Analysis of the Authenticity Debate of "Zhang Sanfeng's Theory on Tai Chi Chuan

Author: Li Shirong I. The Origin of the Debate In 1925, Chen Huiming, the authentic inheritor of Yang-style Tai Chi Chuan, wrote the book "Tai Chi Chuan Art" on behalf of the Yang family for the first time, which was publicly distributed to the society and had a wide influence.This book was dictated by Master Yang Chengfu and written by Wei Ming on his behalf. Therefore, it contains the authentic boxing manual of Yang Chengfu following the family tradition of the Yang family.This book was reviewed and approved by Duke Chengfu. The authenticity of the boxing manual is guaranteed and it is a highly valuable ancient book.The original text of the first chapter of the ancient Tai Chi manual in the appendix at the end of the book is as follows: "On Tai Chi Chuan" One movement makes the whole body feel light and agile, and this must be consistently followed.The qi should be vigorous and the spirit should be restrained.There are no protrusions or depressions, nor any discontinuities.Its roots are in the feet, it originates in the legs, and it governs the waist.Shaped on the fingers;From the feet to the legs and then to the waist, it must always be complete.To move forward or backward is to seize the opportunity and gain the power. Where one fails to seize the opportunity and gain the power, the body will become scattered.The illness must be sought in the waist and legs.It's the same up and down, front and back, left and right.All of this means that the intention is not outside.Where there is up, there is down; where there is front, there is back; where there is left, there is right.The meaning of "ruyi" should be upward, which implies a downward direction.If an object is lifted and subjected to the force of suppression, its root will break by itself, and the speed of its destruction is beyond doubt.The real and the illusory should be clearly distinguished. Each place has its own illusory and the real, and everywhere follows the same illusory and the real.The entire body is connected in a continuous stream, without the slightest interruption.Those who practice Changquan are like the Yangtze River and the sea, flowing ceaselessly.The thirteen postures are 掤, stroke, squeeze, press, pick, 挒, elbow and lean. This is the eight trigrams.Progress, regression, looking left, fingering right, and stability in the middle - these are the five elements.Youdaoplaceholder0, the four squares are called kan, li, zhen and dui.The 挒 elbow is the four oblique angles of qian, kun, Gen and xun.Advancing and retreating, looking and looking, and being determined are the elements of metal, wood, water, fire and earth.The original book's annotation states: The above was written by Master Zhang Sanfeng of Wudang Mountain. It is hoped that all the heroes in the world will live a long life and not merely be at the end of their skills.The above discussion on boxing originally had no title.Those who copy should come up with their own titles.Chen Weiming used "On Tai Chi Chuan", Wu Tunan used "Secrets of Tai Chi Chuan Practice", and Yang Chengfu's "Application Method of Tai Chi Chuan" used "Original Text by Master Lu" as the title, which was not uniform enough.Later generations, considering Wang Zongyue's article "Tai Chi is born from the infinite and is the mother of Yin and Yang", had already named it "Treatise on Tai Chi". To avoid repetition, a separate title was set up to distinguish it.Because the end of this Tai Chi manual contains the words "The above was written by the founding master Zhang Sanfeng of Wudang Mountain", it is commonly known as "Zhang Sanfeng's Tai Chi Treatise".For the convenience of readers' understanding, this common term is temporarily used in this article.In 1931, Tang Hao, in order to establish Chen Wangting of the early Qing Dynasty as the earliest founder of Chinese Tai Chi, regarded the statement in the Tai Chi theory that "the above was written by the patriarch Zhang Sanfeng of Wudang Mountain" as a huge obstacle.Only by denying Zhang Sanfeng can Chen Wangting be established as the "ancestor".Therefore, the "Zhang Sanfeng Tai Chi Theory" passed down by Chen Weiming became the focus of Tang Hao's attack.Tang Hao's attack method was mainly based on the "Thirteen Postures Explanation" rewritten by Wu Yuxiang of the Qing Dynasty after he learned the above-mentioned Tai Chi theory and combined his insights. He falsely accused Chen Weiming and other disciples of the Yang School of tampering with Wu's "Thirteen Postures Explanation" into "Zhang Sanfeng Tai Chi Theory".To achieve the important historical evidence of negating that "the above was written by Zhang Sanfeng, the patriarch of Wudang Mountain."The full text of Wu Yuxiang's "Thirteen Postures Outline" is as follows: "With each movement, the hand first exerts force and then releases it. It still needs to be connected by one qi, which is no more than the beginning, continuation, transition and conclusion."At first, the mind is stirred, and then the spirit is stirred.The conversion must be connected in a single line.The qi should be vigorous and the spirit should be restrained.There are no defective areas, no concave or convex areas, and no intermittent areas.Its roots are in the feet, it originates in the legs, it governs the waist, and it takes shape on the fingers.From the feet to the legs and then to the waist, it must always be complete.To move forward or backward is to seize the opportunity and gain the power. If one fails to do so, the body will become disorganized and prone to bias, and the illness