Legend

According to the book,The Orthodoxy of Taijiquan,written by Mr. Du Yuanhua in !"#, the e$$ence %Daoi$t &hi'o$o&hy( of Taijiquan wa$ in)ented by *ao +i who 'i)ed in the ,&ring and Autu-n .eriod %/00 to 1 23124 5.6.(. The book $ay$ it wa$ &a$$ed on to -any generation$ through hi$ di$ci&'e. Mi 7i, then to +hang ,anfeng, and after $e)era' generation$ to 8ang *in9hen, who 'i)ed in Taigu 6ounty in ,hanxi .ro)ince. 8ang taught it to :iang ;a who 'i)ed in 8enxian %6ounty( in <enan .ro)ince= :iang ;a &a$$ed it on to +haobao Town. *egend &roc'ai-$ that +hang ,anfeng wa$ a ,hao'in Te-&'e -onk who wa$ exhi'ed and then beca-e a Daoi$t, 'earning the conce&t$ and theorie$ 'eft by *ao9i and de$cendent$ there of he de)e'o&ed a co-&'ete'y new a&&roach ba$ed on gent'e interna''y focu$ed $ki''$.

History

and

Development

Jiang Fa % (, the fir$t generation of +haobao Taijiquan, wa$ born in the $econd year of the reign of 8an'i in the Ming Dyna$ty. <e 'i)ed in a $-a'' )i''age na-ed 7iao'iu >i''age, $e)era' ki'o-eter$ fro- +haobao Town. 8hen he wa$ 00 year$ o'd and co-&eted with other$, he ha&&ened to be noticed by an o'd -an who occa$$iona''y $tayed at an inn in +haobao Town. The o'd -an had a ta'k with other$ about the co-&etition and $aid?5etween the-, the young -an wearing the &ur&'e cotton gown %e.g., :iang ;a( ha$ a rather good, natura' gift. The innkee&er &a$$ed on the o'd -an@$ co--ent to :iang ;a. <earing that, :iang ;a knew that the o'd -an -u$t be a -a$ter with dee& gongfu. Then he a$ked the innkee&er to ca'' on the o'd -an with hi- and ex&re$$ed to hi- that he ho&ed to for-a''y acknow'edge hi- a$ hi$ -a$ter, $o a$ to 'earn gongfu fro- hi-. The o'd -an, who$e na-e wa$ Wang Linzhen, refu$ed hi-, gi)ing an excu$e that he wa$ )ery bu$y with hi$ bu$ine$$. <owe)er, he agreed to teach hi- at 'a$t after :iang ;a@$ continuou$ reque$t$. The next day, Mr. 8ang wa$ 'ea)ing for +heng9hou to in$&ect hi$ bu$ine$$. :iang ;a $aw hi$ -a$ter off at ,i$hui ;erry. 5efore they $aid goodAbye, they -ade an a&&oint-ent for Mr. 8ang to co-e back to -eet :iang and take hi- to ,hanxi .ro)ince to teach hi- Taijiquan. On the gi)en day, :iang went to the ferry to -eet hi$ -a$ter, and Mr. 8ang arri)ed on ti-e. :iang went back ho-e with hi$ -a$ter. After $i-&'e &re&aration$ were -ade, he went to hi$ -a$ter@$ ho-etown in ,hanxi .ro)ince and 'earned Taijiquan frohi- for $e)en year$. A good re'ation$hi& wa$ e$tab'i$hed between the-. :iang ;a %Ance$tor of +haobao Taijiquan( and 6hen 8angting % , Ance$tor of 6hen ,ty'e Taijiquan( were $aid to be )ery c'o$e friend$ and therefore the de)e'o&-ent of Taijiquan i$ attributab'e to both their effort$. Bn one of the c'a$$ica' &ainting$ of 6hen )i''age both 6hen 8angting and :iang Da are de&icted.

