An article published in "Fighters" magazine in September 1990
It is often said among Chinese martial artists that the skills and knowledge of a famous expert do not live beyond his generation. A first generation might possess the hard earned skills that made him a legend but the succeeding generation may not have the aptitude or the inclination to further that, let alone maintain a reasonable standard. The third generation would often waste whatever is left and lose the inheritance altogether. Whilst many have fallen in such a wayward fashion, adding to the overall demise of Chinese martial arts, where are a blessed few who have gone from strength to strength. One such clan is that of Dong Ying Jie.
Though not as well known outside Chinese circles, Dong Ying Jie (or Tung Ying Chieh) was considered top among the leading disciples of Yang Cheng-Fu ("Inside Kungfu" magazine cited him as "probably the most famous and accomplished modern practitioner of Taichi Chuan"), and followed Yang for most of his teaching years. A sick child in his early years, Dong, a Northerner, took to learning Taiji Chuan to improve his health. He first learnt the old Wu Style (a different and earlier style to that of the Wu style of Wu Jianchuan) from a famous exponent, Li Xiangyuan. Inquisitive about other styles of martial arts, and with the blessing of Li, Dong later went to study for a long period with Yang Cheng-Fu, fallowing him in his teaching and demonstration tours to China's various provinces. He was to assist in all these tasks and frequently took on challenges on behalf of the Yang School By then, Dong had become famous in the martial arts world. After Yang's death, Dong continued teaching in China, and later moved to Hong Kong where he established his own school there and in Macau.
His son, Dong Huling came out to assist him in his practice of teaching Taiji Chuan and traditional Chinese medicine, and later, a grandson, Jiying also came to help. Although spending more time in Hong Kong, they left China with a whole host of followers in their ancestral home in Hebei Province with whom they kept close contact all the while, and through the work of another son, a grandson and other relatives of Dong Ying Jie who stayed behind to continue their tradition. To date, there are over 7,000 such students and disciples in China.
In the fifties, at the invitation of the Chinese in Thailand, Dong Yingjie taught there, later to be replaced by his son Huling, who stayed for a few years. Earlier, followers of Chinese martial arts were embarrassed by defeats at the hands of Thai boxers, and Huling was one of about three Chinese martial arts instructors who maintained schools. He successfully met challenges and taught Taiji Chuan, impressing many with his quick results. The Dongs' efforts extended to the rest of Southeast Asia where students continue to flock to them in Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia.
Because of their fame, Chinese in the US and Canada invited them in the hope of their setting up schools. The Chinese in Hawaii were to hear of the Dongs, and Huling migrated there where he still runs a school to this day. His eldest son, Jiying joined him from Hong Kong and later moved to expand their school to Los Angeles and San Francisco.
Jiying, (Kai-Ying Tung to Cantonese speakers) established quite unwittingly his own reputation way back in China, where the much-publicised Cheng Manching, trying to build his own reputation had gone to try pushing hands with Huling. Accepting the challenge, the Dongs instead decided to give the young Jiying an opportunity to gain some experience. At the age of 17, Jiying easily met the much older challenger and was not only able to neutralise and uproot his opponent but also to send him flying all over the place.
Dong Zengchen is the younger of Dong Yingjie's grandsons. He left China seven years ago to from his father in Hawaii. Like his grandfather father, father and brother, he steeped himself in the time-honoured tradition. Well known and respected in China by traditionalists, he became one of the few Taiji Chuan exponents who had successfully seen off challenges from both the hard and soft schools of martial arts. Many of his students and disciples are exponents from both systems. Today, he is the Vice Chairman of the Dong Academy in Hebei, and returns there every year to lend a hand, as well as to teach at Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzbou.
Though famous through their expert knowledge of the Yang Taiji Chuan and its complete repertoire of push-hands, swords, sticks and spear, the Dongs are also famous for their skills in the Wu Style Taiji Chuan, a relatively rare style, sometimes known as the "hard" style of Taiji Chuan. Through his contacts with other schools of martial arts and his experience in Taiji Chuan in general, Dong Yingjie later devised the Taiji Kuai Chuan, a "fast" form which brings to life Taiji Chuan applications and methods of countering the hard with the soft.
Every year at the requests of Taiji Chuan enthusiasts in Singapore and Malaysia, Dong Zengchen spent a month each in these countries before going to China for the same purpose of conducting classes and raising standards. Both masters and students of other schools often travei long distances to leam from him or just to pay a courtesy visit. Over the years his deep knowledge of the Art and his openness in character has won him many friends in this region.
A devoted teacher, he makes the Art truiy understandabie and accessible sibie to people previously unable to appreciate the real rneaning of Taiji Chuan. Even old hands had to accept that they had been incorrectly understanding standing and practising the Art. To their surprise, too, practitioners of many decades' standing found themselves not unlike beginners when they pushed their hands with Dong. Good-humouredly, be would point out their mistakes and then its quickiy back to even more practice. Unconservative (and without hype) in his teaching approach, Dong makes available his vast knowledge gained from the time of his grandfather through to present days. The words of the Ciassics come alive when he teaches, corrects a posture or points out an error. His enthusiasm easily infects learners who find each session more than enough to work on and to absorb, giving them greater confidible ence and genuine faith in the Art.
Thoroughiy versed in the applictions of Taiji Chuan (his grand father helped Yang Chengfu write on Taiji Chuan, and Huling had written a book on applications) - an area which remains eiusive to rnany, Zengchen's chen's technical skill can be gauged by the presence of many leading masters during his lessons. It can be seen through his mastery that true Taiji Chuan need not be boosted with extraneous and often irrelevant exercies, or ideas and practices from other martial arts or schools of thought. There is simply too much material to master without resorting to these if one meets a true art.