will surely be sought in the waist and legs.It's the same up and down, front and back, left and right.All of this is the meaning, not the outside.Where there is up, there is down; where there is front, there is back; where there is left, there is right.The phrase "ruyi should rise" implies a downward meaning.If an object is about to be lifted and is subjected to the force of suppression, its root will break by itself, and there is no doubt that it will deteriorate rapidly.The real and the illusory should be clearly distinguished. Each place has its own illusory and the real, and everywhere follows the same illusory and the real."Every link in the body should be connected without the slightest interruption." "Tang Hao's denial of Zhang Sanfeng has the following fallacies: (1) On page 142 of "Research on Tai Chi Chuan" [Reference 1], it is stated: "In 1931, the publication of 'The Usage Method of Tai Chi Chuan', titled 'The Original Text of Master Lu', was all attributed by disciples of the Yang School."The first 39 characters of the Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan manual, "Qi should be vigorous and flowing," were changed to "With one move, the whole body should be light and agile, and it is especially necessary to be consistent."Here, only a few additions, deletions and embellishments are made.……Beijing is a place where culture and culture converge. Lu Chan taught here and had a large number of disciples. How could he not change his ways?It must be said that what was obtained by the Yang family was the initial version determined by the Wu family.Yi Yu and Qi Xuan, the brothers, were not only uncle and nephew of Yu Xiang but also his direct disciples.If there were an initial version, there would be no reason to pass it on to Yang and not to Li.Today, the version written by Yi Yu to Hao He and the one written by Li Fuyin in Lian Rangtang have both vanished without a trace. Only the version passed down by the Yang family can be found.This decision was made by the disciples of Lu Chan and was based on reason."Tang Hao's groundless speculations are not trustworthy at all.Later, because Gu Liuxin supported his theory and further developed it, it had a certain influence.(2) On page 345 of Gu Liuxin's "Taiji Quan Shu" [Reference 2], after fully quoting the above-mentioned Quan Shu theory by Chen Weiming, she commented: "The above is quoted from Chen Weiming's 'Taiji Quan Shu' published by the Zhirou Quan Society in Shanghai in 1925. Due to the illustration of Yang Chengfu's Quan Shu, it has been widely circulated."It was originally the last paragraph of Wu Yuxiang's "Essential Words of a Thug" (Note: "Essential Words of a Thug" was a collection of four short essays by Wu Yuxiang by Li Yiyu, which was titled "Essential Words of a Thug").Among them, the last section, which was copied from the "Brief Explanation of the Thirteen Postures" mentioned above, was modified by Yang's disciples at the beginning and then incorporated into Zhang Sanfeng's "Treatise on Tai Chi Chuan". Additionally, Wang Zongyue's "Treatise on Changquan" and the two sections of "The Thirteen Postures" were also taken as Zhang Sanfeng's works.The Gu family was a highly renowned authority at that time.There are no shortage of people who are superstitious about authority and firmly believe in what they say.Not only did Gu have an influence in his speech, but he also took actions in practice. In the "Complete Book of Tai Chi Chuan" he reviewed and proofread, he changed the "Thirteen Postures Practice Mind Explanation" by Wang Zongyue, which was attached to Fu Zhongwen's "Yang-style Tai Chi Chuan" and Xu Zhiyi's "Chengshi Tai Chi Chuan", to "Written by Wu Yuxiang", and changed the commonly known "Tai Chi Chuan Treatise" by Zhang Sanfeng to "Tai Chi Chuan Treatise" by Wu Yuxiang.The "Zhang Sanfeng's Theory of Tai Chi Chuan" attached to Sun Jianyun's "Sun-style Tai Chi Chuan" was changed to "Wu Yuxiang's Theory of Tai Chi Chuan".However, although the title has been changed, there is still the following at the end of the text: "The original book states: This is the last words of Teacher Zhang Sanfeng of Wudang Mountain, hoping that all the heroes in the world can live a long life and not merely be at the end of their skills."There are signs of tampering with the original work.These alterations made it difficult for later scholars to distinguish the true works of Wang Zongyue and Wu Yuxiang, often leading to confusion and causing delays for future generations.Therefore, the "Tai Chi Chuan Manual" published by People's Sports Publishing House in 1991 was deeply influenced by it.The authoritative work "A History of Chinese Martial Arts" published in 1997 also highly praised Tang Hao's research on the origin and development.However, whether truth belongs to authority still needs to be tested in practice to be determined.(3) Tang Hao felt that to deny Zhang Sanfeng, merely denying the Yang-style boxing manual (hereinafter referred to as the Yang Manual) would not solve the problem; he also needed to attack Wu Yuxiang to smooth things over.Because Li Yiyu, the nephew of the Wu family, wrote the first draft of the "Brief Preface to Tai Chi Chuan", which stated that "Tai Chi Chuan was created by Zhang Sanfeng of the Song Dynasty."Wu Laixu, the grandson of Yu Xiang, said in his "Brief Account of the Conduct of Lord Lianquan of the Late King" : "Since Zhang Sanfeng of Wudang Mountain, although there have been many skilled Tai Chi practitioners in each generation, apart from Wang Zongyue on the right side of the mountain who wrote some treatise, the rest have all passed it down orally, and there are few written works."It is noted that the direct disciples of the Wu School all respect the Tai Chi created by Zhang Sanfeng.Tang Hao said on page 146 of "Research on Tai Chi Chuan" : "Lu Chan was born as a servant and was unable to fabricate Zhang Sanfeng."Yu Xiang was a recommended scholar and had extensive knowledge of books and history. If the interpretation of Tai Chi by Zhang Sanfeng did not come from Yu Xiang, how could the theories of Lu Chan, Yi Yu, Lai Xu and Yan Xu all be the same?