Chen Fake (; 1887–1957), courtesy name Chen Fusheng (), was a Chinese martial artist who taught Chen-style tai chi. He was born and raised in Chen Family Village (Chenjiagou, 陳家溝) in Henan province. In 1928, Chen Fake relocated to Beijing to teach his family's heritage, Chen-style tai chi. After successfully defeating numerous challengers, Chen garnered a following of students, including several renowned martial artists. As a martial artist rather than a scholar, Chen Fake did not leave behind a written record of his accomplishments. His life story was recounted and preserved by his sons and students, most notably Hong Junsheng. By the time of his death in 1957, Chen had firmly established the global practice of Chen-style tai chi, creating a martial arts tradition that continues to thrive.
Background
Early life Chen Fake was born in 1887 in Chen Village, located in Wen county, Henan. This village had a longstanding reputation for martial arts expertise dating back to its establishment in 1374.
Chen's great grandfather was Chen Changxing, who taught Yang Luchan, the founder of Yang-style tai chi. Chen Fake's father, Chen Yanxi (陈延熙; 1820 ? – ), worked as an armed escort, which necessitated his mastery of martial arts as he traveled across the country protecting convoys.
Chen Fake was born when his father was in his sixties, and both of his older brothers had already died. Consequently, he lived a relatively privileged life. During his youth, Chen frequently fell ill and was occasionally confined to bed. Due to his health issues, he did not engage in the practice of his family's martial art.
However, everything changed when Chen's father went to Shandong province around 1900 to teach martial arts to the family of Yuan Shikai, when Chen Fake was fourteen. Since this assignment required Chen Yanxi to be away for an extended period, he entrusted the care of his family to relatives. One evening, Chen Fake overheard his relatives criticizing his weakness and suggesting that he had failed to live up to the expectations of his ancestors. This greatly disturbed Chen. He yearned to prove his relatives wrong but feared it might be too late. In comparison to others within Chen village, he considered himself lacking in martial arts ability. This question haunted him until he realized that by dedicating himself to the practice of his family's art, he could enhance his skills. Over the next three years, while others rested or relaxed after their daily chores, Chen diligently practiced the various forms of Chen's family tai chi. Whenever he had questions, he sought help from everyone around him. His unwavering determination made him one of the most accomplished practitioners in Chen village. When his father returned for a visit, he was pleased with Fake's achievements.
Adulthood For two generations, the Yang family of Yang Luchan and the Wu family of Wu Quanyou spread the fame of the martial art of tai chi throughout the Qing Empire. The Qing government ended by a revolution and similar disruption were happening throughout Chinese society. It was during these turbulent times that Chen Zhaopei (陈照丕; 1893–1972) went to Beijing to teach Chen's style tai chi in 1928. Chen Zhaopei's instructions attracted considerable interest and in 1930 he was invited to teach in Nanjing. Zhaopei did not want to leave his Beijing students so he suggested that they invite his uncle Chen Fake to take his place. At this time Chen Fake moved from a small village in Henan Province to the thriving metropolis of Beijing.
Before the arrival of Chen Fake, the public perception of tai chi was based on the views of the Yang style and Wu style. This meant that the tai chi forms were practiced as slow and relaxed movements. Chen Fake showed a different type of training that at times can include fast vigorous actions and explosive moves. So in the beginning, many within the Beijing martial arts community doubt the authenticity of Chen Fake's tai chi. According to Chinese tradition, when Chen first arrived in the Chinese capital, he was openly challenged by other martial artists in order to establish his credibility. In those impromptu competitions, there were no rules and no preparations so they could be quite dangerous. For the next thirty years, Chen remained undefeated. Chen not only established an unparalleled martial arts reputation but earned the public's respect for his morality and integrity.
According to his student, Hong Junsheng, Chen Fake never criticized other martial artists either publicly or privately. Chen would also admonish his students for criticizing others. Chen was quoted as saying: “The pillar of socialization is loyalty and the method of dealing with people should be based on modesty and cooperation. Loyalty fosters trust; modesty encourages progress; and cooperation befriends people. Modesty and cooperation should be based on loyalty not on hypocrisy.”
Students Chen Fake's impact on the martial art of Chen-style tai chi extended beyond Chen Village, where he established a tradition of his own. During his teaching career in Beijing, he trained numerous students, including many well-known martial artists. By the time of Chen's death in 1957, his students had gained recognition as skilled Chen-style practitioners and went on to train the next generation of Chen tai chi practitioners.
Among Chen Fake's notable students were his two sons and his daughter:
Chen Zhaoxu (陈照旭, 1912 – 1959) was Chen Fake's second son. His older brother, Chen Zhaoguan (), died at a young age. Zhaoxu began training with his father at a young age and later assisted him by leading some training sessions. Upon his father's request, he returned to Chen Village to teach. Zhaoxu endured hardships during the turbulent times of the Cultural Revolution and, as a result, died at a relatively young age. His boxing legacy lives on through his two sons. The second son, Chen Xiaowang, currently resides in Australia and is recognized as one of the leading proponents of Chen-style tai chi. The third son, Chen Xiaoxing (陈小星 b. 1952), now serves as the head instructor at Chen Village's tai chi school (). Chen Xiaoxing's son, Chen Ziqiang (), is also teaching in Chen Village. Chen Yuxia (陈豫侠, 1924–1986) was Chen Fake's only daughter. She began training with her father at the age of eight and achieved a high level of proficiency in Chen-style tai chi. In the 1980s, when students of Hong Junsheng inquired about the Chen Sword Form, Hong identified Yuxia as the expert who still possessed a deep understanding of the intricacies of the form. As a result, all of Hong's students practiced the form taught by Yuxia. Until her death she was regarded as a well-known authority on Chen-style tai chi. Chen Zhaokui (陈照奎, 1928 – 1981) was Chen Fake's third son. He trained many of the current practitioners of Chen-style tai chi throughout China. His son, Chen Yu (陈俞, 1962 – ), is actively teaching Chen-style worldwide.
