Zhaobao taijiquan (pronounced ''jao-bao'') () is a style of

taijiquan Tai chi (), short for Tai chi ch'üan ( zh, s=太极拳, t=太極拳, first=t, p=Tàijíquán, labels=no), sometimes called " shadowboxing", is an internal Chinese martial art practiced for defense training, health benefits and meditation. ...

that is often considered to be a modern style, but actually has a strong documented lineage that confirms its authenticity as an ancient style of

and as a true transmission from

Wang Zongyue Wang Zongyue was a legendary figure in the history of t'ai chi ch'uan (taijiquan). In some writings, Wang was a famous student of the legendary Zhang Sanfeng, a 13th-century Taoist monk credited with devising neijia in general and t'ai chi ch ...

Form and Characteristics

The main set of Zhaobao Taijiquan, or Zhaobao Jia, consists of 108 movements in the big frame and 75 refined movements in the small frame progressing in difficulty. Great emphasis is placed on Yi (mind/intent) in Zhaobao training. Like many other styles, Zhaobao Jia can be practiced at three heights, each providing a different degree of complexity. Generally students begin with the Middle Frame (Ren Pan Jia), progress to the Low Frame (Pan Gong Jia) and end with the High Frame (Dai Li Jia). Zhaobao Taijiquan's practical applications rely heavily on spiral uprooting techniques controlled through the use of

Qinna Qinna () is the set of joint lock techniques used in the Chinese martial arts to control or lock an opponent's joints or muscles/tendons so they cannot move, thus neutralizing the opponent's fighting ability. ''Qinna Shu'' ( meaning "technique") ...

, often followed with the use of sweeps or trips to bring the opponent to the ground. Flowing and coordinated techniques conform successfully to the basic tenets of the '' T'ai ch'i ch'uan Classics''. Zhaobao Taijiquan also has its own Neigong system based on traditional

Daoist Taoism (, ) or Daoism () refers to either a school of philosophical thought (道家; ''daojia'') or to a religion (道教; ''daojiao''), both of which share ideas and concepts of Chinese origin and emphasize living in harmony with the '' Tao ...

practice that enables the practitioner to develop the required physical and mental skills needed for successful mastery of the art.

History and Lineage

The Zhaobao Taijiquan style shares many similarities with

Chen-style taijiquan The Chen family-style (陳家、陳氏、陳式太極拳) or Chen-style Taijiquan is a Northern Chinese martial art and the original form of Taiji. Chen-style is characterized by silk reeling (纏絲勁; chán sī jìn), alternating fast an ...

, and this commonality is considered by the school to be the manifestation of influences introduced by a member of the famed Chen family-

Chen Qingping Chen Qingping or Ch'en Ch'ing-p'ing (1795–1868) was a 15th generation descendant and 7th generation master of the Chen Family. He is also claimed to be the 7th generation successor of the Zhaobao style of Taijiquan. Alternatively, many Zhao ...

. Zhaobao Taijiquan is not a family style (although there exists the He Family offshoot) and has traditionally been passed down from master to a chosen disciple. The Zhaobao name is given to the style as a way of honouring the village in which the art was kept for many centuries; Zhaobao Village in Wenxian County,

Henan Province Henan (; or ; ; alternatively Honan) is a landlocked province of China, in the central part of the country. Henan is often referred to as Zhongyuan or Zhongzhou (), which literally means "central plain" or "midland", although the name is al ...

, China. According to the style's tradition,

was the 7th generation master from the time that the grand master Jiang Fa brought the style taught to him by

to the local area in Wenxian County. Zhaobao Taijiquan's lineage down to Chen Qingping is as below:

T'ai chi ch'uan lineage tree with Zhaobao focus

Notes

References

Bibliography

*Peng, Wen. Zhao Bao Tai Chi Kung Fu, USA Tai Chi Culture Association. *Zheng, Wuqing. Wudang Zhaobao Taijiquan Small Frame, Da Zhan Publishing Company, Taiwan. {{ISBN, 957-468-163-7 (only available in Chinese)

External links

USA Tai Chi Culture Association
Includes history and lineage of Zhao Bao Tai Chi
Chenstyle.com
This resource guide to Chen and related styles has a description and short video of middle frame Zhaobao Jia

(

Wayback Machine The Wayback Machine is a digital archive of the World Wide Web founded by the Internet Archive, a nonprofit based in San Francisco, California. Created in 1996 and launched to the public in 2001, it allows the user to go "back in time" and see ...

copy) Tai chi styles Neijia