A Wise Investigator
    This year is the 100th anniversary of grand-master Hong Junsheng's birth. We all miss him very much.
     I still remember the day when grand-master Hong had his 84th birthday while I followed my teacher, Master Jiang Jiajun visiting Ji'nan, Shangdong Province to join Hong's birthday felicitation. I was keen in having anticipated this meeting for a long time, I was extremely excited. Unfortunately, grand-master Hong was not feeling well on the day we arrived in Ji'nan. He was sick and not convenient to walk around. However, he showed great enthusiasm at our arrival coming from afar. Hisspirit was brought up a bit and, he had a long talk with us. As the saying goes, "Quan is always inseparable with one's hands while song is always attached to one's mouth." Our discussion surely could not be detached from Tai Ji Quan (shadow boxing) indeed.
     He got excited in his lecture then stood up to do some demonstrations for us. Seeing that he had difficulty in doing so, I went over to help him. My help was rejected since he insisted on standing up by no means of depending on others. Using his hands and trying to stand up for several times, he propped himself up on the sofa finally stood up. His spirit in constantly striving to stronger had touched all of us. He was such an old man -- tough, sober, with profound knowledge.
     He told us the profound truth of Tai Ji Quan and its meticulous rules. We were told to stand straight and keep balanced in practicing Tai Ji; the hands are to be in coordination with feet, and the same to hands and feet with the body; shifts between waist and crotch should be smooth; the whole body is to be relaxed without exerting any strength. At last, he especially explained the twine methods on the part of hand: every finger should be circumvolved seeming in screwing with each performing its unique attacking function. Everyone there was seriously listening
to his lecture.
     Every disciple came to Ji'nan had to be checked out by grand-master Hong with the basic Kung-fu of "Zheng Xuan Quan (clockwise circle) and Fan Xuan Quan (anti-clockwise circle)". Everyone of us was no exception. How we did the circling was checked out by grand-master Hong on the very day we arrived. Mistakes were corrected, and the usage of Zheng Fan Quan (clockwise and anti-clockwise circling) was told. We learned a lot.
     My teacher, Master Jiang told me that "your grand-master is very strict to all the learners. If your basic Kung-fu has not been up to a standard, there will be no need for him to watch your Quan movements."
     Grand-master Hong did Tui Shou (pushing hands) to rectify our gestures. When he touched my hand, I felt his movement was very swift. The second his movement touched me, the one it's gone. What I felt was like touching a circumvolved wheel. When I was at a loss, his Jin had transferred on me making me feel dizzy and unable to stand steady any more.
     Grand-master Hong had used the story of "Tai Hang Mountain and Da Hang Mountain" to warn the later generations including us. He told us that "it is impossible to grasp the essence of Tai Ji Quan if one does not study hard on its connotation and does not have an inspiring teacher who understands the truth and rules of Tai Ji Quan."
     I have been learning Chen Style Tai Ji Quan from Master Jiang Jiajun for more than 20 years. Although I didn't go on some crooked roads, my real understanding of Tai Ji Quan only be right clear in the later years. I do know that it is hard to learn Quan (boxing) well. And I consider that if I hadn’t been enlightened by an inspiring teacher, and studied all the way myself only, I might never be able to understand Tai Ji Quan through my whole life.

A Story about Pak Mei Pai
    It has been a number of years since my father, Zhang Liquan, started teaching Pak Mei Quan in Hong Kong. During that period, a series of Quan Fa (boxing methods) and Quan Tao (a collection of boxing) was taught, including "Zhi Bu Biao Zhi (stepping straight forward in attacking with one's fingers)", "Jiu Bu Tui (nine steps in pushing)", "Di Sha (the ultimate strength on earth)", "Shi Ba Mo Qiao (eighteen bridges in stroking)", "Meng Hu Chu Lin (the emergence of tiger from forest)". Besides those, weapons arts, such as "Da Zhen Gun (a cluster of sticks)", "Liu Ye Shuang Dao (double lances)", "Qing Long Yan Yue Dao (green dragon lunar falchion)", "San Sha Da Pa (three big prongs)", were also passed down.
    The Quan Sbu (art) of Pak Mei Quan has its own experiences and requirements in terms of one's body, hands, waist and the burst of forces with his hands. The attacking techniques as well as the defending are included in different Tao Lu (methods of boxing).
      In my opinion, the Quan Jie (the Kung-fu circle) would have recognized more or less the value of our school of boxing. The later disciples of our school should be more obliged to pay much attention to the essence of Kung-fu instead of purely focusing on the superficial quantity to measure whether a kind of Kung-fu is good or not. I hope all our disciples will strive together to develop Pak Mei Quan as well.

A Scholarly Master
    Master Hong Junsheng was well-known due to his wonderful Kung-fu. He was respectfully called "a great star of Tai Ji Quan" in Japanese Tai Ji circle. However, his wide range of knowledge and literary talent was little known by others. Hereinafter I will edit some of his classical words to let more readers have a better understanding of Master Hong and his Tai J i Quan.