……Chen Xiufeng, a scholar from Heying Village, Xixiang, Yongnian, was from the Marquis family of Luchan Zi Ban.At the beginning of the full text of his Tai Chi Chuan manual, it is written: "In the last words of Master Zhang Sanfeng of Wudang Mountain, if one wishes all the heroes in the world to live a long life, one should not merely rely on skills."This was initially written by Yu Xiang to confer stipends on Chan. Later, the genealogies passed down by the Yang family to Beijing were not exactly the same. Those not found at the beginning of the genealogies were all altered by later generations.Judging from the above three negations of Zhang Sanfeng's claims, they are all subjective assumptions and cannot provide any solid evidence of human or physical evidence. This is truly too arbitrary.This article, based on abundant historical evidence, conducts a detailed analysis of the above-mentioned fallacies.Expose the false mistakes and restore history to its true face. Ii. Focus of Verification To clarify historical facts and refute Tang Hao's fallacies, the key lies in addressing the following issues: 1. The original book of the boxing manual states: "The above was written by the patriarch Zhang Sanfeng of Wudang Mountain. I wish all the heroes in the world to live a long life and not merely be at the end of their skills."Was it Wu Yuxiang who first proposed the initial version and granted him the title of "Lu Chan", or was it Wang Zongyue who wrote the treatise on boxing and left this historical evidence in his own hand?2. "Zhang Sanfeng's Treatise on Tai Chi Chuan" is an ancient genealogy passed down by Wang Zongyue, or was it a tampered version of Wu Yuxiang's "Thirteen Postures Explanation" by Chen Weiming?The two key points of verification mentioned above, the former is primary and the latter is secondary.Once the former is resolved, the latter will be easily solved. Third, the Yang-style boxing manual originated from the transmission of Chen Changxing, not from that of Wu Yuxiang Whose biography does the Yang Genealogy originate from?It was little known before.Chenjiagou said that there was no Wang Zongyue's boxing manual (hereinafter referred to as Wang's manual) at his place.The descendants of the Yang family also concealed the origin of the boxing manual, leading people to mistakenly believe that it originated from the Wu family.In fact, Chen Changxing possesses the entire set of boxing manuals.Because its genealogy originated from Chen Jingbo, the head of Zhao Bao, he violated the sect's rules (boxing should not leave the village) and privately passed it on to his younger brothers. It was not convenient to publicize it, so its source was kept confidential for a long time.The boxing manual of Yang Luchan was actually passed down by Chen Hexing. The evidence is as follows: (1) The Yang family had a set of ancient manuals with 32 chapters. When Yang Zhenji was writing the book "Yang Chengfu-style Tai Chi Chuan", he had already made the original copies public.When Yang Zhenji entrusted Yan Hanxiu to write and publish "Yang Chengfu-style Tai Chi Chuan" on his behalf in 1992, he had already informed Yan Hanxiu of the score as Chen Changxing's biography. Later, Yan Hanxiu informed the author.(2) Li Yiyu's "A Brief Preface to Tai Chi Chuan" has long pointed out the secret of Chen Changxing's possession of the "Wang Genealogy".The text says: "Tai Chi Chuan is unknown to have originated from someone, but it is exquisite and ingenious."Wang Zongyue's discussion is detailed and comprehensive.The descendants of the Chen family from Chenjiagou, Henan Province, who were both divine and enlightened, could not be counted for generations.How did Li Yiyu know this unspoken secret?As Yang Luchan and Wu Yuxiang were close martial arts friends from the same era and hometown, they often practiced martial arts and exchanged martial arts manuals. Although Luchan kept the secret of the manual given by Changxing a secret to others, he disclosed it truthfully to Yuxiang.Li Yiyu learned the true feelings from the Wu family, so he was able to point out that Wang Zongyue's boxing manual had already been passed on to Chenjiagou.Li Guangfan, the great-grandson of Li Yiyu, also confirmed in his documentary literature "Yang Luchan's Three Visits to Chenjiagou" that "Chen Changxing once again passed on the family's secret and unique skills to Yang Luchan."This further confirms that what Yang Zhenji said is true. (Published in the "Chinese Tai Chi" magazine, Issue 2, 1994, page 48)The direct descendants of the Wu family prove that Yang Pu did not originate from the Wu family, which is the most authoritative evidence.