The History of Chen Taiji
According to the historical records, the first style of Taiji Quan was founded by Chen, Wangting (1580-1660), a ninth generation of Chen Family. As a born a master of martial arts, he once was a soldier in the army of Ming Dynasty in ancient China. After he retired when he was old, he decided to desire a new martial art in his hometown Chen Jiagou, based on what he learned from the ancestors in Chen family, his experiences in the army, the contemporary martial arts and the classical books “Ji Xiao Xin Shu”(继效新书) and “Huan Di Nei Jing”（黄帝内经）in that era. After several years, he created five routines of Taiji Quan, one-handred-and-eight forms Long Fist, push-hand movements for two people, Taiji sword and so on. However, Chen, Wangting required his offspring not to teach the Chen Taiji to any others. This convention lasted untill Chen Changxing, the fourteenth generation of Chen Family taught Chen Taiji to outsiders, who were not born in Chen Family. From then on, Chen Taiji became more and more popular and spread quickly all over the China and all the other styles of Taiji were originated from Chen Taiji.