Brief Analysis
of Chen Family Boxing Manuals
The article
below was based on books by
Tang Hao "Free Notes from
Xingjian Studio" (Xingjian
Zhai Sui Bi, Shanghai 1937)
and "The Study of Texts
on Martial Arts" (Wuyi
Tiji Kao, Shanghai 1940) as
well as articles by Wu Wenhan
("Wuhun 1997/3), Jin Rensen
("Wuhun 1997/4) and Lu
Dimin and Zhao Youbin ("Wudang
1994/12).
Photos come
from books "Taizu Long-range
Boxing from Shaolin Temple"
(Shaolin Si Taizu Chang Quan,
Beijing 1999) by Zhang Liuqing
and Diao Huiyin; and "Chinese
Chen Family Taiji" (Zhong
Guo Chen Shi Taijiquan; Xi'an
1997).
INTRODUCTION:
There are four
boxing and weapons manuals of
Chen clan from Chenjiagou (village
in Wen County Henan Province,
hometown of Chen clan) that
are known today:
"Boxing
and Weapons Collection - Chen's
Notes from Liangyi Hall"
(Quan Xie Zongji - Chen Liangyi
Tang Ji); hereinafter called
"Liangyi Version"
(Liang Yi Tang Ben)
"Book
of Wenxiu Hall" (Wenxiu
Tang Ben) - hereinafter called
"Wenxiu Version" (Wen
Xiu Tang Ben)
"Sanxing
Version" (San Xing Tang
Ben)
"Boxing
and Weapon Collection of Chen
Family Passed Through Generations"
(Chen Shi Shichuan Quan Xie
Huibian) - hereinafter called
Chen Ziming's[1] Collection
(Huibian)
Besides, there
is also "Illustrated Manual
of Long-range Boxing" (Chang
Quan Tu Pu).
"Liangyi
Version", "Wenxiu
Version" and "Chen
Ziming's Collection" were
recorded in Xu Zhen's[2] "The
Study of the Truth of Research
on Taijiquan" (Taijiquan
Kao Xin Lu). Xu Zhen received
these manuals from Chen Ziming
in Nanjing in 1935. "Sanxing
Version" was copied by
Tang Hao[3] in January 1932
in Chenjiagou - Tang received
it from Chen Xingsan (1880-1942);
"Illustrated Manual of
Long-range Boxing" Tang
Hao bought in Wenyunge in Beiping
(today's Beijing). The book
was not complete (several pages
at the beginning and in the
end were missing) and only 54
postures of 108 could be found
there.
EMPTY
HAND BOXING:
According to
these texts Chen clan empty
hand boxing techniques can be
divided into two cathegories:
Long-range
Boxing - thirty names in the
first cathegory are same as
those described in "Qi
Jiguang's Boxing Canon"[4];
several sentences in the text
are also identical with those
in Qi's book; the techniques
belonging to the first cathegory
include: "Taizu[5] Xia
Nan Tang", "Long-range
Boxing" (Chang Quan), "Thirteen
Postures" (Shi San Shi),
etc.
"Sanxing
Version" contains "Long-range
Boxing Register" (Chang
Quan Pu). At the end of the
text containing classical boxing
formulas (Gejue) for each posture
, there is a note composed of
eleven characters saying "This
is Long Fist (Boxing) that can
be passed only to those who
are diligent at practice".
After examining
the Chen clan writings and comparing
them with "Qi Jiguang's
Boxing Canon" and "Taizu
Xia Nan Tang", Tang Hao
found out that twenty nine postures
of "Long-range Boxing"
can be found in "Qi Jiguang's
Boxing Canon" and eleven
in "Taizu Xia Nan Tang";
for "Cannon Boxing"
and five sets of "Thirteen
Postures", twenty can be
found in "Qi Jiguang's
Boxing Canon" and nine
in "Taizu Xia Nan Tang".
Hence Tang Hao suspected that
"Taizu Xia Nan Tang"
was, together with "Qi
Jiguang's Boxing Canon",
the basis for Chen clan empty
hand martial art. In Tang's
opinion all other techniques
were created by Chen Wangting,
excluding spear and staff (which,
according to "Wenxiu Version",
were not original Chen techniques).
