources point to earlier versions of tai chi predating Sanfeng. He is ...

, a

Taoist Taoism or Daoism (, ) is a diverse philosophical and religious tradition indigenous to China, emphasizing harmony with the Tao ( zh, p=dào, w=tao4). With a range of meaning in Chinese philosophy, translations of Tao include 'way', 'road', ...

monk, as the progenitor of the art. Two widely documented theories of Chen's martial arts work exist: the first is that he learnt his arts from

Wang Zongyue Wang Zongyue was a legendary figure in the history of Chinese martial art tai chi. In some writings, Wang is supposed to have been a student of the equally legendary Zhang Sanfeng, a 13th-century Taoist monk credited with devising ''neijia'' ...

, Jiang Fa, and the Wudang tradition developed by Zhang Sanfeng. The second theory — the one accepted by the Chen family — is that he combined his previous military experience and the theories of meridians and ''

Daoyin ''Daoyin'' is a series of cognitive body and mind unity exercises practiced as a form of Daoist ''neigong'', meditation and mindfulness to cultivate '' jing'' (essence) and direct and refine '' qi'', the internal energy of the body according t ...

'' with the popular teachings of

Qi Jiguang Qi Jiguang (, November 12, 1528 – January 17, 1588), courtesy name Yuanjing, art names Nantang and Mengzhu, posthumous name Wuyi, was a Chinese military general and writer of the Ming dynasty. He is best known for leading the defense on th ...

. His complete work contained five smaller sets of forms, a 108-move Long Fist routine, and a Cannon Fist routine. Chen is also credited with the invention of the first push hands exercises. Chen also practiced a few Shaolin forms, and some historians postulate that Shaolin arts also had a significant influence on his tai chi, though none of the

influences on Chen family tai chi exist in the Shaolin tradition. Chen Wangting's next well-known successors were the 14th generation Chen Youben, who taught Chen Qingping who passed down

Zhaobao Tai Chi Zhaobao tai chi ( zh, c=趙堡太極拳, p=Zhàobǎo tàijíquán) is a style of tai chi that is often considered to be a modern style transmitted from Chen Qingping, but actually has a strong documented lineage that confirms its authenticity as ...

, and

Chen Changxing Chen Changxing ( zh, c=陳長興, w=Ch'en Chang-hsing; 1771–1853) was a tai chi master belonging to the 6th generation of Chen-style tai chi. He is most famous as the teacher of Yang Luchan Yang Luchan ( zh, c=杨露禅, w=Yang Lu-ch' ...

(1771–1853), who passed down Chen style large frame and was the direct teacher of the founder of

Yang-style tai chi Yang-style tai chi ( zh, s=楊氏太极拳, p=Yángshì tàijíquán) is one of the five primary families of tai chi. Including its variations, it is the most popular and widely practised style of tai chi in the world today. It is second in term ...

Yang Luchan Yang Luchan ( zh, c=杨露禅, w=Yang Lu-ch'an, p=Yáng Lùchán), also known as Yang Fukui (1799–1872), was an influential Chinese practitioner and teacher of the internal style tai chi martial art. He is known as the founder of Yang-styl ...

Tai chi lineage tree with Chen-style focus

Notes

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chen, Wangting 1580 births 1660 deaths Chinese tai chi practitioners Ming dynasty generals Sportspeople from Henan People from Jiaozuo Generals from Henan Tai chi practitioners from Henan