During one hundred years after Chen Wang Ting's death, Tai Chi Chuan is Chen familial kung fu. Because in old Chinese conventional family, kung fu could not be taught to non-familial people, even the daughter of the family. But this tradition was broken by Matser Chen Chang Xing ,since he had taught Yang Lu Chan, another very important Tai Chi Chuan master in Chinese Kung fu history. Later, Tai Chi Chuan was developed to Yang Form, Wu Form, Woo Form, Sun Form Tai Chi Chuan and spreaded to all over the world.

Yang Lu Chan is the most important people about Tai Chi Chuan phylogeny. The story of Yang Lu Chan learning Tai Chi Chuan is very famous in China. Then, he was a counterjumper in Chen family herbal medicine shop at his hometown YongNian County, HeBei Province. Later, he was sent to ChenJiaGou,WenXian County,HeNan Province ,hometown of Chen family, for his brightness, hard working and honesty. Chen Chang Xing was teaching Tai Chi Chuan at ChenJiaGou then, and Yang Lu Chan was very eager to learn Tai Chi Chuan from Chen Chang Xing. But he could not realize his dream because of the severe familial restrictness. SoYang Lu Chan began to learn Tai Chi Chuan in his own way by peeping and listening carefully while Chen Chang Xing was teaching his student, then he practiced and exercised alone secretly. Then by then, his skill improved to a certain extend.

One night some years later, the secret was discovered by Chen Chang Xing when Yang Lu Chan was practicing Tai Chi Chuan. According to the tradition of Wushu circle, it is a very fearful mistake and tobu to learn kung fu of others secretly. And the learner would be abolished kung fu from his body if he is lucky, even be killed if he is unlucky. But Chen Chang Xing did not do that, because he was kindheart and inspired by Yang Lu Chan's diligence and honesty. And so, he accepted Yang Lu Chan as his student. Since then, Yan Lu Chan followed Chen Chang Xing and learned Tai Chi Chuan seriously for 18 years , and finally he realized the soul and essence of Tai Chi Chuan.
When he was finished apprenticeship, Yang Lu Chan went back to his hometown to teach Tai Chi Chuan . Later, he was recommended to the Royal Palace to teaching Tai Chi Chuan , and he had been named ‘Yan Wu Di' which means he was the man who can defeat anybody because of his excellence in Kung Fu.

Then, the firearm appeared, and kung fu master thought kung fu must be reformed to the effect of keeping health, enhancing body immunity, extending life and fighting. Most of Yang Lu Chan's students were of noble birth. So he amended Tai Chi Chuan he learned from Chen Chang Xing to Tai Chi Da-jia that abandoned some difficult actions like jumping, stamping etc. in Chen Form Tai Chi Chuan. Tai Chi Xiao-jia is soft in action and easy to learn. Then his noble students could easily learn Tai Chi Chuan even in their long gown for the purpose of enhanceing his body immunity, health care and extending life. Later, Yang Lu Chan's offspring formatted the Tai Chi Xiao-jia and formed Yang Tai Chi Chuan of today.

In those years, while Yang Lu Chan was teaching Tai Chi Chuan at his hometown, YongNian HeBei, he had taught Wu Yu Xiang, the son of a landlord, who admiredYang Lu Chan very much. Later, Wu Yu Xiang finished propaedeutic and he thought the master reserved and underdo. So, in 1852, he went to ChenJiaGou for learning Tai Chi Chuan from Chen Qin Ping who was Chen You Ben's student. Chen Qin Ping taught him Chen Form Xiao-jia Tai Chi Chuan. When he finished his learning, he went home and created the Wu Tai Chi Chuan that had been amended and was different from Chen Form, Yang Form Tai Chi Chuan. The Wu Form's style is agile and flexible.

Continue