Master Chen Zhaosen

Curriculum Vitae

Chen Zhaosen

Background

Chen Zhaosen was born in the 10th lunar month of 1957 in Chenjiagou Village, Wen County, Henan Province, the birthplace of Tai Chi Chuan. He is the 19th-generation descendant of the Chen family and the 11th-generation inheritor of the Chen-style Tai Chi Chuan transmission lineage. He is the founder of Chenjiagou Tai Chi Kung Fu School and the 5th-generation master of the Northwest Martial Arts Society.

Titles and Positions

• Inheritor of Intangible Cultural Heritage
• Representative Inheritor of Chen-style Tai Chi Chuan
• Lifetime Honorary President, Chen Zhaosen Tai Chi Research Association
• President, Chenjiagou Tai Chi Kung Fu Association
• Lifetime Honorary President, Chenjiagou Tai Chi Federation
• Honorary Vice President, Wen County Wushu Association
• Vice President, Henan Tai Chi Association
• Ambassador for International Tai Chi Culture Communication
• Global Tai Chi Promotion Officer
• Deputy Director, Expert Committee of Jiaozuo Tai Chi Association

 

Training and Mastery

Born into a renowned Tai Chi family, Chen Zhaosen was nurtured in its martial arts heritage from childhood. Under the tutelage of his father, Chen Shangquan, and his uncle, Chen Shangxiao, he trained in traditional Chen-style Tai Chi forms, weapons, internal energy cultivation, push-hands, and offensive and defensive techniques. Gifted with intelligence and a deep aptitude for learning, he practiced relentlessly through all seasons, devoting himself to exploring the profound principles of Tai Chi.

He developed unique insights into Tai Chi theory, achieving seamless integration of form and mind, mastering the essence of the art, and attaining deep internal power. Proficient in traditional Chen-style Tai Chi, health-preserving exercises, push-hands, and various Tai Chi weapons, his mastery of the Spring and Autumn Broadsword is unparalleled, earning him the widely recognized title "King of the Broadsword."

Teaching and Promotion

For decades, Chen Zhaosen has dedicated himself to the inheritance and promotion of Tai Chi. With exquisite martial skill and deep attainment, he enjoys high prestige both domestically and internationally.

Since 1979, he has been invited to conduct Tai Chi training courses and special lectures across China and in numerous countries, including the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Austria, Canada, Italy, Hungary, Switzerland, Sweden, Australia, Spain, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Japan, and South Korea. He has selflessly imparted the essence of Tai Chi and promoted traditional Chinese culture, benefiting hundreds of thousands of students.

In teaching, he not only improved students' physical health but also cultivated in them a calm mindset, focused perseverance, and an indomitable spirit, laying a solid foundation for their all-round development.

From 1982 to 2000, he served for over 18 years as Head Coach, Chief Coach, and Principal (Legal Representative) of Chenjiagou Tai Chi School.

From 2012 to the present, he has repeatedly offered Tai Chi courses at Peking University's Guanghua School of Management, introducing Tai Chi culture into higher education and earning high praise from faculty and students. He integrates Tai Chi's philosophical thought with health-preservation concepts, providing students with a fresh approach to physical and mental exercise and opening new avenues for the art's inheritance and development.

From 2012 to 2024, he successfully hosted 13 consecutive sessions of the Chen Zhaosen Tai Chi Advanced Training Series.

