Zhang Sanfeng

[KEND]

An extract from: Ignorance, Legend and Taijiquan by Stanley Henning , Journal of the Chen Style Taijiquan Research Association Of Hawaii, Vol. 2, No. 3, Autumn/Winter 1994, 1-7
While Shaolin was the ideal symbol to represent the more numerous, popular styles of boxing, this gave rise to serious misunderstandings and, as a result, later works, beginning with Zhang Kongzhao's boxing manual (1784), attributed the origins of Chinese boxing to Shaolin Monastery, (there is no mention of Bodhidharma until much later - c. 1900). At the same time, the mythical Zhang Sanfeng, blessed with sainthood by a Ming emperor, provided the ideal counterpoint to Shaolin boxing. After all, since Zhang himself could not be proven to have ever existed let alone anything he was claimed to have done, it could not hurt to claim he also invented a style of boxing.
One could say that Huang Zongxi's composition of an epitaph for a boxing master was, in itself, an act of thumbing his nose at Qing authority, which he refused to serve, but the symbolism of the "internal" school of boxing represented by Zhang Sanfeng versus the "external" Shaolin school was the ultimate act of political defiance through literature. The "external" school and Shaolin Monastery represented foreign Buddhism, which symbolized the Manchu aggressors, while the "internal" school and Zhang Sanfeng represented indigenous Taoism, which symbolized the Chinese, who would overcome their oppressors. The full extent of Huang's anti-Manchu sentiment is revealed toward the end of the Epitaph, where Wang Zhengnan's birth and death dates are recorded with the character combinations of the traditional 60-year cyclical calender rather than the customary imperial reign title which , if used, would have indicated recognition of Qing rule. A noted historian, Huang even included a disclaimer as to the accuracy of the content of the Epitaph by explaining that he wrote it based on a request from, and input provided by a Mr. Gao Zhensi. Based primarily on this piece, more symbolic than factual, an entry was made in the 1733 edition of the Ningbo Gazetteer on Zhang Songqi, a Ming Jiajing period (1522-1566 A.D.) master of the "internal" school of boxing and an entry was made in the Qing Historical Manuscripts on Wang Zhengnan. Both these entries include the Zhang Sanfeng story of the origins of the "internal" school of boxing.
In 1727, Emperor Yongzheng promulgated an edict which directed local officials to strictly prohibit individual teaching of "boxing and staff", as the martial arts were called.Emperor Qianlong (1736-1795 A.D.) directed a severe literary inquisition which destroyed many writings from the period 1550-1750. An anthology of Huang Zongxi's writings containing the Epitaph was proscribed and designated for destruction, but it survived to become a major source of controversy in the history of Chinese martial arts. Ever since, boxing styles have been arbitrarily labeled as being either of the Shaolin or "external" school, or the Wudang or "internal" school and, ultimately, Taijiquan was labeled as an "internal" style and identified with the Zhang Sanfeng legend.
Some sources claim Li Yiyu (1832-1892 A.D.) had referred to Zhang as the originator of Taijiquan in a hand copied manuscript dated 1867, but that he dropped the reference in a later manuscript dated 1881. This later manuscript, which Xu Zhedong first published in 1935, merely states that the originator is unknown.[15] The temptation to identify Taijiquan with the "internal" school of boxing and the Zhang Sanfeng legend is understandable; however, at the time, it could have been too risky to identity too closely with a well known legendary figure favored by Ming rulers and associated with the writings of the Ming patriot, Huang Zongxi. The ferocity of Emperor Qianlong's literary inquisition kept writers more or less in check for nearly a century beyond his reign. Even the name "Taijiquan" was suspect and may not have been mentioned outside a small circle of practitioners until after the revolution of 1911. Qing Emperor Taizong (16271643 A.D.) styled himself "Emperor Taiji", and there were strict taboos on using the names of emperors.[16] Evidence that this may have been the case can be seen in the lack of any mention of Taijiquan in the Qing Unofficial Categorized Extracts (1917), which devotes an entire volume (196 pages) to stories about martial arts masters and
styles. The first ever History of Chinese Physical Culture (1919) also fails to mention Taijiquan among 69 of the better known contemporary styles. Most of our knowledge of Taijiquan dates to the efforts of Tang Hao (1897-1959 A.D.) and Xu Zhedong during the 1930's.
Many boxing masters were illiterate but most information was reduced to rhyme, memorized, and passed on by word of mouth in spite of Qing restrictions. Some who were literate, such as Wu Yuxiang (1812-1880 A.D.) and Li Yiyu, produced closely held hand written manuals, some of which came to light by the 1930's and were published for appreciation by a larger audience.
The first openly published work associating Zhang Sanfeng with Taijiquan was Taijiquan Classics (1912), edited by Guan Baiyi. According to Tang Hao, Guan edited this for Xu Longhou, who had established the Capital Physical Culture Research Association following the revolution of 1911.[19] Xu included this material in his Illustrated Explanation of Taijiquan Forms (1921). The flagrant alteration of details in this book taken from existing sources reveals a conscious effort to arbitrarily force the Zhang Sanfeng legend into Taijiquan history. The most transparent part of this effort is reflected in the substitution of Wang Zongyue (Qianlong period), who is customarily credited with writing the most important Taijiquan treatise, Taijiquan Theory, for Wang Zong (only lacking the third character), who is listed as a mid-Yuan period disciple of the "internal" school of boxing in Huang Zongxi's Epitaph.
Xu Longhou studied under Yang Jianhou (1839-1917 A.D.), whose father, Yang Luchan (1799-1872 A.D.), had first taken the secrets of Taijiquan outside Chenjiagou village in Henan to Beijing (c. 1860), thus Xu's book, as the earliest widely available source on Taijiquan, placed the Yang Style to the forefront at a time when national leaders were strongly endorsing physical culture programs as part of the overall effort to strengthen national resolve against imperialistic incursions into China. His book set a precedent of sorts and those which followed, particularly Yang Style books, tended to copy the Zhang Sanfeng story of the origins of Taijiquan. In fact, they even went beyond the call of duty by attributing portions of Wu Yuxiang's writings to Zhang Sanfeng. After all, what self respecting founder would fail to pass on a few pearls of wisdom? Wu was merely the founder's ghost writer. Anyway, who would know? Actually, the most important Yang Style "classics" are from Wu's writings, except for Wang Zongyue's Taijiquan Theory, and there are some who believe Wu even penned it as well as coined the term "Taijiquan" around 1854, but that is another story
Why does there appear to be such concern to associate Taijiquan with the Zhang Sanfeng legend between 1912 and 1921, over 60 years after the style of boxing practiced in Chenjiagou village had been given the name "Taijiquan" and exposed to the big city? The answer may lie in a combination of events which began with the earliest reference to "The Dharma" or Bodhidharma as the originator of Shaolin boxing in a widely popular novel, The Travels of Lao Ts'an first published in Illustrated Fiction Magazine between 1904-1907. This was soon followed by a book titled Shaolin School Methods, which appeared as a series in a Shanghai newspaper in 1910.
This book, of unknown origin but written in an anti-Manchu secret society tone, expanded on the Bodhidharma story and, in 1915, was altered further and published as Secrets of Shaolin Boxing under the pseudonym, Master of the Study of Self Respect (probably an allusion to anti-Manchu and anti-imperialist feelings). According to Tang Hao, this book was so popular that nearly 30 printings had flooded the market by 1919, and it has influenced other authors ever since, beginning with Guo Shaoyu's History of Chinese Physical Culture (1919), which was the first popular Chinese book on this subject. It is not difficult to see how Taijiquan masters may have felt hard pressed to compete for popularity against such a publicity blitz in an increasingly commercialized environment. Under these conditions, Zhang Sanfeng was a made-to order counterpoint to Bodhidharma.
The Zhang Sanfeng legend clearly has popular appeal and, at first glance, even some plausibility for the man on the street. This public relations aspect combines with the fact that Taijiquan, unlike many other styles, appears to have responded more effectively to the changing demands in society over the past century, and thus has evolved from a little known fighting art practiced in a country village to a worldwide phenomenon

