Chen Zhouting (Chen Wanting), born at the end of the Ming period in Wen county, province Henan, ws representative of the Chen clan in the 9th generation. He was famous in the province Shandong as a highly skilled martial artist and is called the founder of the martial art of the Chen clan.
The martial art, nowadays known as taijiquan, was build up as a complex self defence system from different fighting systems from the north of China during the Ming period.

Later on, the Chen Style taijiquan was enriched by the jingluo (main and collateral energy channels and acupuncture points) theory of Chinese medicine, daoyin shu (exercises to lead an guide energy), tuna (expelling an drawing energy) and the philosophy of the yijing (The book of changes) and other classic texts.

Chen Changxing (1771-1853), 14th generation, instructed the Chen style to an outsider named Yang Luchan (1799-1872) Yongnian county, province Hebei. His successors practice the so called Yang style. Yang Luchan instructed Wu Yuxiang (1812-1880), who also came from Yongnian county. It is possible that he learned also from Chen Qingping (1795-1868), 15th generation of the Chen family. His taijiquan is nowadays called the Wu (Yuxiang) style.

Chen Qingping instructed non-family members from the town Zhaobao, Wen county, and their followers train and teach Zhaobao taijiquan today. The successors from Li Jingyan, who learned from Chen Qingping, called their taijiquan Huleijia ("sudden thunder") taijiquan.

Yang Luchan and his son Banhou instructed Quan You (1843-1902) in the martial art of taijiquan. The successors of his son Wu Jinquan (1870-1942) practice the Wu (Jinquan) Style.

Wu Yunxiang instructed Li Yiyu (1832-1892), from him learned Hao Weizhen (1849-1920). His student Sun Lutang (1861-1932) created his own style called Sun style.