Ken Gullette talks with Chen Taiji instructor Ronnie Yee of Vancouver, British Columbia. Ronnie has studied martial arts since 1980, when he enrolled in Li Chi Wai's school, and he has studied Chen Taiji since 1988. He has trained with Chen Zhonghua, Zhang Lianen, Liu Chengde and Li Enjiu. In this wide-ranging interview, Ronnie tells stories of training with the masters. Ken and Ronnie also "get under the hood" on some Taiji principles. In recent years, Ronnie has merged the art of the Mitzvah, which realigns, rebalances and exercises the body, with his Taiji.

Tina Zhang was born in China and lived in a home on the grounds of the Imperial Palace. She studied martial arts in school, and continued her studies in the United States after moving here as a student. In this interview, Tina talks with Ken Gullette about the internal arts and her thirst for learning, which led her to shoot, edit and write a great documentary, "Tai Chi Club," which is available for streaming on Prime Video. It is the story of Frank Allen's Wutang Physical Culture Association on the Lower East Side of New York City, and the story of Tina's journey. Tina teaches qigong, Northern Wu style Tai Chi Chuan and Cheng style Baguazhang. She is a disciple of Northern Wu style Grandmaster Li Bing Ci and Cheng style Baguazhang Grandmaster Liu Jing Ru.

Frank Allen is a disciple of Chent Style Baguazhang Grandmaster Liu Jingru and also a disciple of Northern Wu Style Taijiquan Grandmaster Li Bing Ci. Frank began studying martial arts in 1973 and is celebrating the 41st anniversary of his school on the lower east side of New York City, the Wu Tang Physical Culture Association. His website is www.wutangpca.com. He has written books with Tina Zhang, including "The Whirling Circles of Ba Gua Zhang" and "Classical Northern Wu Style Taijiquan." In this interview Frank talks about the early days of training in New York City, what it is like to study with Liu Jingru, and he gives a history lesson on the development of Taijiquan. Frank has also studied with B.P. Chan, Bruce Frantzis and others, and he provides colorful stories about them in this interview. Frank Allen, like most of Ken's guests, is truly dedicated to the internal martial arts.

This is a different kind of episode. Instead of an interview, Ken Gullette celebrates the one-year anniversary of sending out a weekly training tip to his students, website members and customers. After 52 weekly emails, Ken has gathered up a collection, including some of his favorites, and you will notice a theme that develops which can guide you on one of the most effective reasons to study the internal arts of Chinese kung-fu.

Mark Chen has written a valuable new book called "Chen Style Taijiquan Collected Masterworks: The History of a Martial Art." The book is a translation into English of some important documents that date back to the earliest days of Taijiquan. In this interview, Ken Gullette talks with Mark about the challenges of translating Chinese to English, and they explore the stories, legends and facts behind some of the Chen family's greatest masters, including Chen Wangting, Chen Changxing, and how Chen Zhaopi and Chen Fake went to Beijing and boosted the reputation of Chen Taiji as a martial art. Chen Zhaopi was born in 1893 and lived in the last generation when Taiji fighters would battle "bandits" (often revolutionaries) with swords. In the 21st Century, is Taiji more academic than it is practical? Is it still worth pursuing? Mark Chen is a formal rumen disciple of the late Grandmaster Chen Qingzhou.

Ken Gullette talks with Jon Nicklin, who lived several years in Shanghai and became a disciple of Dai Xueqi, who is a master of Song family Xingyiquan living in Shanghai. Jon has a wide range of experience in Chinese martial arts, beginning when he lived in London. He now lives in Hong Kong. Ken and Jon talk about his experience studying with a "traditional" Xingyi teacher, the culture shock of moving to Shanghai, and a series of videos that Jon is helping to develop that will shine a light on different Xingyi styles and teachers in China. Jon describes himself as a "hobbyist," but like all of Ken's guests, he is a dedicated martial artist.

Is your mind quiet enough to do Tai Chi? Ken Gullette interviews Michael Dorgan, a Hunyuan Taijiquan instuctor and owner of Hunyuan Martial Arts Academy of San Jose in California. Michael is a disciple of the late Grandmaster Feng Zhiqiang. He has also studied with Wong Jack Man, George Xu, Zhang Xue Xin, Feng Xiuqian and Chen Xiang. Michael was a correspondent for Knight Ridder newspapers stationed in Beijing in 1999 when he met Feng Zhiqiang. In 1980, Michael wrote the article about the Bruce Lee/Wong Jack Man fight that eventually sparked the movie "Birth of the Dragon." In this fascinating interview, Michael talks with Ken about training with Wong Jack Man, Michael's opinion about the fight, his training in Chen Hunyuan Taiji, and the importance of a quiet mind and a virtuous character if someone is to attain high-level skill in this art. Michael's website is www.taichisanjose.com. Ken Gullette's website is www.internalfightingarts.com.

Kim Ivy is a Chen Taiji and Qigong instructor and disciple of Grandmaster Chen Xiaowang. In part 1 of a 2-part interview, Kim talks with Ken Gullette about how she started in martial arts, training in Judo and Aikido in the US and Japan, and what finally attracted her to Chen Taiji after studying and teaching Yang style. She also talks about teaching Taiji to people with illnesses and disabilities.

Kim Ivy is a Chen Taiji and Qigong instructor and disciple of Grandmaster Chen Xiaowang. In part 1 of a 2-part interview, Kim talks with Ken Gullette about how she started in martial arts, training in Judo and Aikido in the US and Japan, and what finally attracted her to Chen Taiji after studying and teaching Yang style. She also talks about teaching Taiji to people with illnesses and disabilities.

Ken Gullette talks with Holly Sweeney-Hillman, a Senior-level instructor of Traditional Yang Family Tai Chi in Pottersville, New Jersey and the Center Director for the Bedford/Montclair Yang Family Tai Chi Center. Holly has studied with Yang Zhenduo and Yang Jun. In this interview, she talks about studying wih members of the Yang family, how Yang tai chi fit with her love of the science of body movement, and she talks a little about the Alexander Technique and a program she designed called Zentonics, which is used to correct posture and improve balance, supplenes, and increase serenity. Holly has a B.A. in Dance and a Master's in Orthopedic Biomechanics. Her website is www.taichistrong.com.