What is Important in Chen Taijiquan and What is Not

When you see Chen Taijiquan practitioners demonstrating their form, whether in person or on video, one of the first things you will notice that almost all of them do parts of certain postures differently. That includes the 4 current Grandmasters (Chen Xiaowang, Chen Zhenglei, Zhu Tiancai, and Wang Xian). I discussed in a previous article why this was: personal expression, physical and psychological type, and so on. In this article, I want to explore another reason for this perceived difference between practitioners; simply that some aspects of a given posture are vitally important to perform properly and some, quite frankly are not. So just  how do you tell what is important when performing a movement and what isn’t?

The key to determining what is important and or not in a posture requires an understanding of the movement’s application. As most practitioners of Chen Taijiquan know, every posture has an application. There are no “transition” or “flowery” movements. To decipher and understand applications however, it is essential to have mastered the routine (taolu). When I asked my teachers in China about applications, they all said, “Concentrate on perfecting the routine  first”. I like to say “the truth of the application is found in the taolu”. The genius of Chen Wangting and succeeding generations is that the for an application to work, it must be done exactly like the posture in the taolu.

That being said, there are some parts of a posture that are not that critical. Many students, especially in the West believe that there is only one right way to do a movement and any variation is wrong. This contradicts the concept of Yin/Yang which is one of the foundations of Chen Taijiquan. According to Yin/Yang theory, something can partially Yin and Yang at the same time. Although the theory is vast and complicated, for the purposes of this article we simply  need to be understood that something can be both “correct” and “incorrect” simultaneously.

Such an example is “Six Sealings, Four Closings”. When bringing the left hand towards the right, some teach that the palm should be facing up, some facing down, and some that it should be facing inward. Which one is correct? It doesn’t matter. These variables all depend on the incoming attack. Against a shoulder height attack, it may be better to turn the palm upwards. Against a chest height attack, a palm inward position might be better. Against a low level attack, a palm down position is the only viable option. It also doesn’t matter the height of the hands when doing the push. Low, middle, high: all are valid depending on the position of the opponent. So which hand position should you practice when doing taolu? It really doesn’t matter. Pick one and stick with it. I show my students my preferred way of holding the left hand and height of the push but if they choose a different position, I don’t correct them. I show them the implications of each hand position and then let them decide which they prefer. Sometimes even I do them differently depending on what feels the most natural at the time. This could be confusing for the students but because they understand why the position may change, they have a lot more confidence that they are doing the movement correctly.

Grandmaster Chen Xiaoxing performing Six Sealings, Four Closings

What is vitally important in this case however is the movement of the left or attacking hand. It must use Reeling Silk to spirally twist the opponent’s hand while the right hand guides the elbow downward. Without the Reeling Silk energy you are going to be dragging the opponent’s arm downward which can be easily countered. With the proper application of Reeling Silk energy however, the unbalancing is almost effortless. Therefore there can be no compromise in the use of Reeling Silk energy. Unfortunately, most beginners have not gotten to the level where the use of the energy becomes instinctual. Therefore, more practice in the basic Reeling Silk exercises and the taolu forms are critical. This is what my teachers always said and I now finally understand why.

Other variations can be observed when watching videos of the four Grandmasters. One can be seen in “Single Whip”. When stepping out with his left leg, Grandmaster Chen Zhenglei shifts his weight all the way to his left before shifting it back to his right and then back to the left again in coordination with the left hand. This double weight shift is what I call “The Bump”. Grandmaster Chen Xiaowang does not do this.  As he steps left, his weight remains on his right until it shifts left with his left hand. This was the way I was trained to perform the movement. My apprentice, on the other hand, comes from GM Chen Zhenglei’s lineage and was taught “The Bump” from the beginning of her training. After many arguments, I finally realized that both were correct. It is my belief that the weight shift left is a kao or strike with the hip. The kao can be applied with “The Bump” or without. I believe that GM Chen Zhenglei has, for whatever reason, chosen to emphasize that movement while GM Chen Xiaowang prefers to leave it implied. Of course, without speaking to each of the Grandmasters we’ll never know for sure but based on my very limited knowledge, I believe both methods are equally valid. Therefore I no longer correct my apprentice when she does “The Bump” and we are all much happier. (Note; in a video from the early 1980's, GM Chen Xiaowang can be seen doing this variation. However, I have never seen another video of him performing “The Bump” so I feel confident performing it the way I remember being taught.)

So how are you supposed to deal with these apparent inconsistencies? It is impossible for a beginner to decide what part of a movement is vital and which is not and it is a great mistake to try and do so. There are so many levels of Chen Taijiquan that trying go too deep too soon will lead disappointment and frustration. As always, your teacher is your guide, provided of course that you are learning from a competent instructor. You must trust that your teacher will guide you step by step. Some teachers may not choose to discuss subjects like this with beginners, fearing that they will only confuse them. This is certainly valid. A beginner has enough to do simply learning to perform the movements in the proper order. You have to trust that your teacher has a deeper understanding of the art and will reveal things when they believe you are ready for them. Concentrate on learning the forms exactly as your teacher does them and don’t worry about possible future variations.

