Master Chen Zi Qiang is a descendant (20th generation) of the Chen family. He was born in 1977 in Chen Village (Henan Province, China) and is the oldest son of grandmaster Chen Xiao Xing, nephew of grandmaster Chen Xiao Wang and great-grandson of the legendary taiji master Chen Fa Ke.
In his twenties, he became very well known as one of the fiercest fighters in the village. He competed in many national competitions throughout China and won numerous gold medals in every division he competed in, including open hand forms, weapon forms and pushing hands. He is always willing to spar with anyone on and off the stage. He has moved away from competing to become a judge for such events, a position hard to come by in China.
In his thirties, Chen Zi Qiang is considered a taiji master by his peers, which is quite impressive because the Chinese martial arts community in China demands the highest standards and strictest requirements before awarding that title.
He is the chief coach of the Chen Jia Gou Taijiquan School that he runs with his father in his home village and has already been teaching for more than two decades. Master Chen Zi Qiang has been conducting seminars abroad for decades. He spends about six months every year travelling around the world spreading his family’s knowledge and skills.
I’ve attended numerous workshops with Master Chen and I am always in awe of his martial and teaching skills, and his willingness to impart his family’s knowledge of current style Taijiquan. He is approachable and always willing to answer questions from the students. I have learned so much from him and his father over the years. He is so precise in his movements and every posture has strength that you can see and feel.
This year, it is my honor to host Master Chen in Madison, WI. This will be his first visit to Madison and my first time hosting. He will be leading 4 sessions during the week of Thanksgiving.
11/26/24 6pm – 9pm Introduction to push hands (available 2 of 20 people)
From single handed to double handed, from stationary to moving push hands, learn to push with the correct posture and technique to maintain stability. This is a cooperative exercise, by giving and taking. To be able to push hands effectively will take additional practice. This sessions introduces you to the basics of pushing hands.
11/27/24 9am – noon Lao Jia Yi Lu – Part I (available 11 of 20 people)
11/27/24 2pm – 5pm Lao Jia Yi Lu – Part II (available 11 of 20 people)
Lao Jia Yi Lu is considered the long beginners form. It has 75-76 movements depending on where you read the list of movements. This form can be broken into sections with repeated movements sprinkled throughout the set. Suitable for anyone who wants to learn Chen style taijiquan. Even if you attend only one session, you would have learned a lot. Old Frame First Routine (Lao Jia Yi Lu – 老架一路)
11/28/24 9am – noon Fundamentals – Standing and Silk Reeling Exercises (available 22 of 30 people)
Nothing is more important than building a good foundation for learning taijiquan or other forms of martial arts. Stability and coordination are the fundamental concepts of any good martial arts system. If you want to have your standing posture corrected, this is the session for you. Standing Posture (Zhan Zhuang – 站桩) Silk Reeling Exercises (Chan Si Gong – 缠丝功)
Fee: $75 per 3-hr session
Location: Zhong Yi Kung Fu Association, 3361 E Washington Ave, Madison, WI 53704
I would like to take this opportunity to thank Shifu Nelson for graciously opening his school to host Master Chen’s workshops.
Please note # of places are limited due to the physical size of the school.
All fees collected from the sessions are donated to the Chen Village school, c/o Master Chen.
To register, please email khiangseow@gmail.com with your intended sessions. Payment is accepted via PayPal @KSeow, Venmo @Khiang-Seow, Zelle @ 6083543439. You can email me for other payment arrangements or if you have questions about these sessions. You can also text me at 608-354-3439.
Note: If you are not using “friends and family” in PayPal, the amount is $77.50 per session to cover the fees that PayPal charges.