Internal Fighting Arts | Learn Real-World Martial Arts Insights from Top Instructors of Tai Chi - Xingyi - Bagua and Qiqong

Ken Gullette talks with Dr. Ginevra Liptan, owner of the Frida Center for Fibromyalgia in Portland, Oregon . She is a doctor of internal medicine, but also believes in a holistic approach, combinine scientific medicine to a more wholistic approach that includes some "alternatie" medicines from China. Regardless, you will come away from this interview with new information on how to proect your fascia, and why it is important to do sol

Ken Gullette interviews Keith Kernspecht, perhaps the most successful martial arts teacher in the world. Kernspecht is the founder and head of the European WingTsun Organization. His passion for martial arts began in the 1950s, and he studied wrestling, karate, jiu-jitsu, kempo, Shaolin kung-fu, and other arts. He began studying Wing Chun in 1970 and later became the highest ranking student under Leung Ting, who studied with Ip Man. Currently, he is also studying with Sam Chin, teacher of his family art, I Liq Chuan, and creator of Zhong Xin Dao. In this interview, Keith talks about his martial arts journey, indlucing why he attended a class for five years even though he was not allowed to participate. He also talks about his passion for learning new things, and he answers one of the controversies in the world of Wing Chun.

Are you an interal arts teacher or school owner who believes your marketing efforts could be improved? Do you have all the students you can hande? Probably not. In this edition of the Internal Fighting Arts podcast, Ken Gullette interviews marketing expert Dave Dee -- davedee.com -- and they explore some basic concepts you need to learn and some questions you need to answer if you want your teaching practice to be more successful.

Ken Gullette talks with Jonathan Bluestein and Byron Jacobs about "Wude," pronounced "Woo-Duh" that means martial morality and ethics. All you have to do is go onto martial arts Facebook pages and you will see martial artists flaming each other, criticizing the movements and art of others, in a not-so-subtle effort to make themselves look like experts. Is this in the spirit of Wude or is it a violation of martial morality and ethics? Do martial artists throw manners and morality out the window when they are hundreds or thousands of miles from the person they are criticizing as they hide behind a keyboard? In this edition of the Internal Fighting Arts podcast, Ken explores these issues with Byron, who lives and trains in Beijing, and Jonathan, who lives and trains in Israel. Byron trains with Di Guoyong -- website is diguoyongwushu.com; Jonathan trains at the Tianjan Martial Arts Academy -- website is tianjin.co.il and Facebook page is facebook.com/tianjinacademy. The recent "fight" between MMA fighter Xu Xaodong and Taiji teacher Wei Lei has stirred a lot of controversy in China and around the world during the past week. Ken, Jonathan and Jacob discuss this debacle as well, and its impact on traditional Chinese martial arts and what it means from a Wude perspective.

Ken Gullette talks with Mark Chen, author of "Old Frame Chen Family Taijiquan" and a formal, rumen disciple of the late Grandmaster Chen Qingzhou. Mark Chen is a certified senior instructor in the Chen Qingzhou Martial Arts Association. He has also trained under Master Guo Lianyin, Master Bill Gee, Master Chen Youze, and Master Zhang XueXin. In this 90-minute interview, Mark talks with Ken about his martial arts journey, including the pain and benefit of studying under the strict gaze of "traditional" Chinese teachers.

Ken Gullette talks with Dan Djurdjevic, an internal martial arts instructor who teaches in Perth, Australia. Dan is a student of Chen Yun Ching, the son of Chen Pan Ling. In this wide-ranging interview, Dan describes the teaching style of Chen Yun Ching, training in the "melee range," his self-defense advice as an attorney and prosecutor, and he offers a valuable self-defense lesson in his practice of "flipping the script," a tactic that is very practical for the kinds of trouble you can experience on the streets.

Ken Gullette talks with Rory Miller, the author of an influential book, "Meditations on Violence." As a martial artist and a former corrections officer, Miller has given traditional martial arts a slap of reality by outlining the ways that real-world violence is not something that martial arts classes prepare students for, and when it really happens, most people are overwhelmed and unprepared. You'll learn the difference between "social" violence, which often begins with the "Monkey Dance," and predatory violence, when the attacker operates like a hunter, using stealth and deception to get close enough to strike.

Ken Gullette interviews Jeet Kune Do instructor Tim Tackett, a veteran martial artist who became a senior instructor under Dan Inosanto in 1973. Tim first studied martial arts in Taiwan, where he learned Hsing-I and Tai Chi. He authored two books on Hsing-I for O'Hara Publications in the late 70s and early 80s, but his main art is JKD. At age 75, he still teaches a Wedneday night class in his garage in Redlands, California. In this interview, Tim talks about studying in Taiwan, how he got into JKD, and some of his fighting philosophies.

