Way of Hunyuan: A Personal Odyssey

244 Pages·2002·5.18 MB·English

by  Chen Zhonghua

A Personal Odyssey
According to Master Chen, the classic tenets on

Qigong must be understood and accepted in order to

gain the maximum benefit from this antiquated disci­

pline. This book did just that. It provided authentic

information from ancient China on the subject of

Qigong.

Grandmaster Feng Zhiqiang's Hunyuan Qigong system

is used in this book to illustrate the richness of Qigong in

health, in self-cultivation and in martial arts. The book is

filled with personal experiences. The Qigong glossary

at the end of the book makes it a useful reference

source.

Master Chen Zhonghua is a famous martial artist and

Qigong master. He received his training in China from

Grandmaster Hong Junsheng and Grandmaster Feng

Zhiqiang, two of the greatest martial artists in China.

Price: US
CAN $49.99
$79.99

ISBN 097300451-7

9 790973 004518

·
For Jean, Rita and Rachael

Way of H u nyu a n: a Perso n a l Odyssey

Copyrig ht © 2002 by Joseph Zhong h u a Chen
Al l rig hts reserved.

ISBN 0-9730045-1-7

P rivate ly publ ished by H u nyua nta iji Press.

Ed ited by J e a n W o n g a n d Rita C h e n

Perm issio n s :
P h otog ra p h s o f C h e n Z h o n g h u a i n t h i s book were by
Th o m a s Yeu n g . The p h otog ra p h of G ra n d m a ster Fe n g
Z h i q i a n g fo r t h e be g i n n i n g p a g e w a s p rov i d ed b y
m a st e r Fe n g X i u q i a n . Ca l l i g ra p h y of C h i nese w o rd s
w a s b y C h e n Z h o n g h u a

N o p a rt o f t h i s b o o k m a y be re p rod u ced i n a n y fo rm
by a n y m e a n s , e l ectro n i c or m e c h a n i ca l , i n c l u d i n g
p h otoco p y i n g , p r i nti n g , re cord i n g , d i g i ta l sca n n i n g ,
e l ectro n i c i nfo rm a t i o n sto ra g e a n d retri eva l syste m s
a n d d e v i ces i n c l u d i n g p u b l i s h i n g i n t h e i n te rn et,
w i t h o u t the e x p re s s e d w ritten p e r m i s s i o n of t h e
a u t h o r, e x c e p t fo r b o o k re v i e w , a n d a ca d e m i c
resea rch .

i i
Way of

HUNYUAN

By

Chen Zhonghua

i i i
For w h o l esa l e , i n stituti o n a l d i sco u n t a n d d i stri b u t i o n
o f t h e b o o k , co nta ct :
H u ny u a nta ij i Aca d e m y
P . O . B o x 1 1 474 M a i n Post Offi ce
Ed monto n , Al berta , Ca n a d a T5J 3K6
s a l
Grandmaster Feng Zhiqiang

h
18t

generation Chen Style Taijiquan

Founder of Hunyuan Taiji System

v
To

My Beloved Shifu:

Feng Zhiqiang.

1
The first generation Zongshi ,

Who gave the world

Hunyuan Taijiquan

1 This term refers to a g randmaster, to whom is credited the creation of a
new style in martial a rts.

vi
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Th i s b o o k does n ot o n l y co nta i n i n fo r m a ti o n d i rectly
w ritte n down d u ri n g the cou rse of t h e co m positi o n of it, it
co nta i n s the k n ow l e d g e I have g a i n e d ove r m a n y yea rs i n
p u rs u i t of t h i s a rt . I t i s fo r t h i s rea s o n I a m a c k n o w l ed g i n g
my g ra t i t u d e t o t h e m a n y p e o p l e t h a t m a d e t h i s b o o k
possi b l e .
M y years o f p ro m oti n g t h e a rt of Q i g o n g a n d Ta ij i q u a n
have b e e n a p rocess o f "Tea c h i n g a n d l ea rn i n g co m p l e m e n t
e a c h oth e r 2 . " I h a v e n ot o n l y l e a rned so m u c h fro m m y
m a sters, b u t a l so fro m m y fe l l ow m a rt i a l a rt b roth e rs a n d
siste rs . I n a d d iti o n , I have b e n efi ted a g reat d e a l fro m m y
d i sci p l es a n d stu d e n ts . T h e y h a v e , ove r the yea rs , p rov i d e d
i n va l u a b l e fee d back fo r m y d e l i b e rati o n s o n t h e s u bj ect o f
Qigong . It i s i n t h i s view t h a t I co n s i d e r t h e m m y tea chers .
I wo u l d a l so l i ke t o e x p ress m y s i n ce re g ratitu d e to
my good fri e n d Li u H e of S h e n ya n g , C h i n a . It w a s he w h o
i n t ro d u ce d m e to p rofe s s o r Fe n g X i u fa n g , d a u g h t e r o f
g ra n d m a ste r Fe n g Z h i q i a n g . Th rou g h the i ntro d u ct i o n of Li u
H e , a n d t h e reco m m e n d a t i o n o f p ro fe s s o r Fe n g , I
su ccessfu l l y a p p l i e d fo r a n d w a s a cce pted a s a d i sci p l e of
G ra n d m a ster Fe n g Z h i q i a n g 3 • I a l so t h a n k M r . Li u He fo r h i s
t i re l ess e n t h u s i a s m i n a cco m p a n y i n g m e o n m a n y o f m y
Q i g o n g a n d Ta ij i m i ss i o n s t o C h i n a ove r t h e yea rs o f 1993 to
1999. W i t h o u t h i s e x p e rt to u r a rra n g e m e n ts a n d h e l pfu l
pa rt i c i p a t i o n , I co u l d n o t h a v e m a d e t h o s e j o u r n e y s of
t h o u sa n d s of m i l e s a c ross C h i n a fro m the "Te n T h o u sa n d
Mou nta i n s" t h a t bord e r Viet N a m t o H a rb i n i n t h e fa r n o rth .
l owe m a n y t h a n ks to m y Ta ij i s i ste rs Fe n g X i u fa n g
a n d Fe n g X i u q i a n fo r th e i r g u i d a nce o v e r t h e yea rs i n m y
l e a rn i n g a n d p ra cti ce . It w a s i n va l u a b l e t o rece ive extra
a s s i sta n ce a n d co rrecti o n fro m t h e m a fte r m y l e a rn i n g