    "San Zi Jing" (each sentence including three words discussing the essence of Tai Ji Quan) was collected by Master Hong in his own practicing and understanding of Tai Ji Quan. It explains/he main concept of Tai Ji Quan, such as the technique of Tui Shou (pushing hands), Chan Si Jing (the strength twisting in a round), the complicated changes of the hands, eyes, body and stances, the principle of Gang (hardness) and Rou (softness) and so on.
     Some of the "San Zi Jing" contents are as follows:
     Chen Style Tai Ji Quan has very comprehensive and profound theory.
     The principle of Yin and Yang goes through in transferring each other and Chan Si Jing is most fundamental in playing Tai Ji Quan.
     You have to be very light, agile and relaxed in practicing the Quan all in a round with all the movements.
     Applying Luo Xuan Jing (strength twisting in a round), you should keep Yuan (circumvolving in circles) and Song (being relaxed) forever according to your actual situation.
     Practicing Tai Ji Quan could make you healthier and keep you far away from many diseases.
     To achieve high level of Tai Ji Quan, you have to practice it hard.
      Master Hong also had his own understanding of the "Quan's characters" giving great guidance to the Tai Ji practitioners. Practicing Tai Ji Quan, you should try to achieve the following Kung-fu level as well:
     1. Holding upright. When you are practicing the Quan, you should have your body being upright, coordinate your movements still either strongly or softly and, twist your body.
     2. To be round and harmonious. The most fundamental concept of Tai Ji is keeping round and twisting all the time. Though there are thousands of changes with your movements, you could just keep your mind to face all of them in twisting and screwing.
     3. To be agile and light. When you could circumvolve around like a wheel rolling in practicing Tai Ji Quan, you will achieve being agile and light, just like the flying swallows or swimming dragons.
     4. To be steady. While you are keeping agile, you should at the same time be steady, so as to hold the center of your gravity and make your whole body firmly.
     5. To be vigorous and firm. When you are vigorous and firm, you will just be like the fierce tiger or strong eagle, and to make your opponent scared.
     6. To be graceful. You will be as free and natural as flowing water, floating cloud, swimming fish and swinging willow in the mild wind.
     7. To be deliberate and careful. You should practice Tai Ji according to its principle with proper strength. At the same time, you should be very acute and alert in your mind.
     8. To be continuous. The movements you played should be as continuous as flowing water, as twisting as a silkworm giving out its silk.
     9. To get the spirit of the Quan. When you practice Tai Ji to a higher level, you will get the essence and spirit of it.
     10. To compose many changes in one movement. You hold your vigor and changes in your movements. Those vigor and changes would suddenly come out when you are fighting
11. To be elegant. Practicing the Quan with graceful and poised manner, you will feel yourself in the great nature, having the sense of the sun, sea, sky, mountain, water and such beautiful things.
     12. To have profound concept. The Quan certainly have got long lasting charming, attracting people to keep on studying it with great interest, just like enjoying wonderful scenery.
13. To be natural. Practice Quan with natural mind and comply yourself to nature rule. You have to work very hard in making your Quan very natural and, to achieve a higher level.
     There have been many articles discussing Tai Ji Quan since ancient time. However, in my opinion, not many of them achieve the level same as Master Hong's. If you study Hong's writing carefully, you must be benefited a lot from it. As time goes by and people have gotten more and more increasing understanding in practicing Tai Ji Quan, I believe that Master Hong's Kung-fu and works will be known by more and more people. I have made a lot of effort introducing Master Hong's Tai Ji Quan to more people and to develop Tai Ji better. I will do it in my future career a well.

A Diligent Maser Who Was Superior to Riches & Honor
    On 23rd February, 1996, Master Hong Junsheng, known as "giant of Tai Ji Quan", passed away and left his pursuit of Tai Ji Quan in his lifetime.
    There are ten years till now. His name always reminds us of Tai Ji Quan, which has been highly praised and deeply loved by people and been spread over all the world. The contribution that he made for Tai Ji Quan undertaking and his name Hong Junsheng has been recorded in Chinese Tai Ji Quan history.
    Master Hong had been one of the disciples of Tai Ji Master Chen Fa-ke since 1930. He had devoted himself to the theory and practice of Chen style Tai Ji Quan for more than sixty years. He learned the boxing skills from his Master and sought further progress by all kinds of martial arts. He didn't adhere to the fixed law, but rather he always concerned the facts and sought the truth. He is the second people who made a new contribution on explaining the theory and the law of Tai Ji Quan. In the light of the Chan Fa (twisting ?) theory of Master Chen Xin and practical boxing  skills taught by his Master, he further elaborated Chen style Tai Ji Quan by combining the law of the unity of opposites and mechanics principle with studying and teaching practices.