Keen that peopie are not misled, his students point out tricks that are involved in many circus-like demonstrations one often come across in supposed Taiji Chuan displays. instead of being impressed by "extraordinary chi" and "powerful jing" one should carefuliy examine how principies of physics and student collaboration are utilized. And instead of highlighting the techniques of "fa jing" (for which he is well-known and tested ), Dong likes to emphasize, for instance, skills in neutraliizing which are "more important though more difficult to master", and "... being sides, there are oftens tra tricks and plain brute force not detected by the novice" when performances of fa jin are "... set up". One needs only to feel the kind of cleans extra throws or pushes used by Dong, to be aware of the gaps, deficiencies, and the "hollows" of the less skilled practitioners. Defending, attacking or countering even during a retreat, he wouid instruct how a vast array of techniques, for examples, jabs, sweeps, throws, locks, sometimes simultaneously couid be appled and all these from Taiji Chuan's own repertoire!
Students would soon exhaust themselves selves shortly after engaging him in push-hands as he easily leads, redirects, leans on, uproots, presses shakes, and even spins an opponent with the greatest of ease. Meeting the heavy attacks of seasoned exponents he wouid counter with speed, the more unrelenting and high speed the offence, the still greater speed of his response, answering smoothly high level skills from the external or internal school trying him out. When he pushes, those who are pushed realize this oniy after they have been psuhed several yards away or after they have landed. Such is the level of sensitivity and ability to apply a range of jing that it appears that there are always deficiencies for Dong to expioit regardless of the leveis of skili from opponents.
Dong stresses that skill, chi and jing comes from learning a correct Form correctly, and that time and concentration must be invested in studying this thoroughly and deeply. Though be knows and teaches a range of chigong exercises for those who want these to keep fit, he states that the necessary elernents for good Taiji Chuan are all in the Form. His senior students, as well as those of his father and grandfather all attest to this, adding also that there is really no place for the static postures of standing meditations good Taiji Cbuan unless used to boost falling standards or in the absence of correct understanding or instructions. The intense training and demands of correct postures and movement cater for that and in a lively manner.
From the age of eigh, Dong leamed from his grandfather and uncle, as well as training with his brother, the senior students and discipies of all of them, spending an average of up to six hours each day in a strict and rigorous environment. He also learned Wu Styie Taiji Chuan, the Dongs keeping dose ties with Li Xiangyuan (witb whom Huling and also studied) and his disciples. Taiji Chuan being the profession of the Dong Clan, Zeng Chen began teaching at the age of 22, in Hebei Province, Beijing and Guangzhou. Their vast body of students in their home province had meant that, unlike many other teachers of traditionai martial arts, the Dongs were spared the difficuities created for such people during the cultural revolution. He stayed in his borne village until 1983 when he emigrated to Hawaii.
When he first went to the US, Dong used the usual approach of the traditionalists to push-hands. As a result, cballengers were tbrown, tripped, swept or sometimes bioodied - especially those who could not break their falis or react fast enough to counter the fast changes and freedom dom of use of techniques. Until he happened to see how pushs hands was done by other schools, he had not thought the Art had been so watered down, some to the extent of not even resembling Taiji Chuan at all, while those with some rudiments (but nevertheless offered self defence) leave the learner with a false sense of security. Though more "subdued" in his push hands with strangers nowadays, he gently but strictly teaches push hands the way Taiji Chuan practitioners in his borne province wouid, pointing out to the many techniques that are from the true tradition, and to responses to tecbniques from other martial arts. He pointed to the dangers of wrong postures, moves, techniques and so on, as well as opening up a fresh way of doing what would otherwise, as has often been seen, degenerate into the use of brute force and brawn contrary to true Taiji Chuan. Quietly spoken and humble, at first sight Zengcben appears to be a person who has no connection with any martial arts at all.
Having a background of both the "soft" and "hard" Taiji Chuan Dong points out that Yang Chengfu's Taiji Chuan shouid have solid stances with a large 'frame' of 'softer' moves. The 'hard' style of Taiji Chuan like the Wu School has more direct attacking moves and greater emphasis on internal enemgy. Both have their own characteristics and special points when one practises or uses them. The Clan took to teaching of Yang Chengfu's Art after his death because of the relative case of learning the Form and because it was a good route for the cultivation of health (although they would add that for self-defence purpose, too, it was definiteiy no 'small fry').
Dong's repertoire consist of teacbing the Yang Form (the "Short Form" is not recognised as it had no connection with Yang Cbengfu or the traditional syllabus), then Dong's Kuai Chuan, the Hua Jian Chuan (a spccial form), and on to the Wu Style Taiji Chuan. Once the Yang Form is mastered, students start learning push-hands, and free sparring after the Wu Form. Interspersed throughout the earlier period would be lessons and practice with the broadsword, the jian, stick and spear, (including the very long spear and 5 stick made famous by Yang Luchan, Yang Banhou, but rarely seen nowadays).
With all the "versions" interpretations, claims and even excuses for the Yang School of Taiji Chuan in existence today, it is valuable to expose oneself to what is available through the bard work and knowledge earned through so many generations of distinguished practitioners (and also through their connections with so nany of the great figures during some of the most colourful periods of martial arts this century). The heirs of Dong Yingjie remam the true testimony of such knowledge and skills, making traditions known and clearing much uncertainty, ignorance and vaguery in the ancient and deep art of Taiji Chuan.
In September and October 1990, at the request of Taiji Chuan fans, Dong Zeng Chen will make time from his busy schedule to do a much awaited tour to Britain and Germany. This is a rare opportunity and those interested are welcome to participate in some of the courses or seminars organised.
See also Lighting the Way which was published in November 1991.