Chen Peishan xiaojia

[ors]

Here is a short video about Chen Peishan. He is a quite famous xiao jia practioner, nephew of the late Chen Liqing.



With voice!

Örs

[Bob]

I really prefer his sister/cousin's? shen fa, flavor and frame. To me she really epitomizes the shen fa of the style:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eh3afQsR ... re=related



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1ZYBLsE ... re=related



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3vTGm4YED5U&NR=1



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JXv9_F_r8XQ&NR=1

[lide]

Peiju is awesome. Inspiring to watch.

[Andy_S]

Bob:

What is it about Chen PJ that makes you say she really epitomizes the shenfa of xiaojia?

If you ask me (you didn't, but...) her shenfa is about identical to dajia.

OTOH, some of the xiaojia in the village (I think PJ and PS are from Xian...?) today DOES look pretty different - esp in the lower body fajings.

Check this chap, for eg:
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=_jZeajdU7 ... annel_page

[Bao]

I really did not like the first clips at all.

I agree with everything Andy says. They seem to be regular chen style, performed as dajia

Andy's clip is my very favorite xiaojia clip. No, my very favorite Chen style clip. The shen fa is more compact using excellent whole body movement:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_jZeajdU7VQ

I have never understood the more modern dajia flavor. Also, that to wu/hao style TJQ seems to be very far long shot. But if you compare this clip with good wu/hao, you can compare them in many interesting ways.

[Bob]

Andy:

Well, first this is simply my opinion and it of course, is influenced by my training in Bajiquan. Second, I say she epitomized the shen of the xiao jia style because a) that is the style or variation she makes claim to and b) relative to the clips I have seen on the internet of those labeled xiao jia, It's my preferred viewing.

In baji, we have a bias---without strong legs, you have nothing with regard to structure and power. In watching Chen Peiju's lower body, I find her stances deep but not too deep, structurely explicit, well connected and moving in line with the kua area, and the transference of power from her legs to through the waist to the upper body complete and unified.

I also think her fajin expression is solid and well connnected. Perhaps another bias is in the 1990s the video [_____ through the Taiji World?] from which her clip is taken was shown to my teacher. Of all the performances he saw on the clip, [this was 1992] he pointed out how well she expressed fajin and in his words, "that woman have some power!" I had already been awe struck by her so he only reinforced what I saw and he is usually pretty reserved about expressing his opinion on practitioner's performance.

Again, this is simply my opinion and I am not trying to convince anyone that this is some kinda supreme judgement. In the clip you provided, while I like the practitioner's upper body movements, I don't find the same strength and connection of the lower body as I see in that of Chen Peiju. Perhaps its age or maybe I don't have an eye for the advanced levels of Chen style taijiquan but my preference in flavor is Chen Peiju. As a side note, the form of the clip you provided is about 95% traceable to what I play---I've never been convinced that what I learned in Wu Tan is contemporary hei lei jia although there is the one hei lei jia player I have seen on youtube, that really reflects a more solid, structured flavor than most of the hu lei jia I have seen.

FWIW, I try not to rate performers as 1, 2, 3 and so forth---rather I see them all in a given category of "Yeah, I like that structure and flavor!"

[Bao]

FWIW, I try not to rate performers as 1, 2, 3 and so forth---rather I see them all in a given category of "Yeah, I like that structure and flavor!"

The question here is not about what we like, it is about what principles which are the main focus. If you look at Chen xiaojia and the wu/hao style which is based on Xiaojiao, you can see that the frame is about the same. If you imagine your hands rounded and shoulder width, this is the basic frame size for both of these styles. Actually, the frame resembles the distance/length of taiji ruler. In my opinion and as I have learned it, the taiji ruler is about practicing a precision of structure. So I believe that this should be the basic idea of the xiaojia form practice, just like it is in wu/hao. If you practice one form just like any form, you just need to know one. What is the point learning several? A form is not very much a set of movements, but much more a set of ideas and arranged to bear those ideas.