Chen Wangting was a Ming Dynasty

Ming Dynasty

The Ming Dynasty, also Empire of the Great Ming, was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan Dynasty. The Ming, "one of the greatest eras of orderly government and social stability in human history", was the last dynasty in China ruled by ethnic...

 general that founded Chen-style t'ai chi ch'uan, one of the five major styles of the popular Chinese martial art. Sometimes called Chen Wang Ting or Zouting, he devised the Chen family-style of t'ai chi in his home of Chenjiagou, Wenxian county

Wen County, Henan

Wen County is county in the Jiaozuo municipal region of Henan Province.-Situation:Wen lies on the left or north bank of the Yellow River, opposite the cities of Gongyi and Xingyang in the Zhengzhou municipality...

, Henan province after he retired there following the fall of the Ming Dynasty.

Military career

During the Ming Dynasty, Chen served as Commander of the Wen County garrison

Garrison

Garrison is the collective term for a body of troops stationed in a particular location, originally to guard it, but now often simply using it as a home base....

, and was distinguished for his protection of merchant caravans

Caravan (travellers)

A caravan is a group of people traveling together, often on a trade expedition. Caravans were used mainly in desert areas and throughout the Silk Road, where traveling in groups aided in defence against bandits as well as helped to improve economies of scale in trade.In historical times, caravans...

 in Henan and Shandong

Shandong

' is a Province located on the eastern coast of the People's Republic of China. Shandong has played a major role in Chinese history from the beginning of Chinese civilization along the lower reaches of the Yellow River and served as a pivotal cultural and religious site for Taoism, Chinese...

. After the Ming Dynasty ended and the reign of the Qing Dynasty

Qing Dynasty

The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China....

 began, Chen's military career was effectively over, and he retired to the family settlement.

Influence on t'ai chi

Whether or not Chen invented the earliest form of t'ai chi is in dispute. Traditional folklore and many lineages name the semi-mythical figure of Zhang Sanfeng

Zhang Sanfeng

Zhang Sanfeng was a semi-legendary Chinese Taoist priest who is believed by some to have achieved immortality, said variously to date from either the late Song Dynasty, Yuan Dynasty or Ming Dynasty. His name is said to have been Zhang Junbao 張君寶 before he became a Taoist.Zhang's legend is that of...

, a Taoist monk, as the progenitor of the art.

Two widely-documented theories of Chen's martial arts work exist: the first is that he learnt his arts from Wang Zongyue

Wang Zongyue

Wang Zongyue was a legendary figure in the history of t'ai chi ch'uan . In some writings, Wang was a famous student of the legendary Zhang Sanfeng, a 13th-century Taoist monk credited with devising neijia in general and t'ai chi ch'uan in particular.Wang is also said to have resided in Tai-Gu...

 and the Wudang tradition developed by Zhang Sanfeng. The second theory — the one accepted by the Chen family, and supported by historical evidence — is that he combined his previous military experience and the theories of Jingluo and Daoyin with the popular teachings of Qi Jiguang

Qi Jiguang

Qi Jiguang was a Chinese military general and national hero during the Ming Dynasty. He was best remembered for his courage and leadership in the fight against Japanese pirates along the east coast of China, as well as his reinforcement work on the Great Wall of China.-Early life:Qi Jiguang was...

. His complete work contained five smaller sets of forms, a 108-move Long Fist routine, and a Cannon Fist routine. Chen is also credited with the invention of the first push hands exercises. Chen also practiced a few Shaolin forms, and some historians postulate that Shaolin arts also had a significant influence on his tai chi, though none of the Taoist influences on Chen family tai chi exist in the Shaolin tradition.

Chen Wangting's next well-known successor was the 14th generation Chen Changxing

Chen Changxing

Chen Changxing also spelled Ch'en Chang-hsing was a 14th generation descendant and 6th generation master of the famed Chen Family and considered to be an influential martial artist and teacher of taijiquan ....

 (1771–1853), who was the direct teacher of the founder of Yang-style tai chi chuan: Yang Luchan.