Ken Gullette's Internal Fighting Arts

Chen Xiaowang put a student into a good posture, one of the positions in "Buddha's Warrior Attendant Pounds Mortar." When he put the student into the proper stance, Master Chen stepped back and said, "Now, he can defend from all directions." 

At the time, I wasn't sure what he meant. Now, I think I have a clearer idea.

360-Degree Dynamic Awareness. One of the things we cultivate in this martial art is a state of awareness. When Chen Xiaowang puts you into a standing posture, you aren't just doing qigong. He tells you to "listen behind you." This means to be aware of everything around you at all times. In daily life, this means taking your eyes off your cell phone and being present at all times -- walking across a parking lot at the store, driving in the car, or when you are in a potentially dangerous self-defense situation. And when you come in contact with an opponent, you are aware of his energy and where it is being directed.

Sensitivity and Responsiveness. Awareness then applies...

This is a photo taken during a private lesson I had a few years ago with Grandmaster Chen Xiaowang. We did the lesson in the backyard of Jim and Angela Criscimagna in Rockford, Illinois.

I like to look over some of the notes I've taken over the years. It's hard to retain everything you're told during a martial arts lesson, so I try to write things down as soon as possible after leaving a class or workshop.

Chen Xiaowang says "natural is best." He also believes that until you learn proper structure, you shouldn't try to do tai chi movements in a very low stance. Form and balance are most important. Proper structure is more important than low stances. And it takes us years to get proper structure.

Good kung-fu, he says, is proper structure, not low stances.

There is one principle and three techniques involved in tai chi, according to Chen Xiaowang. He's worded it differently at different times, but the one principle boils down to "when one part moves, all parts move. When dan t'ien ...

Each time I've had the pleasure of learning from a teacher or a tai chi master, I've taken notes. It's hard to retain everything, so I try to write as much after each session or day as possible. I've been sorting through papers and tossing stuff, and I ran across a lot of notes that I hadn't seen in a while.

One of my favorite memories of Grandmaster Chen Xiaowang was at a workshop near Washington, D.C. sponsored by C.P. Ong. Nancy and I flew to D.C. so I could study at the workshop. The participants were doing standing stake and CXW was going around the room correcting everyone. When he came up to me I had my eyes closed and he moved my hands in just a little. I smiled, opened my eyes, and he was smiling at me, his face just inches away. He softly chuckled in a friendly way and went on to the next person.

CXW likes to compare tai chi to driving a car. He says if a wheel is broken you can't drive well. If your posture is broken, it's hard to do proper tai chi. That's why, when you be...

I was in the Washington D.C. area in 2003, attending a workshop by Grandmaster Chen Xiaowang. The highlight of the workshop, which focused on Laojia Yilu, was when we all got personal attention from Grandmaster Chen on fajing. I stood in front of him to do the hidden hand punch and when I sunk into my right kua before the punch, he said, "Too much." So I tried it again and he said, "Too much." I lightened up a little on the sinking and he smiled and said, "Ahh, okay." 

Then he took both my arms in his hands, had me relax my body, and he jerked one hand forward and pushed the other in the opposite direction. He did that two or three times as if I was a puppet. The little lightbulb above my head went on. He backed away and told me to repeat it, in front of the entire workshop. I did, relaxing and letting the fajing fly. He smiled and said, "Okay."

In the same facility where we were training, a big kung fu tournament was being held the same weekend. On Saturday night, a masters demonst...

Some of my favorite martial arts memories are the times I spent training with Chen Xiaowang.

His workshops are physically demanding, but just watching him and having him correct you is a great opportunity to make little steps forward in your skill.

Here are links to two great videos of Chen Tai Chi Grandmaster Chen Xiaowang.

In this one, he demonstrates a form and adds explosive fajin (issuing energy) at the end. 

Here is another video showing Chen Xiaowang demonstrating ground strength and peng jin -- a good "root." I first put it on my blog in 2006. I have some new comments after the video: 

 In my original 2006 post, I said these are fun demonstrations to watch, and that's true. But in the 19 years since I put up the post on my old blog, I have a wiser perspective. 

2025 Perspective: You cannot stand on one leg and prevent someone from pushing you off-balance. Neither can Chen Xiaowang. Sometimes, these demos are simply show business. At least the student pushing on him ...