(3) From the textual verification of the boxing manual, it is found that the "Yang Manual" is consistent with the "Qianlong Copy" kept by Chen Changxing's family.The minor difference is that the genealogy bestowed upon Lu Chan only passed on the boxing manual, omitting six of Zhang Sanfeng's boxing classic rhymes (seven characters and four lines).The "Qianlong Copy" is well-preserved.The "Qianlong Copy" was presented to his friend Xu Zhan 'ao, a renowned Xingyi Quan master, by Chen Yanxi, a grandson of Changxing, during his teaching sessions in Tianjin from 1900 to 1906. Xu then passed it on to Jiang Rongqiao and others.In 1930, Jiang Shi wrote the book "Lecture Notes on Tai Chi Chuan" [Reference 3], making this manual public.The following is the original text of "Zhang Sanfeng's Tai Chi Treatise" from the "Qianlong Copy" : The related original text mnemonic of the "Qianlong Copy" : The movements should be light and agile, the spirit should be restrained, do not teach intermittent research in one go, left should be appropriate, right should have the points of emptiness and excess, the meaning should be implied above and returned below later.When making a move, the whole body should be light and agile, and it is especially necessary to be consistent.The qi should be vigorous and the spirit should be restrained.There are no protrusions or depressions, nor any discontinuities.Its roots are in the feet, it originates in the legs, it governs the waist, and it takes shape on the fingers.From the feet to the legs and then to the waist, it must always be complete.To move forward or backward is to seize the opportunity and gain the power. Where one fails to seize the opportunity and gain the power, the body will become disorganized, and the illness will surely be sought in the waist and legs.It's the same up and down, front and back, left and right.All of this is meaning and does not lie outside.Where there is up, there is down; where there is front, there is back; where there is left, there is right.The meaning of "ruyi" should be upward, which implies a downward direction.For instance, when an object is lifted and then subjected to a force of suppression, its roots will naturally break, and the speed of damage is beyond doubt.The real and the illusory must be clearly distinguished. Each place has its own illusory and the real, and everywhere follows the same illusory and the real.The entire body is connected in a continuous stream, without the slightest interruption.The fifth mnemonic: 掤 roll and press the four directions straight, 挒 elbow leaning at an Angle to form, heaven and earth shaking and dui represent the eight trigrams, advance and retreat, look and gaze determine the five elements.(On Boxing) Changquan is like the Yangtze River and the sea, flowing ceaselessly.The thirteen postures are 掤, stroke, squeeze, press, pick, 挒, elbow and lean. This is the eight trigrams.Progress, regression, looking left, looking right, and stability in the middle - these are the five elements.In conclusion, there are thirteen daily postures.Youdaoplaceholder0, the four squares are called kan, li, zhen and dui.The 挒 elbow is the four oblique angles of qian, kun, Gen and xun.Advancing and retreating, looking and looking, and being determined are the elements of water, fire, metal, wood and earth.The above was written by the Patriarch Sanfeng. May all the heroes in the world live a long life and not merely be at the end of their skills.Judging from the two pieces of evidence from different transmission routes, namely the "Yang Spectrum" and the "Qianlong Copy", they basically match.It can be confirmed that Yang Pu is undoubtedly the true successor of Chen Changxing.Chen Changxing's genealogy for the success of the Cunjia family has six rhymes that correspond one-to-one with Wang Zongyue's theory of boxing.Among them, the third and fourth rhymes correspond to the "Shangyou Wangzong Tai Chi Treatise". Once this treatise is extracted separately, the second and fifth rhymes, along with the side note attached after the rhymes, "The above were written by the Patriarch Zhang Sanfeng of Wudang Mountain", will be linked together.The Yang-style boxing manual, due to the lack of separate rhymes, mistakenly combined the corresponding boxing commentaries of the two rhymes into one piece.This verification thus clarifies the true origin of Yang's genealogy.It should be pointed out that based on the original appearance of the ancient boxing manual verified by Lu Dimin et al. [Reference 4], as well as the re-verification by the author, it has been confirmed that the ancient manual is Wang Zongyue's one-to-one interpretation of the boxing classics and rhymes passed down by Zhang Sanfeng.All the explanations in the score were written by Wang Zongyue, and all the rhymes were originally created by Zhang Sanfeng.After completing the composition, Wang Zongyue instructed later generations, "The above was written by the grandmaster Zhang Sanfeng of Wudang Mountain," referring to Zhang Sanfeng's boxing techniques, not his own boxing theories.Therefore, "With one move, the whole body should be light and agile..."The author should be Wang Zongyue, not Zhang Sanfeng.However, what is commonly known as "Zhang Sanfeng's Tai Chi Theory" has no principle errors in a broad sense, because all of Wang Zongyue's Tai Chi theories are based on Zhang Sanfeng's Tai Chi principles.