Chang Chun-Feng
Encyclopedia
Chang Chun-Feng, or Zhang Junfeng (1902-1974) was a well-known Chinese
martial artist
who specialized in the internal styles
of baguazhang
, xingyiquan
and taijiquan.
Chang Chun-Feng was born around 1902 in Shandong
. At the age of nine he moved to Tianjin
to apprentice in the fruit wholesaling business. At the age of 16, Chang became interested in martial arts. He studied Gao Style Baguazhang
with founder Gao Yisheng
(高義盛, Wade-Giles: Kao I-Sheng) daily at the sports field located in the English concession in Tianjin. Because Chang was busy working all day, he studied with Gao privately in the early morning and at night. Since he was making good money, he helped support Gao. Gao often taught classes at Chang's home. Because Gao worked with Chang privately, his progress was fast. He improved rapidly and gained a reputation in Tianjin.
Chang studied and later taught martial arts in Tianjin from around 1920 until he left in 1948. During that time, Tianjin was a hotbed of internal martial arts activity. Chang also studied xingyiquan
(形意拳) with Li Cunyi (李存義, Wade-Giles: Li Tsun-I)but only in name. At this time Li was old and Zhang studied with Li’s son Li Bin Tang. He also studied Hao Wei-chen
style taijiquan (太极拳). In Tianjin Chang also became a follower of I-Kuan Tao
(Yi Guan Dao).
When Chang was around 36 years old he began teaching in Tianjin and later became the chairman of the Tianjin City Martial Arts Association.
In 1948, with the political situation in Mainland China deteriorating rapidly, Chang moved to Taiwan
. Financially, Chang had a difficult time making a living in Taiwan. Fortunately, people started to become interested in his martial arts skills. He practiced martial arts in his spare time near the Round Mountain
area in the northern part of Taibei. The arts he was practicing were unlike any that the Taiwanese were accustomed to seeing and he would frequently draw a crowd when he was practicing. Local martial artists began coming around to see what he could do. He easily defeated many who tried to test his skill and thereby began to acquire students.
Chang's first group of core students on Round Mountain included the three Hong brothers: Hong Yixiang (洪懿祥, Wade-Giles: Hung I-Hsiang
), Hong Yiwen (洪懿文) and Hong Yimian (洪懿棉).
Around 1950, Chang began teaching martial arts full time. He held classes in several locations around Taibei. At this time, he also founded the I Tzung (易宗, Hanyu Pinyin: Yi Zong) Martial Arts School. When Chang started to teach openly there was a lot of opposition to what he was doing. The mainlanders did not want him teaching these arts to the Taiwanese.
Chang was also good friends with Wang Shujin (王树金, Wade-Giles: Wang Shu-Chin), another master of internal martial arts who immigrated from mainland China to Taiwan. Wang was also a follower of Zhang's religion, I-Kuan Tao. Wang and Chang practiced and researched baguazhang and xingyiquan together quite often.
In the late 1950s, after performing in a martial arts demonstration at the presidential building, Chang was invited by President Chiang Kai-shek
(蔣介石) to teach him internal martial arts and qigong. Shortly after Chang began teaching Chiang Kai-Chek, he was also invited to teach the staff at the Presidential Building, at the Air Force headquarters, at the Police Headquarters, at the Central Investigation Bureau, and the Intelligence Bureau. In 1961 he began training officers in the Department of Defense and taught a number of famous Generals.
Chang Junfeng's internal arts training program included xingyiquan, baguazhang, Wu (Hao) style Taijiquan, qigong
and weapons. Generally, Zhang's students were required to start out in xingyiquan before learning baguazhang and then after learning baguazhang they could learn taijiquan. Zhang's student Hong Yixiang (Hung I Hsiang) later continued this traditional teaching sequence in his own Tang Shou Tao
(唐手道) school. According to Hung, if the student starts out in taijiquan it is very difficult to develop and understand internal power. Following his teacher, he suggests that students learn Shaolin kung fu
when they are very young, progress to xingyiquan to learn how to develop internal power and then progress to baguazhang and taijiquan to learn how to refine the power.
Chang had an extensive knowledge of bone setting, Traditional Chinese Medicine
and Chinese herbs for traumatology
. He knew that in the practice of martial arts, injuries were unavoidable and thought that students should have fundamental training in how to heal injuries.
Chang Chun-Feng died on the 16th day of the 5th lunar month in 1974. On the day Chang was buried there were more than 3000 people in attendance, many were high ranking government officials.
