Master Sun Peiqiang, a fourth-generation inheritor of Chen-style Xiaojia Taijiquan, grew up learning Wuxing Quan (Five Element Fist) from his family and started training at age eight under his grandfather. He now directs a Taijiquan school in Changchun, Jilin Province, and teaches more than a thousand students from inside and outside China. His family also preserved the Five Elements Longevity Practice, a form of qigong that, he says, supports health by working on the organs and improving circulation; his family longevity is notable.
Sun traces Chen-style origins to Chenjiagou, where farming and combat shaped the art. He notes that Wang Zongyue, in his Tai Chi writings, transformed the Chen 108-form long fist into Taijiquan as a practice for health. By contrast, Yang Luchan softened the art for noble students; Yang style is gentler and easier to learn. Chen training stresses a balance of yin and yang and deliberately mixes releases of explosive power with softer motions. Sun argues that combining soft and forceful training helps preserve strength and fitness with age.
On internal energy, Sun explains that inner strength comes from converting the air we breathe into qi and then into internal power centered in the dantian. He believes family-line systems teach this conversion more fully than many modern schools. External force is blunt, while internal force can release sudden moments of power. His practical advice for beginners is clear: anyone can learn; start with forms, then develop strength and technique, and finally cultivate the mind. He also recommends reading Chinese classics such as the I Ching and returning repeatedly to basics until the practice becomes natural.
Difficult words
- inheritor — person who receives a tradition from family
- qigong — Chinese practice of breathing and movement exercises
- longevity — long life, especially good health in old agefamily longevity
- circulation — movement of blood or energy through the bodyimproving circulation
- dantian — area in the abdomen considered the body's energy center
- yin and yang — two opposite but complementary forces in Chinese thought
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Discussion questions
- How might combining soft and forceful training help someone stay fit as they age? Give reasons based on the article.
- Sun recommends reading Chinese classics and returning to basics. How could these practices affect a student’s progress in Taijiquan?
- Consider the difference Sun describes between family-line systems and modern schools. What are possible advantages and disadvantages of learning from a traditional family system?
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