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Life History
 A Rare Treasure
Life History: 1905-1986 Hua Hu Feh (The Fancy Butterfly)
Training: Ch'ang Fen Yen; Discipline, Patience, and Perseverance
Art Forms: Not Only Shuai-Chiao
Shuai-Chiao: Styles, Techniques, and Principles
Legacy
The Real Ch'ang Tung Shen
Ch'ang Shih Tai Chi Ch'uan: The Book
In the book "Asian Fighting Art" there
is a picture of Ch'ang Tung Sheng (Shang Tung-Sheng)
among an elite gallery of Chinese boxing masters. It shows him at a very
muscular 17 years of age, already an undefeated champion. His uncanny
quickness and agility in footwork and hand-skills had earned him the
reputation of "The Fancy Butterfly."
Even into his 70s, Ch'ang remained
the epitome of what a legendary martial artist should
be.
 Ch'ang was born in 1905 in Hopei and began his training at an early
age. His instructor was the renowned master Ch'ang Fen Yen who was noted
for his BaoDin style of shuai-chiao, the most famous of the three styles
in China. Ch'ang Tung Sheng quickly worked his way up to become the
master's number-one student and later married his teacher's daughter.
After becoming proficient in fighting skills, he traveled to Peking
where his reputation preceded him. There he fought and defeated all
challengers. His victories gained recognition in China and his combat
experience increased. Ch'ang then left the Peking area and traveled
throughout Mongolia, challenging the best fighters in that part of the
country. Ch'ang defeated them all and garnered unanimous acclaim by
defeating the heavyweight Mongolian champion Ke Lee.
In the early 1930s.
Ch'ang taught at the Central Kuo Shu Institute in Nanking, which had
been established by the government to preserve the national martial
arts.
 Ch'ang never retired from the combat arena even while teaching. In
1933 Ch'ang emerged number one in the Fifth National Athletic Meet, a
very popular event in China. He also captured the championship at the
Seventh National Athletic Meet held in Shanghai in the 1940's.
Ch'ang, already nearly 70 years old, was invited to Morocco as a guest of His
Majesty King Hassan II in 1975. There he demonstrated his forms and
techniques. During his demonstration, Ch'ang was unexpectedly attacked
by a high-ranking black belt of another Oriental fighting system. Ch'ang
quickly back-stepped and pivoted to his attacker's rear, catching him
with a strike and throw, which catapulted his attacker to the ground and
rendered him unconscious. King Hussein was so impressed that he
presented Ch'ang with a rare sword inlaid with jewels.
In Taipei, Ch'ang
taught at the Central Government Police Academy for nearly 30 years. His
defense techniques are now being utilized by police agencies throughout
the world. They are also standard curriculum in law enforcement
academies in New York and in Texas.
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