Description

This is second in a series of DVDs by Master Adam Hsu on the Tai Chi of the Chen family, the original Tai Chi. This is the original form learned by Yang Lu Chan from which Yang and all other styles are derived! One of the core forms of the entire Chen family T’ai Chi. Unlike many versions this one emphasizes recognizable and applicable self-defense applications and very subtle use of “Reeling Silk energy”. This is one of the best introductions to Chen style T’ai Chi. This “linking form” is the equivalent of the Short Form in Yang style. Though simpler than Lao Jia the first major T’ai Chi Chen form, it doesn’t not skimp on the basic concepts and movements for a full understanding of this “parent” of T’ai Chi.Additional topics covered in Hsu’s typically thorough and interesting manner are:History and Lineage of Chen T’ai ChiBasic Principles – (the kind of information neglected on so many tapes)Basic Training- traditional eight stancesThe form itself Linking FistCh’i Kung specific to Chen T’ai Chi-Ch’i gatheringPosture Training-ExpansionPush Hands Practice-elbow searchingT’ai Chi Usage- How it works specifically for Chen style Adam HsuOur Master  has been teaching traditional northern style kung fu in America since 1978. Master Adam Hsu was born in Shanghai, China in 1941. In 1949, his family moved to Taiwan, where he spent twenty-five years studying with the most respected kung fu masters. His principal teacher was the renowned Grandmaster Liu Yun Chiao.Master Hsu earned a master’s degree in Chinese literature at Taiwan Normal University, one of several prestigious institutions where he taught both kung fu and Chinese literature. He has held many honorable positions, among them the General Secretary of the National Kung Fu Federation of Taiwan, Instructor to the Republic of Liberia, and Member of the Republic of China National Kung Fu Delegation.He is the former editor and publisher of Wu Tang Martial Arts Magazine, and a past senior editor of the Kung Fu Library of Wu Chow Publishing Company, the largest publisher of kung fu literature. He’s published several books in Chinese, and over a hundred articles in English, Chinese, Japanese, Spanish, Italian, Russian, and German. Also, he has been featured on the covers of more than eighteen magazines throughout the world.More recent honors include Black Belt Hall of Fame, Black Belt Instructor of the Year, AAU National Senior Advisor, and honored President of the International and Six-Harmony Praying Mantis Associations.In 1990, he founded the Traditional Wushu Association, a non-profit, international organization dedicated to the preservation, perfection, and promotion of traditional Chinese martial arts.He is the author of Sword Polisher’s Record, a seminal work in English on the roots and realities of traditional kung fu.  His two volume “Essays on Chinese Martial Arts” (Chinese language edition only) are considered classic works on kung fu.He and his students have participated in numerous performances and workshops both in America and abroad. Master Hsu’s coaches are trained to combine modern teaching methods with the traditional training and techniques of our kung fu styles. Master Hsu’s kung fu instructional DVDs are now available in English language editions.In 2000, the founder of Taiwan’s famed Cloud Gate Dance Theater, Mr. Lin Huai-Min, invited him to become a coach for the troupe. His work to inject the basic principles of traditional Chinese wushu into the bodies and psyches of the dancers was so successful, that he was then invited to create a childrens wushu training program. This program has been implemented in many of the Cloud Gate schools throughout Taiwan.In 2006 Sifu Hsu was awarded the Taiwan Government’s Cultural Award for his lifetime contributions to the traditional Chinese art of kung fu.Lone Sword Against The Cold Cold Sky, his most recent English language book was published in early 2007.Starting in 2008, Sifu Hsu served for three years in the same position held by his esteemed Master, Liu Yun-Chiao: Instructor for Taiwan’s presidential bodyguards.In 2010, he released a new Chinese-language book for children: Learn Long Fist. The text is partially in dialogue style, accompanied by specific instructions and many beautiful illustrations that clearly show each step of long fist basic training and the form, Linking Fist, that goes with it.Sifu Hsu currently resides in Taipei, Taiwan.  He continues to teach seminars and classes in the U.S. as well as Taiwan, Japan, Germany, New Zealand, and other countries.