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Chen Taijiquan ethics

Chen family Taijiquan has its own set of rules and ethics — the men gui, or family rules and commandments — passed down through the generations and recorded on a stone plaque in the gardens of the Chen family temple in Chenjiagou. Three areas are considered important for the development of martial skill and spiritual growth.

The Twelve Characters

  1. Duan: Dignified manners
  2. Zheng: Honesty and decency
  3. Hao: Noble, broad-minded
  4. Xin: Good faith, trustworthy
  5. Jing: Respect for teachers and elders
  6. Ren: Benevolent, kindness
  7. Yong: Courageous, fights for a just cause
  8. Cheng: Sincere
  9. Gong: Fair, impartial
  10. Yi: Just, righteous
  11. Zhong: Loyalty
  12. De: Morality, ethics

The Twenty Prohibitions

  • Do not be a bully
  • Do not fear the strong and bully the weak
  • Do not be a coward — help those in danger
  • Do not commit unlawful acts
  • Do not use skill for immoral acts
  • Do not become arrogant
  • Do not sell or exhibit skill indiscriminately
  • Do not join illicit gangs or set up cliques
  • Do not waste time in idleness
  • Do not be conceited and boastful
  • Do not compete with the arrogant
  • Do not argue with the ignorant
  • Do not covet worldly possessions
  • Do not seek undeserved wealth
  • Do not indulge in alcohol and prostitution
  • Do not be in public or personal debt
  • Do not use public office for personal ends
  • Do not hunger for power and position
  • Do not be a traitor
  • Do not neglect your training or waste your skill

The Twelve Vices

Negative character traits to be avoided:

  1. Xie: Immoral practices
  2. Fan: Committing crimes
  3. Diao: Artfulness, rascality
  4. Hua: Cunning, trickery
  5. She: Wasteful, free-spending behaviour
  6. Zha: Duplicity, cheating
  7. Feng: Violent behaviour
  8. Bei: Immorality, baseness
  9. Jian: Treachery, fraudulence, hypocrisy
  10. Huang: Dishonesty
  11. Kuang: Overbearing arrogance
  12. Jianxian: Malice, treacherousness
“The good and upright person learns Taijiquan in order to keep the body healthy and strong and to defend themselves — this is the core teaching of the Chen family.”
“The deviant, unscrupulous person learns Taijiquan in order to intimidate and harm others — this is absolutely forbidden by the Chen family.”

This information was compiled from several sources and books on Chen Taijiquan.