<--- | --->
Chen Panling (aka Chen Jun Feng) was a well-known martial artist, educator, hydrolic engineer and national assembly member of the Chinese nationalist government. Born in Henan province in 1892 , Chen began his study of shaolin boxing with his father at age seven. Later, Chen was fortunate to be taught internal martial arts by several of the leading masters of his day. He studied taijiquan with Yang Shaohou, Wu Jianquan, Ji Zixiu and Xu Yusheng, xingyiquan with Li Cunyi and Liu Caichen, and baguazhang with Cheng Haiting and Dong Lianji. In 1938-39 Chen spent more than a year in Chen Family Village researching Chen style taijiquan. Chen also founded the Henan Provincial Martial Arts Academy and was one of the main coaches for the Chinese martial arts demonstration team sent to the Berlin Olympic Games in 1936. He was also vice-principal of the Central Martial Arts Academy and in charge of compiling teaching materials on Chinese martial arts.

Chen Panling was particularly interested in standardizing forms, training methods and theory, believing that only by doing so would the general level of martial arts in China be improved. In many ways, he opposed traditional notions of master-disciple relations and embraced a more open attitude to teaching. One story often told by his students is about Chen's staff studies with an old master in Bejing. While sparring with the old master, Chen managed to overpower him , causing the other students to laugh. The old master scolded them, saying that only young Chen should stay that day since only Chen had progressed in the art. Chen did not hold back either in his teaching or in his practice. A hydrolic engineer by training, Chen believed in applying scientific methods to the training of martial arts and had little time for mystical claims related to the martial arts.

After moving to Taiwan, Chen continued his involvement in Chinese martial arts as head of the Chinese Guoshu Association. From 1950 to the time of his death in 1966, Chen taught his arts daily at Model Ranch in Taichung's western suburb.


During this period he also published several books on martial arts, among them Textbook of Chinese Martial Arts, which included sections on shaolinquan, taijiquan, xingyiquan and baguazhang. Several books were later published by Chen's eldest son Chen Yunchao and one of Chen's senior students,Lei Xiaotian, detailing Chen's martial arts: Xingyiquan textbook, An Outline of Xingyiquan and the Mother Fists, The Twelve Animals of Xingyiquan, Dragon Style Bagua Rambling Palm, Dragon Style Bagua Double Sword, Dragon Style Bagua Staff, Plum Blossom Double Sword, Dragon Style Sword, Pure Yang Sword and Fengquan Textbook.


Chen Pan Ling in Pi Quan and Zuan Quan.


<--- | --->