Zhang Sanfeng
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This article includes a list of references, but its sources remain unclear because it has insufficient inline citations. (February 2008) |
| 张三丰 Zhang Sanfeng |
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 Statue of Zhang Sanfeng at Wudang Mountain |
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| Born | Zhang Junbao (張君寶) 12th century |
| Style | Neijia |
| Zhang Sanfeng | |||||||||
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| Traditional Chinese | 張三丰 | ||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 张三丰 | ||||||||
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| Zhang Junbao | |||||||
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| Chinese | 張君寶 | ||||||
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Zhang Sanfeng was a legendary Chinese Taoist priest who is believed by some to have achieved immortality, said variously to date from either the late Song Dynasty, Yuan Dynasty or Ming Dynasty. His name is said to have been Zhang Junbao before he became a Taoist.
Zhang's legend is that of indifference to fame and wealth. After declining official position and dispatching his property to his clan, he traveled around China to live the life of an ascetic. Zhang spent several years at Hua Mountain before settling in the Wudang Mountains.[1]
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Legacy [edit]
A legendary culture hero, Zhang Sanfeng is credited by modern practitioners as having originated the concepts of neijia (內家); soft, internal martial arts, specifically T'ai chi ch'uan, as a result of a Neo-Confucian syncretism of Chán Buddhist Shaolin martial arts with his mastery of Taoist Tao Yin (neigong) principles. It is said that on one occasion Zhang Sanfeng observed a bird attacking a snake on Wudang Mountain and was greatly inspired by the snake's defensive tactics. It remained still and alert in face of the birds onslaught until it made a lunge and fatally bit its attacker. This battle inspired him to create a 72-movement T'ai chi ch'uan“set.”[2] He is also associated in legend with the Taoist monasteries at Wudang Mountains in Hubei province.
Huang Zongxi's Epitaph for Wang Zhengnan (1669) gives him credit for the development of a Taoist "internal martial arts" style, as opposed to the "external" style of the Buddhist martial arts tradition of Shaolin. Stanley Henning's article, "Ignorance, Legend and Taijiquan" is critical of the myth that Zhang Sanfeng created taijiquan, and asserts that it is very likely that Zhang never existed.[3]
Zhang Sanfeng is also said to have been versed in Shaolinquan, an expert in the white crane and snake styles of Chinese martial arts, as well as in the use of the Chinese straight sword or jian.[citation needed] According to relatively late (19th century) documents preserved within the Yang and Wu family's archives,[citation needed] the name of Zhang Sanfeng's master was Xu Xuanping (許宣平), said to be a Tang dynasty hermit poet and Taoist Tao Yin expert.
The Tai Chi Chuan families who ascribe the foundation of their art to Zhang traditionally celebrate his birthdate as the 9th day of the 3rd Chinese lunar month.
Traditional folktales [edit]
Much of the written material about him is mythical, contradictory, or otherwise suspect. For instance, he is reported by different people to have been born either in 960, 1247, or in 1279. He has at times been described as being seven-feet tall, with the bones of a crane and the posture of a pine tree, having whiskers shaped like a spear, and being able to cover 1000 li in a day (roughly 580 km or 350 miles). He is reputed to have worn a straw hat, and is usually depicted with one slung on his back, but two villages are reported in the 19th century Wu-yang Gazeteer (Wu-yang hsien-chih) to have believed that his hat was actually a cymbal, which only residents of the villages (famous for manufacturing cymbals) had permission to sound upon meeting him.
Some sources record two Chinese emperors sending missions to Zhang Sanfeng to ask for his advice, although neither mission is reported to have found him.
Owing to his legendary status, his name frequently appears in Chinese novels and Wuxia films of swordsmen as a spiritual teacher and master of martial arts. One of the films is Tai Chi Master starring Jet Li and portrayed by him.
