Anecdotes of Mr. Chen Jun Feng as recalled by Lei Shu Man

Note: Chen Jun Feng was Chen Pan Ling's "courtesy name".

Mr. Chen Jun Feng devoted himself to martial arts for 70 years and promoted it as a national art for 50 years. During this time, there were many ups and downs that make for interesting stories. A few of these are listed below:

1. A wonderful method to treat disease

Mr. Chen began learning martial arts from his father at age 7. One day, he caught a cold, and his father instructed him to rest in his room. Mr. Chen closed the door, [but instead of resting], he practiced “sparrow hawk turning” (turning to the left and right), hitting more than 170 times to the left and right. He broke out in a sweat and recovered.

2. Entering an examination room and using the toilet

Kaifeng is the ancient capital of our country and is also the provincial capital of Henan. The place where scholars took their [imperial] exams was called “the prison”. (Please forgive me, I was born late and have a hard time figuring out the things pertaining to the older generation). When the [imperial] exam was called, the participants entered the door to the examination room, with one person per room. In the examination room, the participants were confined in it for three days, as if they were in “prison”. After finishing seven exams, they called to the “prison guard” and were released. How big was this kind of prison? I think it was about three meters wide.

When Mr. Chen was 17 years old, he was studying at the middle school in Kaifeng. After practicing boxing every morning, he would jump from one examination room to another, going from one end to the other. (I think there were at least 300 or 200 rooms). After such a day, he would use the toilet in one of the rooms. Wonderful! Wonderful!

3. Drenched with joy

When Mr. Chen was studying at Peking University, he was very popular. In particular, his leadership in the patriotic May 4th movement campaign was deeply moving! During the attack on Cao Ru Lin’s governmental office, the guards scattered the crowd using four water hoses. Chen took the risk and rushed forward, overthrowing the security guard. He grabbed the hose and turned it inward. The students rushed in and injured Zhang Zong Xiang. Indeed, they were “dripping with delight” or “drenched with joy”.

4. Love letters from female students

Due to the fall of the Japanese empire [after WWI] and the failure of negotiations on the Shangong [issue at the Paris peace talks], Tianjin students launched a boycott of Japanese goods and demanded the punishment of the traitor Zhang Zong Xiang. The Hebei Provincial Government ordered the dissolution of the Tianjin Student Union, which aroused public outrage. Mr. Chen served as leader of all of the Tianjin students, which besieged the Hebei Provincial Government, causing fierce clashes and fighting. There were more than 500 students injured, and Mr. Chen also suffered from several wounds. When he was treated in the hospital, Tianjin citizens, including old and young men, as well as women, came to offer condolences. The gifts were piled up in the ward, but the most precious and pure were the love letters written by many female students. Since ancient times, heroes have been idols that are worshiped by women.

5. Apprentice to Li Cun Yi

The professor [in charge] of the Beiyang University Wushu Association was Mr. Li Zi Yang. Mr. Li Zi Yang was the nephew and a most proud disciple of the famous Xingyi artist Li Cun Yi, who was one of his three Li family heroes. When Mr. Chen joined the martial arts club and performed the martial arts that he had learned, Li Zi Yang did not dare teach him himself and instead introduced him to Mr. Li Cun Yi. Mr. Li Cun Yi had already retired to his family home, but he made an exception by allowing Mr. Chen on-site to learn Xingyi as an apprentice, where he spent a fair amount of time learning Xingyi from top to bottom.

6. Opposite Ji De’s [Ji Zi Xiu] spear

Mr. Xu Yu Sheng founded the Wushu club and hired Ji De [a.k.a., Ji Zi Xiu], Yang Shao Hou, Wu Lian Ji Wu Jian Quan, and others as teachers at the time when Mr. Chen was a martial arts student. Among them, Ji De was the oldest and the best. Mr. Ji De intended to accept Mr. Chen as an apprentice. However, Mr. Chen was quite conceited at the time and did not want to formally become an apprentice.

Mr. Chen said, “Mr. Ji De is thin and small. He practices childish skills and refuses to share a room with his wife. He lives in a place where his wife is not allowed to come and wash clothes. His parents once forced their daughter-in-law to put a ladder into his room, but he ran out and banned his wife in front of them. His parents and wife have no way to deal with him. Mr. Ji De has sacrificed too much for martial arts.”

One time, Mr. Ji De was holding a spear. Mr. Chen was a person willing to take a risk, so he also grabbed a spear and came asking for instruction. When Mr. Chen came forward, Mr. Ji De shot the spear out, and Mr. Chen rolled suddenly three times, making everyone laugh! Mr. Ji De said, “Why are you all laughing? You all lost your spears long ago.”

When Mr. Chen finished his studies, he went to Mr. Ji De’s residence to say goodbye. They both held strong feelings for each other, and all [of the students] went together to take Mr. Chen to the train. Mr. Ji De told Mr. Chen to go back and do more work. At the same time, he moved his right hand slightly in order to send his guest off, such as when doing Xingyiquan Horse. The others smiled and said, “Mr. Ji De has given you a gift.” Mr. Chen didn’t feel the pain until he returned to Henan, and it disappeared three days later. This shows that the older generation had gongfu. In addition to asking Mr. Ji De for advice on Xingyi, Bagua and Taiji, Mr. Chen also said that Yueshi Lianquan [i.e., Yue Style Linking Fist] was handed down to him by Mr. Ji De.