Achievements and Awards

• 1979 to 1988: Consecutively won first place in Tai Chi forms, weapons, and push-hands competitions at all levels.
• 1983 onward: As a team coach, participated in various martial arts competitions, winning thousands of gold and silver medals.
• 1988: Participated in the First National Peasants' Sports Meeting, won the Excellence Award, and was honored as one of the "Top Ten Athletes" in martial arts, the only such honoree across all martial arts events. Was personally received by state leaders Tian Jiyun and Li Lanqing; achievements were reported in major publications including People's Daily.
• 1993: Awarded the title "First-Class Master of Henan Province."
• 1995: Titled "Excellent Martial Arts Instructor of Henan Province."
• 1998: Won the Excellent Performance Award at the International Tai Chi Promotion and Exchange Elite Competition.
• 2000: Rated one of the "Top Ten Masters of Chen-style Tai Chi" for exceptional skill and noble martial ethics.
• 2005: Founded Chenjiagou Tai Chi Kung Fu School.
• June 2009: Named "Representative Inheritor of Municipal-level Intangible Cultural Heritage Project (Chen-style Tai Chi)" by the Jiaozuo Municipal Bureau of Culture.
• 2009: Conferred the title "Golden Ambassador for International Tai Chi Culture Communication" at the First International Tai Chi Culture Seminar in Henan, China.
• 2010: Designated "Representative Inheritor of Provincial-level Intangible Cultural Heritage Project (Chen-style Tai Chi)" by the Department of Culture of Henan Province.
• 2018: Appointed Vice President of Henan Tai Chi Association.
• 2019: Received the title "Outstanding Contributor to Martial Arts in Henan in the 40 Years of Reform and Opening-up."
• 2020: Awarded the title "Star of Active Aging" at the First Double Ninth Festival of Wen County.
• October 2024: Appointed Honorary President of Gansu Tai Chi Association.
• January 2025: Appointed Deputy Director of the Expert Committee of Jiaozuo Tai Chi Association.
• March 2025: Participated in the "First Tai Chi Talent Evaluation Research Results Release and Tai Chi Health Engineering Promotion Conference" in Bengbu, Anhui; received the Tai Chi Bole Award.
• November 2025: Appointed Global Tai Chi Promotion Officer by the "Cloud Tai Chi" platform of Henan Provincial Sports Bureau and Jiaozuo Municipal Sports Bureau.

 

Community Recognition

On March 9, 2023, Feng Bin, Principal of Chenjiagou Primary School, led teachers and students in presenting a commemorative plaque to Mr. Chen Zhaosen, inscribed: "Voluntarily teaching Tai Chi for over a decade to benefit the hometown; wholeheartedly nurturing talents with noble virtue to enlighten the younger generation."

Current Roles and Affiliations

Chen Zhaosen currently serves in the following capacities:

• Chairman, Chenjiagou Tai Chi Kung Fu School
• Lifetime Honorary President, Chen Zhaosen Tai Chi Research Association
• President, Chenjiagou Tai Chi Kung Fu Association
• Vice President, Chenjiagou Tai Chi Federation
• Technical Consultant, Chenjiagou Tai Chi Promotion Center
• Specially Invited Martial Arts Consultant, China Tai Chi Network
• Chief Advisor, Mengzhou Youth Martial Arts School
• Honorary President, Yichang Tai Chi Research Association
• Director, Beijing Chen-style Tai Chi R&D Center
• Honorary President, Qinghai Chen-style Tai Chi Association
• Honorary President, Traditional Chinese Medicine and Tai Chi Health Preservation Special Committee, Guangdong Promotion Association
• Honorary President, Gansu Tai Chi Association
• Consultant, Martial Arts Club of Sun Yat-sen University Alumni Association
• Senior Consultant, Health Preservation Professional Committee, Guangdong Geriatric Health Care Association
• Consultant, Wei County Wushu Association, Handan, Hebei
• Consultant, Zibo High-tech Zone Wushu Sports Association

 

Publications and Works

His achievements have been recorded in Records of Chen-style Tai Chi, Dictionary of Contemporary Martial Artists, Jiaozuo City Annals, China Sports Yearbook, and Outstanding Talents in Chinese Tai Chi, among others. In 2000, he participated in the recording of the Chenjiagou Kung Fu video disc.

Drawing on nearly 60 years of personal practice and over 40 years of teaching experience, Chen Zhaosen created the 26 Essential Forms of Chen-style Tai Chi and produced the demonstrative and instructional Audio-Visual Course of Chen-style Tai Chi.

Character and Legacy

Chen Zhaosen is forthright, upright, and modest, with a noble martial ethic. Having taught disciples for over 50 years, he holds himself to the highest standards while treating students with both firmness and care. Renowned worldwide for his superb martial skill and exemplary character, he stands as an outstanding representative of the global Tai Chi community.

Master Chen Zhiwei

Curriculum Vitae

Chen Zhiwei

Background

Chen Zhiwei was born in 1985 into a renowned Tai Chi family in Chenjiagou, Wen County, Henan Province, the birthplace of Tai Chi Chuan. He is the 20th-generation descendant of the Chen family and the 12th-generation inheritor of the Chen-style Tai Chi Chuan transmission lineage. He began learning the family's traditional Tai Chi from his father, Chen Zhaosen, at the age of five.

He holds a college degree and is a National First-Class Referee, President of Chenjiagou Tai Chi Federation, holder of the 6th Duan in Chinese Wushu, a member of the 9th and 10th Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) of Wen County, and an Inheritor of Intangible Cultural Heritage.

