Cheng Man-ch'ing: 1947 Thirteen Chapters, Yu Yu-jen's Dedication

Portrait of Yü Yu-jen

The first Dedication contained in Cheng's 1947 Thirteen Chapters is by one of the great figures in Republican Chinese modern history; Yü Yu-jen 于右任 (1879-1964).
Yü Yu-jen was a noted poet, a world famous calligrapher who specialzed in cursive script, a close confidant of Sun Yat-sen, and then Chiang Kai-shek, head of the Legislative Yuan, editor of three newspapers, and much more. He was a towering figure who sported a long flowing beard and wore traditional Chinese garb. His friendship with Cheng was of inestimable value.
His Dedication to Cheng's book is a well composed piece of literature written in cursive script.

曼青先生太極拳得楊氏澄浦
心傳以其學力之厚醫理之深發
強身建國之密所成太極拳學理
精華一書闡釋老氏致柔孟子養氣
之説皆合物理學則誠國術至善
至美之教材也

三七十年十一月 于右任

"Mr. Man-ch'ing studied the inner teachings of taichi chuan with Yang Ch'eng-fu. Through his fullness of scholarly vigor, depth of medical knowledge, and with the immediacy of strengthening the individual and rebuilding the nation, he has authored an exceptional book that expounds the essential principles needed to learn taichi chuan. He explains the Taoist theory of attaining softness and the Mencian principle of nourishing ch'i entirely with the laws of modern physics.
This inspired work is trully excellent educational material on our national arts."

37th year (1948) Eleventh month. Yü Yu-jen