New York 2009 Chen Taiji Workshop 1 Online Video Trailer

I recently posted the YouTube link to this video’s trailer in a Facebook discussion group called “Tai Chi Secret Movements.” One of the members of the group found it very fascinating how Shifu Chen is so detailed in explaining the mechanics of Taijiquan. I copied the conversation with the permission of all those involved with my answer to group member Michael Lee:

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Michael Lee xavier, why is master chen so open and generous in sharing his knowledge? many masters would reserve this intricate knowledge – which is generally not available in other arts and is thus a competitive advanttage – for their family members, inner chamber disciples or very well heeled benefactors.
Yesterday at 9:43am • UnlikeLike • 1
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Hiu Chee Fatt A true teacher finds joy in teaching.
Yesterday at 10:26am • UnlikeLike • 2
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Xavier Santiago ‎Michael Lee,

That is one of the best question I have been asked so far in terms of my Shifu and our Taijiquan. I will answer the best I can to the best of my current knowledge. When Chen Fake brought his family’s boxing style to Beijing, which was later given the name Taijiquan by the descendants of his Great Grandfather Chen Chanxing’s non family pupil (Yang Luchan), he created a name for himself very quickly where challengers from both the Beijing Taijiquan circles and from other martial arts could not defeat his Taiji. Many became his pupils, including Wu style Master Liu Musan and his entire Taiji School after Master Chen Fake defeated him in a friendly push hands match. Among the students of Liu Musan’s school was Hong Junsheng in his younger years. Chen Fake, according to Hong Junsheng who was the disciple who studied with him the longest uninterrupted (15 years), would say that his family’s art was very difficult for people to understand it without the master withholding any knowledge. He also said that if knowledge is withheld, then definitely nobody will get it so why withhold knowledge in the first place. Chen Fake passed on his art to his disciples without holding anything back. Hong Junsheng went a step further in passing on his Master’s Taijiquan. Hong realized, during the last 4 months of receiving corrections from Chen Fake shortly before his passing, that the way the movements are executed in the forms (Yi Lu and Er Lu) is not the same as they are executed when applying them in combat. This is something common to many Chinese martial arts where Gong and Fa are separated. This was a way for martial artists in the past to hide their fighting strategies from onlookers. Hong changed the form in order for the moves to be exactly the way you apply them martially. Chen Fake gave Hong his blessing for those changes. Hong, in following his master’s footsteps of not holding any knowledge back, improved the teaching method of Chen style Taijiquan. My Shifu, Chen Zhonghua, as international standard bearer of Hong’s Practical Method of Chen Style Taijiquan also has the duty to pass on his martial art in its entireness as his Master Hong and Grandmaster Chen did before him. However, it is up to the student to practice and follow the instructions in order to get it. Just by viewing the techniques you will not achieve Gong Fu.
Yesterday at 10:48am • LikeUnlike • 6
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Xavier Santiago To Hiu Chee Fatt Sifu,

As always, thank you for your kind words.

To all who have commented so far:
I wish to post your comments and my reply in our website under this video’s link. Do you guys authorize me to copy your comments on our website?
Yesterday at 10:50am • LikeUnlike • 1
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Michael Lee awesome comments, sifu santiago, my comments are free to copy. thanks.
Yesterday at 11:21am • UnlikeLike • 1
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Xavier Santiago ‎Michael Lee,

I am far from being a Shifu 🙂

However, thank you for your comments and authorization to copy yours.
Yesterday at 11:45am • LikeUnlike • 1
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Hiu Chee Fatt Feel free to use mine too.
10 hours ago • UnlikeLike • 1
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Xavier Santiago Thank you, Hiu Sifu. I will be posting the link shortly.
7 minutes ago • LikeUnlike

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