The origins of Tai Chi (Taiji) can be traced back to the 16th century, during the Ming dynasty, to Chen Jia Gou (Chen Village, 陈家沟) in Wen county of Henan province, China. Chen Wan Ting 陈王庭 (1580-1660), the ninth generation ancestral leader of the Chen Village, is credited as being the first disseminator of Tai Chi (Taiji). Codifying the pre-existing martial arts training of his Village, Chen Wang Ting developed Tai Chi (Taiji) by integrating the skills of sixteen different martial art styles with elements of Chinese philosophy, key principles of Yin and Yang (complementary opposites), Dao Yin (leading/guiding energy) and Tu Na (expelling/drawing energy) techniques, as well as theories drawn from Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Chen Chang Xing 陈长兴 (1771-1853), fourteenth generation Chen Village family member and fifth generation inheritor of Tai Chi (Taiji), further synthesized Chen Wang Ting's open-hand fighting techniques into two routines known as the Old Frame 老架, with each routine named individually as the First Form 一路 and Second Form 二路 (more commonly referred to as Cannon Fist 炮捶). Chen Chang Xing was also the first member of the Chen Village to break tradition by teaching his family's art to a non-Chen member by the name of Yang Lu Chan 杨露禅. Yang then adapted the Chen family art he learned from Chen Chang Xing and popularized it throughout China as his own family tradition called Yang style Tai Chi (Taiji). Yang style Tai Chi (Taiji) would later become the basis for more contemporary forms such as the Simplified 24 Tai Chi, Simplified 32 Tai Chi Sword, Yang Tai Chi 40 Form, as well as the Combined 42 Tai Chi Competition Form and Sword, all of which students learn in our Tai Chi classes in San Francisco.

The Chen family system, as synthesized by Chen Chang Xing, continued to be taught exclusively in the Chen Village until the 1900s. In 1928, Chen Chang Xing's great-grandson, Chen Fa Ke 陈发科 (1887-1957), the ninth generation inheritor of Chen Tai Chi (Taiji), moved to Beijing to spread his family's martial art. Since the Chen family system differed radically from other martial art styles of the time, Chen Fa Ke was faced with countless private challenges and public matches to prove the effectiveness of Chen style Tai Chi (Taiji). Defeating all of his challengers, Chen Fa Ke earned the respect of the Beijing martial arts community and within a short period of time, attracted a large number of students, many of whom were already well known martial artists in other styles. One of Chen Fa Ke's top inner circle disciples was our late Great Grandmaster Feng Zhi Qiang 冯志强 (1928-2012), the tenth generation lineage holder of Chen style Tai Chi (Taiji).

Born in 1928 in Hebei province, Great Grandmaster Feng began his martial arts training at a young age, first learning Shaolin Quan under his uncle Wang Yun Kai. Upon relocating to Beijing, Great Grandmaster Feng learned Tong Bei Quan under Han Xiao Feng; Xin Yi Liu He Quan and Qigong (Chi Kung) under Hu Yao Zhen; and Chen style Tai Chi (Taiji) under Chen Fa Ke. He later integrated these skills together into his signature Chen Shi Xin Yi Hun Yuan Tai Chi  陈式心意混元太极 system, also known more simply as Hun Yuan Tai Chi (Taiji).

Named a national treasure by the Chinese government and sought worldwide for his expertise in Tai Chi (Taiji), Qigong (Chi Kung), push hands, and weaponry, Great Grandmaster Feng had hundreds of students and disciples, many of whom excelled at and continue to spread his Hun Yuan Tai Chi. Few students, however, were taught the original Beijing Chen style Tai Chi (Taiji) that Great Grandmaster learned from his teacher, Chen Fa Ke. One of these fortunate disciples was our Grandmaster Jia Shu Sen 贾树森, whom Great Grandmaster Feng taught closely and secretly. Grandmaster Jia, in turn, has passed on this knowledge to our teacher, Master Mike Ng, who continues to preserve and advance the teachings of authentic Beijing Chen style Tai Chi (Taiji) in our San Francisco Tai Chi classes.