Chen Taijiquan (Tai Chi) in London
Study authentic traditional Chen family Taijiquan with Master Michael Tse. Master Tse is one of the most well-known teachers of Qigong, Chinese Martial Arts and Chinese Culture in the west. Through the loyalty to his teachers and hard work and dedication, he has built up a strong following of students all around the world.
Master Tse has studied Chen family Taijiquan with Grandmaster Chen Xiao Wang who is the 19th generation inheritor of the Chen Family Taijiquan skill. He has brought many students to reach a very high level of skill and good health. He is a very approachable teacher and has an unique ability to break down complicated concepts and make them easy to understand. He has students of all levels from new students just starting out on their Taijiquan journey to those who have been studying with him for over 25 years. He has a strong passion for Taijiquan, Qigong, Kung Fu and Chinese Philosophy, and he loves to teach and wants to pass on the traditional Chen Family Taijiquan. In addition to having regular Taijiquan classes in London he loves writing books and articles, and making DVDs to promote the traditional Chinese Qigong and Martial Arts. Master Tse teaches weekly classes in Central London – Notting Hill.
The original style of taijiquan
Building stamina and fitness
Internal training and martial art
Learn to defend against strong attacks using less energy
Chen Taijiquan Class in London
Upcoming seminars
Upcoming Seminars
Grandmaster Tse’s Taiji Fist
Master Tse shares his thoughts and observations about the art of Chen Taijiquan
Master Tse's Taiji Fist 83
Chen Wang Ting 陳王廷 - Part 20
Huang Ting Jing 黄庭經 was written around the time 22-589, during the Wei Jun Southern Northern Dynasty魏南北朝. Huang 黄 means yellow. in the Five Elements yellow is the Earth element and…
Master Tse's Taiji Fist 82
Chen Wang Ting 陳王廷 - Part 19
Chen Wang Ting 陳王廷 even wrote a poem when he was older which went,
“Thinking of the past, wearing my armour and my weapons, fighting against the enemy, many times in danger. Heaven blessed me but…
Master Tse's Taiji Fist 81
Chen Wang Ting 陳王廷 - Part 18
The rulers of China had changed and now it was led by a Qing 清 Emperor. The Qing Dynasty 清朝 were Manchurian 滿 from the North West and so now China was made up of Manchurians, Han 漢，
Mongolian…
Master Tse's Taiji Fist 80
Chen Wang Ting 陳王廷 Part 17
Whilst Chen Wang Ting 陳王廷 was lying in his sick bed, the Ming Government suffered a big change. The rebels of Chuang Wang 闖王 (The King of Breaking Thought) Li Zi Cheng 李自成 broke into the Forbidden…
Master Tse' Taiji Fist 79
Chen Wang Ting 陳王廷- Part 16
Chen Wang Ting 陳王廷 could not believe it! how could Li Ji Yu 李際遇 have been killed? He was such a good leader! He knew him and trusted him! What should he do now? Chen Wang Ting continued to ask…
Master Tse's Taiji Fist 78
Chen Wang Ting 陳王廷 - Part 15
Chen Wang Ting 陳王廷 went back home. On returning to his Village, you went to visit many people, family, relatives, neighbours and friends. They all knew that the Ming Government 明朝 would soon fall…
Master Tse's Taiji Fist 77
Chen Wang Ting 陳王廷 Part 14
Chen Wang Ting 陳王廷 stayed at Yu Dai Shan where he got along with everybody. He got on very well with Jiang Fa 蔣發in particular. They both had a very good level of Kung Fu and whenever they had some…
Master Tse's Taiji Fist #76
Chen Wang Ting 陳王廷 Pt 13
This man was the leader of the bandits. He was rebelling against the Ming Government whom were always sending armies against them. Yu Dai Shan was a very dangerous place, where it was easy to hide and was ready…
Master Tse's Taiji Fist #75
Chen Wang Ting Chen Wang Ting 陳王廷 PT 12
Seeing the arrows flying towards him, Chen Wang Ting 陳王廷 had no time to think. He swung his Guan Dao, spinning it in front of him, as fast as he could, covering himself and his horse!…
Master Tse's Taiji Fist #74
Chen Wang Ting 陳王廷 pt11
Each time a bandit got close and attacked, Chen Wang Ting disarmed him, knocking his weapon flying to the ground! This surprised everyone and Jiang Fa 蔣發 realised that this person had very high level Kung…
Master Tse's Taiji Fist #73
Chen Wang Ting 陳王廷 pt10
Chen Wang Ting 陳王廷 was sitting on his big horse and carrying his Guan Dao (this weapons made famous by General Guan Yu關羽, during the Three Kingdoms Period三國時代. It has a big blade at one end…
Master Tse's Taiji fist #72
Chen Wang Ting 陳王廷 pt9
On hearing the loud voice Chen Wang Ting 陳王廷 looked to the top of the mountain in the direction where it came from. Chen Wang Ting’s eyesight was very good and he could make out a person standing on the…
Master Tse's Taiji Fist #71
Chen Wang Ting 陳王廷 pt8
Chen Wang Ting approached the Wood Cutter and politely asked, " I am looking for somebody who lives in Yu Da Shan 玉帶山(Jade Belt Mountain). I wonder whether you know where he lives?" The Woodcutter looked…
Master Tse's Taiji Fist #70
Chen Wang Ting 陳王廷 pt7
Chen Wang Ting 陳王廷 followed the voice singing the song until he came to a Wood Cutter, carrying a big bundle of wood tied to a stick across his shoulders.