2 This i s a quote fro m Confucius.
3 The actua l ind uction ceremony was held on January 18, 1998 in
Grand master Feng's apartment i n Beij i ng China. Present were G randmaster
Feng and his wife, Master Feng Xi ufang, Master Feng Xiuqian, Master Chen
Xia ng, Master Ta ng Yaoxin and Master Duan Jin.

vii
sess i o n s fro m t h e i r fa t h e r . M a n y ti m e s , G ra n d m a ster Fe n g
ta u g h t m e th i n g s t h a t I co u l d n ot u n d e rsta n d o r co u l d n ot
re m e m b e r . Th e i r pati e n ce i n worki n g with m e to p re p a re m e
fo r a n ot h e r l e s s o n w a s p a rt a n d p a rc e l of m y l e a rn i n g
experi e n ce . They a re m y Ta ij i si ste rs a n d teachers .
Over t h e past few yea rs , my d i sci p l e Yaron Seid m a n
of N e w Y o r k , N e w Y o r k , U SA h a s a s s i sted m e i n b o t h
tea ch i n g a n d resea rc h . I tha n k h i m fo r a l l t h e extra w o r k that
h e h a s d o n e o n my b e h a l f i n p ro m oti n g the a rt of H u n y u a n
Qi g o n g . I n t h i s b o o k , h e g ra c i o u s l y w rote a n a rt i c l e o n
Q i g o n g .
I a l so wou l d l i ke to tha n k my d i sc i p l es J a mes Ta m of
Otta wa, Onta ri o , Ca n a d a a n d R i c h a rd J ohnson of Bento n v i l l e ,
Arka n s a s , U SA fo r t h e i r co n stru ctive s u g g esti o n s d u ri n g the
co u rse of w riti n g this book. Th e i r fra n k and o p e n o p i n i o n s
m a d e m e reth i n k t h e w a y t h e i n fo rmati o n i s p resented . M y
D i sci p l e Th o m a s Ye u n g 's ti m e l ess assista n ce i n a l l aspects of
the p h otog ra p h s is a l so g reat a p p reci ated .
A l th o u g h I w a s t h e o n e w h o p h y s i ca l l y p e n n e d t h i s
b o o k , my d e a r w i fe , J e a n , i s t h e s u p p o rt t h a t m a d e it
h a ppe n . I t h a n k her fo r a l l o w i n g t h e m a n y l e a rn i n g a n d
resea rch tri ps t h a t I too k a c ross t h e ocea n t o C h i n a , leavi n g
h e r a n d my t w o d a u g hters beh i n d . M a n y a n i g ht, w h e n I was
w ri t i n g in m y p r i v a te stu d y in the b a s e m e n t , she w o u l d
q u i e t l y co m e t o s u p p l y t h e ta b l e w i t h , s n a cks, water a n d
fo o d , n o m a tt e r i f i t w a s m i d n i g h t o r 3 o 'c l o ck i n t h e
m o rn i n g . H e r l ove a n d u n waveri n g s u p p o rt i n v i g o rated m e to
co m p l ete th is b o o k .
T o m y d a u g hters, a t h a n k you fo r th e i r pati e n ce a n d
u n d e rsta n d i n g w h i l e t h e i r fat h e r w a s p h ysica l l y a b sent fro m
t h e m o n so m a n y occa s i o n s : w e e ke n d wo rks h o p s o u t of
town, w riti n g l ate at n i g ht o r trave l i n g a cross the ocea n s fo r
wee ks.
La st but n ot the l e a st , t h e re i s one p e rs o n t h a t
deserves the m ost cred it. It i s m y m a ste r Fe n g Z h i q i a n g . T h i s
i s a b o o k fo r h i m , i n a p p reciati o n of h i s tute l a g e o v e r t h e
yea rs .

viii