I have been fortunate over the years to have partaken in Taiji Quan instructions with many renowned Taiji masters. I regard Grandmaster William C. C. Chen (陳至誠, 1933 – ), and Grandmaster Tao Pingxiang (陶炳祥, 1919-2006), to whom I was introduced by William Chen, as two of my most important teachers. Both William Chen and…
According to some accounts, the origins of the Taiji Chǐ (太極尺) – Taiji Ruler, also written as Tai Chi Ruler, go back to the Huangdi Neijing (黃帝內經) – The Yellow Emperor’s Classic on Internal Medicine. One theory traces the origins of the Taiji Ruler to Chen Tuan (陳摶, 871 – 989), who lived in seclusion…
Bagua Zhang is one the three major internal martial arts of China. It features coiling, spiraling, and turning maneuvers while walking in a circle. Liu Dekuan’s 64 Palms have the distinguishing characteristic of being practiced in a linear pattern. A Brief Biography of Liu Dekuan (劉德寬, 1826-1911) Liu Dekuan was from Gang Zhou (滄洲) in…
The Chinese idiom, Yi Shan Bu Rong Er Hu (一山不容二虎) – Two Tigers Cannot Roam the Same Mountain, is used to denote the difficulty for two people with assertive personalities to coexist in the same surroundings. This is especially true for two martial arts masters who have schools in the same community. Chinese Gong Fu…
For some time, I have been working on a comparative analysis of Zheng Manqing’s 37 Postures Taiji Form and William C. C. Chen’s 60 Movements Taiji Form. I have listed Professor’s Zheng’s 37 Postures on another post on this blog. Anyone who wishes to learn more about this can visit https://www.kungfutoday.com/blog/ and enter Zheng Manqing…
In the human body, Qi (氣) is the fundamental energy sustaining life. Qi can be interpreted as: Life Force, Vital Energy, Breath, Gas, and Vapor. The Chinese martial arts of Taiji Quan (太極拳), Xingyi Quan (形意拳), Liuhe Bafa (六合八法), as well as other styles, incorporate Qi Gong (氣功) in their training regimen. These exercises are…
People often assume, mistakenly, that stamina and endurance mean the same thing. Although these ideas do have some overlapping qualities, and both help improve your skills through aerobic and anaerobic exercise, there are subtle and important differences between the two. First, let’s examine the definitions for “aerobic” and “anaerobic.” The definition of aerobic The term…
As Chinese martial arts practitioners we have all heard of dragons and phoenixes. Some Gong Fu styles are even named after these mythical creatures, for example, Long Xing Quan (龙形拳) – Dragon Shape Fist and Feng Yan Quan (鳳眼拳) – Phoenix Eye Fist. There are also many weapon forms that are named after the dragon…
There are various theories as to the origins of Baji Quan. We will first deal with the origins of the name and then the origins of the style. The Origins of the Term “Baji Quan” The origins of the name “Baji Quan” (八極拳) – Eight Extremities Fist, is believed to have derived from Huai Nan…
Brief Biographies of the Masters In the later part of Qing Dynasty, Liu Shijun (刘仕俊, 1840-1910), a prominent Chinese martial arts master from Xiong County in what is now Hebei Province, was proficient in Yue Shi San Shou (岳氏散手) – Yue Style Free Hands, which he learned from two monks. He was renowned for his…
The posts on this Blog reflect the knowledge I have received from my teachers, and the volumes of information I have accumulated while doing research and conducting interviews with many masters, during the years of publishing the Wu Gong Journal and the Journal of Chinese Martial Arts. All the material published on this Blog is copyrighted. — Nick Scrima