7. Pushing Hands with Yang Shao Hou

Mr. Chen’s Taijiquan framework was learned from Mr. Wu Jian Quan. It is said that Mr. Wu Jian Quan had his own unique set of skills. That is to say, even if he was in a deep sleep and you wanted to secretly test him, he would find your hand before it arrives. With regard to the direct inheritance of Taijiquan from Yang Lu Chan, it only came through Mr. Yang Shao Hao. Mr. Yang Shao Hao had an unyielding nature, and he could only teach someone by fighting with them. He hardly had anyone who wanted to learn from him, and so therefore he had no proud descendants. He was very attached to Mr. Chen, but Mr. Chen nevertheless did not become his official apprentice.

Mr. Chen was not worried about taking a beating, and he often tried to push hands with Mr. Yang Shao Hou. Later, Mr. Wu Jian Quan refused to push hands with Mr. Chen, and often deliberately avoided it. Of course, Mr. Chen would never deliberately embarrass his teacher.

When Mr. Yang Cheng Fu taught Taijiquan in Beijing, there were often disputes. For example, Mr. Wan Lai Sheng once embarrassed him. Mr. Yang Chen Fu went to his brother Yang Shao Hou to complain. On the one hand, his own achievements convinced people. On the other hand, at that time, the police commander was a disciple of Mr. Yang Shao Hou and was powerful. Therefore, Mr. Yang Shao Hou took many risks with regard to Mr. Yang Cheng Fu.

It is a pity that Mr. Yang Shao Hou had such a strong disposition. It is said that he was a depressed man and his later years of life were ruined. At that time, Mr. Chen was in charge of the disciple’s ceremony and was the assistant in charge of the funeral affairs. I’m afraid there are few who know of this story and this type of kindness.

8. The Spirit of Da Yu [i.e., the mythical leader who tamed the floods]

Mr. Chen devoted his whole life to revolutionary politics and education. His biggest hobby was “national martial arts”, but he studied “civil engineering” at Peking University. During his tenure as a technical officer in the governmental office in Henan Province, he proposed plans for guiding the Yellow River. Unfortunately, because of Feng Shui superstitions, [the landowners] fought against it. After establishing the Water Conservancy Engineering Surveying & Mapping School and the Henen Water Convervancy Engineering College to train [hydraulic engineering] professionals, he was later appointed the engineering chief of the Yellow River Conservancy Project because [of his previous experience].

The Yellow River suffered from hundreds disasters, especially during the war of resistance against Japan. The river basins of the seven provinces in the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River were heavily relied on by the authorities. Since the early days of the war of resistance against Japan, the Yellow River burst its embankment at Huanyuankou near Zhengzhou, and it was ordered to “return the Yellow River to its old path” after the victory. This was a very arduous and dangerous task. Mr. Chen was ordered to bear the safety of the seven provinces’ river basins alone. His spirit of sacrifice is comparable to that of Da Yu, tamer of the floods.

9. Loyal and Brave

Mr. Chen went back to Kaifeng and founded the Henan National Art Institute, which had the best record in the country. The Henan National Art Institute ran six sessions. Each year, seven provincial examinations were held. The first national exam included 25 contestants, and all were accepted [to the institute]. In the 20th [should be 25th] year of the Republic [~1931 should be 1936], [the Institute] participated in the Berlin Olympics by demonstrating martial arts, accounting for 3 of the more than 10 people from the China [delegation].

Mr. Chen trained the students at the National Art Institute, and he often used “loyalty, courage, righteousness and chivalry” to encourage them. Therefore, “loyal and brave” became the institute’s motto. Later, when Mr. Chen was asked to help with the Northern Expedition [campaign] and supervised the war behind enemy lines in the war of resistance against the Japanese, these martial arts school students came to his assistance.

Once, when someone was jealous of Mr. Chen, they used money to bribe a martial arts student. The student was given two pistols with the plan to murder Mr. Chen. On the one hand, he was inspired by the spirit and loyalty and courage. On the other hand, Mr. Chen was so heroic and threatening that [the student’s] whole body began to shake at the thought of committing murder. The student didn’t dare to do it, and finally his conscience reproached him and he confessed to Mr. Chen.

10. Not Serving as Director General of the Public Sales Bureau

During the war of resistance against Japan, Chongqing was the capital of the government. At that time, Mr. Chen was deputy director of the National Art Institute. At the same time, comrades gathered to form a “Symposium on Party and Governmental Issues” to comment on current affairs, which was rather important to the government. Mr. Chen lived on a mountain in the capital city of Chongqing, and he always walked instead of using a car, and bought leather shoes instead of tires, going through one pair per month. At that time, the executive director, Mr. Kong Xiang Xi asked, “What does this person (referring the Mr. Chen) do?” Someone told Mr. Kong, “Although he does not hold a senior position, his influence and appeal are very strong! You (referring to Mr. Kong) should give him a good job!” So Kong Xiang Xi offered Mr. Chen the “National Tobacco and Alcohol Directorship” (the most lucrative post) and asked for Mr. Chen’s opinion. Unexpectedly, Mr. Chen didn’t accept the offer, saying that he wasn’t interested. Truly this is what you call “his heart cannot be corrupted by wealth and honors”!

Mr. Chen had previously been the general manager of the “Jiaozuo Coal Mine”, with a special fee of 30,000 silver dollars per month. However, Mr. Chen was careful to disperse this amongst his colleagues. It is not surprising, then, that Mr. Chen was not the head of the National Tobacco and Alcohol Bureau. This was not accidental!

“Gold is like dung, while the liver and gallbladder [i.e., courage and heroic spirit] are like golden stones.” Yue Fei said, “If the officials and ministers do not covet money, if the generals and marshals do not fear death, peace will reign throughout the country.” Mr. Chen, Jun Feng, my teacher, was a loyal, brave, righteous and chivalrous. He set a good example that will endure forever!