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Feng Zhiqiang |
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18th Generation Grand Master of Chen Style Taijiquan Disciple of Grand Master Chen Fake in Chen Style Taijiquan System
Disciple of Grand Master Hu Yaozhen in Xinyi Liuhequan System Founder of the Chen Shi Xinyi Hunyuan Taijiquan System
President of Zhiqiang Martial Arts Academy of Beijing Vice Chairman of the Beijing Municipal Martial Arts Association Executive member of the China Martial Arts Association
President of the Beijing Chen Style Taijiquan Research Association
Honorary chairman to numerous international martial arts organizations
A Standard for Martial Art
-The Story of Grand Master Feng Zhiqiang-
by
Pan Houcheng, Shanghai
Edited and translated by Chen Zhonghua
Master Feng Zhiqiang is a famous contemporary Chinese martial artist. He is an eighteenth generation grand master of Chen Style Taijiquan and the creator of the Xinyi Hunyuan Taijiquan System. Currently Master Feng is an executive member of the China Martial Arts Association, vice chair person of the Beijing Municipal Martial Arts Association, President of the Beijing Chen Style Taijiquan Research Association and President of Zhiqiang Martial Arts Academy. He is also honorary chairman, advisor and chief coach to many martial arts organizations both in China and abroad.
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Hong Junsheng |
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 Hong
Junsheng was born on February 17, 1907 (Chinese Lunar Calendar) in
Yuxian County, Henan Province and passed away on January 23, 1996 in
Jinan, Shandong Province, China.
At an early age he moved to Beijing with his father. Poor health set
him on a search for a good taiji master. Initially, he studied Wu Style
Taijiquan from Master Liu Musan in Beijing. Master Liu was a famous Wu
style teacher at the time. On hearing the news about a Chen Village
master teaching in Beijing, Master Liu decided to invite him over for a
demonstration. What they saw was Chen Fake's demonstration of Chen
Style second routine Paochui. No body could understand it, including
master Liu. The execution of the moves was too fast, according to the
popular understanding of Taijiquan at the time. However, master Liu had
the foresight to decide to learn the forms from Chen.
After master Liu and his students finished learning the first set of
the Chen form, they decided to ask master Chen to teach them push
hands. Master Liu told the students that push hands is the real test of
taiji skills. In order to teach it, master Chen would be forced to
demonstrate his skills. If he failed, all students would keep the story
quiet and continue with their Wu Style learning. If otherwise, everyone
would continue to learn from master Chen.
Master Chen Fake decided to show the principles of Chen Style push
hands with master Liu Musan. On initial touching, the students already
saw the difference. Master Liu acted like an invalid infant. He could
not hold his stance. Master Chen declared that he would within one
minute put master Liu in a chair that was situated far away from them
in the corner of the courtyard. Master would fall into the wicker
chair. If the chair fell down, or master Liu fell down outside of the
chair, Chen would admit defeat. This was an outlandish claim. Chen Fake
was not talking about ability to fight at all. He was talking about
precision only. That was how proud he was of his skills.
His every claim came true so in 1930, master Hong Junsheng, together
with his master Liu Musan and his fellow students, became a student of
Chen Fake in Beijing. He stayed on to learn the details of the entire
Chen Family Taiji curriculum from Chen Fake for 15 years. As a result,
he became a very healthy person with profound Chen Style Taiji skills
and understanding. His Chen Style Taiji had the characteristics of
looseness, roundness, spiralling, continuous, powerful and holistic. He
very much possessed the personal style of his master.
In 1956, he went back to Beijing for further training from his master.
Every time he asked his master about an application of a technique that
he was using, the answer was always, "Yes". He tried every technique
and every move of the whole system with his master and was corrected or
accepted one by one.
When he went back to Jinan, he continued to teach the curriculum that
was approved by his master. He continued his research. He experimented
with students, friends and other martial artists. Through the years
that ensued, his understanding of Chen Style Taiji became profound, and
his student population also increased.
Hong was the only person to study under Chen Fake for 15 years
consecutively. He was regarded by some to be a living resource person
on Chen Fake's life and his teachings. Most of the stories about Chen
Fake originated from him.
Hong was a very learned person. He read extensively and had an amazing
memory. He was an expert of "temperament" (study of the rhythms of
Chinese poetry) and was a poet and calligrapher. In his Chen Style
Taiji research, he combined philosophy, physics and logic into his
experiments. He followed his master's habit of using everyday life
analogies in his explanations of the principles, theories and
techniques of Chen Style Taiji. He was an enlightening master.
He was traditional in keeping the art yet modern in keeping up with the
times. He used common terminology in his teachings so that the layer of
mystery is removed so easier understanding of the art from today's
background. He refused to use words such as "qi" in his teachings and
his writings. Yet anyone who personally experienced his push-hands
knows that he was a man who reached a very high level of ability even
in the eyes of "qi" masters.
Hong had a hard life and spent half of his life in poverty. His only
ambition in his entire life was to carry on his master's art. His life
time persistence in the art brought to his door step students and
visitors from all over the world including many from Japan. For many,
to personally visit with this "sage" was an event to remember for life!
During the last few years of his life, he was honoured with titles such
as chairman of the Jinan Municipal Martial Arts Association, and senior
advisor of the Jinan Martial Arts Academy, advisor to the Shandong
University Martial Arts Association, and was a member of the Jinan
Political Consultative Conference.
He published many books including "Chen Shi Taijiquan", "Chen Shi
Taijiquan Shiyong Quanfa (Practical Chen Style Taijiquan)", "Chen Shi
Taijiquan Techniques", and "Interpretation of Taijiquan Treatise of
Wang Zengyue". In 1994, he was working on his last book, "Comparisons
of Characteristics and Methods of the Five Styles of Taijiquan". The
book was completed but not published.
Hong was a humble man till the last day. He never called himself a
master. He considered himself "school mates" to his students. In the
school of Chen Style Taiji, he believed that he was always a student
and all learners of different ages and times are "school mates".
He started teaching this form in Jinan in 1956 till his death in 1996.
He was devoted to this one art for 56 years. This single-minded
devotion made him of the most important authorities in Chen Style. Many
other famous masters such as Gu Liuxin and Chen Zhaokui often sought
his advice. He became a leading source of information in the style as
well.
To me, his most achievement is that he strictly followed a Taiji/Daoist
way of life. This is the most difficult thing to achieve for modern
people. He never worked in his life and only taught Chen Style
Taijiquan.
His life was totally dictated by Taijiquan. Even during his last days,
in bed because of food poisoning, he insisted on pushing hands with
disciples.
He is one of the few masters in the 20th century who achieve little
reputation by huge ability. Those of us who were privileged to have
learned from him are indeed lucky people. In these day and age, it is
almost an impossibility to have pure martial art without the influence
of any politics.
With all my respect and appreciation for his teachings,
 Chen Zhonghua
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Chen Zhonghua's Disciples |
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Here is a list of current disciples and grand-disciples.
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Chen Zhonghua |
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by Gordon Muir
2007
Born during Three Bitter Years
Chen Zhonghua was born in the winter of the third year of the “Three
Bitter Years” (1961), a period of famine, drought and floods that left
millions of people in China dead. While his mother was pregnant with
him, she and the rest of his family suffered from starvation. The
situation was so bad that the landscape of China was completely devoid
of life. Anything that moved or grew was eaten. Out of necessity people
had taken to eating leather and the bark from trees. As a result of
these conditions Chen Zhonghua was born small and weak with severe
health problems including damaged lungs. He was not expected to live
into adulthood.
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Read more...
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