(Note: For Chinese readers, the Chinese version follows below)<\/p>\n
Like many Chinese martial arts, Zhaobao descends from a tradition of secrecy that has just begun to open up to the general public.\u00a0The lineage left Zhaobao town around 1937 during the Japanese invasion. Japanese troops had made it all the way to Henan Province where Zhaobao Great Grandmaster Zheng Wuqing was a combat instructor for the Guomindang. Zheng was a martial brother of a noted warlord, Feng Yuxiang (\u51af\u7389\u7965) who helped him escape to Xian. In comparison to the small town of Zhaobao, Xian was gigantic. Here, Zheng taught for six decades before passing away at the age of 91, spreading Zhaobao Taijiquan to countless new advocates. Zheng’s successor, Song Yunhua, came from the opposite side of China, Shandong Province, when he was only three years old. His father was a college professor and they both trained together, making them of the same martial generation. That is somewhat unusual in Chinese martial culture where Confucian hierarchy reigns supreme; a good father is always held above a good son. Song’s father objected at first, but Zheng could see that the son had talent, so he convinced the elder Song to overlook the situation. The Song family were wealthy scholars who escaped persecution when the communists came by willingly giving up their businesses and turning over their assets. They managed to keep their mansion and Grandmaster Zheng came to live with them there.<\/p>\n
(This is Song Yunhua (from Shandong) successor to 10th generation Zhaobao Great Grandmaster Zheng Wuqing and Grandmaster Wayne Peng’s sifu. Notice the 10-finger Linking forms for qinna half-way through the video.)<\/p>\n
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