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Q: Is Chen style consider as the original Tai Chi Chuan? A: No it is NOT. Thanks to Master Feng Zhi Qiang, that debate has been settled. The following excerpt from his interview contradicts the Chen Village & its people's claim. " Again, Taiji [Chen] is a long form of martial art, as in lengthening. Xingyi, on contrary, is a shorter form. Even though Xingyi is a short form of martial art, they use their body to complement the strength. They use the springy, jumpy power to complement the lack of reach. Taiji [Chen] is a long form of martial art. It's like the body of a dragon. Tongbei, another Chinese martial art, is another long form of martial art, because you are always extending your arms. Taiji [Chen] absorbs the strength of all these different martial arts and forms its own unique style. This movement in our form [demonstrates], it's from Xingyi. This [demonstrates] is from Tongbei. This is from Shaolin. This is from Preying Mantis. This is also from Preying Mantis. The elbow strikes in Taiji [Chen] come from Baji. Taiji is a compound of eighteen other martial art styles. Using the theory of Taoism, I-Ching, and Chinese Traditional Medicine to form its theoretical foundation, especially yin-yang theory and the meridians in traditional medicine."* Thus, [Chen] = Xingyi + Shaolin + Tongbei + Preying Mantis + Baji + etc *...from Feng Zhiqiang Workshop 2001, 7/10-14, near San Francisco |