Who would you study with?

[bigfootsquatch]

This may seem kind of silly, but since the tai chi board is rather quiet I thought I would ask this. Out of all the tai chi masters and teachers(dead or alive) you know of, who would you choose as your instructor if you had the opportunity and why?

 

[ggg214]

first of all, we should understand that good master doesn't mean good teacher.
in my experience, taiji is a way to Negation of Negation. maybe what you are doing in this level is right, but in the senior level, it's wrong. however, one could not reach the goal by jumping directly to higher level. so, the process is more important in your training. only a good teacher can bring you to the ultimate goal step by step.
secondly, taiji is not a mystery thing. it's a martial art, every goal can be reachable.and its training way is also simple but boring, and exhaustied.
that's my understanding on choosing a instructor!

 

[Xue Sheng]

Alive today; My sifu, Tung Kai Ying, Chen Zhenglei, Chan Xioawang, Ren Guangyi

No longer with us; Tung Ying Chieh, Chan Fake,

Maybe Yang Banhou, Yang Shaohou.... but I am not sure I would survive the training with either of them.

 

[Formosa Neijia]

Peter Ralston of Cheng Hsin fame. Without a doubt. Anyone near San Antonio should look him up. I have his fight/play DVD and his movement skills are the best I've ever seen.

 

[Xue Sheng]

I need to make a major correction it is Chen Xiaowang and Ren Guanyi not Chan Xioawang, Ren Guangyi... sorry about that

I can only plead that my fingers is stupid in the morning

 

[marlon]

Peter Ralston of Cheng Hsin fame. Without a doubt. Anyone near San Antonio should look him up. I have his fight/play DVD and his movement skills are the best I've ever seen.

i have his book... very difficult to understand but the stuff in there is very valueable to training. although i would not have considered him a taiji instructor.

respectfully,
Marlon

 

[East Winds]

I had the pleasure of working with Peter Ralston for a week at Tai Chi Caledonia a few years ago. I can confirm that he is awesome!!!!

I would love to have worked with Yang Cheng-fu. Who else??????

Very best wishes

 

[marlon]

I had the pleasure of working with Peter Ralston for a week at Tai Chi Caledonia a few years ago. I can confirm that he is awesome!!!!

I would love to have worked with Yang Cheng-fu. Who else??????

Very best wishes

sounds like fun...i must admit his stuff makes more sense now that i am practicing taiji.

respectfully,
Marlon

 

[Formosa Neijia]

i have his book... very difficult to understand but the stuff in there is very valueable to training. although i would not have considered him a taiji instructor.

respectfully,
Marlon

Get all his books, plus the fight/play DVD and then immerse yourself in them. They make more sense when taken as a whole because he covers the same material from different angles. The Cheng Hsin Tui shou book is especially good for getting across the principles in action as is the DVD.

I'm telling you guys, Ralston moves better than most anyone I've seen, even in Taiwan. The fight/play DVD has an unrehearsed "freeplay" section done with a taiji teacher that is trying to push Ralston but he just walks around the taiji teacher. That guy can do nothing to Ralston.

I wish he'd do a full set of DVDs that cover all his material.

BTW, it took me many years of taiji and bagua before I could appreciate Ralston. He operates on another plane from most people. If you don't get it now (as I didn't for 15 years) then just keep his stuff in mind as you practice. He's right on the money.

 

[DaPoets]

He seems like an interesting guy.


Biography
Peter Ralston was raised in Asia and began studying martial arts at the age of 9. By the age of 20 he was a black belt in Judo and Jujitsu (Nidan), black belt in Karate (Shodan), had been Sumo champion at his high school in Japan, Judo and fencing champion at UC Berkeley, and had demonstrated proficiency in Kempo, Ch'uan Fa and Northern Sil Lum Kung Fu. A growing interest in the "internal" martial arts lead him to study T'ai Chi Ch'uan, Hsing I Ch'uan, and Pa Kua Chang.
Ralston has pursued this endeavor with a passionate determination for more than 35 years. He sought out and studied with the world's most demonstrably skilled teachers, broadening his study with such arts as Aikido, Japanese and Chinese fencing, western boxing, Muay Thai (Thai boxing), and new levels of his own investigations into all of these arts. His exceptional commitment (often practicing for more than eight hours a day) and depth of study, his intense meditation and open inquiry have led Ralston to profound levels of skill and understanding. Consistent with Zen studies, his investigation into martial arts also came to include a questioning of reality. Long periods of intense contemplation resulted in many enlightenment experiences regarding the nature of self and reality which greatly influenced his study.