(4) Compared with the "Thirteen Postures Song" passed down by Wu Yuxiang, the characters in Yang Pu's "Thirteen Postures Song" are largely similar.The minor differences are that Yang's genealogy is the same as the "Qianlong Copy", which also indicates that Yang's genealogy originated from the transmission in Changxing and was not passed down by Yu Xiang.See the table below. Fourth, Chen Weiming faithfully disseminated the Yang-style boxing manual Tang and Gu's slander against Chen Weiming for "tampering with the boxing manual" is beyond refutation.Wu Gongzao (the second son of Wu Jianquan) published the complete set of Tai Chi manuals that Yang Luchan passed on to his grandfather Quan You when he taught Tai Chi in Beijing in 1935 in his book "Tai Chi Lecture Notes" [Reference 5].The "Treatise on Tai Chi Chuan" on page 32 is the "Treatise on Tai Chi Chuan by Zhang Sanfeng" passed down by Chen Weiming.The text and paragraphs of the entire text, as well as the attached note at the end of the martial arts treatise, "The original note states: This is the last words of Teacher Zhang Sanfeng, hoping that all the heroes in the world can live a long life and not merely end up with martial arts skills."Exactly the same.This is solid evidence that Chen Weiming has been faithfully spreading the Yang-style boxing manual.Wu Gongzao also left a personal comment in the book, saying: "This book was taught by Teacher Banhou after my ancestor Wu Quanyou, the Lord of the mansion, paid his respects."It is a copy from the residence of Prince Duanfang.The male algae have been preserved in my family for over a hundred years since childhood until now."Wu Gong Zao Shi."This is conclusive evidence.Tang Hao had read extensively among various genealogies and should have known the true feelings behind the dissemination of this one.However, in order to support Chen Wangyan and deny Zhang Sanfeng, a strategy of offense as defense must be adopted to cover up the fraud. (Attached: The photocopy passed down by Wu Quanyou is at the end of the text.) V. Wu Yuxiang's "Thirteen Postures: A Brief Explanation" was developed based on Yang Pu It has been confirmed above that Yang Luchan received the "royal Genealogy" from his master in Changxing when his third expedition to Chenjiagou was completed.According to "From the Ancient City to the World - A Complete History of Yongnian Tai Chi" [Reference 6], "According to the elders in the southern part of Guangfu, Yang Luchan began to go to Chenjiagou at the age of 21 and returned to his hometown around the age of 40."Yang Luchan was born in 1799.At the age of twenty-one, he was employed in 1820.The three visits to Chenjiagou lasted for eighteen years. Adding the time spent returning home, it can be calculated that Yang Luchan obtained the genealogy around 1840.In the year when Yang Luchan went to Beijing to teach Tai Chi, according to the "Chronicle of Major Events of Yongnian Tai Chi" in the book: "In 1854, Yang Luchan, introduced by his fellow townsman Wu Ruqing, went to the Prince Rui's Mansion to teach Tai Chi."Looking at Wu Yuxiang's experience of learning Tai Chi and writing, it was not until 1852 that he went to Zhao Bao to learn Tai Chi from Chen Qingping.In "The Origin and Characteristics of Wu-style Tai Chi Chuan" [Reference 7], Qiao Songmao recorded his situation of learning Tai Chi Chuan: "He also copied and drew the 'Tai Chi Chuan Treatise', 'General Diagram of Tai Chi Chuan Postures' and' Tai Chi Chuan Treatise 'that Chen Shi (Qingping) had given to Wang Zongyue and brought them back. He studied them together with his nephews Li Yiyu and Li Qixuan."Two years later, his skills had advanced rapidly and he had a great understanding of the principles and methods.One should apply one's wisdom to oneself as much as possible.Therefore, the notes from the previous work, referring to the "Treatise on Boxing" read later, and the insights gained from practicing martial arts, were developed into four "Explanations of Boxing"...。”It has been clarified here that the four chapters of "Quan Jie" were not created by Wu but were later developed by referring to the classic "Quan Lun".These four derivative "explanations of Tai Chi" were later combined by Li Yiyu into one piece and titled "Essential Words on Martial Arts". The original titles were "A Brief Explanation of the Thirteen Postures", "Explanations of Tai Chi Chuan", "Essential Explanations of the Thirteen Postures in Practice", and an untitled "Another Explanation".Which derivative works of "boxing Theory" can be referred to?It is not difficult to see that it was written by referring to Wang Zongyue's "Explanation of the Thirteen Postures in Practice" [Reference 11] and "Zhang Sanfeng's Theory on Tai Chi".According to the "Old Three Books" hand-copied by Li Yiyu, the "Wang's Genealogy" obtained by Wu from Chen Qingping lacks the "Explanation of the Thirteen Postures' Practice of the Mind" and the "Zhang Sanfeng's Theory of Tai Chi Chuan", while the Yang's genealogy happens to have these two.Yang and Wu were close martial arts friends. Yang selflessly imparted the complete set of martial arts manuals to his disciple Quan You in Beijing. He was even more kind to Wu and would always copy and pass them on as gifts.Therefore, the four "boxing interpretations" derived by the Wu family were based on the Yang genealogy, so the characters are mostly the same or similar.The time for derivative writing began after Wu returned to his hometown. After two years of practice and significant improvement in his skills, he finally reached the level of derivative writing.That is to say, it was written in a certain year after 1854, and the earliest one was also written in 1855, about 15 years later than when Yang's genealogy was obtained.In 1854, Yang Luchan went to the capital to teach martial arts, and it is no longer possible to see the writings derived by the Wu family.It is evident that what Tang Hao attacked, the initial version of the Wu family's granting of the Lu Chan, and the fact that the Lu Chan found disciples in the capital to tamper with the "Wu Genealogy", is sheer nonsense and an irresponsible slander. Six. "Zhang Sanfeng's Theory of Tai Chi Chuan" has existed since ancient times This article