twocircles
07-29-2004, 11:11 PM
Hi all,
I returned from three weeks in China a few weeks ago. It was a great adventure. We spent most of our time in Shandong province, but we also got to visit Beijing for a few days.
One item of general interest, we were able to gather evidence that indicates that Chen Fake's form did not change during the years that he was in Beijing.
Hong Junsheng studied with Chen Fake from 1930 to 1944, and left to live in Jinan. Hong practiced on his own until 1956 when he returned to study with Chen Fake for about six months.
We found out where Chen Fake taught Hong Junsheng in Beijing in 1956 from an eyewitness. As has been already established, CFK was pleased with HJS's progress with the forms and push hands and set out to teach him all the applications and counters. HJS later wrote that he commented to CFK that the postures of the form were different than the positions needed for application and asked if he could modify his forms to conform to the applications.
From this it has been inferred that Chen Fake's form changed between the time HJS left in 1944 and returned in 1956. Many have speculated that this was the birth of the Xinjia form.
However, our eyewitness went to Beijing in 1955, lived with Chen Fake for two weeks, studied with Chen Fake until his death and was present for two of the months that Chen Fake taught Hong Junsheng. In that time, he never saw any form taught other than the form that Chen Fake had taught Hong Junsheng. In fact, he saw Chen Fake demonstrate the form, and Hong Junsheng's was exactly like it.
In Hong's account it sounds like one day he showed Chen Fake a completed application form and got Chen's permission to practice that way. What we did not know was that this was a gradual process with Chen Fake actually providing some help along the way as well as approval of the end result.
Hong's book lists every change and the reason for it. We are hoping to have an English translation available soon. Chen and Hong apparently intended to continue this exercise on subsequent visits. Unfortunately, Chen Fake died the following year and additional visits did not take place.
We also got to see some of Chen Fake's practice regimen. It's tough stuff , but I am going to work to incorporate it into my own practice.
Theories have developed around the assumption that Chen Fake's form had changed between 1944 and 1956. Thus differentiating Laojia and Xinjia. This is apparently erroneous.
Who created the so called Xinjia? Evidence is still inconclusive. Perhaps a better question is what is Xinjia? Other Chen Fake students, such as Feng Zhiqiang have said that the Laojia and Xinjia distinction is invalid.
So, it appears that all students of Chen Fake practiced essentially the same form. Differences between practitioners can be attributed to emphasis in training and imperfections in execution of the form. Hong Junsheng's form is the same in sequence but appears somewhat different since it reflects the applications of Taijiquan.
We also got to interview about seven other Taiji masters. Each interview was enlightening in its own right.
Another highlight of the trip was that Chen Zhonghua was named International Standard Bearer representing the Hong Junsheng family and the Chen Style Taijiquan Practical Method. Li Enjiu was named Standard Bearer for the branch a few months ago.
It was an interesting trip. I personally witnessed at least six challenges and know of two others. Shandong has a long history of martial arts and is historically expected to produce the toughest fighters in China. It's a put-up-or-shut-up attitude. The challenger has very little to lose, so it is still quite common.
I returned from China with the bar raised on many levels.
Richard Johnson
I returned from three weeks in China a few weeks ago. It was a great adventure. We spent most of our time in Shandong province, but we also got to visit Beijing for a few days.
One item of general interest, we were able to gather evidence that indicates that Chen Fake's form did not change during the years that he was in Beijing.
Hong Junsheng studied with Chen Fake from 1930 to 1944, and left to live in Jinan. Hong practiced on his own until 1956 when he returned to study with Chen Fake for about six months.
We found out where Chen Fake taught Hong Junsheng in Beijing in 1956 from an eyewitness. As has been already established, CFK was pleased with HJS's progress with the forms and push hands and set out to teach him all the applications and counters. HJS later wrote that he commented to CFK that the postures of the form were different than the positions needed for application and asked if he could modify his forms to conform to the applications.
From this it has been inferred that Chen Fake's form changed between the time HJS left in 1944 and returned in 1956. Many have speculated that this was the birth of the Xinjia form.
However, our eyewitness went to Beijing in 1955, lived with Chen Fake for two weeks, studied with Chen Fake until his death and was present for two of the months that Chen Fake taught Hong Junsheng. In that time, he never saw any form taught other than the form that Chen Fake had taught Hong Junsheng. In fact, he saw Chen Fake demonstrate the form, and Hong Junsheng's was exactly like it.
In Hong's account it sounds like one day he showed Chen Fake a completed application form and got Chen's permission to practice that way. What we did not know was that this was a gradual process with Chen Fake actually providing some help along the way as well as approval of the end result.
Hong's book lists every change and the reason for it. We are hoping to have an English translation available soon. Chen and Hong apparently intended to continue this exercise on subsequent visits. Unfortunately, Chen Fake died the following year and additional visits did not take place.
We also got to see some of Chen Fake's practice regimen. It's tough stuff , but I am going to work to incorporate it into my own practice.
Theories have developed around the assumption that Chen Fake's form had changed between 1944 and 1956. Thus differentiating Laojia and Xinjia. This is apparently erroneous.
Who created the so called Xinjia? Evidence is still inconclusive. Perhaps a better question is what is Xinjia? Other Chen Fake students, such as Feng Zhiqiang have said that the Laojia and Xinjia distinction is invalid.
So, it appears that all students of Chen Fake practiced essentially the same form. Differences between practitioners can be attributed to emphasis in training and imperfections in execution of the form. Hong Junsheng's form is the same in sequence but appears somewhat different since it reflects the applications of Taijiquan.
We also got to interview about seven other Taiji masters. Each interview was enlightening in its own right.
Another highlight of the trip was that Chen Zhonghua was named International Standard Bearer representing the Hong Junsheng family and the Chen Style Taijiquan Practical Method. Li Enjiu was named Standard Bearer for the branch a few months ago.
It was an interesting trip. I personally witnessed at least six challenges and know of two others. Shandong has a long history of martial arts and is historically expected to produce the toughest fighters in China. It's a put-up-or-shut-up attitude. The challenger has very little to lose, so it is still quite common.
I returned from China with the bar raised on many levels.
Richard Johnson