Thunder T'ai Chi is a local style of traditional T'ai Chi Ch'uan deep Rooted in Central China's Wenxian County.It not only inherits the philosophy and core of T'ai Chi but also brings about new initiatives in its creative features. As a martial art legacy, Thunder T'ai Chi, like other styles, could be as soft as cotton and hard as steel, as smooth as ice and adhesive as pitch. But it is likened to thunder and lightning because it well integrates the swift and the explosive, the pliable and the strong into its ups and downs and circular moves. In fact the Chinese characters "hulei" means exactly thunder in local dialect. The use of internal energy in Thunder T'ai Chi is delicately woven into the deft movements and, coupled with creaky sounds under the feet and bursts of body shake sometimes, change at ease amid a vivid display of feint and solid steps. The external moves of limbs are in fact guiding the flow of intrinsic strength; while the feet assume the drilling power and the waist acts as the axis, the hands and arms twirl and trundle, turning the forms into flexible cycles of yin and yang. Though Thunder T'ai Chi is particularly good at attack, it could serve fitness purposes well as the movements could adjust internal flow of blood and breath, relax the muscles and tendons, and strengthen the internal organs, thus making one energetic and strong. Zhang Guodong (1866-1934), also named Dagui and used characters Yinglin and Haishui, is the founder of Thunder T'ai Chi Ch'uan. Zhang was born in Chenxin Village, Wenxian County, Henan Province. He studied martial art from uncle Li Jingyan (1825-1898) of the same village since childhood and carried high hopes from Li as the latter's son Li Huoyan died young. Zhang proved worthy of Li in the next decades and became a master himself. Zhang was chosen as the chief instructor and director of the House of Martial Art of the Nationalist Government and Henan University in 1928. During his tenure he expanded his study into somatology, astronomy and meridian theories of traditional Chinese medicine. Inspired by the burst of lightning and thunder, he combined his learning with elite martial art skills such as "Golden-bell cover and iron-cloth vesture",and created the style of Thunder T'ai Chi Ch'uan as is passed till today. His creation contains two routine forms and 11 grades of exercises that suit the needs of almost all age groups. Zhang's sons Zhang Wencheng (1900-1978) and Zhang Baocheng(1901-1989)are the second-generation masters of Thunder T'ai Chi. Both of them graduated from Henan University and gained the title of "Thunder Style Flag Masters". Zhang Wencheng, the elder brother, was particularly good at nine-sectional chain whip and took over from his father as chief instructor and director of the House of Martial Art and Henan University in 1933. Zhang Baocheng became martial art instructor of the famous Whampoa Military Academy in Guangzhou in the same year. Both had made extraordinary contributions to the shaping, development and spread of Thunder T'ai Chi created by their father. In the 1950s Master Zhang Baocheng won overall and event champions in pushing hands, wrestling, form performance and horse-back archery in national martial arts competition held in Xinxiang, Henan Province, and became the first chairman of the Thunder T'ai Chi Ch'uan Research Society of Wenxian, China in 1983. The third-generation master of Thunder T'ai Chi, Zhang Xiyu, was born in 1943. Having studied the martial art from his father Zhang Baocheng and uncle Zhang Wencheng, he not only perfected himself in Thunder T'ai Chi but also mastered in the use of various kinds of traditional weaponry with the style. He is now the second-generation chairman of the Thunder T'ai Chi Ch'uan Research Society of Wenxian, China and the supreme keeper of Thunder T'ai Chi, apart from serving as deputy director of T'ai Chi Ch'uan Research and Development Centre of Wenxian County, China. Thunder T'ai Chi has been passed to the fifth generation today. In fact, the Thunder style is suitable for all age groups--the elderly, the middle-aged, the youths and the young as well. Starters could begin with simplified and straight-line movements, turn to curved and circular action later and gradually upgrade to mastery. The more hardworking one is, the more skillful and natural he or she will be. After one grasps the gist of skill and theory, he or she can naturally achieve hundreds of alternatives of a circular move, "making sure one's win by acting as swift as lightning and powerful as thunder". The practical features of Thunder T'ai Chi have been quickly picked up by kung fu enthusiasts from more than a dozen provinces of China and from such countries as the Untied States, Germany, Japan, Malaysia, Russia, South Korea and Singapore. It has been widely covered by magazines, newspapers and TV stations from the country. Several media organizations from the Untied States, South Korea and Japan had been to the society for interviews. The Thunder T'ai Chi society is hereby issuing its sincere invitation to all wushu learners and lovers and all martial art organizations to join hands in further spreading Thunder T'ai Chi among the folks and across the world, so that this gem of traditional Chinese martial art could benefit more people in both physique and spirit. Contact: Henan Zhang Guodong Thunder T'ai Chi Ch'uan |