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
martial artist
Martial arts
Martial arts are extensive systems of codified practices and traditions of combat, practiced for a variety of reasons, including self-defense, competition, physical health and fitness, as well as mental and spiritual development....
who specialized in the internal styles
Neijia
Nèijiā is a term in Chinese martial arts, grouping those styles that practice nèijìng , usually translated as internal martial arts, occupied with spiritual, mental or qi-related aspects, as opposed to an "external" approach focused on physiological aspects...
of baguazhang
Baguazhang
Bāguàzhǎng is one of the three main Chinese martial arts of the Wudang school, the other two being Taijiquan and Xingyiquan. It is more broadly grouped as an internal practice...
, xingyiquan
Xingyiquan
Xingyiquan is one of the major "internal" or Wudang styles of Chinese martial arts. The word translates approximately to "Form/Intention Boxing", or "Shape/Will Boxing", and is characterized by aggressive, seemingly linear movements and explosive power...
and taijiquan.
Chang Chun-Feng was born around 1902 in Shandong
Shandong
' is a Province located on the eastern coast of the People's Republic of China. Shandong has played a major role in Chinese history from the beginning of Chinese civilization along the lower reaches of the Yellow River and served as a pivotal cultural and religious site for Taoism, Chinese...
. At the age of nine he moved to Tianjin
Tianjin
' is a metropolis in northern China and one of the five national central cities of the People's Republic of China. It is governed as a direct-controlled municipality, one of four such designations, and is, thus, under direct administration of the central government...
to apprentice in the fruit wholesaling business. At the age of 16, Chang became interested in martial arts. He studied Gao Style Baguazhang
Gao Style Baguazhang
Gao Style Baguazhang is the style of Baguazhang descended from Gao Yisheng , a student of Cheng Tinghua, who founded one of the two main branches of Baguazhang. Gao is alternatively said to have originally studied with Song Changrong or Yin Fu , later studying with one of Cheng's students,...
with founder Gao Yisheng
Gao Yisheng
Gao Yisheng was the creator of the Gao style of the Chinese Internal Martial Art of Baguazhang. His life bridged the second generation and third generation of Bagua practitioners into the 20th century. He was one of the few third generation Bagua practitioners to live beyond the 1940s...
(高義盛, Wade-Giles: Kao I-Sheng) daily at the sports field located in the English concession in Tianjin. Because Chang was busy working all day, he studied with Gao privately in the early morning and at night. Since he was making good money, he helped support Gao. Gao often taught classes at Chang's home. Because Gao worked with Chang privately, his progress was fast. He improved rapidly and gained a reputation in Tianjin.
Chang studied and later taught martial arts in Tianjin from around 1920 until he left in 1948. During that time, Tianjin was a hotbed of internal martial arts activity. Chang also studied xingyiquan
Xingyiquan
Xingyiquan is one of the major "internal" or Wudang styles of Chinese martial arts. The word translates approximately to "Form/Intention Boxing", or "Shape/Will Boxing", and is characterized by aggressive, seemingly linear movements and explosive power...
(形意拳) with Li Cunyi (李存義, Wade-Giles: Li Tsun-I)but only in name. At this time Li was old and Zhang studied with Li’s son Li Bin Tang. He also studied Hao Wei-chen
Hao Wei-chen
Hao Wei-chen or was a Chinese t'ai chi ch'uan teacher. Hao became a well known and influential teacher of Wu Yu-hsiang style t'ai chi ch'uan, his teacher Li I-yu was Wu Yu-hsiang's nephew. Hao passed the art to his son and grandson, who became respected teachers in their turn, so that the style...
style taijiquan (太极拳). In Tianjin Chang also became a follower of I-Kuan Tao
I-Kuan Tao
I-Kuan Tao, also Yīguàn Dào, or usually initialized as IKT is a new religious movement that originated in twentieth-century China. It incorporates elements from Confucianism, Taoism, and Chinese Buddhism, and recognizes the validity of non-Chinese religious traditions such as Christianity and...
(Yi Guan Dao).
When Chang was around 36 years old he began teaching in Tianjin and later became the chairman of the Tianjin City Martial Arts Association.
In 1948, with the political situation in Mainland China deteriorating rapidly, Chang moved to Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
. Financially, Chang had a difficult time making a living in Taiwan. Fortunately, people started to become interested in his martial arts skills. He practiced martial arts in his spare time near the Round Mountain
Round Mountain
-United States:Communities*Round Mountain, California*Round Mountain, Nevada*Round Mountain, TexasMountains*Round Mountain *Round Mountain * Round Mountain in Gallatin County, Montana* Round Mountain in Mineral County, Montana...
area in the northern part of Taibei. The arts he was practicing were unlike any that the Taiwanese were accustomed to seeing and he would frequently draw a crowd when he was practicing. Local martial artists began coming around to see what he could do. He easily defeated many who tried to test his skill and thereby began to acquire students.
