The Pureness of Transmission and Precision in Teaching

A.s.d. Taishan, owing to Master Cafiero, represents the only European school able to prove it's direct descent of Grandmaster Hong Jungshen by the descent of Grandmaster Liu Chengde.

As shown above, Master Cafiero's initiate ceremony took place in September 2010 at Jinan, officialized by Grandmaster Liu Chengde himself before many practicers from all the world.

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Lineage

CHEN WANTING (1580-1660)

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CHEN PINWANG

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CHEN CHANGXING (1771-1853)

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CHEN GENGYUN

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CHEN TINGXI

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CHEN FAKE (1887-1957)

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HONG JUNSHENG (1907-1996)

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LIU CHENG DE (1940)

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SALVATORE CAFIERO (1969)

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Master Salvatore Cafiero

Master Salvatore Cafiero was born in Naples 3rd June 1969 and started to learn the first steps of martial arts at a very young age owing to his father who had the possibility to study Corean Art, Tang Soo Do, and therefore transmitted to his son his love for the study of I Jing. At the age of four, Salvatore surprised his parents by expressing his intention to go to China in adulthood so as to become master of Kung Fu.
At nine years of age, he started his training of martial arts with Master Tino Zegni of Rapallo (Genoa), city where the Cafiero family moved to in 1976.
In 1980 the family moved to Genoa city and Salvatore started his training in Karate, Wado-ryu and
Ju Jutai Sho Rei Kan with Master Val Verde. During his first year at high school, Salvatore met a fellow Chinese student, Giorgio Wong. It was Giorgio, already student of Master Shin Dae Woung, who exposed the first steps of Kung Fu to Salvatore. Not only, he also introduced Salvatore to his Master. Because of yet another moving out of the city, Salvatore was unable to practice Kung Fu Dae Woung but his determination grew stronger day after day.
In 1982, owing to his father's job, the Cafiero family returned to south Italy where, in Naples, Salvatore starts studying Karate Shotokan under the guidance of Master Giorgio Scalpini, whereas during the weekends he studied Karate Full Contact near Benevento with Master Mario Mottola who, at the time, was European Champion of Wake and therefore instructor. But nevertheless his desire to learn Kung Fu never subsided.
In 1984 he began studying Kung Fu Shao Lin and Tai Chi Chuan with Master Stanislao Falanga with whom he opens his first school of Kung Fu in Benevento area, precisely at Cerretto Sannita, the town of his mothers' origins.
In 1986 at Stresa, he passed the exams of first Ji with Master Chang Tzu Yao (Zhang Zhou Yao) during the last big Feik massacre, stage which preluded the split between the federation caused by the discovery that Chang had modified and re-adapted the teachings and what was passed as classic Shao Lin of north China was instead a personal interpretation of Boxing of Fior di Prugno (Flower of Plum).
In 1988, during the first Italian stage of Xu Hao in Potenza (today Xu Hao has prospered in Italy), Salvatore met Master  De Rosa and they immediately became friends and remained side by side until 1993. During these years, under the guidance of Master De Rosa, Salvatore approaches the study of 'Interior Art'. While staying in Thailand he becomes a student of Osvaldo Gianbenedetti Sanviti named 'Guantanamera', last Master of the Sun in Inca tradition and with whom he lives and receives experiences and teachings worthy of further discussion in another ambit.
Because of diversing points of view, his friendship with De Rosa comes to an abrupt halt so Salvatore decides to take leave and finally goes to China. After an incredible series of coincidences he gets to know one of the greatest experts of Kung Fu of Shan Dong; the Great Master Jiang Zhou Cun. This really impresses him, not only for the infinite knowledge of martial arts that this master possesses, but also the impeccable manners and deep thoughts which render him unique. March 21st 1993 signs the beginning of the Chinese adventure of Salvatore, in fact he decides to stay in China for two years and studies with both G.M. Jiang Zhou Cun and Master Xu Bo Ran, famous expert of Tang Iang Quan, learning as much as possible of the real classic Shaolin of North China, the Tang Iang Quan, Sun Bin Quan, Taijquan, Xing Yi Quan, Ba Gua Zang and Liu He Ba Fa.
Because of these encounters, Master Cafiero realises that he has arrived at the foundations of authentic Knowledge which had always been denied to him in the past and was now able to make his infant dream come true.
They are years of hard work and Master Cafiero decides to go to the university of Jinan to study Traditional Chinese Medicine, studying and practicing for fifteen hours per day without stopping.
His Chinese teacher of medicine is Dr. Guan Zhen, beholder of an antique esoteric lineage which include Buddhism and Taoism. It was Dr. Zhen who transmitted to Salvatore Alchemic Interior, Qi Gong of Shaolin, sexual alchemy, Nei Gong Tui Na, the massage of internal force and the art of piercing the vital points according to the hours of the day and the moon phases.
After a couple of  months in Jakarta where he studied Pentjak Silat Harimau style, he made return to Itlay in 1996 deciding to teach and returning to China every year to update his studies. Thanks to Master Falanga in 1998 he meets Master Zhong Lian Bao who will confer him the authorization in teaching in 2000.
In 1997, thanks to Xu Bo Ran, he met Great Master Liu Cheng De, a very important figure of Taiji Chen of Hong School. A very deep and intense relationship grows between teacher and student destined to continue in its growth throughout the years because of the great admiration Salvatore has towards the words and actions of the Master.
In 2001 the Great Master Jiang Zhou Cun blesses him by a initiation ceremony and gives him the responsability of Yuanyang Men in Europe; it is still well known that the European school of Yuanyang Men founded by Master Zhou Yong Xian and Zhou Yong Fu is exclusively represented by Master Salvatore Cafiero.

