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…
Cang Zhou (滄州), also written as Cangzhou, is in the southeastern part of Hebei Province, 120 miles from Beijing (北京). It is famously known as Wushu Zhi Xiang (武術之鄉), or the Town of Martial Arts. This designation is justified due to the great number of styles practiced there, but also to the many famous masters…
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…
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…
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…
Nan Quan Bei Tui, or Fists in the South, Legs in the North, is an old Chinese martial arts adage. Traditionally the Huang He (黄河), or Yellow River, was considered the demarcation line between the Northern and Southern Schools of Gong Fu. Overall, there is some truth that Southern styles are known more for their…
Relaxing and becoming loose are words often heard while learning Taiji Quan, Xingyi, Bagua, and Liuhe Bafa. Becoming loose is also required in the Shaolin arts, since being loose promotes efficiency which increases speed, and increased speed equals greater power. In Taiji Quan in particular, softness, which is not to be confused with being limp,…
Getting started in a Chinese martial arts program at our school can be guided by the saying from Lao Zi, “The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” This saying by the ancient sage has profound philosophical meanings. The first step is that of expectations. A student must approach training with an…
Anyone interested in Tai Chi classes might be surprised to learn that there are different Tai Chi Chuan styles (also written as Taij Quan and Taijiquan). Although many styles have been developed in modern times, in China there are five major styles of Tai Chi that are widely recognized (“style,” in Pinyin, is Shi 氏)….
Chinese martial arts are steeped in culture and tradition. Honorific titles have profound significance, and they convey politeness, respect, and deference toward seniors and the elderly. Traditionally, in the Wushu Guan, or Kung Fu Kwoon, there are many honorific titles that indicate the hierarchy from the master to the lowest-ranking student. Some of the most…
