Chen Weiming
Encyclopedia
This is a Chinese name; the family name is Chen
Chen Weiming (1881 - 1958) was a scholar, taijiquan teacher, and author. He was also known by his name Chen Zengze 陳曾則, Weiming being his hao, a pen-name.
Chen came from an educated family with roots in Qishui, Hubei
, China
. His great-grandfather was a famous scholar; and his mother was skilled at calligraphy. As a boy, Chen prepared for the civil service exams by studying the Chinese classics, Chinese calligraphy, poetry, and essay-writing. He passed the mid-level exam of juren in 1902, and received a post in the Qing History Office. His two brothers also became scholars and authors.
Chen began to study the Chinese martial arts
in Beijing under Sun Lutang (1859 – 1933), with whom he studied xingyi
(hsing-i) and bagua
(pa-kua). He then began to study taijiquan (t'ai chi ch'uan) with Yang Chengfu
(1883 – 1936), grandson of Yang Luchan, founder of the Yang family lineage.
In 1925, Chen moved to Shanghai
and established the Zhi Ruo (Achieving Softness) Taijiquan Association.
Chen recorded Yang's teachings in three books under his own name: Taijiquan shu (The Art of Taijiquan, 1925), Taiji jian (Taiji Sword, 1928), and Taijiquan da wen (Questions and Answers on Taijiquan, 1929). These books are important not only for their content, but because they were among the first taijiquan books published for a mass audience. Chen also wrote several scholarly books under the name Chen Zengze. He wrote prefaces to Sun Lutang and Zheng Manqing's taijiquan books.
Though Chen did not create a large following through his teaching as did his classmates Dong Yingjie (Tung Ying-chieh
) and Zheng Manqing (Cheng Man-ch'ing
), his books have remained influential and are important references about taijiquan in the early 1900s.
Chen (surname)
Chén or Chan is one of the most common East Asian family names. It ranks as the 5th most common surname in China, as of 2007 and the most common surname in Singapore and Taiwan . Chen is also the most common family name in Guangdong, Zhejiang, Fujian, Hong Kong...
Chen Weiming (1881 - 1958) was a scholar, taijiquan teacher, and author. He was also known by his name Chen Zengze 陳曾則, Weiming being his hao, a pen-name.
Chen came from an educated family with roots in Qishui, Hubei
Hubei
' Hupeh) is a province in Central China. The name of the province means "north of the lake", referring to its position north of Lake Dongting...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. His great-grandfather was a famous scholar; and his mother was skilled at calligraphy. As a boy, Chen prepared for the civil service exams by studying the Chinese classics, Chinese calligraphy, poetry, and essay-writing. He passed the mid-level exam of juren in 1902, and received a post in the Qing History Office. His two brothers also became scholars and authors.
Chen began to study the Chinese martial arts
Chinese martial arts
Chinese martial arts, also referred to by the Mandarin Chinese term wushu and popularly as kung fu , are a number of fighting styles that have developed over the centuries in China. These fighting styles are often classified according to common traits, identified as "families" , "sects" or...
in Beijing under Sun Lutang (1859 – 1933), with whom he studied xingyi
Xingyi
Xingyi may refer to:*Xingyiquan, one of the major internal Chinese martial arts*Xingyi, Guizhou, county level city in Guizhou, China...
(hsing-i) and bagua
Bagua (concept)
The bagua are eight diagrams used in Taoist cosmology to represent the fundamental principles of reality, seen as a range of eight interrelated concepts. Each consists of three lines, each line either "broken" or "unbroken," representing yin or yang, respectively...
(pa-kua). He then began to study taijiquan (t'ai chi ch'uan) with Yang Chengfu
Yang Chengfu
Yang Chengfu or Yang Ch'eng-fu is historically considered the best known teacher of the soft style martial art of Yang-style t'ai chi ch'uan .-Biography:...
(1883 – 1936), grandson of Yang Luchan, founder of the Yang family lineage.
In 1925, Chen moved to Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
and established the Zhi Ruo (Achieving Softness) Taijiquan Association.
Chen recorded Yang's teachings in three books under his own name: Taijiquan shu (The Art of Taijiquan, 1925), Taiji jian (Taiji Sword, 1928), and Taijiquan da wen (Questions and Answers on Taijiquan, 1929). These books are important not only for their content, but because they were among the first taijiquan books published for a mass audience. Chen also wrote several scholarly books under the name Chen Zengze. He wrote prefaces to Sun Lutang and Zheng Manqing's taijiquan books.
Though Chen did not create a large following through his teaching as did his classmates Dong Yingjie (Tung Ying-chieh
Tung Ying-chieh
Tung Ying-chieh was an influential teacher of t'ai chi ch'uan. He was born in Hebei, China. A senior student of Yang Chengfu , he originally studied Wu -style tai chi chuan as a young man. Tung also studied with Chengfu's older brother Yang Shao-hou and was the founder of Dong Tai Chi...
) and Zheng Manqing (Cheng Man-ch'ing
Cheng Man-ch'ing
Cheng Man-ch'ing was born in Yongjia , Zhejiang Province . He died March 26, 1975; his grave is near the city of Taipei. Cheng was trained in Chinese medicine, t'ai chi ch'uan, calligraphy, painting and poetry...
), his books have remained influential and are important references about taijiquan in the early 1900s.
Sources
- Chen Weiming. Taijiquan shu (The Art of Taijiquan, 1925). Section of commentary on the Taijiquan Classics translated in The Taijiquan Classics: An Annotated Translation by Barbara Davis, 2004. ISBN 1-55643-431-6.
- --- Taiji jian (Taiji Sword, 1928), Translated as Taiji Sword by Barbara Davis. ISBN 1-55643-333-6.
- --- Taijiquan da wen (Questions and Answers on Taijiquan, 1929). Translated as T'ai Chi Ch'uan Ta Wen: Questions and Answers on T'ai Chi Ch'uan by Benjamin Lo and Robert W. Smith. ISBN 0-938190-67-9.
- Zhongguo wushu da cidian (Great Dictionary of the Chinese Martial Arts), 1990.