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Becoming the Chen Family Inheritor
Tai Chi is something that I always felt passionate about and worked hard at perfecting. Over the years I studied with several Masters in Shen Zhen and Hong Kong. My love for this traditional Chinese Martial Art would eventually lead me to studying in Chen Village, the birthplace of Tai Chi where I trained with Master Chen Qing Lei. After several years of training I, one day out of the blue, received a call from him. Despite it being so long ago, the memory of the phone call is still so clear to me. I had been walking on the bridge near my home in Tuen Mun, Hong Kong, when my cell phone rang, it was Sifu Chen! He was at home in Henan, China and he wanted to let me know that he wanted me to be his inheritor! The call was so unexpected. I didn't even know that something like this existed. I immediately replied yes and just like that, it was done.
The ceremony itself was very special and quite traditional dating back centuries. There were many formalities that had to be followed, an auspicious date had to be chosen from a special book by my Sifu. I also had to write an application letter stating how committed I was to Tai Chi which my Sifu was required to respond to. My Sifu and I were also expected to exchange gifts.
A special 24 course meal also had to be prepared for the day so a chef was brought in two days before the event. This meal dates back to the Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907), a famous fortune teller and physiognomist saw into Wu Zetian's future predicting that she would become the Empress of China (the first and only one of China) and that she would rule for 24 years. So this special banquet with 24 dishes was created. The meal was called san ba xi or three-Eight in English. Translated into Chinese it means Flowing Water Banquet, food that is served non stop, like water which keeps flowing and moving. There were 8 cold (4 meat and 4 vegetarian) appetizers and 16 main dishes which included meat, seafood and vegetables. This meal was normally prepared for special festivals or events like a wedding.
The day of the ceremony was full of unexpected surprises. The first being that it was held by the main members of the Chen Family Council as well as the Chen Family Elders, previous members also attended, I didn't expect all of these important people to be present. Before the ceremony the main member of the Chen Family Council, Chen Li Fa, taught me traditional etiquette from the Central Plains of China. Memories flooded back to me from my childhood, when I used to read about the ancient Chinese kingdom in my martial arts novels.
The ceremony itself was held in the courtyard of my Sifu's home. A red banner written by my Sifu in calligraphy stating "The inheritor ceremony of Chow Chin Ching" was hung inside the house and under my banner was a scroll with depictions of Chen Tai Chi Ancestors. Under the banners was a small square wooden table with Chinese candy, local fried breads and fruits along with three red candles, three small cups of wine and incense. The food was for the ancestors, a symbolic way of respecting them and letting them know that we remember and miss them. Red candles are only used for weddings and ancestor worship. White ones are used for funerals. Three is a special number in chinese culture, representing the sky, land and man. These three elements are related and effect each other all the time. In the past, people observed these three elements to attempt to understand the rules of the nature. Incense is burned because Chinese believe that the smoke can send their messages to the Gods and ancestors in heaven.
Though the ceremony itself was rather short, it was a very special and rare event. It started with a speech by a Chen Family Council Elder, then a long firecracker was lit that lasted several minutes (this is used during Chinese celebrations to get rid of bad luck and to scare away ghosts), that was followed by Chen Family Council members and myself bowing to the scroll of the Chen Family Ancestors. After this my Sifu and I had to burn the incense, pour the wine onto the floor and then we had to perform a special ceremony to the Chen ancestors. My Sifu and I then exchanged official letters and token gifts. In the final part of the ceremony Chen family council elders stamped their chops and added their signatures onto the application and reply letters. I felt very excited at the time. This was a very important occasion, I was the first inheritor that was accepted by the Chen Family Council Elders. It was the first time that they had put their chops and signatures onto an application and reply letter.
There are many things that happened that day that I will never forgot. It is without a doubt one of the most unforgettable moments in my life. It was the end of one part of my journey and the beginning of another.