Tang Hao (1897–1959), after research in the 1930s, determined that Chen
Wangting of Chen Village created much of what we know now as taiji-
quan. A garrison commander in the 1640s, who successfully led his local
troops into battle “beating back bandits” (Zhaohua Publishing 1984, 3),
he was a famous and successful martial artist in his day.
After the downfall of the Ming dynasty, Chen Wangting retired from
warrior life and withdrew from society. According to a poem he wrote be-
fore he died, he did “field work when the season came, created boxing forms
when depressed, and in leisure time taught disciples and children to be wor-
thy members of society.” He also mentions the book Huang Ting,a Daoist
text on breathing, mind, and movement (Zhaohua Publishing 1984, 3).
In addition, a book by General Qi Jiguang, The Canons of Boxing,
constituted a significant influence. The general lived a half century before
Chen Wangting, and compiled a book from sixteen popular fighting styles.
Twenty-nine of the thirty-two movements from the book are found in the
various Chen Family routines, and the first two movements are the first
movements of the Chen bare-handed forms.
Chen Wangting’s contributions, which distinguish Chen Family box-
ing from external styles, include the yi lu(the long sequence that is the ba-
sis for traditional Yang, Wu, Hao, and Sun style sequences) and tui shou
Taijiquan (Tai Chi Ch’uan) 619Group practice of taijiquan in Beijing, China, 1980. (Galen Rowell/Corbis)