Biography of Mr. Chen Zhaokui

Born on January 24, 1928 in Chenjiagou, Wenxian County, Henan Province, he is the youngest son of the famous Chen-style Taiji master Chen Fake. In 1928 the honorable Chen Fake was invited by Xu Yusheng to Beijing to teach boxing, and he settled in Beijing since then.

In 1932, Chen Zhaokui came to Beijing with his mother and settled in Beijing from then on. His half-brother, Zhaoxu, stayed in Chenjiagou to manage the property.

In 1935, Chen Zhaokui began to learn boxing from his father Chen Fake. He studies the boxing assiduously, and pratices the boxing frame very low, with folding of the chest and waist (xiongyao zhedie), and with many hand methods (shoufa). His boxing frame is centered and (up-)right, flowing and smooth, and he is proficient in dodging (shan), fighting (zhan), elastic emission (tan), shaking (dou), his pushing hands (tuishou), joint locking and grabbing (qinna) are about to reach an extraordinarily high level.

In 1942, after graduating from Beijing Zhicheng Middle School, he could not continue to go a higher level school due to his family's economical difficulties. Afterwards, he concentrated on practicing boxing at home, and began to assist his father in teaching.

In the early 1950s, he worked in the material department of Beijing Fifth Construction Company.

In 1957 the honorable Chen Fake Gong passed away, and his mother was dependent on her sons respect and support.

In 1961, at the invitation of Gu Liuxin, the director of Shanghai Sports Department, a disciple of his father Chen Fake, he went to Shanghai to teach the art of Chen Style Taijiquan, which caused a sensation in the Shanghai martial arts circle at that time.

In May 1962, enjoying [birth] of his only son Chen Yu.

In 1963, he was invited to Shanghai again and held several public classes, which were deeply loved by many people. This is the first time he went out to Beijing to spread his form of the first and second roads of Chen-style Taijiquan which was handed down in the family (the first road of the family transmitted Chen-style Taijiquan has 83 movements, the second road of family transmitted Chen-style Taijiquan has 72 movements). Because the Beijing No. 5 Construction Company refused to transfer him, in order he resigned from his official position and went south to teach boxing and to promote Chen-Style Taijiquan.

From 1964 to 1966, he went to Nanjing to teach boxing. This was the first year of his career as a full-time Taijiquan master after he resigned from public office. And he went back and forth from Shanghai to Nanjing and Beijing.

In February 1965, he returned to his hometown of Chenjiagou, Wenxian County, and exchanged with his elder cousin to deepen the research of the Taiji single saber, spear and other weapon routines.

In 1966, the Cultural Revolution began and so he returned to Beijing. At that time, it was not allowed to teach boxing. In order to make a living, he began to teach boxing in Beijing secretly, and got some meager income. Due to the destructions of the Cultural Revolution, coupled with the difficulties of living and no source of income, he was physically and mentally emaciated.

In 1972, his mother (the widow of honorable Chen Fake) died. Since then, he and his son Chen Yu depended on and cared for one another.

In 1976, he brought his son Chen Yu to Shanghai to teach boxing. This was the first time he returned to Shanghai after the Cultural Revolution.

In 1973, 1974 and 1978, he was invited by the elders of his hometown to return to his hometown Chenjiagou three times to teach boxing, and led the Chenjiagou Wushu team to go out to participate in the competitions.

In 1977, 1979 and 1980, he went to Shijiazhuang to teach boxing at Ma Hong's place three times.

From 1973 to 1981, Chen Zhaokui traveled to and from Beijing, Zhengzhou, Jiaozuo, Kaifeng and other parts of the country to tour and spread [the art].

On May 7, 1981, he taught boxing in Jiaozuo City. He died of a sudden cerebral hemorrhage in the Second Hospital of Jiaozuo Mining Bureau.