That being said, I personally like to give my students as much information as possible to enrich their knowledge, show them the depth of Chen Taijiquan. When I learn something new, I personally immerse myself in the subject and try to use all possible resources. I’d like to think my students do the same but in reality, most of them are quite happy to just follow along and not worry about the bigger picture. I know that I tend to over teach but  I believe that being aware that there are valid variations can relieve some of the anxiety that comes with learning the form while trying to do each movement perfectly. I also hope to plant seeds of knowledge that I hope will bloom when the student is ready. So while I encourage them to do their own research there is so much information available via the internet, that this can easily create more questions than it answers. I try to prepare them for what variations they might see; what performances are closest to what I teach, and what are straight up mistakes and/or frauds.

Of course, not all movements contain viable variations. For most they must be performed in the strictest possible manner. There a few movements however that are open to interpretation. It is useful for teachers to know what these may be so that students don’t become overly rigid either physically or mentally. After all, Chen Taijiquan is all about being natural and spontaneous. Knowing that occasionally there some movements that are legitimately variable can make for a more relaxed learning experience for both the teacher and student.

Why Does Everyone Do Chen Taijiquan Differently?

“Follow the rules but be flexible in applying them, and remember, nothing is absolute.” Chen Shaoxing.

In the West, our system of logic teaches us that something is either A or B, correct or incorrect and that it cannot be both. However, traditional Chinese philosophy teaches that something can be partly A and partly B simultaneously. This is seen in the theory of Yin/Yang. In the West, many people believe that Yin and Yang are polar opposites- dark or bright, soft or hard, heavy or light, female or male. In reality, Yin and Yang are infinitely divisible. Each contains part of the other within it. Therefore there is Yin within Yang and Yang within Yin in varying degrees. When one attains complete fullness, it transforms into the other. The theory of Yin/Yang is central to the make up of Chen Taijiquan. Today we want to focus on a practical application of that theory when practicing the forms of Chen Taijiquan. How to tell whether what you are being  taught is correct and why so many practitioners do the forms differently.

Many Western Chen Taijiquan students have been taught to believe that there is only one correct way to do the movements in a given routine. Fortunately or unfortunately, this is not the case. For the dedicated student who want to learn as much about the art as possible, using resources like books or videos can often cause more confusion than clarity. A quick survey of Chen Taijiquan videos on YouTube will reveal that almost every practitioner does things differently. Your teacher may do some movements differently. Does that mean he is right and the others are wrong or is it the other way around?

Answering this question can be more complicated that it seems. If you compare videos of the four living Grandmasters- Chen Xiaowang, Chen Zhenglei, Zhu Tiancai, and Wang Xian - you will see that each one of them does many of the movements very differently from the others. Which Grandmaster is correct? Should I follow my teacher’s instructions or copy the way a Grandmaster? And which Grandmaster should I follow.

Even more confounding is that if you compare past and present videos of a given Grandmaster, you will see that they often did movements very differently in the past. This begs the question;  if they were doing the movements correctly in the past, why did thy change them? If they were not doing them correctly back then, does that mean that they were practicing and teaching them incorrectly for most of their career? And what about their more recent videos? Are they performing the movements differently now because they corrected their mistakes or is it simply because they are older? Furthermore, what time period should I be studying? Should I imitate a Grandmasters older videos or the newest ones?

The simple answer to these questions is that they are all correct. All of the current Grandmasters studied under the same teacher, Chen Zhaopei, who reportedly refused to advance a student to the next movement until they had mastered the current one. Some Grandmasters remember having to practice a movement for up to six months before Chen Zhaopei was satisfied with their performance. Why then do they all do the movements differently? The answer is because at its highest level, Chen Taijiquan is a form of self-expression. Each Grandmaster’s journey has been different and their personal style reflects that. What you are seeing is the result of their personal development, the culmination of a life time of practice, growth and insight. Merely trying to copy them is pointless.

When performing the routines, each Grandmaster tends to emphasize movements and qualities that they believe are the most important and therefore each will emphasize something different. They also perform in a way that is most suitable for their personality and body type. Compare Grandmaster Chen Xiaowang and Chen Zhenglei for example. Chen Xiaowang has a powerful build. His movements are simple and clean with no extraneous movements. His fajin movements are explosive. Grandmaster Chen Zhenglei on the other hand has a slimmer build. His movements are elegant and beautiful to watch, His fajin movements are like a whip cracking. Each is expressing their own inner selves. The difference in their personalities can easily be seen in their calligraphy- Chen Xiaowang uses broad powerful strokes that produce striking compositions, while Chen Zhenglei’s characters are firm yet elegant and reveal an unbending inner strength. So which of them is correct? Of course the answer is that they both are. The question that you should be asking is which one’s style is right for you?

Of course, you may not have a choice. Your teacher may be the only one in the area or may be doing a style that is not the best for your personality or body type. In the beginning it is best not to worry about these issues But how do you know if you are learning the movements correctly? The honest answer is that in the beginning you can’t. The movements are so complicated that you simply have to trust your teacher. The first stage of Chen Taijiquan practice is to learn the entire routine from beginning to end and do the individual movements as best you can. Assuming that your teacher is properly trained and knowledgeable, it is best to simply follow his or her teaching exactly A good teacher will make sure a given movement is basically correctly before advancing you to the following movement.

