Master Chen Zhonghua was born in 1961 in China during a difficult period of famine. In this sad context of the appalling living conditions, Master Chen was born sickly, weak and with a serious lung problems. At the age of one and a half, he developed a severe asthma condition that will kept him at home during the first nine years of his life. His first years in primary school were punctuated by long periods of absence due to illness. This stimulated his desire and willingness to find a solution to improve his fragile health condition. He turned to the martial arts to strengthen himself physically and also to protect himself from the harassment he was the victim given his small size.
Unlike many contemporary masters, Chen Zhonghua was not naturally gifted in the practice of martial arts. He did not start to practice at a young age due to his physical condition and had no interest initially for the practice of martial arts. Through the pure motivation to improve his health, he began his practice via a handwritten copy of a book borrowed from a friend on the fighting techniques used in the army. Gradually, as his body and his physical strength grew, he turned to learning from more experienced people. He then studied sitongchui from a local master, baji and Taizu from a neighbor, xiaou Wushu and Wushu da.Through diligent practice, he got healthy and normal, gaining weight with a body resembling the body of the majority of young people of his age.
His confidence grew and, with the increase his gong fu, he began to organize the practice of other youth in his area by training them. The banks of the Hongning river became their meeting and training. The reputation of the young Chen Zhonghua has in his city as grown as a martial artist and he was frequently called upon to discipline hoodlums. In 1978, several young people from his training group are selected to join the school team competing in the district Weifang and taking place in Wulian County. They have played an important role in the prestige and the victories of the team.
Following his university graduation, he immigrated to Canada where he continued his studies at the University of Regina in Saskatchewan where he also graduated in 1981. He then moved to Edmonton in Alberta, where he became a teacher at a the Public School of Victoria Composite High School. Since 1985 he teaches taijiquan in Canada and his students have won several medals at various championships in China and Canada. By 1994, Master Chen had integrated all the curriculum of training in the Chen taijiquan practical method of master Hong Junshen. Unfortunately, in January 1996, Grand Master Hong Junshen died at age 90. The death of his Master devastated Chen Zhonghua and he would remain in mourning for more than two years.
On June 18, 2002, Master Chen Zhonghua received the honor of being named “International Standard Bearer” for the School of Master Hong Junshen by members of the family of Master Hong and by other senior disciples of his Master. Master Chen Zhonghua is now an ardent proponent of Chen taijiquan worldwide.