Another notable individual related to Chen Fake was his nephew:
Chen Zhaopi (陈照丕, 1893一1972), courtesy name Chen Jifu (绩甫), was a close relative of Chen Fake. Zhaopi was born into a respected martial arts family, with his father, Chen Dengke (), also being an accomplished martial artist. Zhaopi extensively trained with Chen Fake in Chen Village during his youth, while his father was away on business. At the age of 21, he traveled to Gansu and Hebei to teach martial arts. In 1928, he was invited to teach in Beijing, and by 1930, he received invitations from the mayor of Nanjing and the Nanjing government. Not wanting to leave his Beijing students, he suggested that they invite Chen Fake to teach them instead. Zhaopi continued to teach across China despite the chaos of war. In 1958, at the age of sixty-five, he retired and returned to teach in Chen Village. Zhaopi faced considerable hardship during the turmoils of the Cultural Revolution, enduring persecution and a ban on teaching what was considered a bourgeois and decadent art. Nevertheless, Zhaopi succeeded in preserving the legacy of Chen Family tai chi. He authored four books: Cases of Chen-Style Tai Chi (), Beginner's Guide to Tai Chi (), Illustrated Guide to Chen-Style Tai Chi () and Thirteen Theories of Chen-Style Tai Chi (). His students include the four leading proponents of Chen-style tai chi from Chen Village: Chen Zhenglei (), Chen Xiaowang (), Zhu Tiancai () and Wang Xi'an ().
Some of Chen Fake's students were:
Shen Jiazhen (沈家桢, 1891–1972) was an engineer by profession. He was one of the first students of Chen Fake and studied with him for a decade. Shen Jiazhen co-authored a book titled Chen-Style Tai Chi () with fellow Chen stylist Gu Liuxin (). He tirelessly promoted the art but, like many other traditional martial artists, he faced persecution and hardships during the Cultural Revolution. Tang Hao (1897–1959) was one of the pioneering martial arts historians. After meeting Chen Fake, he visited Chen Village to research the origins of Chen-style tai chi. His interest in the martial art continued throughout his life. Yang Yichen (杨益臣. 1904–1959), courtesy name Defu (), was of Manchu descent. His family was part of the Yellow Banners in the Qing court. Yichen grew up in a martial arts family. Yichen and his five brothers were already proficient in the martial arts at a young age. Yang Yichen initially trained in Wu style with Liu Musan () before switching to Chen style under Chen Fake. He diligently trained with Fake until the civil unrest of 1937 forced him to relocate his family to Xi'an for safety. In Xian, Yang Yichen continued to teach according to Fake's principles. Hong Junsheng considered him to have learned the essence of Chen Fake's teachings. Despite his early death, Yang Yichen left behind numerous students who carry on the Chen tradition. Zhang Xuan, (张瑄, 1905–1984) came from a martial arts family associated with the Qing court. He trained in xingyiquan, baguazhang, and tam tui with Zhang Jianquan (). He was working at the Beijing telegraph when Chen Fake started to teach his Chen style. Zhang trained with Chen for three years before he relocated to Xi'an due to the Chinese civil war. He continued to teach martial arts with his friend and fellow student of Chen Fake, Yang Yichen (). Zhang dedicated the rest of his life to spreading the art of Chen-style tai chi. Pan Yongzhou (潘詠周: 1906–1996, alias Zuomin) was a student at Beijing University. He initially studied Yang-style and later Wu-style tai chi with Liu Musan. Like his classmate Hong Junsheng, Pan switched to studying Chen style when Chen Fake arrived in Beijing. He studied with Fake until circumstances forced him to emigrate to Taiwan. In Taiwan, together with Wang Helin (), Wang Mengbi (王夢弼, alias Muzhao) and Guo Qingshan (郭青山, alias Yangzhi), he established a strong Chen-style tradition. Pan wrote a book titled "Chen Tai Chi Encyclopedia" summarizing his understanding of the art. Hong Junsheng (1907–1996) was one of Chen Fake's longest-serving students. He began training with Fake in 1930 and continued uninterrupted until 1945 when he moved to Jinan, Shandong province. Despite facing tremendous hardships, Hong dedicated himself to teaching the traditional martial arts system of his teacher. Towards the end of his life, Hong summarized his experience and understanding in the book, Chen Tai Chi Practical Method (). Portions of this book were translated into English by Hong's student Joseph Chen Zhonghua in 2006. Hong emphasized the martial aspects of the art, referring to it as the "Practical Method" () to emphasize the martial aspects of the art which he felt was the key function of the tai chi of his teacher.