He was surprised when the man simply glanced…
Master Tse's Taiji Fist #69
Chen Wang Ting 陳王廷 pt 6
Chen Wang Ting 陳王廷 had initially wanted to help the Ming government fight against the Qing Army清 who wanted to overthrow the Ming Dynasty明. This was the reason he had entered the Imperial Examinations…
Master Tse's Taiji Fist #68
Chen Wang Ting 陳王廷 Pt4
Chen Wang Ting 陳王廷 became a fugitive, but fortunately for him, the Ming Dynasty明朝 at the time was very chaotic and all over the country people were rebelling against the government. A case like Chen…
Master Tse's Taiji Fist #67
Chen Wang Ting 陳王廷 Pt3
Chen Wang Ting 陳王廷 was born at the end of the Ming Dynasty and at that time the government had become very corrupt.
On one occasion, Chen Wang Ting took part in the imperial examination for martial arts. …
Master Tse's Taiji Fist #66
Chen Wang Ting 陳王廷 Pt2
Chen Wang Ting's 陳王廷 ancestor, and the first generation of the Chen family, was Chen Bu 陳卜. Chen Bu originally came from Shanxi Province 山西省 before moving to Chang Yang Village常陽常 in Henan…
Master Tse's Taiji Fist #65
Chen Wang Ting 陳王廷 Pt1
Chen Wang Ting 陳王廷 (1600-1680) was also known as Zou Ting 奏庭. In Traditional Chinese Old Culture, when a boy reached the age of twenty he would go out to socialise in society. In these social circumstances,…
Master Tse's Taiji Fist #64
Laojia 老架 and Xinjia 新架
In Chen Style Taijiquan 陳家太極拳 we also have Xinjia 新架 (New Frame) and Laojia 老架 (Old Frame). Chen style Taijiquan has been passed down for over 400 hundreds of years, beginning with founder…
Master Tse's Taiji Fist #63
Yi Lu —路，Er Lu 二路
Chen Style Taijiquan 陳家太極拳 has only two forms, one is slow and gentle and the other is fast and powerful. they are called Yi Lu —路 and Er Lu 二路. Yi — means one and Lu 路 means road, but…
Master Tse's Taiji Fist #62
Level V Taijiquan pt 3
During Tui Shou 推手 we need to be relaxed and grounded, then we can feel our opponent's energy and respond in the right way. If they push us, we take or receive it and then we divert it back to them. This…
Master Tse's Taiji Fist #61
Level V Taijiquan pt 2
From one Yin and nine Yang, to 5 Yin and 5 Yang. Can we reach this level? I will not say that no one can do this, but it is very rare. To be able to use gentle energy against someone who is stronger than us and in a stylish…
Master Tse's Taiji Fist #60
Level V Taijiquan 四陰六陽類好手 pt1
“All Yin, and no Yang is a Soft Hand. All Yang and no Yin is a Hard Hand. 1 Yin and 9 Yang is like a stick. 2 Yin and 8 Yang is an Ordinary Hand. 3 Yin and 7 Yang is still too hard. 4 Yin and…
Master Tse's Taiji Fist #59
Level IV Taijiquan 四陰六陽類好手 pt5
“All Yin, and no Yang is a Soft Hand. All Yang and no Yin is a Hard Hand. 1 Yin and 9 Yang is like a stick. 2 Yin and 8 Yang is an Ordinary Hand. 3 Yin and 7 Yang is still too hard. 4 Yin and…
Master Tse's Taiji Fist #58
Level IV Taijiquan 四陰六陽類好手 pt4
When we are at Level IV, we also need to think about the application of the movements. Therefore we need to practise our forms following the correct principles, to feel good and make us healthy,…
Msater Tse's Taiji Fist #57
Level IV Taijiquan 四陰六陽類好手 pt3
If we are at Level IV we are doing very well. The forms we practice is flow, though we still find some movements slightly uncomfortable and some difficult movements do not flow as we would like.…
Master Tse's Taiji Fist #56
Level IV Taijiquan 四陰六陽類好手 pt2
The second principle of Taijiquan is about keeping a good posture, however we need to remember that in our forms not every posture has the head upright and the body in a vertical line. For example…
Master Tse's Taiji Fist #55
Level IV Taijiquan 四陰六陽類好手 pt1
From Level “10% Yin, 90% Yang like a stick —陰九陽根頭棍”, to Level II “20% Yin, 80% Yang is low level 二陰八陽是散手” and then to Level III “30% Yin, 70%Yang is still hard…
Master Tse's Taiji Fist #54