To communicate his understanding, in 1975 Ralston founded the Cheng Hsin School. In 1977 he opened a center called "The Cheng Hsin School of Internal Martial Arts and Center for Ontological Research" in Oakland, California. Intent on revealing the depth and power of this work, in 1978 he became the first non-Asian ever to win the World Championship full-contact martial arts tournament held in the Republic of China.

Ralston's main focus in his teaching has been to uncover and communicate the principles behind any subject matter; frequently it is about being effortlessly effective. His main focus in his facilitation work is to uncover the truth of things, to break through assumptions and beliefs, and to assist others in having a direct, authentic, and experiential increase in Consciousness.

He has trained staff or done workshops for numerous groups, including various t'ai chi, aikido, and other martial arts associations, as well as human transformation organizations such as Lifesprings, Institute of Self Actualization (ISA), Robbins Research Institute (NLP), Actualizations, and the Institute for Empowerment. He is a highly trained and insightful facilitator, freely and openly teaching what he has learned from years of insight and direct experience.

 

[Myrmidon]

Alive today: Feng Zhiqiang and Chen Zhonghua

Passed away: Chen Fake, Chen Zhaokui and Hong Junsheng

 

[fyn5000]

Today: I would study with my teacher Dave Graham, my Master Alex Dong, and my Master's Father Dong Zeng Chen. And I've heard great things about Tung Kai Ying.

Those not with us anymore: Tung Ying Chieh, Tung Hu Ling, and Li Xiang Yuan (Tung Ying Chieh's Hao Style Master - I've begun learning the Hao Form from my teacher and I really like it, so learning from the Master who taught it to the founder of the Style I practice would be great.)

fyn

 

[bigfootsquatch]

Thanks so much for the answers guys. I'm surprised no one has said anything about Sun Lu Tang and his tai chi. Do any of you guys have any thoughts regarding his tai chi. My understanding is that he combined his hsing i, tai chi, and bagua knowledge into one form. I know he was an amazing martial artist and am sure he could make his tai chi work as well as masters from other styles. What does everyone think?

 

[JadecloudAlchemist]

Zhang Sanfeng.

I do not know if he counts but it would pretty cool to train with him.

 

[masherdong]

Chen Fake and Li Enjiu

 

[Xue Sheng]

Thanks so much for the answers guys. I'm surprised no one has said anything about Sun Lu Tang and his tai chi. Do any of you guys have any thoughts regarding his tai chi. My understanding is that he combined his hsing i, tai chi, and bagua knowledge into one form. I know he was an amazing martial artist and am sure he could make his tai chi work as well as masters from other styles. What does everyone think?

I have a lot of respect for Sun Lutang but I never trained Sun style so I really can't say much about it.

Sun Luntang did train, and was highly skilled at, Xingyi, Bagua and Hao Taiji prior to coming up with Sun Style

 

[DaPoets]

With out a doubt, Wang Ch'ung-yang

 

[ggg214]

Thanks so much for the answers guys. I'm surprised no one has said anything about Sun Lu Tang and his tai chi. Do any of you guys have any thoughts regarding his tai chi. My understanding is that he combined his hsing i, tai chi, and bagua knowledge into one form. I know he was an amazing martial artist and am sure he could make his tai chi work as well as masters from other styles. What does everyone think?

because Sun style is combination of Tai ji, Xing yi and Ba gua, my master says before studying the taiji style, one should become a senior in xing yi or bagua firstly. then one can understand what's the special in the form or applications. i think it's true.
i have a friend who is practising sun style, but so far he is still training Xing yi, such as San ti, pao chui etc. he has been told that only when his Xingyi level reaches his master's goal, he could start the taiji style training.

 

[marlon]

i am not very knowledgeable in taiji but i would study with whoever Yang Luchang studied with to start off.

respectfully,
marlon

 

[Xue Sheng]

i am not very knowledgeable in taiji but i would study with whoever Yang Luchang studied with to start off.

respectfully,
marlon

That would be Chen Changxing (1771-1853) 14th generation Chen Family