"Cannon
of Striking Hand" (Ji Shou
Pao) movements from Taizu Long-range
Boxing (Taizu Chang Quan) practiced
nowadays in Shaolin temple (performer:
Diao Huiyin):
For comparison
- "Buddha's Warrior Attendant
Pounds Mortar" (Jin Gang
Dao Dui) movement from Chen
style Old Frame Taijiquan routine
(performer: Chen Zhenglei):
Xu Zhen believed
that Chenjiagou's "Long-range
Boxing" had been developed
from "Taizu Long-range
Boxing" (Taizu Chang Quan),
while Tang Hao claimed it was
based on "Qi Jiguang's
Boxing Canon" (which was
a compilation of sixteen styles,
"Taizu Long-range Boxing"
being one of them). Since twenty
nine postures from Qi's manual
can be found in Chen's Long-range
Boxing, so if all of them came
from "Taizu Long-range
Boxing" (as Xu Zhen suggested),
then would it be possible that
remaining three postures in
Qi's book are from other fifteen
styles? Tang Hao found it difficult
to accept.
Regarding "Thirteen
Postures", there are five
sets (actually six) recorded
in Chen clan boxing manuals.
"Sanxing
Version" in the chapter
"Thirteen Postures"
(Shi San Shi) lists: "First
Set" (Tou Tao), "Second
Set" (Er Tao), "Third
Set - its name is Big Fourth
Boxing Set " (San Tao -
Ci Ming Da Si Tao Chui), "Fourth
Set - its name is Red Fist"
(Si Tao - Ci Ming Hong Quan;
the last two sentences of its
boxing formula say: "If
you want to know where this
martial art comes from, the
answer is "Taizu Xia Nan
Tang"); "Cannon Boxing
Postures" (Pao Chui Jiazi;
below the list of names set,
a ten-character long note says:
"Fifteen Fists (and) Fifteen
Cannons, use heart (mind) in
boxing practice").
"Wenxiu
Version" lists: "First
Set of Boxing" (Tou Tao
Chui Quanjia), "Fourth
Set of Boxing" (Si Tao
Chui Shi), "Fifth Set of
Boxing" (Wu Tao Chui Quanshi),
"Cannon Fist Postures,
Fifteen Red Fifteen Cannons,
use heart in practice"
(Pao Chui Jiazi Shiwu Hong Shiwu
Pao Zou Quan Xin Yong); besides,
there is a note saying that
Second Set (Er Tao Chui) and
Third Set (San Tao Chui) were
both lost.
"Liangyi
Version" contains following
contents: "Boxing Song
of First Set (in) Thirteen Postures"
(Tou Tao Shi San Shi Quan Ge;
its list of postures is almost
identical with "First Set
of Boxing" of "Wenxiu
Version"), "Second
Set Cannon Fist Fifteen Red
Fifteen Cannons, practice boxing"
(Er Tao Pao Chui Shiwu Hong
Shiwu Pao Zou Quan); "Third
Set" (San Tao), "Fourth
Set, also called Red Set"
(Si Tao Yi Ming Hong Tao), "Boxing
Song of Fifth Set" (Wu
Tao Quan Ge), "Taijiquan
also called First Set or Thirteen
Postures, that is Thirteen Folding
(techniques) (Shi San Zhe) or
Thirteen Twists (Shi San Zhe)".
The list of postures of this
last set (Taijiquan) is almost
identical with the First Set.
According to
"Liangyi Version"
the Second Set is called "Cannon
Boxing" - "Pao Chui",
but "Wenxiu Version"
and "Sanxing Version"
do not mention this; besides,
as already mentioned above,
"Wenxiu Version" has
a note saying that Second Set
and Third Set were both lost.
If we assume that "Cannon
Boxing" does not belong
to five sets of Thirteen Postures,
than all texts miss these two
sets and none of them can be
considered complete.
(1)(2)(3)
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