Style Characteristics

Upright and dignified, with distinct rhythm, elegant and unrestrained movements, and sharp, crisp, and powerful explosive force.

Awards and Achievements

• 2005: Won 4th place in the Junior Men's Spear Competition at the Zhengzhou Wushu Championships.
• 2006: Awarded First Prize in Chen-style Tai Chi and First Place in Tai Chi Sword at the Chenjiagou Tai Chi Kung Fu Elite Competition.
• 2007: Won First Prize in Chen-style Tai Chi Spring and Autumn Broadsword at the 4th China Jiaozuo International Tai Chi Exchange Competition; also won First Prize in Tai Chi Long Weapons and First Prize in Chen-style Tai Chi at the China Chenjiagou Tai Chi Invitational Tournament.
• April 2008: Secured First Place in Tai Chi Sword, 2nd Place in Long Weapons, and 3rd Place in Chen-style Tai Chi at the 14th Wen County Tai Chi and Sword Championships.
• 2008: Won First Place in Traditional Chen-style Tai Chi (Big Frame), First Place in Spring and Autumn Broadsword, and First Prize in Tai Chi Sword at the China Chenjiagou Tai Chi Invitational Tournament.
• 2009: Awarded Second Prize in Traditional Chen-style Tai Chi and First Prize in Weapons at the Jiaozuo International Tai Chi Exchange Competition.
• 2023: Won First Prize in Chen-style Tai Chi at the 17th National Martial Arts Hometown Competition.

 

Teaching and Coaching Experience

• 2001 to 2009: Invited to teach Tai Chi in Beijing, Henan, Hebei, Zhejiang, Fujian, Guangdong, Heilongjiang, Shanxi, and other regions.
• 2007: Led a team to the 14th Wen County Tai Chi and Sword Championships, winning 5 gold, 10 silver, and 8 bronze medals.
• 2008: Led a team to the Chenjiagou Tai Chi Invitational Tournament, achieving 10 gold, 12 silver, and 15 bronze medals, and winning the Team First Prize and Martial Arts Morality Award.
• 2012 to 2017: Invited multiple times to teach Tai Chi to faculty at Peking University Guanghua School of Management.
• 2012 to 2024: Served as Head Coach of the China Tai Chi Masters Lecture Hall and Chen Zhaosen Series Advanced Training Courses.

 

Honors and Appointments

• 2009: Rated as an Outstanding Talent in Chinese Tai Chi and included in the Directory of Outstanding Talents in Chinese Tai Chi.
• 2014 to 2019: Awarded the title of Advanced Individual in Wushu Work of Wen County.
• 2019: Appointed Executive Director of Wen County Wushu Association; honored as "Tai Chi Filial Star" by Chenjiagou Village Committee; led a team to participate in the Jiaozuo Beautiful Countryside Charm Online Spring Festival Gala.
• 2021: Named Representative Inheritor of Municipal-level Intangible Cultural Heritage.
• 2022: Invited as an Expert Judge for the 8th "Quan Lun Cup" Online Tai Chi Video Competition.
• October 2024: Appointed Senior Coach of Gansu Tai Chi Association.

 

Teaching Philosophy

Chen Zhiwei is sincere and straightforward in his approach. He emphasizes stimulating students' interest through flexible and diverse teaching methods, and teaches students in accordance with their individual aptitude. He focuses on promoting the cultural depth of Tai Chi, integrating skill teaching, ability cultivation, and cultural literacy into a unified approach. He has cultivated many outstanding students and Tai Chi coaches, making significant contributions to the development of Chen-style Tai Chi.

He has received numerous domestic and international martial arts enthusiasts visiting Chenjiagou for exchanges and has been interviewed and featured by various radio stations and newspapers.

Current Positions

Chen Zhiwei currently serves in the following capacities:

• Principal and Head Coach, Chenjiagou Tai Chi Kung Fu School
• Secretary-General, Chen Zhaosen Tai Chi Research Association
• Honorary Head Coach, Shishi City Chen-style Tai Chi Research Association
• Director, Chenjiagou Tai Chi Promotion Center
• Honorary President, Changzhi City Chen-style Tai Chi Research Association
• Visiting Professor, Jiaozuo Tai Chi Secondary Specialized School
• Vice President, Zibo High-tech Zone Wushu Sports Association
• Senior Coach, Gansu Tai Chi Association