Training in Chen Tai Chi Chuan

Photo: Xuejiao Chen, Jean-Paul Bindel, Chris Thomas, Thierry Mas

(Thierry is sifu Chen's husband. In the Photo, note how Jean-Paul and I look hot and sweaty, while sifu Chen and Thierry look cool and dry.)

While I was in France, I had the pleasure of training with a Chen-family master. This was my second time training with a Chen family master, the first time was with 19th generation master Chen Xiao Wang. This time, I received training from 21st generation master Chen Xuejao. My DKI-colleague in France, Jean-Paul Bindel, invited me to attend and introduced my to this fine master. Such a pleasure! Madame Chen is a superb technician, with powerful and mature movements which defy her age (she is 26 or 27) and her "condition" (she is pregnant with her first child and due in December).

During the class, sifu Chen made direct and frequent references to the martial uses of Chen tai chi chuan. For her, the health benefits of the movements – the usual reason for people to take tai chi – are inseparable from the martial application. If you visualize the application, you will move correctly. If you move correctly, your energy will flow in a healthy and life sustaining manner.

As a Yang style practitioner, I found the Chen to be challenging and fascinating. It was also interesting to see what sifu Chen did not teach outwardly – an interesting "stirring" movement which initiated several of her actions.

As a pressure point practitioner, I found Chen style to be very effective. Clearly, I have a very unique perspective on tai chi. I believe that a great way to "move a thousand pound with four ounces" is to use pressure points. I am not saying that pressure points are the "best" way to do this, or the "true" way to do this, but it is my preferred way. And this made for interesting dinner conversation after class. Sifu Chen was knowledgeable about points but somewhat more cautious about their use than we western kyusho-jitsu practitioners tend to be.

I am definitely going to explore Chen style. I don't know if that means I will become a practitioner, or if it means that I will simply steal as much knowledge from the system as I can. Either way, I look forward to my next chance to train with Chen Xuejao.

Thanks for reading,

Now, go train!

CT