Ken Gullette's Internal Fighting Arts Blog

The Vital Art of "Connecting"

connecting martial arts philosophy Sep 18, 2026

I was testing for my black sash in 1997. Part of the test involved sparring with wooden broadswords.

I stood a few feet away from the black sash instructor who was testing me, Cornell Garrett. I was in a front on guard stance. The tip of my broadsword was pointing toward his throat. He was in the same stance, his broadsword pointing at my throat.

I thought to myself, "Calm down. Center yourself and connect with him."

A sense of calm came over me. It felt like I knew exactly when he was going to move.

Suddenly, his sword began moving to attack me.

Before it could get halfway to me, the tip of my broadsword was touching his chest at the heart.

I had never felt so connected. I had learned a very valuable skill.

My first internal arts teacher was Phillip (Pete) Starr, who was also Cornell's teacher. Even though his instruction was not as "internal" as he claimed, I learned some valuable lessons through Pete.

One of the most valuable lessons I learned from him was the concept of "co...

Connecting -- The Number One Skill in Tai Chi, Hsing-I or Bagua

connecting internal arts training martial arts training philosophy Jul 27, 2015

I was sparring a guy in 1980 and he was taking it to me. See the photo above. I am on the right. He was fast, with a great reverse punch that had nailed me a couple of times as I moved in on him. I was tensing up, trying to figure out how to beat him.

Then I connected. I relaxed and got my head out of the match. I waited with a relaxed state of readiness for him to move.

When he attacked, I was already moving. When he arrived, I was already there and planted a hook kick on the side of his face.

After connecting, I was ready for his attack and nailed him with a hook kick.

When I took my black sash test in 1997, among the many tasks I had to perform was a sparring match with wooden broadswords to show strategy, technique, and skill. My "opponent" was another black sash with a wooden broadsword. He was cocky and considered himself a lot better.

I relaxed and calmed my mind. I centered, and connected with him. We assumed the on guard stance.

The instant he moved toward me with ...

Author - Instructor

Ken Gullette

I have practiced martial arts since 1973 and began studying the internal arts in 1987. My goal is to cut years off your development time by coaching you in the real skills for high-quality Tai Chi, Xingyi, Bagua. To see more about my bio, click the "About Ken" link on the menu at the top of this page.

Ken Gullette's Internal Fighting Arts

The Vital Art of "Connecting"

Connecting -- The Number One Skill in Tai Chi, Hsing-I or Bagua

Author - Instructor

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