Of course, it doesn’t hurt to take advantage of some of the useful resources that are available. Take a look at some YouTube videos. You have the combined teachings of the greatest practitioners in the world at your fingertips. To get the most out of these videos you first have to make sure you are looking at the right routine. Chen Taijiquan has two routines done in two very different ways. There is the First Form Old Frame (Laojia Yilu) and the Second From Old Frame (Laojia Erlu). The First and Second Form are also done in the New Frame method (Xinjia Yilu and Xinjia Erlu). The second form is also often called Cannon Fist whether in the Old or New Frame (laojia erlu paochui or xinjia erlu paochui). The Old Frame and New Frame look quite a bit different from each other so make sure you know which form you are watching to avoid further confusion.

There are also many shorter forms- 18 Movements, 19 Movements, 32 Movements, 56 Movements. Many of these were developed to make Chen Taijiquan accessible to those that don’t have the time or ability to practice the complete forms. Also many are used in Tai Chi competitions. Tai Chi competitors use deeper stances and more elaborate arm movements. They may look very different from what you are learning but unless you are planning to enter competitions, stick with studying the traditional forms.

Be aware that there are also quite a few fakes and charlatans out there. Once you’ve accounted for the variables listed above, if what you are doing doesn’t remotely resemble what the top traditional teachers are presenting, you might be studying with the wrong teacher. Chen Taijiquan is still rare enough that many people don’t know what it looks like and some folks out there will take advantage of people’s ignorance. I encourage my students to look at other teachers and will often explain the differences they are likely to see. My knowledge and performance are no where near the level of a Grandmaster but I vow to my students that what I’m teaching is authentic. I also constantly review the available teachings to make sure that I am giving my students the best information I can.

I learned Chen Taijiquan at the Chen Taijiquan School in Chenjiaguo in 1988. The school has always been administered by Chen Xiaowang’s brother Chen Xiaoxing. I also studied privately with one of Chen Xiaowang’s top disciples. After I returned to America however, I was on my own. Since Chen Taijiquan was so rare at the time, I was never able to find another instructor. Before YouTube came about, I was lucky to find some Chen Taijiquan DVD’s featuring Chen Zhenglei and I immediately bought them. As I watched them however, I was confused. Many of the movements were performed very differently than I remembered. I assumed the differences were due to my poor memory. However, when I tried to practice them, they just didn’t feel right. Had I been doing things wrong all these years? With the advent of YouTube, I was able to find some videos of Chen Xiaowang. His performances were much more the way I remembered but there were still some confusing differences. Eventually I came across a video of Chen Xiaowang performing in 1984 and to my surprise and relief, saw that he was doing the forms exactly the way I had learned them. I realized that over the years (in which he also was without a teacher) changes had naturally come about as he reached deeper levels of understanding on his own. To understand what he had changed over the years and why, one would have to study directly under him for an extended period of time. So I usually tell my students that we are traveling back in time to 1988 when I learned the form. I’m sure as my knowledge and insight continue and grow, the form I teach ten years from now may look very different from what I teach now.

Though I am from the lineage of Chen Xiaowang and find that his way of performing the movements suits me, I also understand that each of the other Grandmaster’s methods are equally valid. My apprentice began her studies under one of Chen Zhenglei’s top students, Yue Liming, who is also slim and elegant in his movements. She is much more suited to their way of performing the movements than to Chen Xiaowang’s. In her own practice, I do not try to force her to do things the way I do. I encourage her to perform the  movements the way she was taught. I view my duty as trying to help her reach the deeper levels of Chen Taijiquan practice. As far as my students go, I pass on to them what I was originally taught, along with whatever insights I may have gained along the way. Ultimately, I know that if they continue on their Chen Taijiquan journey, they will one day reach a point when their practice will become a form of self-expression which may end up looking very different from what I originally taught them.This is the extraordinary beauty of Chen Taijiquan. Ultimately, these differences don’t really matter.

So does this mean that there is no right or wrong in Chen Taijiquan and everyone can do whatever they want? No, it’s actually just the opposite. In the beginning, you must follow the rules exactly; proper posture, proper stances, complete relaxation, flowing from one movement to the next, etc. You should have faith in your teacher and follow his or her instruction even if this means that you will be making the same mistakes that he or she makes. Mistakes are unavoidable and a teacher can only teach what they know. However, a superior teacher will constantly be correcting and refining their abilities and understanding. They should freely pass that knowledge on to you and encourage you to investigate other instructors and teachings. A superior teacher should also have a good understanding of what is important in a given movement and what is not and be tolerant of small variations that are ultimately unimportant. This can relieve some of the pressure of striving to be perfect all the time. I will discuss this concept in the next blog entry.

As we can see then, performance of the movements in Chen Taijiquan can be both correct and incorrect at the same time. A solid understanding of the concept Yin and Yang can help in understanding your own practice of Chen Taijiquan and that of others as well. Know the rules and follow them and you will be able to understand why everybody does Chen Taijiquan a little bit differently.