    He pointed out the hand's rotation and revolution for the first time, rotating and revolving accordingly and conversely, and the specific requirements of Chan technique of feet. What's more, he further explained what kind of angle should be acquired to coordinate the rotation and revolution of each movement. That had solved the problem left by the book Chen style Tai Ji Quan
    Chen style Tai Ji Quan is famous for its attacking skills in the world. Master Hong paid high attention to its attacking techniques and usage. He also made a comprehensive and deep study on its core- Chan Si Jin (a kind of force as silk twisted up and up). He made a creative exposition on the relationship between rotation and revolution of eyes', body's, steps' and arms' spiral movements. He emphasized that the direction and the angle of one's eyes, body, steps, and arms should be made in close coordination. By this, the skilled and magical craftsmanship can be embodied in the boxing.
    In his later years, Master Hong strictly followed the principle of Chen style Tai Ji Quan Chan skills on the movement. It was quite different from others, for it is agile and steady and has grand vigor.
    Master Hong had a thorough master of Chen style Tai Ji Quan and made a comprehensive study on all kinds of martial schools. Therefore, after testing the theory made by our predecessors, he could make contributions and have new explanations as well as correct some of the misunderstandings by his own teaching and study practices. Agreed by Master Chen Fa-ke, he combined his own experience with movements and skills of Master Chen, and made use of them in his original Tao Lu (a series of skills and tricks in playing Chinese Kung-fu) because he wanted to find a much better way for more learners to master the Chen style Tai Ji Quan. As a result, he passed on this set of boxing skills to disciples in Jinan. It got a good effect in practices and well-known all over the world. He also wrote Chen style Tai Ji Quan learners. This book is the precious treasure in china.
 Many other masters often visited Master Hong because of his super boxing skills. He was always modest to communicate the boxing skills by meeting friends.
 There is one of the examples. In spring of 1963, when Master began to recover his cold, Master Sang (the daughter of Master Sang Yunxiang), together with Xing Yi Quan Master Qiao Mingde, came to visit him. When Master Qiao heard that Master Hong had got a cold, he said "It is a pity that we cannot experience your Tai Ji Quan Kung-fu!" Master Hong said "it doesn't matter. I can do it as usual." He stood up slowly. At that' very moment, Master Qiao stretched his right fist and attacked Master Hong's chest at a very high speed by using Beng Quan (one of the boxing skills of Xing Yi Quan ). Everyone was surprised then. Master Hong quickly lifted Master Qiao's hand waist by his right hand and raised his middle finger slightly. Immediately, Master Qiao was lifted up in the air and thrown three meters far away! Master Qiao stood up and said "Excellent!"
    Master Hong was not only modest but also broadminded. He constantly strived for perfection on the theory and skills of Tai Ji Quan and held that we should discuss it on the basis of facts and science. He often gave his straightforward views on somebody's works or even some wrong points. He also pointed out that any academic study should base on the facts rather than the people and the aim of argument was to make clear what is right and wrong as well as to make progress.
   In1964, he submitted his writings for publication to sports column of China Sports. He had a fierce debate with Wu style Tai Ji Quan Master Xu Zhi on the question of "Chan Si Jin and Chou Si Jin in Tai Ji Quan", which had great influential in Tai Jin circle at that time. The book Chen style Tai Ji Quan written by Master Gu and Master Shen is the most standard and earliest book talking about Tai Ji Quan. However, Master Hong had different opinions on this book. Although he had friendly relationship with Master Gu, he dared question the validity of the book. He wrote Commons on the Eight Features of 'Chen style Tai Ji Quan and sought discussion with Master Gu.
  Master Hong was indifferent to fame and wealth in his lifetime and was neither supercilious nor arrogant-cordial but independent. He often said: "You She Zi Lai Xiang, Bu Yong Da Feng Yang", which means that if you have got such quality, people will know and it is useless to boast much more. The famous calligrapher Master Qi Gong praised his good quality, morals and writings. Master Chen Fa-ke commended him as "clever, honest and broad-minded, successfully carrying forward Chen style boxing skills".
  Master Hong had ever been the committee of Athletic Association in Shangdong Province, the chairman of Athletic Association in Jinan city, and the adviser of both Chen Style Tai Ji Quan Research Association and Shangdong University Wu Shu Club as well as Wu Shu association of Hua Lin school in America. However, he seldom took part in the public activities and never took the initiative in associating with officials. When some officials visited him, he always gave them a very simple treatment because he considered that association in men of noble character was simple. But when his old friends came to visit, he warmly received them because he thought it was a great pleasure to meet his friends.
 The most valuable quality of Master Hong is that he could gain pleasure in adverse circumstances and be steady in favorable ones. He had experienced the frustration of life as well as the ups and downs of social changes in his lifetime. Although he had passed away, he still had many sons and grandsons as well as many of his disciples. So there is no regret in his life.
 Master Hong was good at handwriting, poetry and tonality. He gained the true essence of Tai Ji Quan from aesthetic perspective. He wrote thirteen pieces of writings about "Quan Pin" of Tai Ji Quan by using the poem form and poem language to describe Tai Ji boxing skills and its aesthetics. He creatively commented on athletic idea in poem language that the level of Wu Shu skills should depend on one's quality. No ancients in the past have said or done this like him and his great contribution inspires people. Master Hong's spirit and his Tai Ji Quan don't fall into a certain people or nation or school category, but rather, they belong to the whole society and human beings.