Chang's first group of core students on Round Mountain included the three Hong brothers: Hong Yixiang (洪懿祥, Wade-Giles: Hung I-Hsiang
Hung I-Hsiang
Hung I-Hsiang or Hong Yixiang was a Taiwanese martial artist who specialized in the internal Chinese styles of xingyiquan, baguazhang and taijiquan....
), Hong Yiwen (洪懿文) and Hong Yimian (洪懿棉).
Around 1950, Chang began teaching martial arts full time. He held classes in several locations around Taibei. At this time, he also founded the I Tzung (易宗, Hanyu Pinyin: Yi Zong) Martial Arts School. When Chang started to teach openly there was a lot of opposition to what he was doing. The mainlanders did not want him teaching these arts to the Taiwanese.
Chang was also good friends with Wang Shujin (王树金, Wade-Giles: Wang Shu-Chin), another master of internal martial arts who immigrated from mainland China to Taiwan. Wang was also a follower of Zhang's religion, I-Kuan Tao. Wang and Chang practiced and researched baguazhang and xingyiquan together quite often.
In the late 1950s, after performing in a martial arts demonstration at the presidential building, Chang was invited by President Chiang Kai-shek
Chiang Kai-shek
Chiang Kai-shek was a political and military leader of 20th century China. He is known as Jiǎng Jièshí or Jiǎng Zhōngzhèng in Mandarin....
(蔣介石) to teach him internal martial arts and qigong. Shortly after Chang began teaching Chiang Kai-Chek, he was also invited to teach the staff at the Presidential Building, at the Air Force headquarters, at the Police Headquarters, at the Central Investigation Bureau, and the Intelligence Bureau. In 1961 he began training officers in the Department of Defense and taught a number of famous Generals.
Chang Junfeng's internal arts training program included xingyiquan, baguazhang, Wu (Hao) style Taijiquan, qigong
Qigong
Qigong or chi kung is a practice of aligning breath, movement, and awareness for exercise, healing, and meditation...
and weapons. Generally, Zhang's students were required to start out in xingyiquan before learning baguazhang and then after learning baguazhang they could learn taijiquan. Zhang's student Hong Yixiang (Hung I Hsiang) later continued this traditional teaching sequence in his own Tang Shou Tao
Tang Shou Tao
Tang Shou Tao is a system of Chinese internal martial arts training founded in the 1950s and 1960s by Hung I-Hsiang , a well-known Taiwanese internal martial artist...
(唐手道) school. According to Hung, if the student starts out in taijiquan it is very difficult to develop and understand internal power. Following his teacher, he suggests that students learn Shaolin kung fu
Shaolin kung fu
Shaolin Kung Fu refers to a collection of Chinese martial arts that claim affiliation with the Shaolin Monastery.Of the multitude styles of kung fu and wushu, only some are actually related to Shaolin...
when they are very young, progress to xingyiquan to learn how to develop internal power and then progress to baguazhang and taijiquan to learn how to refine the power.
Chang had an extensive knowledge of bone setting, Traditional Chinese Medicine
Traditional Chinese medicine
Traditional Chinese Medicine refers to a broad range of medicine practices sharing common theoretical concepts which have been developed in China and are based on a tradition of more than 2,000 years, including various forms of herbal medicine, acupuncture, massage , exercise , and dietary therapy...
and Chinese herbs for traumatology
Traumatology
Traumatology is the study of wounds and injuries caused by accidents or violence to a person, and the surgical therapy and repair of the damage. Traumatology is a branch of medicine. It is often considered a subset of surgery and in countries without the specialty of trauma surgery it is most...
. He knew that in the practice of martial arts, injuries were unavoidable and thought that students should have fundamental training in how to heal injuries.
Chang Chun-Feng died on the 16th day of the 5th lunar month in 1974. On the day Chang was buried there were more than 3000 people in attendance, many were high ranking government officials.
Link to Tang Shou Tao Israel
- www.abimoriya.co.il Website of Abi Moriya- student of Hong Yixiang, Yizong Tang Shou Federation, Israel
- Video of Chang Chun-Feng filmed in 1957 at Zhongshan Park in Taibei Taiwan
- www.yizongbagua.com Website for Zhang Zhunfeng's lineage of martial arts
- BBC documentary on Hung I-Hsiang, one of Chang Chun-Feng's chief disciples: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4