Master Sun Peiqiang is a fourth-generation inheritor of Chen-style Xiaojia Taijiquan. He began training under his grandfather and now runs a Taijiquan school in Changchun, Jilin Province, teaching more than a thousand students. His family preserved Wuxing Quan (Five Element Fist) and a Five Elements Longevity Practice, a form of qigong. He says practicing these together supports health by working on the organs and circulation; his relatives lived to advanced ages.
On styles, Sun explains that Chen-style developed in Chenjiagou from farming and combat needs. He says Wang Zongyue transformed the original Chen 108-form long fist into Taijiquan for health. Yang style, created by Yang Luchan, was softened for noble students and is easier to learn. Chen emphasizes balancing yin and yang and combines explosive power with softer motion.
Master Sun describes internal strength as converting the air we breathe into qi and then into power centered in the dantian. He advises beginners to start with forms, then train strength and technique, and finally cultivate the mind, returning to basics until the practice feels natural.
Difficult words
- inheritor — person who receives and continues a tradition
- preserve — keep something safe or unchanged over timepreserved
- circulation — movement of blood or fluids through the body
- organ — a body part with a specific functionorgans
- longevity — long life or long duration of life
- cultivate — develop a quality or skill over time
- dantian — an energy center in the lower abdomen
- internal strength — power developed inside the body or mind
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Discussion questions
- Which part of Sun's recommended training order (forms, strength and technique, or mind) do you think is most important? Why?
- How might practicing Taijiquan and qigong affect a person's daily health or habits?
- Does your family have any traditions or practices passed down through generations? How are they preserved?
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