examines the authenticity of the ancient boxing manuals by comparing and supporting two different transmission routes of boxing manuals.It has been confirmed that Chen Changxing's original Wang Zongyue boxing manual already includes "Zhang Sanfeng's Boxing Theory", along with an additional note stating that "the above was written by the founding master of Wudang, Zhang Sanfeng."Since these are ancient genealogies passed down from the Ming Dynasty and have been copied and circulated through more than four hundred years, there must be other manuscripts and ancient books that contain these incomplete genealogies.Of course, the more ancient the era, the more severe the loss of ancient genealogies and the more difficult they are to preserve.In this situation, if one or two ancient genealogies can be unearthed as evidence, it will be sufficient to prove the authenticity of Zhang Sanfeng's creation of the boxing style.Here are two examples: (1) According to the book "The Authentic Tai Chi Chuan" written by Du Yuanhua, a successor of Zhao Bao [Reference 8], there is the "General Theory of Tai Chi Chuan" passed down by Chen Qingping. The ancient score quoted in it is "Zhang Sanfeng's Theory of Tai Chi Chuan", and the original text is: "General Theory of Tai Chi Chuan" (with a song) Chen Qingping from Zhao Bao Town, Wenyi, Huaijun, Henan Province, sang: The steps are light and agile, the spirit is reserved, and there is no need to be taught intermittently. One should study in one go. The left side is suitable, and the right side has a place of emptiness and reality. The meaning is implied above and returned below later.The song goes: "Every step is light and agile, and the spirit is reserved." (Note 1)With every step, one's entire body should be light and agile, especially when it comes to consistency.The qi should be vigorous and the spirit should be restrained.The song goes: Don't teach intermittent research in one go.There should be no protrusions or depressions, and no discontinuities.Its roots are in the feet, it originates in the legs, it governs the waist, and it takes shape on the fingers.From the feet to the legs and then to the waist, one must maintain a complete state of energy, moving forward and backward. Only in this way can one seize the opportunity and gain the momentum. If one fails to seize the opportunity and gain the momentum, the illness will surely be sought in the waist and legs. The song goes: The left side is appropriate, while the right side has its own areas of reality and illusion.The real and the illusory should be clearly distinguished. Each place has its own real and the illusory, and this is the same everywhere, from the bottom down, front down, left to right.The song goes: "The meaning above is implied below and will be returned later."All of this is the meaning, not outside. Where there is up, there is down; where there is front, there is back; where there is left, there is right.If one's wish is to rise upwards, it implies a downward meaning. If one lifts an object and then exerts a force to suppress it, its root will naturally break, and there is no doubt that it will deteriorate rapidly.One must ensure that every part of the body is connected without the slightest interruption. Back silk Buckle is the mother of Tai Chi Chuan and represents the ultimate technique of this form.This treatise on songs teaches people the method of performing the forward and reverse movements of the back silk thread alone, so it is generally referred to as such.The genealogy passed down by Chen Qingping, due to the presence of Chen Qingping's name and the attached back-thread phrase, was mistakenly believed by predecessors to be composed by Chen Qingping. However, when compared with the second rhyme and the interpretation in the "Qianlong Copy", they are basically the same.It can be seen that this theory was actually quoted by Chen Qingping from Wang Zongyue's boxing theory to guide the movements of the back silk buckle. From this perspective of boxing theory, it is of the same origin as the "Qianlong Copy".Where did Chen Qingping get this genealogy?Tracing back to its origin, it is known that Jiang Fa, in the late Ming Dynasty, inherited the teachings of Wang Zongyue from Shanxi. Within the Zhao Bao Sect, it was passed on to Qingping through Xing Xihuai, Zhang Chuchen, Chen Jingbo, Zhang Zongyu and Zhang Yan.Therefore, when Du Yuanhua (Yuwan) published Chen Xin's "Illustrated Explanation of Chen-style Tai Chi Chuan" in 1933, at the end of the book, he attached this score, titled "Du Yuwan's Account of Jiang Fa's Reception of the Master's Instructions from Shanxi", which is a true account of the origin and development of this score.However, those who have been influenced by Tang Hao's viewpoint hold that: "The original title of 'Du Yuwan's Account of Jiang Fa's Reception of the Shanxi Teacher's Instructions' (Part Two), Du Yuwan was one of the drafters of the' Xin Version '."At that time, there was a widespread claim that "Shanxi's Wang Zongyue passed on Tai Chi to Jiang Fa, and Jiang Fa passed it on to Chen Changxing." This piece contains the meaning of an extension.[Reference 9] The error in this interpretation is that it regards Wang Zongyue as a native of the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty and Jiang Fa as a native of the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, and denies that Wang Guoyue's biography of Jiang Fa.A large number of facts have now been verified, confirming that Wang Zongyue was a man of the Ming Dynasty and took Jiang Fa as his disciple.Du Yuwan's statement is correct and should be clarified.