The Den Kung Fu

10/08/2026

The Qi Pump - Feel Better. Move Better. Age Better.

Here's a simple Qigong exercise from Liu He Ba Fa (Water Style), an internal Chinese martial art that I've been studying.

I think of this exercise as a "Qi ("chi") Pump."

Begin with your knees comfortably bent and gently transfer your weight from one leg to the other. Let the muscles of your thighs do some work while your hands alternately rise and fall, palms turning upward as they rise and downward as they descend.

Notice that you're not bouncing up and down. Your center stays at approximately the same height, with a gentle forward and backward movement through the waist and lower abdomen.

Breathe naturally. Don't get too concerned about coordinating each breath precisely with the movement. Just become aware of your breathing and allow it to become part of the rhythm.

The idea is to engage the legs, relax the upper body, and encourage the whole body to move together.

You don't need to be a martial artist to enjoy Qigong. It's a wonderful way to explore balance, coordination, relaxation, and mindful movement.

Give it a try for a minute or two!

Feel Better. Move Better. Age Better.

The Tai Chi Guy | The Den Kung Fu

If this helps you or you like this sort of clip, leave a comment.

08/28/2026

Congratulations to Jackson Taylor who was recognized at Purple Sash level in Internal Kung Fu arts at The Den Kung Fu. Jackson knows over half of the Walu exercises, has learned the Bang Form, Chen Bing's Basic 13 Form, most of two sections of Laojia, half of the Yim Wing Chun Mook form, and has practiced the Chen Broadsword form and some Pakua. He is reasonably proficient in the CBII curriculum up through Purple level. Jackson is smart, works really hard, and is a great classmate who "plays well with others", helping classmates learn in a kind and productive way.

Way to go, Jackson! We are proud to have you as a member at The Den!

08/24/2026

The point of practicing forms is that we should learn specific lessons from them. They are containers of knowledge. The goal isn’t simply to memorize a sequence of movements— forms should teach us something that we can take into our practice and into our lives.

This Qigong comes from the opening of a form from Liu He Ba Fa (六合八法), often called Water Style, which I’ve been studying over the past several months with Professor Jim Cravens and Nathan Menaged.

Both Professor and Nathan had the opportunity to study with the famous masterTao Ping-Siang, who was an important link in the preservation and transmission of this art. Nathan learned the Water Style form from Tao along with the principles and training contained within it, while Professor studied Tao’s push-hands methods. I’m grateful to both of them for sharing what they learned and helping keep this knowledge alive.

If you’re interested in the Chinese martial arts and Professor Cravens’ teaching, visit chineseboxing.com. And a nod as well to Nathan Menaged and 3 Currents Martial Arts for continuing to teach and share these arts.

There is a lot contained in seemingly simple movement. Practice your forms with a learning mind. They have many lessons to teach. ☯️ 😎

07/31/2026

It has been a really fun summer with small group classes at The Den Kung Fu and Time Machine Wellness. Tonight, in the first hour we worked on Chen style Laojia Old Frame, the "first" form in the Chen system as taught at The Den. For those of you that are familiar, we worked the first section up through "Hidden Punch"

In the second hour, we worked on "defenders", focusing on "lop" and "lap". Both of these are yielding counter-moves to protect against a strong incoming energy. Everyone seemed to catch on quickly enough and by the end if the hour, seemed to have developed a couple of useful skills for self-defense.

Additionally, we recognized three students who have been working hard and making good progress.

Stella Irving was recognized at Orange Sash level in the Time Machine Wellness program. Stella has practiced diligently, "knocking at the gate" consistently with requests for correction, asking questions, asking for casual video clips to guide her homework, and has practiced non-stop. Her improvements in range of motion, balance, and increased strength are noticeable, and are an inspiration to us all - including the teacher! 😎 Stella also boasts perfect attendance in class since the day she started. Excellent work, there, Stella!

Caro Icardi was recognized at Green Sash level in General Kung Fu studies. At The Den Kung Fu, Green Sash is just below Brown which is just below Black Sash, so Caro is a force to be reckoned with. Caro is an amazing talent who has trained consistently for several years, even preceding her time here at The Den Kung Fu. If you follow this page, you know that Caro recently rocked the International Chinese Martial Arts Championship with an original version of the Chen Broadsword featuring both right and left- handed applications of the techniques. Way to go, Caro! You make us proud!

Finally, Ryan Counts was recognized at Yellow Sash level in the Chinese Boxing curriculum as promulgated by Chinese Boxing Institute International under Professor James Cravens. Ryan recently returned to The Den after being away for a bit. It is evident that he kept practicing. Ryan is a great training partner and hard worker. It is kind of funny, I think this is the first class he's missed since his return and that is the night he got promoted. 🤯 He was helping a close friend out of a sudden jam, though, which tells you what a big heart he has. We will hope to add his picture later. Way to go, Ryan! You truly deserve the recognition.

If you are in the Nashville area, come and play! Just check egos at the door... we keep it friendly. ☯️😎🙏

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07/19/2026

Please join me in congratulating Caro Icardi, who took the Bronze Medal in "Women's Tai Chi - Other Weapons" at the International Chinese Martial Arts Championship in Orlando today!

Caro performed a Chen Style Broadsword form to win this fine piece of hardware. The feat was quite impressive because our Chen broadsword form is not long enough to satisfy the time requirements of the tournament. So, Caro developed a transition move enabling her to switch the sword from her right hand to her left and the repeat the form on the left side. This had a very neat effect because the form looks different enough when using the left hand that it did not seem repetitive. Clever lady! (Did I mention that she is also a Ph.D. candidate in Microbiology at Vanderbilt??! )

Way to go, Caro! You did us proud! ☯️😎😁
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Instruction in Chinese Boxing, Tai Chi Chuan, Chi Kung, Pakua Chang, Xingyi

07/18/2026

The International Chinese Martial Arts Championship has begun! If you ever wanted to attend a Kung fu tournament, this is a good one. It is a fine collection of martial arts talent. Also, "Friendship through the martial arts" is not just a slogan. It is a very harmonious gathering where "egos are checked at the door". ☯️😎

07/06/2026

07/06/2026

The difference in Qigong and Tai Chi explained with Waving Hands in the Clouds, a simple exercise to promote balance, mobility, and well-being.

07/02/2026

Diagonal Flying Posture - an Easy Exercise to Build Leg Strength and Promote Balance

06/26/2026

Simple Tai Chi Exercise to Improve Balance - Golden Rooster Stands on One Leg