Tàijíquán

Tàijíquán ("supreme ultimate boxing") is primarily a locking and throwing art that focuses on maintaining balance and stability and cultivating the ability to off-balance an opponent at a touch. Its practice is of great benefit to practitioners of soft external arts such as Aikido and Jujutsu. The historical origins of tàijíquán are unclear, but it likely originates from teachings of Chen Wangting in Chen Village in the mid 16th century. Tàijíquán was taught first in Beijing by Yang Luchan, a student of Chen Changxing who became an instructor to Qing dynasty beuraucrats and Manchu imperial guards in the Forbidden City.

My tàijíquán practice is in Northern Wu style, and focuses on the 37-posture form of Wang Peisheng as well as push hands, da lu, neigong, rolling hands, straight sword, eight step staff, and spear. I began studying Wu tàijíquán in 2006 under Paul Cote, who is a formal student (disciple) of Zhang Yun. It is really only once I began studying tàijíquán that I began to understand the true value of softness and relaxation in martial arts.

Xingyiquán

Xingyiquán ("form intent boxing") is primarily focused on stability and power generation, and is primarily a striking and throwing art practiced at close range, focused on the ability to express great power instantly while remaining perfectly centered and balanced. It may be the oldest of the internal martial arts, dating back to the 16th century (e.g.,  Ji Longfeng). Xingyiquán has several short forms, which when practiced repetitively with proper instruction, develop the body's ability to express power in different circumstances. The combative application of xingyiquán, however, will not usually look like the form or drill that a practitioner performs in his solo practice. Each drill is meant to install the essence of an idea in the practitioner, which can be used spontaneously in varied circumstances.

I began studying xingyiquán in 2006, when I had the opportunity to practice with students of Su Dongchen, who was a student of Hung Yixiang and Hung Yimien. My current xingyiquán practice is in Hebei style, as taught by Zhang Yun in the lineage of Wang Peisheng, who was taught by Han Muxia and Zhao Runting. I practice post standing (santishi), five elemental fists, twelve animals, and the elemental linking form of xingyiquán.

Bāguàzhăng

Bāguàzhăng ("eight house palm") is primarily focused on maneuveribility and smooth change and was founded in the mid 19th century by Dong Hai Chuan. It shows the greatest variation amongst its different lineages, possibly due to the fact that Dong Hai Chuan taught experienced martial artists and built upon their existing training with bāguàzhăng principles of change. However, most bāguàzhăng styles group their teachings into eight houses and have some direct or indirect correspondence between teachings and the eight trigrams (pre-Heaven stage) and sixty-four hexagrams (post-Heaven stage) of the Yijing.

I began practicing Gao style bāguàzhăng in 2004 under Bob Galeone, whom I was introduced to by Ellis Amdur. Bob had learned Gao style bāguàzhăng from Allen Pittman, a student of Hung Yimien, as well as Paul Cote. Gao bāguàzhăng is a branch of Cheng style, founded by Gao Yisheng, and originates in Tanjian. Its practice consists of 8 mother palms (more properly "big" palms -- badazhang) performed while walking in a circle, the single step palm change, and 64 tactics that are performed initially linearly but can also be performed while walking in a circle. Gao bāguàzhăng has the advantage of being very practical, and was my first exposure to internal martial arts ideas. It profoundly affected my kempo and jujutsu practice, as I began to understand proper balance, weight transfer, and body alignment when expressing power.

I began practicing Yin style bāguàzhăng in 2006 under Paul Cote, who is a disciple of Zhang Yun. Zhang Yun's teacher Wang Peisheng was taught Yin bāguàzhăng by Ma Gui, who was a student of Yin Fu and Dong Hai Chuan. Ma Gui was a palace guard for the Chinese Dowager Emperor in the late 19th century. Yin style bāguàzhăng focuses on long range striking and throwing, and is famous for its "ox tongue" palm. Yin bāguàzhăng consists of 64 "palm changes" performed while walking in a circle. Since my primary bāguàzhăng focus currently is in Yin style bāguàzhăng, when I practice Gao style I concentrate on the 8 mother palms, single palm change, and a subset of the 64 linear tactics. I have had the opportunity to teach an integration of my kempo and jujutsu practice as informed by my study of Gao bāguàzhăng.

I also practice the 8 "mother palms" of Cheng style bāguàzhăng as taught in the YCGF lineage by Paul Cote and have been taught the 64-linear forms of Liu-style bāguàzhăng (founded by Liu Dekuan).