Today, Chinese readers and general public are most acquainted with Jin Yong's version of Zhang Sanfeng, thanks to the popularity of his Wuxia novels. Zhang's popularity also attributes to his personal characters. He has a personality mixed with Confucianism and Taoism that make him very endearing to most of the Chinese people.[4] In Jin Yong's book The Heavenly Sword and Dragon Saber, Zhang Sanfeng was a former Shaolin disciple in the late Song Dynasty, and born on April 9, 1247 at midnight (Day 9 of month 3 in Chinese calendar). He later left Shaolin Temple and established the Taoist monasteries in Wudang Mountains. In the book he had seven disciples, and was alive at least until the late Yuan Dynasty. According to many regional gazettes, Zhang Sanfeng was seen at the end year of Tianshun reign (1457–1464), having lived for more than 200 years.
T'ai chi ch'uan lineage tree [edit]
Note:
- This lineage tree is not comprehensive, but depicts those considered the 'gate-keepers' and most recognised individuals in each generation of the respective styles.
- Although many styles were passed down to respective descendants of the same family, the lineage focused on is that of the martial art and its main styles, not necessarily that of the families.
- Each (coloured) style depicted below, has a lineage tree on its respective article page that is focused on that specific style, showing a greater insight into the highly significant individuals in its lineage.
- Names denoted by an asterisk are legendary or semi-legendary figures in the lineage; while their involvement in the lineage is accepted by most of the major schools, it is not independently verifiable from known historical records.
| Key: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Solid lines | Direct teacher-student. | (张三丰) Zhang Sanfeng* c. 12th century NEIJIA |
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| Dash lines | Individual(s) ommited. | Various Daoists | Legendary figures | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Dot lines | Partial influence /taught informally /limited time. |
(王宗岳) Wang Zongyue* 1733–1795 TAIJIQUAN |
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| Dash cross | Branch continues. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| (陈王庭) Chen Wangting 1580–1660 CHEN-STYLE |
(蒋法) Jiang Fa Zhaobao-style |
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| (陈汝信) Chen Ruxin 2nd gen. Chen |
(陈所乐) Chen Suole 2nd gen. Chen |
(邢喜怀) Xing Xihuai 2nd gen. Zhaobao |
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| (陈大鹍) Chen Dakun 3rd gen. Chen |
(陈大鹏) Chen Dapeng 3rd gen. Chen |
(陈光印) Chen Guangyin 3rd gen. Chen |
(陈申如) Chen Shenru 3rd gen. Chen |
(陈恂如) Chen Xunru 3rd gen. Chen |
(陈正如) Chen Zhengru 3rd gen. Chen |
(张楚臣) Zhang Chuchen 3rd gen. Zhaobao |
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| (陈善通) Chen Shantong 4th gen. Chen |
(陈善志) Chen Shanzhi 4th gen. Chen |
(陈继夏) Chen Jixia 4th gen. Chen |
(陈节) Chen Jie 4th gen. Chen |
(陈敬伯) Chen Jingbo 4th gen. Chen 4th gen. Zhaobao |
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| (陈秉奇) Chen Bingqi 5th gen. Chen |
(陈秉壬) Chen Bingren 5th gen. Chen |
(陈秉旺) Chen Bingwang 1748–? 5th gen. Chen |
(陈公兆) Chen Gongzhao 1715– after1795 5th gen. Chen |
(张宗禹) Zhang Zongyu 5th gen. Zhaobao |
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| (陈长兴) Chen Changxing 1771–1853 6th gen. Chen Chen Old Frame |
(陈有本) Chen Youben c. 19th century 6th gen. Chen Chen Small Frame |
(张彦) Zhang Yan 6th gen. Zhaobao |
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| (陈耕耘) Chen Gengyun 7th gen. Chen |
