Chen FuSheng

## Biography

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Born in Beijing in 1950, Chen Fusheng started practicing Chinese Martial Arts at the age of 8. Chen Fusheng was an orphan, but there was no orphanage to put him in at the time. Therefore, he was placed in a retirement home along with one other child. Of the two, Chen was the only one to go to school. But still, he was full of energy after a long day at school. This was noticed by some of the elders, who happened to be martial arts practitioners. They saw potential in the young boy, and decided to teach him their skills. Things were different back then, and the practice of martial arts was actually illegal. So the training had to be conducted in secret, and Chen had to practice in the back yard, out of sight from the public.

When he grew older and left the orphanage, he also got to know other martial artists. One of them, Han De Wong, taught Chen the arts of Baji, Bagua, Tong Bei and Pigua. Han De Wong’s master’s master was in fact the president of the National Martial Arts Association in the Ching dynasty, and he created a martial art called Taiji wu xing chui.

During his younger adult years, Chen was a member of the Chinese Special Forces's reconnaisence and tactical assault squads. He was a chief instructor in close quarters combat. Later he spent time in the National Prison Service where his skills were tested on numerous occasions.

In 1989 Chen started practicing Jingang Li Gong, which is a type of Qi Gong.

10 aug. 1990, the Henan Martial Arts Association gave Chen Fusheng the title of level 1 Master.

18 aug. 1991, Master Chen was formally approved as a Martial Arts teacher.

10 oct. 1993, Master Chen was formally qualified as a Qi Gong teacher.

3 may 1995 was the 1st conference of international exchange of martial arts and Qi Gong knowledge. Master Chen was awarded the first ever gold medal for getting a big stone dropped on his chest three times, and three times on his belly. The stone weighed 25 kg (55 lb) and was dropped from 2 meters (6,5 feet) above him. This was an exercise for demonstrating internal energy that Master Chen developed himself. He was awarded a second gold medal for his demonstration of Iron palm techniques.

In 1995 the Chinese government recognized Master Chen as a Chinese Folk Master, and his name was recorded in the official book of Folk Masters/Martial Artists. Getting your name in this book is the highest form of recognition a Chinese martial arts master can achieve.

By the international standard, Master Chen is currently a level 7 martial arts practitioner, level 8 pending (Level 9 being the highest but usually only issued post-humorously) and a level 1 master (Level 1 being the highest). He has been teaching martial arts since 1968.

## Training

Chen trained a wide variety of wushu styles under 5 different teachers, primarily Bajiquan with Han DeWong.

### Bajiquan

Wu Zhong > (several generations) > Han DeWong > **Chen FuSheng**

## Legacy

### Baji ZhanDao

Baji Zhandao is a system created in 2007 by Chen, after over ten years of planning and based on his knowledge of a number of styles: Baji Quan, Bagua Zhang, Xing Yi Quan, Tai Chi Quan, Gong Li, Xi Yang Zheng, Tong Bei Quan, Pi Qua Zhang, Tang Lang Quan and Hei Hu Quan.

Chen is the current Grandmaster of the system and teaches from his academy in Lixian Zhen, Daxing District of Beijing.

### Students

Although Chen has well over 100 students, he only has 10 official disciples deemed worthy inheritors of the system, listed below in numerical order.

1. Fane Hervey
2. Carl Sandaker
3. Rhyn Nasser
4. Unlisted
5. David Kelly
6. Unlisted
7. Jeremy Meyer
8. Unlisted
9. Unlisted
10. Patrick Ready

## References

1. ↑ Baji Zhandao Aka Kung Fu - BajiZhanDao.co.uk
2. ↑ The Discipline - BajiZhandao.com
3. ↑ The Disciples - BajiZhandao