Robert Allen Pittman is a Xingyi and Bagua teacher who has studied with Robert W. Smith, and in Taiwan Hung I-mien, and the sons of Chen Pan Ling. Allen is the author of "Walking the I Ching: The Linear Bagua of Gao Yi Sheng." He has co-authored books with his late teacher, Robert W. Smith, who was a pioneer in bringing knowledge of Chinese kung-fu to the United States due to his work in Taiwan for the Central Intelligence Agency. In this interview, Allen talks about training with his teachers, living and studying in Taiwan, and the changes that wushu has brought to traditional Chinese kung-fu.

Tai Chi is a martial art, but most people think of it as a slow-motion exercise for health and meditation. In this podcast, Ken Gullette interviews Peter Wayne, a Tai Chi instructor and author of the Harvard Medical School Guide to Tai Chi. Peter Wayne is a researcher and an associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School who is involved in clinical trials of the health benefits of Tai Chi. So what do these clinical trials tell us? Is Tai Chi something special? Does it really have health benefits tied to the ancient Chinese theories of qi (chi), or are the benefits the same as you would expect from any low-impact exercise and calming, mindfulness practice?

People who believe in Traditional Chinese Medicine, including chi healing and acupuncture, say that there is a conspiracy by "Western" scientists and doctors to deny the effectiveness of TCM. But what does scientific research say about TCM? Is it science or is it nonsense? Ken Gullette interviews Dr. Harriet Hall, known as the "SkepDoc," a former family physician and Air Force flight surgeon who now researches Complimentary and Alternative Medicine (CAM). This is an interview that every internal martial artist should hear.

Ken Gullette interviews Bosco Baek, a senior disciple of Chen Bing. Bosco is the chief instructor of the Chen Bing Taiji Academy USA in Los Angeles. In this interview, Bosco talks about growing up in South Korea, how he met Chen Bing, how he arrived at Chen Taiji after first studying Yoga, and how he became the first of Chen Bing's disciples who was given permission to have his own disciples.

Ken Gullette talks with Jan Silberstorff, the first Western indoor disciple of Grandmaster Chen Xiaowang and co-founder of the World Chen Xiaowang Taijiquan Association. Jan travels the world teaching Chen Taiji. From Germany to Chenjiagou, his story reflects the determination of a true martial artist. He explains why tears fell from Chen Xiaowang's eyes the first time he saw Jan perform, and he explains why his practice has evolved out of simply the martial aspects of the art.

Ken Gullette interviews Ken Cohen, whose website describes him as a health educator, Qigong Grandmaster, and practitioner of indigenous medicine. He is well-known for his books and audio courses on Qigong and Taoism. His websites are www.kennethcohen.com and www.qigonghealing.com. Ken Gullette practices qigong but takes a skeptical approach to traditional Chinese scientific explanations and theories. This is a very interesting interview with great information and questions that may have you thinking and doing more research after you listen.

Part Two of a 2-part interview between Ken Gullette and Chen Taiji instructor and Taoist Monk Yunrou, who lives and teaches in Pompano Beach/Boca Raton area of Florida. In this interview, Yunrou discusses Taoism, the need for more emphasis on fighting in Taijiquan, and he tells an enlightening story about a lesson he received in detaching from "a plan." His website is www.monkyunrou.com. Ken Gullette's website is www.internalfightingarts.com.

The Taoist Monk Yonrou, also known as Arthur Rosenfeld, discusses the events in his life that led him to study martial arts, Tai Chi, and to become an ordained Taoist monk. He lives in Pompano Beach, Florida, is a teacher and is a student of Yan Gaofei. Under his name Arthur Rosenfeld, he has written several books, including Tai Chi: The Perfect Exercise. His newest book, Yin, by Yunrou, is a Lao Tzu love story and is scheduled to be published on November 1, 2015.

Separating fact from fantasy in Tai Chi and other martial arts. Stuart Shaw teaches Tai Chi and Sanda in Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia. He has a Facebook page, The Fajin Project, that confronts the "BS" in martial arts, shining a light on people who claim supernatural powers and abilities such as the no-touch knockdown and the ability to send push hands partners hopping and jumping just with a light touch. Like Ken, Stuart offers $5,000 to anyone who can prove to him that they have these "chi" powers. There is a language alert for this episode -- this is a real world, adult conversation about how martial artists, particularly those studying the internal arts, need to apply critical thinking skills to the claims made by unethical teachers. This interview is aimed at separating fact from the fantasy that has developed not only in Tai Chi but in many other martial arts.

Ken Gullette talks with Byron Jacobs, a South African who studies Xingyiquan with Master Di Guoyong in Beijing. Byron also works at the International Wushu Federation. In this interview, Ken talks with Byron about his decision to move to Beijing, cultural aspects of living and training there, sport wushu, and the internal art of Xingyiquan.

Ken Gullette interviews Neil Ripski, an instructor of Ma Family martial arts, including Drunken kung-fu, plus Xingyi, Chen Taiji and Bagua in British Columbia. His website is redjademartialarts.com. Sitting in for co-host Hung Lo is Ken's wife, Nancy.

