Taijiquan, is a martial art rooted in the Daoist concepts of the interplay and necessary balance of yin and yang. The yin and yang are viewed as complimentary opposites - each fundamentally relies upon, and gives birth to, the other. So, for example, a fundamental theory of Taijiquan is that hardness comes from softness and quickness comes from slowness. In Taiji practice emphasis is placed on relaxing the body and calming and focusing the mind. Taiji form movement is performed slowly, accentuating the intention, mechanics, accuracy, and precision of the motion. By practicing in accordance with Taiji principles of softness and slowness, the practitioner will paradoxically begin to experience a quality of hardness and strength and efficiency of movement that are significantly different from that of ordinary natural ability
It is commonly accepted that whilst Taiijquan has its foundations on Daoist principles that it was more or less refined into a martial art in the Wen County of Henan province. There the Chen family which had a history of martial practices that originated in their old home in Shanxi province, combined their boxing methods with the thirteen postures of Jiang Fa, the theories from Qi Jiguang and derived Taijquan. Chen Wanting along with Jiang Fa are often considered the fathers of Taijiquan (different lineages emphasise one or the other). The boxing passed through the family for generations until Chen Changxing from Chen village and Chen Qingping from Zhaobao village started teaching outsiders which led to the development of new Taijiquan styles (Yang, Wu, Wuu, Li, and so on). The famous Yang Luchan, a student of Chen Changxing created Yang Style Taijiquan which became well known at the imperial palace in the capital and led to the creation of Wu style. His student Wu Yuxiang, later studied with Chen Qingping and developed Wu style Taijiquan that later led to many other styles (Li, Hao, Sun).
Whilst there are many Taijiquan styles today their parent styles are from those in Wen county. Whilst Taijiquan was commonly associated with the method of Yang Luchan and its derivatives, in the late Qing period Chen Zhaopei and his teacher, Chen Fake started to teach their style of Taijiquan in Beijing and Nanjing. Whilst there are other versions of Chen Style Taijiquan (such as Small frame), the most popular in the world today comes from the descendants of Chen Fake.
The father of modern Chen Style Taijiquan
Chen Fake (陈发科, 1887-1957), also known as Chen Fusheng was born and grew up in the Chen Family Village of Wen County, Henan Province. He was the standard bearer of the 17th generation of Chen Style Taijiquan. His great-grandfather was the famous Chen Taiji grandmaster Chen Changxing. His grandfather Chen Genyun and father Chen Yangxi were also well accomplished Taiji masters.
Chen Fake was the youngest of three brothers. Both of his older brothers passed away in their early ages. His father was in his 
sixties when Chen Fake was born, and Fake was spoiled as a young child. There was no pressure from his parents for him to practice Taiji. In addition, he did not have a good diet. He eventually developed a stomach ailment and could not digest food very well, and his health was poor. While playing outside one day when he was 14 years old, he overheard family elders lamenting his laziness: "This family has produced so many famous/well accomplished masters: his ancestor, his grandfather, and his father. This glory seems to be ending now because he (Chen Fake) is only interested in playing and having fun and not in practicing Taiji". From then on, Chen Fake started working hard and practiced the form several dozen times a day. After a few years of training, he cured his stomach problem and became very strong. He had improved his Taiji skill tremendously and reached a high level. He was not satisfied with his accomplishment, however, and continued working hard under careful guidance from his father.
He eventually reached a very high level of skill where his hunyuan nei qi was strong but also xuling, his silk reeling energy was both strong and soft, and his push-hands was also cu shen ru hua. Masters from both within and outside his family all had difficulty handling him.
He became famous after he defeated several martial art instructors in war lord Hang Fuqiu's army. In 1928, master Chen Zhaopei (18th generation) was teaching Chen Taiji in Beijing. Then the Nanjing Martial Art Institute was established, and Chen Zhaopei was invited to teach there. Chen Zhaopei recommended Chen Fake to replace him in Beijing by saying: "I learned Taiji from my third uncle" (Chen Fake). He wrote a letter to Chen Fake before he left for Nanjing, asking him to teach in Beijing, and Chen Fake traveled to Beijing by himself after he received Zhaopei's letter. Fake remained undefeated after taking open challenges for 17 days in Beijing and became very famous in the martial community, and people referred to him as "Taiji yi ren" (the best Taiji master).