In 2010 Salvatore is accepted as disciple by the Great Master Liu Cheng De and is the heir for the teachings of Taiji style Hong, sealing a relationship of respect and love which has never withered even during difficulties arisen along their pathway and which threatened to keep apart teacher and disciple. The emblematic phrase “The mind of the Master and Student are One” in the initiate certificate proves this relationship.
The fame of Master Cafiero has grown incredibly in Italy and many notorious Masters, in full collaboration and respect, ask advice and guidance as to expand their knowledge. Master Cafiero is particularly senistive towards those students who have already studied, even at high levels, martial arts which have left them unsatisfied and are searching for a new turning in their practice, just like he himself had done.
Master Cafiero's school is open to all those who wish to share their knowledge and he truly believes in the necessity of comunion of intent so as to develop and araise the spirit of Kung Fu into prosper.

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Grandmaster Chen Fake

The famous Master Chen Fake (1887-1957), born and grown up in the Chen village of Henan, represented the seventeenth generation of the Taiji Chen style. His great grandfather was the legendary Master Chen Changxing.

His grandfather, Chen Genyun, and his father, Chen Yangxi, were both very famous Masters of Taiji.

As a child, Master Fake was not healthy and, owing to an unbalanced nutrition, he was very ill of stomach. To cure this illness at the age of fourteen he was introduced to the Taiji chuan practice. From then onwards he constantly practiced every day for several hours.

Later, his illness disappeared and he developed a great ability in Taiji. Nevertheless, unsatisfied with the level he reached, he continued studying under the severe guidance of his father. Ability and interior energy became extraordinary, the Tui Shou technique was impeccable and refined; all the Masters he met there on could not equal him.

His fame grew even more when he defeated the instructors of martial arts of Hang Fuqiu, lord of war. He moved to Pechino in 1928 so as to spread Taiji and accepted whoever wanted to fight against him thus gaining the fame of  “best Taiji teacher under the sky” and bringing his style of Taiji to respectabilty and well known everywhere he exhibited.

Before all this, the chen Taiji was a secret revealed to very few who deserved it. By founding the Zhongzhou institute, he revealed to all his knowledge.

He is famous not only for his capabilities but also for his uncommon moral virtues.

In almost thirty years of carrier, he never badly hurt anyone even counting his numerous fights and he could count on many friends within the martial art world.

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Grandmaster Hong Junsheng

The Great Master Hong Junsheng was born 17th February 1907 in the Yuxian district in Henan county and died 23rd January 1996 at Jinan, county of Shandong.

He was introduced to the technique study of Jaiji Chen style by the Great Master Chen Fa Ke, and became direct disciple in the teachings from 1930 to 1944.

He then moved to the city of Jinan where he constantly continued the practice and development of Master Chen's teachings above all the work he had to do because of the economical situation. He particularly concentrated his attention on applying the Taiji techniques in order to gain a perfect and inseparable parallelism with the empty space movements of the form.

In 1956 he returned to Pechino in order to gain Master Chen Fa Ke's approval of his studys, who judged impeccable both the variations of the form and thoughts about the nature and mechanic of movement.

Once he returned to Jinan, Master Hong continued to teach and continue the task assigned him by his Master to develop the research and deep study of the style. He experimented a lot with his disciples and friends often confronting with other artists of martial arts. He often repeated that in  taiji quan every movement contains innumerous significances and each one corresponds to a precise level of practice.

In the following years his understanding of Taiji became deeper and the numbers of students constantly grew which is still considered today to be the principle resource by which Master Chen Fa Ke's authentic teachings have arrived to us. He was the only one whostudied with Master Chen for fifteen long years and their relationship was of a intimate friendship; to demonstrated this there are many little storys attributed to Master Chen Fa Ke but where really of Master Hong.

A man of great culture, as a teacher he focalized on showing his disciples the profound nature of Taiji quan using both scientific methods and examples of everyday life so as the principles of style were truly understood.  He not only became famous in China but also in many other countries but this did not fail to allow him to share his knowledge with the public; his book “Practical Chen styleTaijiquan”, translated by an ex student of M° Liu Cheng De, is to be considered a monumental piece of art and indispensable for whom wishes to start a complete study of this style.

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