(2) According to the "Rare and Incomplete Secret Canon, Hidden in the World, Reborn after Suffering" [Reference 10] published in the 8th issue of Wudang Magazine in 1998, which was contributed by Wang Zhenchuan and reviewed by Tan Dajiang, the ancient manual of Zhao Bao Tai Chi was unearthed. It was compiled by Wang Baiqing, the fourth-generation inheritor of Zhao Bao, in the sixth year of the Yongzheng reign of the Qing Dynasty (1728) as the ancient manual of "Tai Chi Secret Techniques".The first chapter in the score is commonly known as "Zhang Sanfeng's Treatise on Tai Chi Chuan", and the text is the same as that in the "Qianlong Copy".Regarding these origins, Wang Baiqing wrote in the original preface: "I studied under Zhang Chuchen from Wenzhou (Note: Wen County). My master said: It is the art that I obtained from the Taoist school (Note: referring to the creation of Zhang Sanfeng), profound and indescribable. Those who do not cultivate virtue will not follow it, and those who are rich in fame and fortune will find it difficult to achieve."Those who lack talent should be treated.Therefore, it is not easy to make a choice. You should be cautious and not be lazy.I have been studying this secret for over forty years. It is only through the Taoist elixir that I have come to understand its long and far-reaching origin and its brilliance throughout the nine provinces.……In the winter of the sixth year of the Yongzheng reign, the foolish old man Wang Baiqing left a message."This is a precious historical piece of evidence. Wang Baiqing called himself a "foolish old man" and had been practicing martial arts secretly for over forty years. If a young person started learning martial arts at around twenty years old, Wang Baiqing would have been nearly seventy at that time, and his birth year should have been around 1660. Going back three generations, it would be Jiang Fa, who was born in 1574, with a gap of over eighty years. On average, the interval between each generation of successors was twenty-seven or twenty-eight years, which roughly matches.Judging from this ancient manual, the boxing manual of Wang Zongyue was indeed passed down from the Ming Dynasty.Among them, the side note: "The above was written by Zhang Sanfeng, the founding master of Wudang Mountain" is an important historical evidence written by Wang Zongyue. Wang Zongyue's complete set of boxing manuals all expounding the secrets of Zhang Sanfeng's boxing principles.Therefore, the so-called "Zhang Sanfeng's Theory of Tai Chi Chuan" is correct in its origin. Seven. There are various evaluations and studies on the origin and development of Tang Hao The research on Tang Hao's origin and development held a dominant position from the 1930s to the 1990s.However, the public's views are different. Now, the evaluations from all aspects are copied below for the society to make a fair assessment.In the "Treatise and Academic Achievements on Martial Arts" of the "History of Chinese Martial Arts" [Reference 12] published in 1997 (page 359), the evaluation is: "There are not many treatise exploring the origin and development of martial arts based on research, mainly written by Tang Hao, and some by Xu Zhen and others."Since the late 1920s, Tang Hao has extensively collated literature, collected copies of folk martial arts, and conducted in-depth practical investigations. He has not only written works such as "Research on Shaolin Wudang", "Research on the Secrets of Shaolin Boxing", "Research on Internal Martial Arts", and a series of research works on the origin and development of Tai Chi Chuan and its manuals, but also published monographs such as "Research on Chinese Martial Arts Illustrated Books" and "Random Notes from Xingjianzhai", which extensively compile martial arts historical materials.Tang Hao's research works can be said to be rich in materials, meticulous in reasoning, and relatively fair in conclusion, providing a basis for the martial arts world to abandon and associate with the mysterious.Tang Hao provided successors with methods to examine the origin and development of boxing techniques and important materials for studying the history of martial arts. His pioneering research laid the foundation for the discipline of modern Chinese martial arts history.Mr. Xu Zhen, a researcher of the origin of Tai Chi, was a contemporary of Tang Hao and also conducted in-depth research on Tang Hao's verification. In a letter to his friend Jin Renlin on the evening of September 24, 1961, Mr. Xu Zhen commented: "Comrade Tang Hao has not made much effort in the technical aspect of the original life of Tai Chi. His understanding of this aspect is very shallow, and he often views problems from a formal perspective."This point will be elaborated on in my humble opinion later.As for Comrade Tang's research, his spirit of diligent on-site investigation is indeed admirable, but it basically does not deviate from metaphysical viewpoints and often views issues in isolation and one-sidedly.This might be due to the fact that he had developed a habit from his previous practice as a lawyer, only seeking victory and not humbly studying the reasons and evidence from the opposite side.Comrade Zai Tang was quite proud before liberation. After liberation, he made improvements, which is a sign of progress.But it seems that all the old habits cannot be swept away at once.Therefore, he has always adhered to the theory that Chen Wangyan created Tai Chi Chuan based on Qi Jiguang's "Quan Jing".In my opinion, I do not agree with this point, which is in perfect agreement with your opinion (the above is based on the copy of the original letter provided by Mr. Jin Renlin to me)."3. On pages 231-232 of Zhao Bin et al. 