Although Chen Fake was a simple man who did not like to talk and dressed without adornment, but when he showed his techniques he surprised everyone with the speed and power of his technique. Since that time, the real gongfu of Chen Style Taiji started to be recognized and respected by the outside world. In order to share this art with general public, grandmaster Fake opened the "Zhongzhou Institute" to teach Taiji in Wai Luomashi Da Jie outside Xuanwu Men in Beijjing. Before then, Chen Style Taiji had been taught in a secret manner, kept in the Chen family and practiced only in a small region of China. Grandmaster Fake's teaching changed this tradition, made this art available to the outside world, and opened a new era in the development of Chen Style Taijiquan.
This became the second landmark in China's Taijiquan history. Grandmaster Chen not only had high martial art skill but also high moral virtue. Although he had compared skills with many martial artists in his nearly 30 year teaching career in Beijing, he seldom made enemies and had made many friends within the martial arts community in Beijing
He co-founded the Capital Wushu Association of Shanxi with Hu Yaozhen (Xingyi instructor of Feng Zhiqiang). Chen Fake taught a number of students, among them his second son, Chen Zhao Xu, his third son Chen Zhaokui, Chen Zhaopei, Feng Zhiqiang, Gu Liuxin, Liu Ruizhan, Tang Hao, Li Jinwu, Lei Muni, Hong Junsheng, and Tian Xiuchen.
Chen Zhaopei along with Chen Fake's son, Chen Zhaokui were responsible for bringing Chen Style Taijiquan back to its native village in Chenjiagou where it had diminished. Chen Zhaopei focused on his type of practice (sometimes referred to as Laojia -old), whilst Chen Zhaokui on that from his father (referred to as Xinjia - new). It is their students such as Chen Xiaowang, Chen Zhenglei, Wang Xian, Zhu Tiancai, Chen Chunlei, Chen Xiaosong, Chen Qingzhou, Ran Guangyao, Chen Shitong.
Feng Zhiqiang and Lei Muni were early senior disciples of Chen Fake and each gained great achievements on their own merits. As an example Feng Zhiqiang who had originally studied with Hu Yaozhen as well as Chen Fake, developed Chen Style Xinyi Hunyuan Taijiquan. Feng became renowned for both his combat and push hands, as well as health cultivation and preservation methods often called Hunyuan Gong.
BAFANG WUSHU - CHEN STYLE TAIJIQUAN PROGRAM
The Taijiquan program of Bafang Wushu is predominantly based traditional Chen Style Taijiquan, with emphasis on the teaching methods of Lei Muni and Feng Zhiqiang (senior disciples of Chen Fa-ke) as inherited by M. Ge Chunyan, who is a former National champion of Chen Style Taijiquan.
Foundation (基本功)
The practice of Taijiquan commences with the comprehension of footwork and single movements. The ability to Song (relax) and Kai/He (open/close) whilst maintaining structure and alignment is important. The understanding and practice of spirals and rotations through the centre (emphasized with Chansi Gong) and fundamental balance comprehension with an opponent form the foundation.
Chen Style Chansi Gong (缠丝功)
The foundation and essence of Chen Style Taijiquan is found in the Chansi Gong (Silk-Reeling exercises) which consist of spiral movements combined with the internal flow of qi and the external motion of rotation. These exercises help to open the eight channels, improve the yin and yang balance of the body, and smooth the blood flow. These exercises internally help the mind to lead the qi and externally help strengthen the body and develop core Taijiquan posture and skills.
Chen Style Taijiquan (Yi Lu) (陈式太极拳一路)
The Yi Lu (First Road) is considered the parent form for the other major Taijiquan styles derive. This form contains fast and slow movements and features the silk reeling quality the Chen style Taiji is noted as containing. The movements of Yi Lu are large and extended and contain more softness and less firmness. Yi Lu is an important conditioning and training method in Chen style Taijiquan.
Chen Style Taijiquan (Er Lu/Paochui) (陈式太极拳二路| 炮捶)
The Er lu ( Second Road) is often called Cannon Fist. Er Lu is a more complicated form with more firmness and less softness than Yi Lu. This form emphasizes swiftness, hardness, high jumping and low sweeping, and rapid releases of power.
There are also weapons in the Chen Style Taijiquan such as
Tuishou (推手, Push Hands)
In Chen Style usually only after the proper foundation of the fundamental motions of Chen style should the practice of Push Hands begin. The purpose of Push Hands is to test your knowledge of the form, to develop sensitivity for the same energies applied by your partner and to test techniques of attack and defense. The five types of Push Hands begin with single hand exercises and advance step by step to more difficult routines. The key point for beginners is to maintain balance, center, lightness, and relaxation.
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