Which Chen Taijiquan Style

[Shadow Dragon]

Which of the 5 sub-styles do you study.

Pls, choose above.

Cheers.

[Shadow Dragon]

Hi.

To the other person that lists Xiao Jia as his/her style.

Under whom do you study??
My Sifu is Chen Peishan.

Cheers.

[Prairie]

Although the style I'm trying hard to learn would properly be classified as lao da jia, it's a little different from what I've seen some other folks do. It's Chen style from Hong Junsheng.

[Kevin Wallbridge]

Prairie,

Since Hong was a Chen Fa-ke student some would argue that his form is more Xinjia than Laojia. That being said there is some question as to whether or not the distinction is a useful or even acurate one.

The idea that Chen Fa-ke created the Xinjia in Beijing and (his son) Chen Zhaokui brought it back to the Chenjiaguo is the village version of events, yet Chen Zhaokui told a different story (related to Ma Hong). Chen Zhaokui claimed his father taught him the form of their specific family within the lineage (all the Chens at the Chenjiaguo were in the same clan, but not the same family. Chen Fa-ke was in the direct line from Chen Changxing). He said his father didn't teach his non-family students all of the details of the form, but he would let then touch him. Chen Zhaokui said this was the "public form." Both Hong Junsheng and Feng Zhiqiang were taught the public form, but both had many opportunuties to touch Chen Fa-ke, so their forms adjusted and skills soared. Back in the village they still did a version of the public-form, but they seem to have had no high level practitioner to touch. When we look at their forms it becomes unclear just exactly were certain details or stylistic variations come from unless we consider the details of the form's dissemination.

Many will say that lineage is meaningless and skill is all that matters, yet lineage can reveal many things about the place of variations and differing stylistic approaches, especially when we look at the more recent lines of descent. Arguing that the Laojia is Chen Changxing's form is as useless as aguing that this or that form of Yang style is Yang Luchan's. They are too remote in time and space. However, when we look at practitioners of the 20th century we can see quite a bit about what is core material and what is creative inspiration at the level of a generation.

The more research that I do into my styles the more I am able to distinguish the old from the new, the supplementary from the core, and the basic from the advanced. I haven't yet found the need to "be creative" and re-invent the wheel. My creativity gets plenty of expression in the form of applications, yet the forms, Qigong and power training still seems relevant.

[Prairie]

Good post Kevin :)

I can't comment on whether or not either Feng or Hong learned a "public" or "private" version of the style. Regardless of what they learned, both achieved tremendous skill.

I expect that the reason Hong's version of laojia looks different from other laojia stems from his personal philosophy. I believe that it's the laojia as he learned from Chen Fake quite early on - before the creation of the new frame. However, I really don't know. This may be a good question for my teacher's teacher.

Bye for Now

[n0rmann]

Prairie,

Do you mind me asking who your teacher is? I also practice Hong chen taiji. I was recently in Canada to train with Master Lui Chengde.

[Prairie]

Normann -- please check your private messages.

[patriot]

Normann,

I would appreciate if you can tell me where/when in Canada Liu is teaching.

[n0rmann]

Patriot

It was in a town near Toronto, he and his son were staying with one of his students, but he has returned to china.