Ken Gullette interviews Jonathan Bluestein, an Israeli student and instructor of Xingyiquan who has written a book called "Research of Martial Arts." Jonathan compiled and wrote the book over a number of years. It is a good addition to any martial arts library.

Chen Taiji instructor Jose Figueroa, a disciple of Ren Guangyi, teaches in St. Paul, Minnesota and is this week's guest. Also, Ken gets philosophical on the subject of fear. Has your personal philosophy freed you from fear? This podcast is longer than usual at about an hour and 43 minutes.

Ken Gullette explores the subject of Taoism with Bill Helm, an ordained Taoist priest and the Director of the Taoist Sanctuary in San Diego, which he runs with his wife, Allison Helm. Bill specializes in Taijiquan, Qigong, Tuina Chinese Bodywork and Herbal Medicine. Bill and Allison are disciples of Grandmaster Chen Xiaowang. They travel periodically to the Chen Village to study with members of the Chen family. He studied Traditional Chinese Medicine in China at the Shanghai College of Medicine and at the Beijing Olympic Training Center, and in the United States with Taoist Master Share K Lew and Dr. Yu Da Fang. He is also the Chair of the Massage and Bodywork Program at Pacific College of Oriental Medicine. His website is www.taoistsanctuary.org.

Go inside the art of Baguazhang as Ken Gullette talks with Kent Howard, who has trained extensively in Taiwan in the Baguazhang style of Wang Shujin, as taught by Wang's disciple, Huang Jinsheng. After spending many years in Taiwan, Kent now lives in the Portland/Beaverton, Oregon area.

In Part 2 of her conversation with Ken Gullette, Kim Ivy describes training with Grandmasters Chen Xiaowang and Chen Xiaoxing, the experience of being a disciple, and what it is like to train in the Chen Village, the birthplace of Taijiquan. Ken asks how she responds to statements made on an earlier podcast implying that the Taiji being taught in Chen Village is not as high quality as the Chen Taiji as taught in Beijing by the Chen Fake line of instructors. She also addresses the challenges of operating a school: how rigorous should classes be, how to adapt to students with different goals and limitations, and the always controversial question of commercialization. In addition to her Taiji and Qigong experience, Kim Ivy also has black belts in Judo and Aikido. Her school, Embrace the Moon, is in Seattle, focusing primarily on Chen Taiji, Qigong, and meditation/spiritual cultivation.

Imagine having exclusive access to all of Bruce Lee's personal notes, letters, drawings, and photos? John Little found himself in that position and produced some of the best books documenting Bruce Lee's legacy to all martial arts. Ken Gullette talks with John about what attracted him to Bruce Lee and what it was like to become an important part of the legacy.

What is the best way to use Taiji and the internal arts for meditation to improve health and ease stress? Ken Gullette talks with Mark W. Muesse, Ph.D., a professor at Rhodes College in Memphis and the instructor of a course called "Practicing Mindfulness: An Introduction to Meditation" which is sold through The Teaching Company. Mindfulness can help you both in your practice of the internal arts and in your daily life.

Sometimes truth can be found outside the art you are studying. In the sixth Internal Fighting Arts podcast, Ken Gullette talks with Ari Kandel about Guided Chaos, a martial art created by John Perkins, a former forensic homicide detective. Guided Chaos focuses on real world self-defense, which requires a different mindset than what you find in many traditional martial arts schools.

Part two of Ken Gullette's interview with Chen Taiji instructor Stephan Berwick of Washington, DC. Stephan talks about training with Ren Guangyi, Grandmasters Chen Xiaowang and Chen Xiaoxing, and some issues in discipleship, training, self-defense, and the new generation of Chen masters.

Ken Gullette talks with Stephan Berwick about his journey from a 9-year old watching the Kung Fu TV show to an actor in Hong Kong kung-fu movies to a disciple of Ren Guangyi. It's another example of the dedication that top martial artists demonstrate -- a requirement of success.

In part 2 of a 2-part interview, Ken Gullette talks with Marin Spivack about the method of Chen Taiji and the value of Taijiquan in the modern era of guns.

Part 1 of a 2-part conversation between Ken Gullette and Marin Spivack, the senior western disciple of Chen Yu. Marin's journey is an example of the dedication and persistence required for high-level achievement in the internal arts.

The first Internal Fighting Arts podcast hosted by instructor Ken Gullette, a conversation on the internal arts of Chinese gongfu -- Taijiquan (Tai Chi), Xingyiquan (Hsing-I), Baguazhang (Pakua Chang), Qigong (Chi Kung), and philosophy. In this episode, Ken talks with Michael Chritton, a Taiji instructor in Overland Park, Kansas who is married to a member of the Chen family, Chen Huixian (niece of Grandmaster Chen Zhenglei).