's "The Authentic Yang-style Tai Chi Chuan" [Reference 4], it is commented: "When it comes to Tang Hao's research, there is a period of school feud in Tai Chi Chuan that needs to be taken into account."Around 1930, Yang Chengfu and Wu Jianquan were both highly regarded and had a very good relationship. Wu called Yang "Third Uncle" with great respect and never had the intention of the Wu school establishing its own school.At that time, the politician Chu Minyi had already taken up the position of Secretary-General of the Executive Yuan. Teacher Yang highly praised him and planned to use his power to develop Yang-style Tai Chi.But when he invited Teacher Yang to do a push-hand demonstration with him in a certain dormitory, he originally thought that Teacher Yang would consider his face as the "secretary-general". However, as soon as they got to know each other, he was sent out by Teacher Yang.In a fit of pique, Chu changed his original intention and turned to the Wu school, suppressing Yang and promoting Wu. He also divided Tai Chi into two schools: Wu and Yang.Later, at the birthday ceremony of the founding master Zhang Sanfeng held by the Zhirou Quan Society founded by Chen Weiming, Tang Hao, the director of the Central Martial Arts Institute and the editorial Review Department, also accused the Yang School of pretending to be a deity to show off to the world.He then traveled all the way to Henan to conduct an "investigation" and wrote the book "Research on Shaolin and Wudang", thus postponing the history of the early gestation and development of Tai Chi in the motherland by several hundred years (see Song Zhijian's "Research on the Origin and Development of Tai Chi").The author's view on the above evaluation agrees with Mr. Xu Zhen's assessment.Mr. Xu Zhen had a profound understanding of Tang Hao's research. Xu was an upright researcher and highly respected by later generations. His famous work, "A Record of Research on Tai Chi", is a precious historical document for subsequent researchers. The author was deeply inspired and followed in his footsteps.Chu Minyi's belittlement and attack on the Yang faction, as well as Tang Hao's denial of Chen Weiming, are related and are manifestations of fawning on the powerful.Although Chu Minyi held a high position, he had an evil heart and later became a notorious traitor."Those who associate with the virtuous become virtuous; those who associate with the wicked become wicked." Tang Hao followed Chu and rejected the Yang school. His stance was wrong, and the conclusion of his research was bound to be incorrect.First, there is a framework that denies Zhang Sanfeng, and then an investigation is conducted. Using this framework to find "evidence", there is no one who does not make a serious mistake. It is hoped that those who will conduct research in the future will take this as a warning.(Note 1) In Chen Qingping's original score, the theory of boxing is highlighted, with four lines of rhymes attached after the four sections of the theory of boxing.This arrangement is reversed from the original sequence of Wang Zongyue's genealogy.Later scholars often mistakenly believe that the first line of the rhyme is paired with the second section of the boxing theory, and the fourth line of the rhyme is paired with Chen Qingping's discussion on the back silk buckle, and thus accuse it of being a false record.For this reason, when this article transcribed, each mnemonic was moved before the corresponding boxing manual, and the text was completely faithful to the original manual to avoid misunderstandings.References (1) Tang Hao and Gu Liuxin, Research on Tai Chi Chuan, People's Sports Publishing House, first edition in 1964, Second Edition in 1992. (2) Gu Liuxin, Tai Chi Chuan Art, Shanghai Education Publishing House, 1982. (3) Jiang Rongqiao and Yao Fuchun, Lecture Notes on Tai Chi Chuan, Shanghai Wuxue Bookstore. (4) "The Authentic Yang-style Tai Chi Chuan" by Zhao Bin, Zhao Youbin and Lu Dimin, published by Sanqin Publishing House in 1992; (5) "Tai Chi Chuan Lecture Notes" by Wu Gongzao, published in 1935 Shanghai Bookstore, 1985 Photocopy (6) China Yongnian International Tai Chi Association, Edited "From Ancient City to World: A Complete History of Yongnian Tai Chi" (7) Qiao Songmao: "Origin and Characteristics of Wu-style Tai Chi Chuan", originally published in "Chinese Wushu", Issue 4, 1994 (8), Du Yuanhua's "Authentic Tai Chi Chuan", 1935, Kaifeng Lithographic edition, photocopy attached to Wang Haizhou and Yan Hanxiu's "Combined Edition of Zhao Bao Tai Chi Chuan Weapons", Guangxi People's Publishing House Tai Chi Chuan Manual (authored by Wang Zongyue et al.), People's Sports Press, 1996 Edition (9), 1991.(10) Wang Zhenchuan and Tan Dajiang, "The Secret Canon of the Isolated and Incomplete Scroll, Reborn in the Hidden World After Tribulation", in Wudang Magazine, Issues 8 and 9, 1998. (11) Li Shirong, "A Comparison and Discrimination of the Two Boxing Manuals of Wang Zongyue and Wu Yuxiang", in Wulin, Issue 2, 1997. (12) The Wushu Research Institute of the State Sports Commission compiled "A History of Chinese Wushu" People's Sports Publishing House, 1997 Edition, attached: Photocopies of Yang Luchan's "Zhang Sanfeng Tai Chi Chuan Theory" taught to Wu Quanyou and Yang Chengfu's "Original Text of Master Luchan" as a verification of the consistency of the Tai Chi Chuan manual passed down by Chen Weiming. The evidence is as shown in the following figure: [[1]] [[2]]