Ken Gullette

If you are studying Tai Chi Chuan (Taiji-quan), Baguazhang or Xingyiquan, regardless of your style or your teacher, you will find valuable information in this book. For the first time, the six most important fundamental body mechanics of internal Chinese Gongfu are clearly organized, explained and demonstrated, with more than 250 images and highly detailed text.

Ken Gullette has studied the internal arts since 1987. He has trained with some of the world's top masters. Ken is a tournament champion and has thousands of 'students' worldwide who have studied his DVDs and his membership website at www.InternalFightingArts.com. A former award-winning journalist, Ken writes and teaches in a straightforward way. Without the mystical mumbo jumbo that, in his opinion, misdirects people and causes them to misinterpret the arts, especially Tai Chi, with too many focused on 'cultivating chi' rather than the martial aspects.

The true 'intent' of Tai Chi, Bagua and Xingyi is self-defense. This book builds on each of the six body mechnics that are required to achieve high-quality internal structure and movement, these are physical skills, not metaphysical. 'I wanted to write the book I wish I had when I was starting in these arts,' Ken says. 'This is 30 years of training in a book..'

You wil learn how to establish and maintain the ground path, Peng Jin, whole-body movement, Silk-reeling (spiraling), Dantien rotation and the opening and closing of the Kua, along the way, Ken will tear down some of the myths that give these arts a bad reputation. From the explosive nature of Xingyi to the relaxed power of Tai Chi and Bagua, there is nothing 'soft' about the arts of internal Chinese Gongfu. And it all starts here.

Contents

Acknowledgments
1 The six key body mechanics
2 The centered stance and the ground path
3 Maintaining Peng Jin
4 Internal movement and the Kua
5 Dan-tien rotation
6 Manipulating Peng and whole-body movement
7 Silk-reeling energy
8 Where do you go from here?
9 About the author… (meer)