(杨露禅) Yang Luchan 1799–1872 YANG-STYLE Guang Ping Yang Yangjia Michuan |
(陈清萍) Chen Qingping 1795–1868 7th gen. Chen 7th gen. Zhaobao |
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| (陈延熙) Chen Yanxi 8th gen. Chen |
(王兰亭) Wang Lanting 1840–? 2nd gen. Yang |
(杨健侯) Yang Jianhou 1839–1917 2nd gen. Yang 2nd gen. Yangjia Michuan |
(杨班侯) Yang Banhou 1837–1892 2nd gen. Yang 2nd gen. Guang Ping Yang Yang Small Frame |
(武禹襄) Wu Yuxiang 1812–1880 WU (HAO)-STYLE |
(他招远) He Zhaoyuan 1810–1890 8th gen. Zhaobao Zhaobao He-style |
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| (吴全佑) Wu Quanyou 1834–1902 1st gen. Wu |
(王矯宇) Wang Jiaoyu 1836–1939 3rd gen. Guang Ping Yang |
(李亦畬) Li Yiyu 1832–1892 2nd gen. Wu (Hao) |
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| (李瑞东) Li Ruidong 1851–1917 Li-style |
(杨少侯) Yang Shaohou 1862–1930 3rd gen. Yang Yang Small Frame |
(郝為真) Hao Weizhen 1849–1920 3rd gen. Wu (Hao) |
(和庆喜) He Qingxi 1857–1936 9th gen. Zhaobao |
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| (陈发科) Chen Fake 1887–1957 9th gen. Chen Chen New Frame |
(杨澄甫) Yang Chengfu 1883–1936 3rd gen. Yang Yang Big Frame |
(吴鉴泉) Wu Jianquan 1870–1942 2nd gen. Wu WU-STYLE 108 Form |
(孙禄堂) Sun Lutang 1861–1932 SUN-STYLE |
(郝月如) Hao Yueru 1877–1935 4th gen. Wu (Hao) |
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| (陈照丕) Chen Zhaopi 1893–1972 10th gen. Chen focused on Chen Old Frame |
(張欽霖) Zhang Qinlin 1888–1967 3rd gen. Yangjia Michuan |
(郑曼青) Zheng Manqing 1902–1975 4th gen. Yang Short (37) Form |
(吴公儀) Wu Gongyi 1900–1970 3rd gen. Wu |
Kuo Lien Ying 1895–1984 4th gen. Guang Ping Yang |
(郑悟清) Zheng Wuqing 1895–1984 10th gen. Zhaobao |
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| (王延年) Wang Yannian 1914–2008 5th gen. Yang 4th gen. Yangjia Michuan |
(傅仲文) Fu Zhongwen 1903–1994 4th gen. Yang Beijing (24) form |
(孙剑云) Sun Jianyun 1913–2003 2nd gen. Sun |
(郝少如) Hao Shaoru 1908–1983 5th gen. Wu (Hao) |
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| (陈照奎) Chen Zhaokui 1928–1981 10th gen. Chen focused on Chen New Frame |
(杨振铎) Yang Zhenduo 1926–Present 4th gen. Yang |
(鄭天熊) Zheng Tianxiong 1930–2005 Wudang-style |
(吴雁霞) Wu Yanxia 1930–2001 4th gen. Wu |
(孙永田) Sun Yongtian ?–Present 3rd gen. Sun |
(刘积顺) Liu Jishun 1930–Present 6th gen. Wu (Hao) |
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| (陈小旺) Chen Xiaowang 1945–Present 11th gen. Chen |
(陈小星) Chen Xiaoxing 1952–Present 11th gen. Chen |
(吴光宇) Wu Guangyu 1946–Present 5th gen. Wu |
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| (杨军) Yang Jun 1968–Present 5th gen. Yang |
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| CHEN-STYLE | YANG-STYLE | WU-STYLE | SUN-STYLE | WU (HAO)-STYLE | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Notes [edit]
- ^ Albert Liu, Nei Jia Quan: Internal Martial Arts, North Atlantic Books, 2004
- ^ Mount Wudang -- Abode of Immortals and a Martial Monk, by staff reporter HUO JIANYING (front page)
- ^ Henning, Stanley (Autumn/Winter 1994). "Ignorance, Legend and Taijiquan" (PDF). Journal of the Chenstyle Taijiquan Research Association of Hawaii 2 (3): 1–7.
- ^ Zhang Sanfeng
References [edit]
- Wile, Douglas Lost T'ai-chi Classics from the late Ch'ing Dynasty (1996) State University of New York Press, Albany. ISBN 0-7914-2653-X
- Albert Liu, Nei Jia Quan: Internal Martial Arts, North Atlantic Books, 2004
- Journal of Asian Martial Arts Volume 16, No. 4, 2007. Via Media Publishing, Santa Fe, New Mexico USA. ISSN 1057-8358
External links [edit]
- Master Chang San-Feng by Michael P. Garofalo
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