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Taiji San Shou: Free Style Boxing

Grandmaster William Chen has always emphasized the practical aspects of Tai Chi Quan, thus Push Hands, Practical Applications, and Free Style Boxing have been an integral part of his teaching. Taiji Quan, to be effective, requires that one must immerse oneself deeply into this work. Forms practice alone will avail to nothing if you have never crossed hands with a…

Taiji Quan Weapons

Yang style Taiji Quan, also written Tai Chi Chuan, traditionally did not have many weapons in its curriculum. Nonetheless, particular attention was placed on the Jian (Sword), Dao (Saber), Qiang (Spear), and Gun (Staff). These four weapons are divided into two groups: short weapons and long weapons. The short Tai Chi weapons are the sword and the saber; the long Tai Chi weapons…

Shaolin Gong Fu: China’s Most Famous Martial Art

Perhaps the most famous of all Asian martial arts is the style popularly known as Shaolin Gong Fu (Siu Lum Kung Fu in Cantonese), which was propagated at the legendary Shaolin Temple located in Henan Province in Northern China. Much of what is true about the history of Shaolin Gong Fu has been obscured by myths and fables. Legend tells…

Patience, Discipline, and Perseverance in Gong Fu

At our Wushu Gwoon (martial arts school), students will see the words Patience, Discipline, and Perseverance written above the mirrored wall. What do these words really mean, and what is their significance? To understand the meaning of a word, it is always best to seek out the word’s origin. Patience derives from the Latin word…

Professor Zheng Manqing and the 37 Posture Yang Style Tai Chi Form

Zheng Manqing (Cheng Man-ch’ing) was born in 1902 in Yongjia (present-day Wenzhou) in Zhejiang Province, China. Known as the Master of Five Excellences, he was highly accomplished in Calligraphy, Poetry, the Chinese Classics, Traditional Chinese Medicine, and Tai Chi Chuan (Taiji Quan). A college professor, he became known to his Tai Chi students as Professor Zheng. Zheng Manqing learned the classical Yang…

Liuhe Bafa Gathering in Huainan City, China

On November 29-30 and December 1, 2007, I was invited and was honored to participate in the 120th Birthday Celebration of the Late Great Grandmaster Wu Yihui in Huainan City, Anhui Province, China, where I represented my late teacher, Grandmaster Tao Bingxiang who had been one of eight disciples of Wu Yihui. The celebration was hosted by Wu…

Hang a Sheep’s Head, Sell a Dog’s Meat – Fake Gong Fu

In an age where information is readily available on the various styles of Chinese martial arts, it is surprising to see how many fraudsters there are who present themselves with overblown rankings, dubious backgrounds, and poor teaching skills. The inexperienced students who are drawn to such a school are often persuaded that what they are…

What is a Form in Chinese Martial Arts?

Forms or routines, known as Tao Lu (套路) in Chinese (Kata in Japanese and Pumsae in Korean), are an essential aspect of training in traditional Chinese martial arts. A form is composed of different stances, footwork patterns, blocking movements, evasive actions, and striking and kicking techniques. They represent the real fighting experience of the masters…