History

The origin and nature of tai chi is not historically verifiable at all until around the 1600s when the Chen clan of Chenjiagou (Chen Village), Henan province, China appear identified as possessing a unique martial arts system.How the Chen family came to practise their unique style is not clear due to lack of documentation from the formative period and irreconcilable views on the matter abound. What is known is that the other four modern orthodox family styles of tai chi chuan are traced to the teachings in the Chen family village in the early 19th century.

The Chen Family Origin Story

According to interviews with Chen clan family members (Chen Xiaowang, Chen Zhenglei, Zhu Tiancai) there was a family art which Chen Bu (the founder of Chen Jiagou) brought with him. The family had brought this martial art from Shanxi when the clan was forced to leave. While there are few written sources, this history should not be dismissed too quickly because Shanxi is also the traditional origin of Bagua Chuan and Xingyi Chuan, which share some of the bio-mechanical foundations with Tai Chi Chuan.

Sourced histories center around Chen Wangting (1600-1680), who codified pre-existing Chen training practice into a corpus of seven routines.This include five routines of tai chi chuan (太极拳五路）, 108 form Long Fist (一百零八势长拳）and Cannon Fist(炮捶一路).Wangting is said to have incorporated theories from a classic text by General Qi Jiguang 戚继光, Jixiaoxinshu 继效新书 (new book of techniques from different schools.) and Huang Di Nei Jing 黄帝内经 《黃帝內經》 (Yellow Emperor's Canon of Chinese Medicine), which described martial arts from 16 different styles.

According to Chen Zhenglei, citing works from oral tradition, it was in Chen Wangting's time that Jiang Fa (Jian Bashi) was captured by Chen Wangting. Jian Fa was a skilled martial artist in his own right. The two became very close friends and their exchange of ideas was fruitful. A portrait of Chen Wangting, with Jiang Fa behind him is often reproduced.

Other Origin Stories 

Some legends assert that a disciple of Zhang Sanfeng named Wang Zongyue (王宗岳) taught Chen family the martial art later to be known as taijiquan.

Other legends speak of Jiang Fa (蔣發 Jiǎng Fā). Reputedly a monk from Wudang mountain who came to Chen village, he is said to have radically transformed the Chen family art for the better when he taught Chen Changxing (1771-1853) internal fighting practices.