Five Styles School - Tai Chi and Kung Fu

Hidden Wing Chun - can you spot me in this photo? It took me a while

Qigong is a skill and a process. It’s the ability to understand your own body and then being able to make it stronger and healthier.

Qi is the essential element that separates Qigong from regular exercise. Working with and understand the Qi in and around us is vital to dramatically improving our health. Once we learn to cultivate our Qi, then our body grows stronger and more resilient, even as we get older.

As Grandmaster Chen Xiaowang is my great grand teacher, I thought it important to highlight the ‘Si Da Jin Gang’ - 四大金刚 of Chen style Tai Chi

These are considered the modern masters of Chen Tai Chi and standard bearers for the skill.

They have all spent most of their lives studying, teaching and writing about Chen style Tai Chi. They have helped promote the skill all over the world and made it more accessible than ever.

For their hard work and commitment to the skill of Tai Chi they deserve to be recognised.

Guan Dao

One of the more unusual looking weapons found in Chinese martial arts but and amazing one to practice. This weapon is practiced across many different arts including Chen style Tai Chi

Chi Sau with Grandmaster Ip Chun

This is one of my favorite photos. It was taken in 2012 during a trip my Sigong, Grandmaster Michael Tse (pictured left) had organised to China. Ip Tai Sigong had agreed to teach a seminar for our group and this is where I got the chance to Chi Sau with him.

I had only been doing Wing Chun for a short while at this point, and I remember being so in awe of him that I was a little nervous when we rolled. I think I barely even attacked as i felt very out of my depth. I only had a minute of Chi Sau with him but I remember how clear his positions were and how I could barely feel his movements coming. I’m pretty sure if he’d wanted to hit me at any point, I wouldn’t have noticed until the hit landed on my face or chest.

It was a brief experience but one of the best. I’m still trying to replicate that feeling in my own Chi Sau to this day

Pick any martial art … and one of the first things you will be taught is how to throw a punch. It’s almost an instinctive thing that most of us feel like we’ve been able to do our whole lives. Balling up our hand into a solid object to hit with seems simple, yet it’s easy to get wrong.

How To Punch - Part 1 — Five Styles School In martial arts, one of the first things you will be taught is how to throw a punch. It’s almost an instinctive thing that most of us feel like we’ve been able to do our whole lives. Balling up our hand into a solid object to hit with seems simple, yet it’s easy to get wrong.

Whenever you can train in nature, it is always best to take the opportunity. I don’t get out of the city as much as I would like but when I do I always want to do more Qigong and Kung Fu.

A calmer space, calmer mind, better training

What does Qigong mean?

Qigong 氣功 is a term which is used to describe a large number of skills from across China, all of which are related to strengthening our health and our bodies.

But what does the term "Qigong" actually mean?

What does Qigong mean? — Five Styles School Qigong 氣功 is a term which is used to describe a large number of skills from across China, all of which are related to strengthening our health and our bodies. Some have roots in Buddhism, some in Daoism, some in both. They all share a common root in that they teach us through movement and medita...

Is Kung Fu effective in a fight? - Part 2

Someone could study the most effective form of fighting art or self-defence, but not have the ability to use it. This then begs the question, how do you know if someone’s Kung Fu is effective, especially if you are looking for a Kung Fu class and don’t have experience to tell you.

https://fivestylesschool.com/blog/010

Is Kung Fu effective in a fight?

Is Kung Fu effective in a fight? — Five Styles School When someone asks ‘Is Kung Fu effective in a fight?’ or ‘Is Kung Fu good for self-defence?’ they have to make one big assumption if they expect an answer: that the quality of the skill is always the same, regardless of the person practicing/teaching it.

Qigong and Chronic Pain - Part 2

Qigong and Chronic Pain - Part 2 — Five Styles School When we practice Qigong for injury, we look at and exercise elements of the body connected with the injured or painful area. Qigong takes a wholistic approach to treating illness and so we practice exercises to stimulate the Qi flow throughout the body. This stimulates the Qi flow, clears the blocka