Cloud Hands is the story of real life creator of He-Style Taijiquan 和氏太極拳, He Zhaoyuan (1810-1890). Most of the novel tells actual events that transpired, as do most of my books, yet of course certain things needed to be added. We simply can't know the name of every bad guy he fought or every friend he had, but for the most part Martial Artists will find names within the story they are very familiar with. (Yang Luchan, Chen Changxing, Zhang Sanfeng....)
20 years ago, when I started learning this Taijiquan, I could find almost nothing of the history or theory recorded anywhere. A lot of searching, a lot of asking and Cloud Hands came together (thanks mostly to the He Family). This man, He Zhaoyuan, is the embodiment of what Taijiquan/Tai Chi actually is. Equal parts effective Martial Art (today, I taught two new comers to this art and it never ceases to excite me when they discover how far from their perceptions authentic Taijiquan actually is) and healing master, He Zhaoyuan is a name all Martial Artists/therapists should get to know. For generations He-Style and it's parent Art of Zhaobao Taijiquan were closely guarded secrets and it has only been within a generation that they have become known outside of their family/hometown. I am deeply honoured to have the opportunity to bring this story to people who may not have heard of it.
No comments:
Post a Comment