Chen Changxing

陈长兴 Chen Changxing
Born	1771 Chenjiagou, Henan, China
Died	1853 (aged 81–82)
Nationality	Chinese
Style	Chen-style taijiquan (6th gen. Chen)
Notable relatives	Chen Youben, Chen Wangting
Notable students	Yang Luchan, Chen Gengyun (陈耕耘)

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Historical locations Chen Village (陳家溝) Kunlun Mountains (崑崙山) Mount Emei (峨嵋山) Mount Hua (華山) Shaolin Monastery (少林寺) Wudang Mountains (武當山)
Wushu artists
Legendary figures Bodhidharma (菩提達摩) Eight immortals (八仙) Five Elders (五祖) Fong Sai-yuk (方世玉) Yim Wing-chun (嚴詠春) Zhang Sanfeng (張三丰)
Historical individuals Yue Fei (岳飛; 1103—1142) Hung Hei-gun (洪熙官; 1745—1825) Dong Haichuan (董海川; 1797/1813—1882) Yang Lu-ch'an (楊露禪; 1799—1872) Chan Heung (陳享; 1806—1875) Wu Quanyou (吳全佑; 1834—1902) Wong Fei-hung (黃飛鴻; 1847—1924) Sun Lu-t'ang (孫祿堂; 1860—1933) Huo Yuanjia (霍元甲; 1868—1910) Wang Zi-Ping (王子平; 1881—1973) Chen Fake (陳發科; 1887—1957) Yip Man (葉問; 1893—1972) Ten Tigers of Canton (廣東十虎)
Modern celebrities Bruce Lee (李小龍 1940—1973) Bolo Yeung (楊斯; b.1946) Sammo Hung (洪金寶; b.1952) Jackie Chan(成龍; b.1954) Yuen Biao (元彪; b.1957) Jet Li (李連杰; b.1963) Donnie Yen (甄子丹; b.1963) Vincent Zhao (趙文卓 b.1972)
Wushu influence
Related Hong Kong action cinema Kung fu film Wushu (sport) Wuxia (武俠)
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Chen Changxing or Ch'en Chang-hsing (1771–1853) was a 14th generation descendant and 6th generation master of the Chen Family and was an influential martial artist and teacher of taijiquan (t'ai chi ch'uan).

Chen Changxing is a slightly mysterious character and much controversy surrounds him. He is most known as the teacher of the great taijiquan master Yang Luchan, but there is much disagreement over which style of martial art Chen Changxing actually taught to the family outsider.

Some schools of thought suggest that Chen Changxing was a maverick who practiced and taught a style of martial art that was not part of the Chen Family martial arts tradition, and that was passed to him either directly or indirectly from a taijiquan master known as Jiang Fa. Other schools of thought suggest that Chen Changxing re-worked two or more of the traditional Chen Family routines into his own style and then taught it to Yang Luchan and others. Both schools successfully explain why the taijiquan that Yang Luchan's descendants now practice is substantially different from the modern Chen routines, but neither theory can be completely substantiated and thus much controversy remains.

Chen Changxing is said to have been of an irreverent character and was given the nickname "Mr Ancestral Tablet" due to the directness of his posture. In the "The Genealogy of the Chen Family" he is noted as a martial arts instructor, but the detail of the style he taught is not present.

T'ai chi ch'uan lineage tree with Chen-style focus

Note:

• This lineage tree is not comprehensive, but depicts those considered the 'gate-keepers' & most recognised individuals in each generation of Chen-style.
• Although many styles were passed down to respective descendants of the same family, the lineage focused on is that of the Chen style & not necessarily that of the family.
• Names denoted by an asterisk are legendary or semi-legendary figures in the lineage; while their involvement in the lineage is accepted by most of the major schools, it is not independently verifiable from known historical records.

External links

• Chenstyle.com
• Chen Changxing Restoration Project