Zhao & Li Styles

[Xue Sheng]

Does anyone have any information on the following 2 Tai Chi Styles?
Zhao Bao Tai Chi & Li Tai Chi

1) Zhao Bao Tai Chi - all I have so far is that it may have come from the Chen family (Chen Ching Ping) but I am also finding references to Zhao village and Wudang.

2) Li Tai Chi - so far I have something about Li Rui Dong (1851-1917) learning Yang style and then adding parts form
other kung fu styles. However one of the references does not make sense. It claims that he learned something from Yue
Fei (1103 - 1142). I suppose it could be A different Yue Fei, but the only Yue Fei I know of from Chinese martial arts was General Yue Fei who died 709 years before Li Rui Dong was born.

Does anyone have more information on either of these styles? I am trying to find out what Tai Chi styles they are
similar to, if any. And I would also like to know where they come from.

 

[dmax999]

No information on your specific question, but many martial CMAs claim that their style is directly from Yue Fei. Xing-I and Eagle Claw being two that I know claim to be directly from him. Upon furthur research I have not found any styles he created, just styles he taught his troops (found a reference that explained he learned and then taught elephant style which later became Eagle Claw) But claiming to have learned from him is not that uncommon and is just something you can claim and can't have verified (at least easily verified)

It could very well be true though, his troops were VERY successful and of course everyone would have learned their tactis in China making his styles as popular back then as TKD is here now.

BTW, I have never seen a Tai Chi style old enough to have been around the same time as Yue Fei, but he said he added those parts to Tai Chi.

 

[Xue Sheng]

Thank You

I seriously doubted the Yue Fei claim since Yue Fei had been dead for over 700 years by the time Li Rui Dong was born.

 

[Gaoguy]

There was an article In JAMA a couple of months ago about the Li style (which is an offshoot of Yang). Zhaobao is indeed a Chen style. Try the empty flower forum, there are some zhaobao players there.

 

[Xue Sheng]

Thank You

I will check.

 

[Xue Sheng]

I saw Zhaobao Tai Chi in China..... I LIKE IT!!!

Most unfortunately there are no real teachers near me. My original CMA Sifu does know 2 Zhaobao forms, but he is decidedly a wushu guy.

He does not know the form I saw in China, it is supposedly rare for even Zhaobao, to strenuous for older practitioners, short but a bit strenuous. It was something called nine sounds above the ground. Looked a lot like Chen actually, not surprising since it comes from Chen. I was able to find a DVD of it, but that is all and I only saw it once live.

The Zhaobao my old CMA teacher knows is longer and much slower same familybut not the form I saw. Who knows maybe after I get comfortable with the CMC maybe I will look into learning the form here and next time I am in China look for a teacher.

 

[CrushingFist]

Xue.. look at this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3Qex7QFLss&search=ZhaoBao

 

[Xue Sheng]

Xue.. look at this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3Qex7QFLss&search=ZhaoBao

Thank you

That also looks a lot like Chen push hands, but that is not surprising Zhaobao is very closely related to Chen. I use to do Chen push hands and it was pretty cool.

I have a video somewhere of Zhaobao push hands being done on one leg. If I can find it I will post the link. Zhaobao is the only tai chi that I have seen that does push hands on both two legs and one leg. But I have not seen all Tai Chi styles do push hands