Guang Ping aka Kuang Ping Fashion of Tai Chi Chuan Heritage
Kuang P'ing t'ai chi ch'uan was introduced to the United states by Grandmaster Kuo Lien Ying. It is a exclusive design of t'ai-chi ch'uan and might be the bridge amongst the Outdated Ch'en form and The Previous Yang Style.
Hundreds of thousands of individuals worldwide are benefiting from the special sort of reduced depth exercising referred to as t'ai-chi ch'uan. T'ai chi ch'uan is an "Inside Program" of kung-fu which is utilized to increase ones overall health, reduce blood force, enhance balance and coordination. There are a lot of styles of t'ai chi ch'uan and all are good, as long as the classical rules are retained to. All are inventive evolutions of the original artwork, a issue of flavor that is why it is called an art. And as it is explained, "In matters of Style there is no dispute."
A distinctive design of t'ai chi ch'uan which affected our program is the Kuang P'ing (aka Guang Ping) style of Grandmaster Kuo Lien Ying.
Right after researching other arts and yoga for several several years, I was fortuitous to start off learning with Grandmaster Kuo in 1970. At the time I had no notion how fortunate I was. A martial art buddy of mine released me to Kuo. Kuo and his spouse taught in Chinatown in San Francisco across from Portsmouth Park. Kuo signed me up and scheduled personal sessions with me. chuan en lin was also studying Chinese at the time and this gave me a likelihood to practice. His group sessions commenced before dawn in the park and concluded about 10:00 PM in his studio, when he locked it up.
Initially my lesson was in the morning, then I identified that the pre ten:00 PM time was when I received the very best solutions and impromptu instruction from Kuo. He was more open at that time. I keep in mind him viewing me exercise and give me a thumbs up and say "Numbah 1." Which was his way of stating he appreciated what he observed, a positive expressing.
He desired teaching in short private classes but had group training in the early morning. It was magical time to understand.
At that time Kuo was in his 70's and had a 20 some thing yr outdated wife and a youthful son. His household lived powering the coaching corridor, kwoon. He was bursting with vitality, which he attributed to his tai chi follow, however I suspect his lively life style all his lifestyle contributed to that.
He thought tai chi would increase longevity and good quality of existence. Kuo who died in his late 90's, and his pals, Tchoung Ta-tchen who is in his late 80's and Liang Tsung-tsai who died at 103 a long time old, are very good testaments to that overall health reward of t'ai chi.
Kuo, like his friends Tchoung and Liang, was 1 of a handful of True t'ai chi masters instructing in the US in the 60's and 70's. They had been the very last of a technology, the "Genuine Offer".
Even though numerous phone by themselves grandmasters today, not often do they present the degree of talent and expertise of Kuo, Tchoung and Liang showed and taught. I am proud to contemplate them contemplate my pivotal lecturers. Whilst I now mostly train the curriculum of Tchoung Ta-tchen, I was tremendously motivated by both Kuo and Liang I take into account them all my Sifu. They ended up the true offer.
Kuo ran a team practice in the park at dawn, then held his studio open until ten:00 PM. I trained three hours in the early morning and three hours in the evening or about six hours a day, 7 days a 7 days. I located by staying till he shut the studio at 10:00 PM, and typically currently being the only scholar there at that time, I was in a position to get additional personal instruction and corrections from him. That is when I acquired my most beneficial lessons. I was also able to find out some of the pa-kua and Tam Tui (springy leg lines) exercises he taught. For instance one particular night Kuo taught me what he named the pa-kua "Camel action" and what I later on identified out to be the Lion palm posture.
I was instructed that when Kuo returned to China, he was produced a Cultural Treasure because of his ability t'ai chi ch'uan, pa-kua chang and Shaolin.
It is a modest globe, because Tchoung Ta-tchen was also a practice partner and very good buddy of Kuo and equally ended up friends of T.T. Liang. I analyzed with Liang in Boston and Amherst. These a few grandmasters are who I take into account to be my most considerable instructors.
Years afterwards my pa-kua chang (bagua zhang) instructor, Zhang Jie from Beijing, instructed me much more tales about Kuo. Kuo was extremely popular in China's pa-kua circles.
Kuo's t'ai-chi ch'uan type is most commonly referred to as the Kuang Ping (Guang Ping) design nowadays. Some have referred to as it Ch'en fashion, other people call it the "Secret" Yang design. In visual appeal it is a bridge between the present day kind of Yang type and the Older model of Ch'en design. Right after seeing me do the kind, Pa-kua teacher Andrew Dale explained some of the actions reminded him of pa-kua too. The form has both brief movements and modest circles, as properly as flowing and expansive actions. It also has some quick kicks, a soar kick and some quick strikes.
The form's actions are normally accomplished with a quicker rhythm than most of the much more modern day Yang style varieties. The body is fully upright and back again is straight when performing the type. The fingers are held in a certain palm situation, with the fingers open, wrist bent and fingers extended. The stance is reasonably high and the standard bow and arrow stance of modern Yang type is not utilized. The human body is held similar to some versions of Ch'en type in what could be called a back stance. The kicks are carried out quickly with straight knees and toes pulled up so that the kick is carried out with the heel on separate legs, and there is a soar kick in the type as nicely.
