Part 2: The Martial Arts Practiced In The Chen Villiage
The Sung
Tai Zhu Quan Connection
Tang Hao was the first to write that Chen Wang Ting invented Taijiquan
by integrating 29 of the 32 postures of General Qi Ji Kwang. In chapter
3 we have already ascertained that Gu was wrong about the origins of
Taijiquan, here we will see how the 32 postures of General Qi fits into
the picture as a basis for the development of Chen Taijiquan.
General Qi was a general during the Ming dynasty who compiled a book on
effective war techniques called the "New Book Recording Effective
Techniques" (Ji Xiao Xin Shu). In it he had sections of strategy,
weapons usage, unarmed combat and other aspects of war. In the section
on unarmed combat he recorded the names of 16 extant empty hand martial
arts and took note of what made effective boxing. He also recorded 32
boxing postures. Gu was the first to assume that these 32 postures were
an amalgam of the most effective techniques of the 16 listed fistic
forms. For many decades, this was the accepted truth because of his
reputation as a Taijiquan historian. Unfortunately he was wrong.
Based on the above assumption, Gu had posited that Chen Wang Ting had
developed his Taijiquan from General Qi's form which supposedly
consisted of the best techniques from the 16 extent fistic arts during
the Ming dynasty. An impressive pedigree. With a closer examination of
the postures and their listing we discover something else.
In 1918, the Shanghai Da Shen Bookshop published a book called the
`Boxing Canon' (Quan Jing) which was at that time one of the more
complete books on the many aspects of boxing. Inside it was included
drawings of the original 32 postures of Sung Tai Zhu Chang Quan (First
Emperor Of Sung's Long Boxing). Upon closer examination, it was
discovered that these 32 postures were identical (there were some
variant readings where similar sounding words were used in place of
each other though without losing the meaning of the posture name) with
the 32 postures in General Qi's book. General Qi had listed the 32
postures of Sung Tai Zhu Quan as the first in the list of the many
fistic forms he mentioned.
A parallel comparison of the drawings and names of the 32 postures
shows that they are in fact identical. A posture listing of both sets
are as follows:
The
32 Postures 1n General Qi's Book
1) Lazily Arranging Clothes
2)
Golden Chicken Stands On One Leg
3)
Pat Horse
4)
Bending Single Whip
5)
Seven Star Fist
6)
Repulse Riding Dragon
7)
Sweep Leg And Empty Bait
8)
Hill Fairy Stance (qiu liu shi)
9)
Repulse Thrusting Attack
10)
Ambush Stance
11)
Casting Away Stance
12)
Pick Up Elbow Stance
13)
Speedy Step
14)
Chin Na Stance (Grappling Stance)
15)
Middle Four Level Stance
16)
Subduing Tiger Stance
17)
High Four Level Stance
18)
Repulse Insertion Stance
19)
Well Blocking Four Levels
20)
Ghost Kick Foot
21)
Pointing At Pubic Region
22)
Animal Head Stance
23)
Spirit Fist
24)
Single Whip
25)
Sparrow Dragon On The Ground
26)
Rising Sun Stance
27)
Goose Wings Fold Body
28)
Riding Tiger Stance
(1)(2)(3)(4)
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