Last June I went to the Chen Village, the birth place of Tai Chi (Taiji) Chuan, to attend the Grandmaster Chen Zhenglei’s Annual Meeting and Training. As a part of the tradition, the first event of the weeklong program was visiting the Chen Family Ancestry Shrine. Grandmaster Chen lost his father at 1 and never met his grandparents. However, he is extremely customary and always remembers his ancestors and holds them at the highest pedestal. He led his disciples and bowed in the courtyard. The 70-year-old Grandmaster knelt down on a small cushion set up in a wood platform and kowtowed. He had an issue when getting up from the cushion and required support. He also had to be assisted when going up and down the stairs. I was shocked to witness these because he was always strong and agile and he could jump straight up on both feet without any prep work and the sound from his foot stumping could vibrate the entire stadium.
Later during the opening ceremony, Grandmaster Chen shared the story of his car accident with over 2,000 participants. It was early in April, he and Simu (or teacher’s wife in Chinese) Lily Lu were in a car on a highway in Shangdong Province during a business trip. The driver seemed dozed off for a second and the car swirled a little; he woke up suddenly and made a rapid corrective turn that sent the car down a ditch. Both Grandmaster and his wife were seriously injured and sent to the hospital. They were hospitalized for weeks and had surgeries. They were just discharged from the hospital not too long ago right before the annual meeting. They were resting most of the time in a hotel suite during the event. Still, Grandmaster Chen made rounds and visited all training classes. He gave a seminar on Tai Chi Fundamentals and hosted a discipleship induction ceremony. Nevertheless, he was in a bad shape. He showed me his right calf where the white bone was still visible. He told me that luckily no bone was broken but his left arm was pulled out of the shoulder. He was wearing a back brace. His soft tissue throughout the body was severely damaged. I could tell he was enduring pain. There are four 11th generation Chen Style standard-bearers: Grandmasters Zhu Tian-Cai, Wang Xi-an, Chen Xiao-wang, and Chen Zhenglei. Grandmaster Zhenglei is the youngest and the only one who had not retired nor planned to retire yet. But I was afraid with Chen’s accident that we would see all four Warriors faded into the background.
About a month ago, I saw a video of him performing at an event hosted by Kung Fu Tai Chi Magazine in Fremont, California (see below). It seemed that he got his old strength back. I felt relieved and happy. I called him up and interviewed him at his home in Los Angeles first time after his accident.
Violet:
What was your thought when the accident first happened?
GM Chen:
I was knocked out for a while. Once I came to my senses, first I thought about how fragile our body can be. Then, I said to myself “My mission of promoting Tai Chi is not done yet. So Lao-Tian-Ye (or Old Heaven or God in a Chinese expression) sent me back”.
Violet:
What do you mean by your mission is not done yet? You have taught directly and indirectly millions of people around the world. You have trained more than a thousand disciples. You have authored the most complete set of books on Chen Tai Chi Chuan and various weapons. You have made videos of all the Chen style forms and watched by millions. You have a few hundreds of schools and affiliations not only in China but also in the continents of North and South America, Europe, Asia, and Africa. Your annual meeting in China has more than 2,000 people attending. You taught Tai Chi Chuan at the United Nations as well as the Central Government in China. What else do you need to accomplish to fulfill that mission?
GM Chen:
According to the scientific studies, Tai Chi Chuan has been proven to be the most beneficial exercise system to human beings. However, its awareness and practice is still low among the general population globally. My mission is to make it better known and more accessible to all.
Violet:
How do you plan to accomplish that goal?
GM Chen:
There are three major pillars that I am working on. First is to have Tai Chi Chuan recognized as a non-material heritage by the United Nations. Second is to have a Tai Chi university established in China and help to train qualified instructors. As the world is aging, we need Tai Chi Chuan more than ever. Currently, there are people who practice Tai Chi but don’t really understand its profundity and the principles. It is essential that instructors have a good training so they don’t misguide others. I can report to you that Zhengzhou University, which is a large reputable institute, is moving toward that goal in a methodical way. The third one is to establish a homeland that truly belongs to all Tai Chi practitioners. It would be a place that not only people practice Tai Chi but also immerse in a culture that enrich modern people’s life.
Violet:
It is rather a miracle how fast you recovered. Can you talk about what you did to expedite the process?
GM Chen:
Due to the impact on the spine and rib cage, I was ordered to lie in bed for two months. I knew it would cause the shrinkage of muscles and reduce the functionalities of joints; therefore, I did Tai Chi exercise in bed, some of them are similar to the Tai Chi warm-ups we do in the class for 30 minutes daily. I also use my arms to move a Tai Chi staff up and down for 30 times. I did much of the meditation* as well.
Violet:
When did you first resume Tai Chi practice?
GM Chen:
I could not move my body until end of last year. The China Central TV Station invited me to participate in a major program to promote Tai Chi. I did not want to pass on the opportunity so I started practice Tai Chi. First I could not Fa Jin (or quick release the energy). Gradually, I am improving. Now I practice Chen 18 form [this form was created by Grandmaster Chen for health and wellness] 10 to 15 times and Lao Jia Yi Lu (or Old Frame Routine One) twice daily.
Violet:
I heard that you are having a busy schedule this year.
GM Chen:
According to my current calendar, so far I am going back to China in a couple of weeks to host a workshop to train the 13th Generation of Chen Tai Chi Inheritors. I will teach at the 2019 International Tai Chi Symposium in Selvino, Italy in May. In early July, I will host the Light of Tai Chi training in Las Vegas. Of course, I constantly work with people in the community to pursue the three pillars that I aforementioned.
* According to scientific studies, meditation has a huge positive impact on people’s health in the area of anxiety, hypertension, irregular heartbeats, chronic pain, insomnia, irritable bowel syndrome, physical ailment and more. Dr. Shin Lin of the University of California at Irvine tested Grandmaster Chen’s brain wave while he was doing Zhang Zhuan (or Standing Post, a Tai Chi meditation form. See a photo in the left above.) in the lab. His Theta, Alpha, and Beta brain waves shot up greatly from the resting positions once he got into the zone and meditated (see a photo in the right above), which means that Grandmaster Chen was able to meditate well.
Disclaimer: I am a 12th Generation Chen Style Inheritor under Grandmaster Chen Zhenglei.
Related Articles:
Hi Violet, congratulations for your newly gained status in the linage of Chen style Taijiquan. Your article is always professional and well-written. I enjoyed reading it as usual. There is a little editorial issue occurred in the middle of this article. The inserted photo seemed to be in the wrong place covering over the written material. It is no big deal.
Hello Violet, Good to see you with Chen. I appreciate you posting this as I had no idea he and his wife were in a car accident. I loved taking classes from the whole family. Is his wife recovered? It is good to see these pictures and how he has recovered. I have seen other Tai Chi practitioners recover from terrible car accidents. They are all very dedicated. You don’t miss a beat on keeping us informed. Thanks for all you do.
Vicki, thanks for your feedback and question. Simu’s injury was much severe. She had several surgery and still in much pain. But her spirit is great. She still smiles all the time and never complains. I only realized how bad her condition when Grandmaster Chen told me.
I will keep them in my prayers and send good healing energy to them. Thanks
Thank you, Vicki.