Chen Style Tai Chi
陳式太極拳The oldest documented branch of tai chi, from which all other family styles derive. It alternates slow passages with fajin releases and contains stamps and jumps.
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Who It Suits
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What the style is built from
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About Chen Style Tai Chi
Chen style is the oldest documented branch of taijiquan, and every other family style derives from it. It arose in the village of Chenjiagou in Henan province, and its compilation is attributed to Chen Wangting, an officer of the late Ming who returned home after the dynasty fell and combined military training with the breathing practices of his day. Chen differs visibly from the later styles: it alternates slow, continuous passages with sudden releases called fajin, and it contains stamps, jumps and deep stances. Equally characteristic is its spiralling body work, in which movement winds from the foot through the hip and spine into the palm; in Chinese this is chansi jin, "silk-reeling energy". The repertoire has two main forms — laojia yilu, which builds structure and foundation, and erlu or paochui, with explosive and rapid passages. In the nineteenth century Chen Youben compiled the new frame, xinjia, and Chen Fake (1887–1957) made the style known in Beijing. Push hands, tuishou, is an integral part of training: a paired exercise that tests balance and sensitivity to pressure. Chen style is physically harder than Yang and less suitable as a first martial art for older beginners.
Similar styles
Selected by overlap in the style profile, not by historical lineage.