A rare interview with Kuo Lien Ying

on the benefits of Tai Chi Chuan

(Master Kuo Lien Ying settled in San Francisco in 1965 and was one of the earliest to teach tai chi in the US. He was also one of the first to accept non-Chinese students. His style was Guang Ping Tai Chi, a rare branch of Yang Style featuring many qualities of Old Yang Style. - TaiChi_John)

 

 

Randall Fung

 

 Those of us who directly studied with Master Kuo Lien Ying will always remember his voice, his laughter, his smile. Listening to the very rare footage brings back so many memories. In 1975, Evening magazine on KPIX did a special on Sifu Kuo Lien Ying and this is a small segment of that show. Jan Yaneharo was the host and interviewed Sifu and a lady from the Chinese Cultural Center came to translate. 

 

The interview took place early in the morning in the Studio. Sifu is sitting on the red couch that sat across from the entrnce desk. He wore his favorite beret. 

 

This is a rare chance to hear Sifu Kuo Lien Ying talk about his practice. There will be more videos like this to come in the future, but it took a lot of work with my wife to put in the subtitles as even the translator had quite an accent. These clips are a treasure from the past.

 

 

 

“A surplus of effort could overcome 

a deficit of confidence.” 

 - Sonia Sotomayor

 

 

Guang Ping Taiji In A Tiny 4x6 Foot Space

 

 

Randall Fung

 

Many practitioners tend to practice their Guang Ping Taji form the same way everyday, in a smooth flat wide open space, repeating the form in the same exact way every time. But as you advance in your practice, an alternative is to try and push the boundaries to help you adapt your form to various environments. 

 

Natural ground, boots, everyday clothing, uneven ground, frozen ice, etc. and as in this video demonstration, confining the practice space to an extreme 4 x 6 foot rug. So this demonstration video presents my adaptation of Kuo Lien Ying's Guang Ping Tai Chi Chuan form to fit into a tiny space. The goal, to keep the integrity of the basic moves, while being able to adapt the footwork to a very small area, and keep the "flavor" of Kuo's original style intact. 

 

In a future a video I will present some of the adaptive changes I had to make to the form to conform to the space. Give this a try! I guarantee that you will be challenged, yet learn much about your own understanding of the form.

 

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vi4AfhBcows

 

 

 

 

 

“Ideation without execution is delusion.” 

 

- Robin Sharma

 

 

Wudang Qi Gong Turtle Form 龟形

by Master Chen Shiyu

 

Wudang Academy

 

http://www.wudangmartialarts.com/

 

 

 

 

"We can see through others 

only when we can see through ourselves." 

 

– Bruce Lee 

 

 

Wu Ying Hwa - Wu Tai Chi Spear

 

 

 

Tai Chi Wonders

 

Wu Ying Hwa performs the Spear form 

of the Traditional Wu Style of Tai Chi Chuan.

 

 

 

 

 

“Don't settle for average. 

Bring your best to the moment. 

Then, whether it fails or succeeds, 

at least you know you gave all you had.” 

 

- Angela Bassett