A Google translation of the article on Shen Jiazhen 沈家楨and Chen Taijiquan:
https://web.archive.org/web/20191216065 ... 256170.htmShen Jiazhen沈家楨(1891-1972), courtesy name Weizhou, was born in Baipu Town, Rugao, Jiangsu Province. Consultant engineer of Zhejiang Construction Company. He has been studying Chen and Yang Taijiquan for more than 50 years. He has learned from the famous predecessors Yang Jianhou, Yang Chengfu and Chen Fake.
After the founding of the People's Republic of China, Shen Jiazhen worked as a consultant engineer in the Zhejiang Provincial Construction Engineering Department and Zhejiang Provincial Construction Company. He retired in 1957 and spent his later years on the shore of the West Lake. He was a member of the Hangzhou Municipal Political Consultative Conference, the vice chairman of the Municipal Wushu Association and a Taijiquan researcher. group leader.
In order to inherit and carry forward the heritage of the motherland's martial arts, in the summer of 1961, Shen Jiazhen and Gu Liuxin were commissioned by the Beijing People's Sports Publishing House to start writing the manuscript of "Chen Style Taijiquan". According to the introduction in the "Preface" of "Chen Style Taijiquan", the first edition of the first edition in 1963, the People's Sports Publishing House commissioned Tang Hao, Gu Liuxin, Li Jianhua, Li Jingwu, and Chen Zhaokui to write this boxing in the autumn of 1958. Later, due to Tang Hao's death, Li Jianhua dropped out due to old age. In the summer of 1961, the People's Sports Publishing House reassigned Shen Jiazhen and Gu Liuxin to rewrite it. The first, second, third and fourth chapters of this book were written by Shen Jiazhen.
In the book, Shen Jiazhen explored the source and explained the routines taught by Chen Fake in those days, together with the photos of Chen Fake's demonstration movements collected more than 30 years ago, and explained one by one. The introduced boxing style does not lose its essence. At the same time, Shen Jiazhen also made a detailed study of Chen Style Taijiquan based on a large number of Taijiquan materials collected in the past, and summarized eight characteristics, which are listed at the top of this book. "Chen Style Taijiquan" will also make public all the secrets of Chenjiagou's boxing practice passed down from generation to generation, and excerpts the essential parts of Chenjiagou's modern boxing works for readers. Therefore, the book "Chen Style Taijiquan" is the culmination of Taijiquan theory and is well received by readers. The book has been reprinted many times since its publication in 1963, and has also been translated into English and Japanese for publication abroad.
Shen Jiazhen is also committed to popularising and promoting Taijiquan, holding various lectures, and preaching the scientific principles of Taijiquan's healing and longevity. Based on his own experience, he has written many books. In the 1950s and 1960s, he devoted himself to the popularisation of Taijiquan. One of the important figures in the work. The "Xinggong Taijiquan" written by him combines the essential parts of Chen and Yang's second-style Taijiquan into one. Shen Jiazhen believes that it is more appropriate to learn Taijiquan first by learning Yang style and then practising Chen style. However, it is difficult for ordinary amateurs to have more time to learn and practise the two-style boxing. Shen Jiazhen combined the two into one, and created "Xinggong Taijiquan" 行功太极拳, which has both fitness functions, silk wrapping strength and fighting effects. In his later years, Shen Jiazhen concentrated on writing the first draft of "Xinggong Taijiquan", which was about to be sorted out and published. It coincided with the beginning of the "Cultural Revolution", and he was persecuted and devastated both physically and mentally.
Shen Jiazhen's whole life of boxing was aimed at strengthening his body and preventing diseases. He followed the Yang family and his son and Chen Fake successively to learn boxing for more than ten years. However, he has a unique skill, which is hidden and not revealed. He is cheerful and tireless in teaching others. He asks him for advice, answers any questions he has, and always considers people's health. He never collects gifts, which shows his noble martial virtue.