Chen Xiaowang is the son of Chen Zhaoxu and grandson of the renowned seventeenth generation master Chen Fake. Born in Chenjiagou in 1945 he began studying his family art when he was seven years old. His two primary teachers were his uncles Chen Zhaopi and Chen Zhaokui. In his early years he also trained with his father before his untimely death. Emerging as one of the leading practitioners of his generation he has been responsible for much of the popularisation of Chen Taijiquan around the world. Recently he has returned to China having spent several decades travelling the world and spreading the art of Chen Taijiquan. Below he talks, amongst other things, about how reeling silk exercises entered the Chen Taijiquan training syllabus:
Q. Chen Taijiquan has evolved over the course of many generations with significant changes at certain times. A few examples that immediately spring to mind are Chen Changxin’s development of the Laojia routines and later Chen Fake’s creation of the New Frame. And of course, like any human pursuit there are bound to be changes in training methods etc in line with the realisation of different individuals. In recent times we have seen the introduction of practice methods such as silk exercises and short forms. Can you tell us something about how this has come about?
Chen Xiaowang (CXW): In the past Laojia was the jibengong (basic training) of Chen Taijiquan and everything started with Laojia Yilu. [As part of an official programme documenting China’s different martial arts] I was asked to present a set of jibengong (basic exercises) characteristic of the system. At first I didn’t want to do it, and explained we already have a jibengong and that is the Laojia. Despite my protests I was tasked to do it by my superiors. In the context of their project [which involved producing books about each of the different martial systems] they said that the Laojia was too long to be considered as a basic training method. They gave the example of Changquan (Long Boxing) where learners first learn the stretches, the punches, the kicks etc... before they put them together into a routine. That gave me something to work on but it still took some effort, but having a point of reference helped.
I put some thought into it and set about compiling something. It occurred to me then that I needed to work out how best to show the movement rules and principles of our system. In 1980 the set was compiled and in 1982 it was published in Wulin magazine. I don’t think that it would be easy to find a copy of the magazine now. In 1984 [the reeling silk exercises] were officially published as Chen Taijiquan’s jibengong in the book Taijiquan Handed Down Through Generations published by People’s Sport Publications. This was the first time that zhan zhuang, front reeling silk, side reeling silk etc.. were formally recorded.
Q: People are often surprised to hear that the reeling silk exercises are such a recent addition to the Chen Taijiquan training syllabus, assuming that they have always been trained in Chenjiagou?
CXW: Before that nobody can produce any material regarding this. Before 1984 any reference to silk reeling must be considered as anecdotal as there is no written record available to support it. You can look up all written material prior to this and you would not find any mention to support its use.
Q: The silk reeling exercises have been used now for four decades and have become a core part of many practitioners practice now. Do you think they represent a true representation of Chen Taijiquan’s essential principles and method?
CXW: Over the course of my own Taijiquan journey I walked many wrong paths and it wasn’t until the period of 1979/80 that I feel I really understood the systems principle. I theorised this and that but many things turned out not to be on the right track as they didn’t stand the test. Since that realisation until today the principle has held firm and unshakable through my many years of study and practice. And I have put lots and lots of thought and time into it. That shows to me that the principle is correct.
Q: So, reeling silk energy has always been trained through the practice of the form, but in the past practitioners had to search for the different manifestations?
CXW: [Yes, for example] within the Taijiquan routine, cloud hands is the only training method for double natural (shun chan) and double reverse (ni chan) big reeling silk. It requires proper attention on the waist and spine working in unison like the movement of a cars wheel. Here the key is not in horizontally reeling silk from left to right, but also contains inward to outward reeling silk – using that as the mainstay of the movement.
Q: Obviously this is a wide question with no simple answer, but how would you summarise the underlying principle of Taijiquan?
CXW: To practice Taijiquan, one must start with its main points. Ten thousand methods returns to one: Taijiquan contains myriad of changes, but it boils down to only one law of movement. The core of this law is the dantian. The realisation of the body’s core depends on and is ‘created’ by the coordination of all parts of the body. When we practice Taijiquan, the requirements for various parts of the body, such as loose shoulders, sunken elbows, stored chest, folded waist, released kua, bent knees, rounded crotch, and so on, are all for the purpose of the dantian becoming the core position of the body through the coordination of all parts of the body. When all parts of the body are in place, the dantian core naturally forms. If any part is not in the right position, it will affect the formation of the dantian core. For instance a tilted hip or a stiff shoulder, can affect the formation of the dantian core.
On the other hand, once the dantian core is formed, it can drive the whole body in turn, and form a movement rule whereby a single motion leads to multiple actions in a connected continuous flow. So the relationship between dantian and the body parts is complementary, the body parts support the formation of dantian core, the dantian core in turn leads to drive the whole body.
After the body core is formed, it drives the whole body through three different kinds of motions. The first kind of motion is the left-right rotation of the dantian. The most obvious of this kind of motion is in silk reeling whereby through the left and right rotation of the dantian the motion drives the silk reeling of the trunk, the silk reeling of the shoulder, elbow and hand, and also the silk reeling of the hip, knee and ankle, and forms a complete movement rule that enables one movement activating all movements. When qi travels inwards to the body it enters the dantian through the shoulders and waist. When qi travels outward, in the upper body it passes through the back, shoulders, elbows to the hands, and in the lower body through the hips, knees to the ankles.
The second kind of motion is the forward and backward rotation of the dantian. Movement is generated by the forward and backward or backward and forward folding motion of the chest and waist. For example, in the starting posture there is no side to side rotation of the dantian, but instead the forward and backward folding of the chest and waist, so there is no silk reeling in the hands. Also in the Double Raise Kick there is forward and backward rotation of the dantian as well as chest-waist folding movement. The qi route in this instance involves qi going to the hands in opening, returning back to the dantian when closing or gathering. For example, in the small reeling silk exercise qi is transported to the hand when the fingertips are backwards and qi is transported back to the dantian when the fingertips are upwards.
The third kind of motion is between the first and the second. The dantian has side to side as well as forward and backward motions. Every time there is a change of energy/ force, the third kind of motion is involved. Take the right reeling silk as an example, there are two changes of strength in the cycle. The first change is when the right palm faces upward and then in a change of strength rotates slightly left to face downward and travels outward back to the right. The second change of energy/force occurs when the right palm faces outward and rotates down the right side of the body, to change to the palm to face upward, as it travels to the left. Therefore both the changes of energy involve the three kinds of motions. The change of force, both to the right and back, both to the left and forward, consists of four directions of motion.
When practising Taijiquan, carefully examine the expressions of the three kinds of motions. Half of the mind focuses on the movement of the body and the inner qi, while the other half focuses on the relaxation of the whole body so as to get the overall sensations of the whole body. The result of excessive concentration is to “attend to one thing and neglect many things.” In the process getting half the result with twice the effort.
Q: There are now many short form versions of Chen Taijiquan and the other styles of Taijiquan. How did this come to be?
CXW: The story behind the 38 Form is the same as the reeling silk jibengong exercises. I was asked to do it. At first I was reluctant to do it as Kan Guixiang (赣桂香)had already compiled the 36 Form in Beijing. The officials said that’s the Beijing version, let’s do a Chenjiagou version and that’s how 38 Form came about. The 19 Form was created when I was teaching in Europe. Many of my western students said the 38 Form is too hard and asked if I had a shorter form. To accommodate them I created the 19 Form and then on my return to China I was recently asked to create a 9 Form set as 19 movements was still too long!