A Brief History of Tai Chi Chuan - Zhao Bao Tai Chi Chuan

Zhao Bao Tai Chi originated in the 16th century. It is a school of Tai Chi with Confucian culture as its theoretical framework and enjoys an extremely high reputation in the martial arts circle. At the end of the Qing Dynasty, Zhao Bao Tai Chi Chuan's master Chenghe Zhaoyuan (1810-1890) further enriched his Tai Chi theory with the Confucian concepts of "I Ching", "The Doctrine of the Mean" and "Neo-Confucianism", pioneering the substitute form of Tai Chi Chuan. Eventually, this school of Tai Chi Chuan stood out among later generations and gained fame throughout the country. For nearly a hundred years, people have also referred to Zhao Bao Tai Chi as "He-style Tai Chi". Zhaobu Town, the birthplace of Zhaobu Tai Chi, is located 14 hours east of Wen County, Henan Province, in the heart of Central China. It is commonly known as Zhaobu Street and is a typical northern market town. Zhao Bao Town overlooks the north embankment of the Yellow River to the south, the foot of the Taihang Mountains to the north, connects Beijing and Tianjin to the east, and borders Luoyang to the west. Since ancient times, it has enjoyed convenient transportation and prosperous business. Many business and tourist visitors have stopped here for sightseeing. Legend has it that during the Warring States Period, the soldiers of Zhao once stationed their troops here in gold and silver, thus it was named "Zhao Fort", a name that was later used. As early as the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, Jiang Fa, a native of Zhao Bao, learned Tai Chi from Wang Zongyue of Shanxi Province. Later, he passed on his skills to his local disciple Xing Xihuai, which made this commercial town renowned for its martial arts and attracted worldwide attention. Xinggong was a gentle and kind person. When making friends, he aimed to appreciate music. Many warriors in the Central Plains associated him with artistic pursuits. During the reign of Emperor Kangxi, the fourth prince, Yinzhen (Emperor Yongzheng), visited the Tai Chi masters in Zhaobu out of admiration. He personally inscribed "Qiankun Zhengqi" in the Guandi Temple of Zhaobu Town to praise the superb martial arts skills of the Tai Chi masters there. Zhao Bao Tai Chi is renowned worldwide for being "as hard as steel, as soft as fish, and as sticky as swim bladders". Its postures are elegant and graceful, harmonious and natural. Its movements are as smooth as flowing clouds and water, ethereal and unrestrained, with a posture that is graceful and imposing. The theory of boxing art is based on Confucian classics and integrates the "Three Teachings". It is grand and unrestrained, full of ingenious ideas and rich in philosophical charm. His combat techniques are ever-changing and unpredictable, astonishing and perplexing. In the long history of its occurrence and development, Zhao Bao Tai Chi was passed down for seven generations due to the conservative patriarchal concept, and there was a saying that "Zhao Bao Tai Chi does not leave the village". At the end of the 19th century, the rule of single-line transmission and escape was broken, and many disciples were taught. In the 1930s of this century, Mr. Zheng Wuqing (1895-1984) and Mr. Zheng Boying (1906-1961), the 10th generation masters of Zhao Bao Taiyang Quan, successively left the ancient town of Zhao Bao, thus completely ending the history of "Zhao Bao Quan not leaving the village". The two masters successively settled in the northwest, widely imparting the art of Zhao Bao Tai Chi. With their entire lives' dedication, they promoted and popularized it. Their scholars spread across all walks of life, and countless outstanding ones emerged. At present, Zhao Bao Tai Chi is not only widely spread in China, but also has spread to Hong Kong, Macao, Southeast Asia, Europe, America and other places.