Chen Wei Ming (1881-1958)
Scholar, author, and tai chi teacher, Chen Wei Ming
came from an educated family in Hubei, China. In 1902
he passed a mid-level government exam and achieved
a position in the Qing History Office. Chen became
a student of the famous master, Sun Lu Tang, studying
the Chinese internal martial arts of bagua and xingyi.
Eventually he moved on to study tai chi with Yang Style
grand master, Yang Cheng Fu. One of only three to
ever live with Yang while training, Chen studied
with Yang for eight years and became his chief disciple.
In 1925 he moved to Shanghai and there established
the Zhi Ruo (Achieving Softness) Taijiquan Association
and is credited with bringing Yang Style tai chi to
southern China. Chen wrote numerous books, including
some the earliest tai chi books available to the public.
Though Chen had roughly a dozen disciples, including
Leung King Yu, Hu Yuen Chou, and Lee Shiu Pak,
he never had a following as large as those of some of
Yang's other disciples.
Chen recorded Yang's teachings in
three books under his own name
and some are still available today:
Taijiquan shu (The Art of Taijiquan, 1925)
Taiji jian (Taiji Sword, 1928)
Taijiquan da wen (Questions and Answers on Taijiquan, 1929)
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