[willie]

I don't believe that Zhang Sanfeng created this art and I also don't believe it was Chen who taught yang that invented it either.
However Chen would be much closer.
My personal opinion is that it is much older then the records show. There is no way that anyone could create taiji
from watching a battle between a bird and a snake. Even the medical system theory does not entirely explain the art.

There is more to this.

[dspyrido]

Of course he created the IMA arts!

And...
- Jesus created Christian Karate
- CIA does not invade privacy
- if you do standing tai chi forms you will overcome all illnesses
- bruce lee could catch a bullet in his teeth
- the gracies have never lost a fight
- ueshiba could toss a 10 story building
- anyone wearing fatigues has done a tour of duty
- ima artists can 4 ounce away a flying girder
- mma guys know moves that can fight out of every possible scenario



Anyway ... on a view of the source of CMA I always like Sals post: http://rumsoakedfist.org/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=20264&st=0&sk=t&sd=a&sid=e0973596a6eeeac2adf4d29a51387a47

His book on the history of ima is also great.

[wiesiek]

My feeling about Z.F. story vary thru the years
right now I`m kinda of believer, that lot of knowledge/training tips, may show up itself - in dreams, meditative state or simply jump up from nowhere.
There is the knowledge freely flying around us, we need just open the eyes .

hmm .. did I became newbie of Jedaizm ? or something ...
Every dream should be checked out on tatami anyway.

[willie]

My feeling about Z.F. story vary thru the years
right now I`m kinda of believer, that lot of knowledge/training tips, may show up itself - in dreams, meditative state or simply jump up from nowhere.
There is the knowledge freely flying around us, we need just open the eyes .

hmm .. did I became newbie of Jedaizm ? or something ...
Every dream should be checked out on tatami anyway.

I think your right.
had many partners in dreams. cool as hell.

[Deer Hunter]

[Deer Hunter]

[lazyboxer]

I have always enjoyed Zhang Manqing's reply to the absurd suggestion that Sanfeng might not have been the creator of TJQ. "Blasphemy!" roared the old master.

He was quite right, of course.

P.S. Henning is also as excellent as ever.

[willie]

That's funny.

creating taiji from a snake and crane is bullshit, yet creating it from a dream is real as fuck

o.k. where's the dantian powered moves in a snake?
where's the bow's?
where's shen?
where's all the mechanics?
where's the machine?
you got a video of yourself? I like to see if your a serious player.
there is a lot more to this art then can be explained by watching a fight between a snake and a crane.

[Yuen-Ming]

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/scien ... 70915.html

YM

[wiesiek]

Deer Hunter
simply don`t know yet, that fucking can be real, only on movie you see it filmed

[Deer Hunter]

[willie]

In my small understanding;
A snake is all bow.
A snake has a very developed shen.
I was going to upload a video, but have no clue who you are. If you show me yours, I'll show you mine .

The snake doesn't explain the concept of an archer though.

[Deer Hunter]

[Deer Hunter]