For comparison - "Wave Hands"
(Yun Shou) movement from Chen style
Old Frame Taijiquan routine (performer:
Chen Zhenglei):
2.Close-range Boxing
- the second cathegory shows relationship
with close-range boxing (Duan Da)
mentioned by Tang Shunzhi[6]; they
include: "Close-range Boxing"
(Duan Da), "Knocking-down Hands"
(Liao Shou), "Pulling Hands"
(L¨¹ Shou), "Thirty Six
Tumbling Techniques" (San Shi
Liu Gun Die), "Buddha Warrior's
Attendant Eighteen Seizing Methods"
(Jingang Shi Ba Na Fa; other three
manuals also contain some seizing
techniques), etc.
WEAPONS:
Weapons listed
in Chen clan writings are: spear,
staff, single broadsword, double
broadswords, halberd (e.g. Spring
and Autumn Broadsword), double straight
swords, double maces, sickle, etc.
SPEAR: Chen clan
texts mention the following spear
registers: "Four Spears"
(Si Qiang), "Eight Spears"
(Ba Qiang), "Thirteen Spears"
(Shi San Qiang), "Twenty Four
Spears" (Er Shi Si Qiang).
"Four Spears" and "Eight
Spears" have also matched exercises
(Dui Zha Fa); "Twenty Four
Spears" contain rhymed formulas
(Ge Jue) and practice methods; there
is Zhang Yide's[7] name affixed
to "Four Spears". "Twenty
Four Spears" are identical
with those described in Qi Jiguang's
"New Book of Effective Techniques"
(Ji Xiao Xin Shu). A last sentence
in "Rhymed Formulas of Twenty
Four Spears" says: "If
you ask what is the name of this
spear, the answer is Twenty Four
Flowery Spears of Yang Family".
STICK: Chen Ziming's
Collection contains two staff manuals
(Gun Pu): "Panluo's Stick"
(Panluo Bang) and "Wind Spinning
Stick" (Xuanfeng Gun). "Sanxing
Version" contains only "Wind
Spinning Stick". The rhymed
formula of Panluo's Stick says:
"Shaolin Temple, ancient Buddhist
monastery in Dengchu, there are
five thousand monks in its halls;
when a Red Army (e.g. Red Turbans
rebels) of million (soldiers) wanted
to destroy it, Beiluo showed its
magic powers. If you want to know
where this stick comes from, it
was left by Panluo in Shaoling".
Tang Hao explains that "Dengchu"
is actually "Dengfeng",
e.g. county where Shaolin Temple
is situated; "Shaoling"
is "Shaolin"; Panluo and
Beiluo are names of boddhisatvas.
Although from the text it seems
that Chen clan practised Shaolin
stick techniques, however Tang Hao
found out that only four postures
from "Panluo's Stick"
and one from "Wind Spinning
Stick" were identical with
those from Shaolin, while other
were different.
BROADSWORD: Chen
Ziming's Collection contains only
one double broadsword manual. "Sanxing
Version" contains ten matched
routines of double broadswords.
STRAIGHT SWORD:
Chen Ziming's Collection contains
only one double straight swords
manual.
Apart from the
above contents, the manuals also
contain: "General Song of Boxing
Classic" (Quan Jing Zong Ge)
and "Song of Pressing Hands"
(Ji Shou Ge; in "Liangyi Version"
it is composed of four sentences,
while Chen Ziming's version has
six sentences copied from other
versions).
CHEN ZIMING
(?-1951),
seventeenth generation descendant
of Chen clan, famous Taijiquan
master, student of Chen Xin;
in the 1920s and 30s Chen
Ziming established several
martials arts organizations
in Huaiqing and other places
in Henan Province, where he
taught Taijiquan to many students.
Later, through
Jiang Zicheng's recommendation
(Jiang's father was a governor
of Huaiqing before 1911),
Chen Ziming went to Shanghai
to teach martial arts. Apart
from teaching, Chen Ziming
wrote famous "Chen Family
Taijiquan Method Passed Through
Generations" (Chen Shi
Shichuan Taijiquan Shu) and
compiled old hand-written
Chen clan manuscripts into
"Boxing and Weapon Collection
of Chen Family Passed Through
Generations" (Chen Shi
Shichuan Quan Xie Huibian).The
latter one was mimeographed
in several copies which Chen
Ziming gave to his friends,
Xu Zhen being one of them.
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Chen
Ziming (?-1951) |
XU ZHEN
(1898-1967), also
known as Xu Zhedong, native of Changzhou
in Jiangsu Province, one of inheritors
of Wu (Yuxiang) Style Taijiquan.
Famous martial artist and writer,
hold professor of Chinese Literature
position at five universities, incl.
Central University and Wuhan University.
Prinicipal of Changzhou High School.
Practised martial arts since the
age of 14; learnt many martial arts,
including Cha Quan, Elastic Kicks
(Tan Tui), Taijiquan, Xingyiquan,
Baguazhang, Tongbeiquan and Natural
Style (Zi Ran Men) from Yu Zhensheng,
Ma Jinbiao, Zhou Xiufeng, Yang Shaohou,
Hao Yueru, Li Yaxuan, Du Xinwu,
Tian Zuosen and others. Received
true transmission of Wu (Yuxiang)
style Taijiquan from Hao Yueru.
In 1920-1937 established Zhengde
Martial Arts Society in Changzhou.
After liberation, in 1950 was a
member of editorial committee for
Shanghai Wushu Friendship Society;
from 1950 till 1960s acted as judge
in all-China martial arts competitions.
Xu Zhen conducted thorough research
on the history and theory of martial
arts and published many books on
Taijiquan, Baguazhang, Xingyiquan,
Shaolin Boxing and Chang Family
Boxing;
(1)(2)(3)