Ma$ter 8ang to'd :iang ;a? CB 'earned thi$ kind of boxing fro- a wandering Taoi$t &rie$t. <e to'd -e that thi$ kind of boxing had a 'ong hi$Atory, and there i$ a direction &ut in )er$e to be a$ e)idence for it. Bt $ay$? DTaiji co-e$ fro- the Earth and <ea)en= initiated by *ao9i and &a$$ed on by Mi9i= . . . teaching you the boxing, you can be i--orta'.@ Fow B ha)e taught you the boxing and to'd you the $ecret direction$. You $hou'd teach it to the cho$en &erA$on$, but ne)er do it ca$ua''y. 5efore :iang ;a went back ho-e. Ma$ter 8ang urged hi- again and again? You $hou'd not teach other$ 'i-it'e$$'y. B do not -ean that you ne)er teach the boxing to other$, but it -u$t be &a$$ed on on'y to good &er$on$. Once you ha)e cho$en a &er$on and thought it i$ worth teaching hi-, you $hou'd te'' a'' about what you know. Fot to teach the one$ who $hou'd be taught equa'$ no heir. B ho&e it $&read$ -ore broad'y. :iang ;a did not teach a &er$on ca$ua''y, according to Ma$ter 8ang in hi$ ho-etown, unti' he -et 7ing 7ihuai, who 'i)ed near 7iao'iu >i''age, +haobao Town. Xing Xihuai % ( had been ad-iring :iang@$ $ki''$ for a 'ong ti-e, but he cou'dn@t get an o&&ortunity to 'earn boxing fro- hi- becau$e he had a 'i-ited re'ation with :iang. ,o he decided to a&&roach :iang. Therefore, whene)er :iang went to +haobao Town on bu$ine$$, he treatAed hi- cordia''y, in the ho&e of 'earnAing boxing fro- hi- by increa$ing the re'ation$hi& between the-. After two year$ of ob$er)ation, :iang ;a wa$ $ure that 7ing 7ihuai wa$ hone$t and $incere, and re$&ectfu' to other$. Thu$, he decided to teach a'' that he knew, e$&ecia''y the $ecret$ of the $ty'e, to 7ing 7ihuai, who beca-e the $econd generation of +haobao $ty'e Taijiquan. 7ing worked )ery hard and -ade $uch great &rogre$$ that hi$ $ki'' reached an a-a9ing 'e)e'. According to 'egend, he wa$ of the unique $ki'' of $ticking hi-$e'f on the wa'' 'ike a &icture.;o''owing hi$ -a$ter, he &a$$ed on hi$ $ki'' to hi$ $worn brother, +hang 6huchen. Zhang Chuchen % (, the "rd generation of +haobao $ty'e Taijiquan, fro,hanxi .ro)ince, ran a 6hine$e -edicine $tore fir$t and then a grain $tore. <e i-&arted hi$ boxing to 6hen :ingbai. Chen Jingbai %(, the 1th generation of +haobao $ty'e Taijiquan, wa$ born in +haobao Town it$e'f. 6hen wa$ a &er$on of exce''ent character, be'ie)ab'e, and hi$ $ki''$ of boxing reached an exce''ent $tate ca''ed Magica' 5oxer becau$e he wa$ fa-ou$ for both hi$ art of boxing and hi$ )irtue. To $&read Taijiquan -ore broad'y, 6hen broke the confine-ent of not ca$ua''y &a$$ing on the boxing and enro''ed -ore than 244 di$ci&'e$. ,ixteen of the- got $o-e e$$ence of the boxing, and eight of the- got the genera' $ki''$. <owe)er, on'y +hang +ongyu thorough'y took o)er the -ant'e of the boxing. Zhang Zongyu % (, the #th generation of +haobao $ty'e Taijiquan, wa$ a nati)e of +haobao and had a high 'e)e' of boxing $ki''. Bt wa$ $aid that he had reached a high 'e)e' that no force can be added or reduced, not e)en a feather or an in$ect.<e &a$$ed on the boxing to hi$ grand$on, +hang Yan.

Zhang Yan % (, the Gth generation of +haobao $ty'e Taijiquan, wa$ a re-arkA ab'e -artia' art$ -a$ter, ca''ed CExtraordinary Ma$ter +hang Yan.C <e not on'y -a$tered the boxing art$, but a'$o a$$i-i'ated ad)antage$ fro- different $choo'$, going out of +haobao Town to )i$it fa-ou$ -a$ter$ in different &'ace$ $ucce$$fu''y. ;or exa-&'e, he went to 6hang Fai9hou in ,i$hui 6ounty in <enan .ro)ince, who had been the Fu-ber One of -artia' art$ in an e-&eror@$ exa-ination, and to <uang Dangjia in 6ao9hou .refecture, ca''edthe king within #44 $quare ki'o-eter$.<e a'$o went three ti-e$ to 6henjiagou >i''age, to exchange idea$ on boxing art$ with the-. +hang Yan@$ $word$-an$hi& reached the ac-e of &erfection, being fa-ou$ in the -artia' art$ fie'd for re-o)ing e)i' and quieting the good for the 'oca' &eo&'e? ki''ing a huge boa,a ruffian, and a e)i' -onk in 6aoxian 6ounty. <e &a$$ed on hi$ art$ to 6hen Hing&ing. Chen ingping % , /!#A 2G2(, the /th generation of +haobao $ty'e Taijiquan and a nati)e of +haobao, had an unu$ua' ta'ent becau$e he wa$ we'' )er$ed in both &o'ite 'etter$ and -artia' art$. <e wa$ a'$o a key &er$on in the hi$tory of Taijiquan. <e not on'y achie)ed a high 'e)e' in boxing art$ but wa$ a'$o good at $u--ing u& it$ ex&erience$. ;urther-ore, he contributed to it$ theory. <e taught $tudent$ in accordance with their a&titude, i-&arting on the- dai'ijia, 'ing'uojia, or tengnuojia $e&arate'y. Yang Lu!Chan %, /22A 2/0(, the founder of Yang $ty'e Taijiquan, in the &reface of the book YangA,ty'e Taijiquan$ay$?B 'earned Taijiquan fro- 6hen 6hangxing in 6henjiagou >i''age, but B -a$tered it fro- 6hen Hing&ing in +haobao Town. Wu Yu"iang % , 2 0A 224(, the founder of 8u $ty'e Taijiquan, 'earned the art$ and theory of Taijiquan fro- hi- and recei)ed frohi- a book,Taiji Manua',written by 8ang +ongyue. 5a$ed on Taiji Manua',8u Yuxiang initiated 8u $ty'e Taijiquan. 6hen Hing&ing a'$o taught hi$ boxing to :ingyang %hi$ $on 6hen(, <e +haoyuan, Fiu ;ahu, *i :ingyan, *i +huo9hi, Ien 6hangchun, and +hang :ing9hi, etc. A'' of the- were the eighth generation of +haobao Taijiquan. ;ro- the $tudent$ of 6hen Hing&ing, the $ty'e of +habao Taijiquan $&read throughout +haobao )i''age and acro$$ -any &art$ of 6hina and the nu-ber of &ractitioner$ ha$ increa$ed unti' thi$ day.