Level III Taijiquan 太極拳 pt2
The higher the level of Taijiquan 太極拳 we want to reach the longer it takes. It is always easy in the beginning. When we do not know anything, to do something which looks something like what we see is…
Master Tse's Taiji Fist #53
Level III Taijiquan 太極拳 pt1
Without reaching Level I we cannot reach Level II, from 10% Yin and 90% Yang we improve and become 20% Yin and 80% Yang. This is a natural process, in the beginning we are stiff, tense and make mistakes.…
Master Tse's Taiji Fist #52
Level II of Tajiquan pt 2
A good teacher will guide, show and answer all your questions. It is a nice feeling when you have the correct answers and the right direction, then every step we make we improve ourselves. A good teacher is like…
Master Tse's Taiji first #51
Level II of Tajiquan pt 1
After practising for six to nine months we should get better and reach Level II. This is “Two Yin and eight Yang, normal level 二陰八陽是散手”. If we really practise then our bodies will become a bit softer…
Master Tse's Taiji Fist #50
Level I Taijiquan 太極拳
We all enjoy practising Taijiquan 太極拳. When I teach, I have never come across anyone who after three lessons which is 3 hours over 3 days, who does not enjoy it. A good teacher will lead you to a feeling and…
Master Tse's Taiji Fist #49
Kau Jing 靠勁
The last Jing is Kau Jing靠勁. Kau 靠 means shoulder. Many people do not think about using the shoulders to attack an opponent, but it is actually a very powerful way of attacking if we use it properly. Using Kau Jing means…
Master Tse's Taiji Fist #48
Zhou Jing 肘勁
The third Jing is Zhou Jing肘勁. Zhou 肘 means elbow. Zhou Jing means elbow power but in the situation it means elbow attack. An elbow attack is very powerful and very damaging. If you hit any part of the opponent’s body…
Master Tse's Taiji Fist #47
Lie Jing 裂勁
The second Jing, after Cai Jing 採勁, is Li Jing. Lie 裂means break. In Chen Taijiquan 陳家太極拳 it is common to use Cai Jing to control our opponent and then we can break them with the other hand using either the palm…
Master Tse's Taiji Fist #46
Cai Jing 採勁
After Peng掤, Liu履, Ji擠, An按 the first four Jing we can now look at the second Jing. The second four Jing are more direct, physical and Yang, whereas the first four are gentler, controlling and Yin.
The second four…
Master Tse's Taiji Fist #44
Ji Jing 擠勁
Ji Jing 擠勁 this is the third energy. Ji means squeeze together, like people in a bus or in the Tube during rush hour, when it is too crowded people squeeze in together. So Ji Jing is squeezing your opponent, to make them…
Master Tse's Taiji Fist #43
Liu Jing 履勁
The second most important Jing is Liu Jing 履勁. In Taijiquan Liu means "Pulling Back". In general the Chinese character Liu means "Conduct in a Job", "Duty with Care" or "Sincere Attitude". So in Taijiquan the pulling…
Master Tse's Taiji Fist #42
Peng Jing 掤勁
Of the Eight Jing 八勁, Peng Jing is number 1 and so it is the most important. If we can use it well then our Taijiquan has a good standard. Peng means expanding and Jing means power. The Eight Jing, ; Peng掤, Liu履,…
Master Tse's Taiji Fist #41
Peng掤, Liu履, Ji擠, An按 Need to be Practised Seriously
The poem Taijiquan by Wang Zong Yue王宗岳 talks about Peng掤, Liu履, Ji擠 and An按. It says, “Peng, Liu, Ji and An need to be practised seriously, using them to follow…
Master Tse's Taiji Fist #40
Peng掤, Liu履, Ji擠, An按
When we practise Taijiquan, whether it is Chen陳, Yang楊, Sun孫 or one the Wu 武,Wu吳 styles, we will see that they all follow the same principles. They follow the principles of the circle and the principles…
Master Tse's Taiji Fist #39
How to Practice Taijiquan 太極拳
If we practice a lot of Zhan Zhuang站椿 we will develop a very grounded skill and it feels like the legs are going into the ground. This however is not simply the legs getting stronger. This is…
Master Tse's Taiji Fist 38
Thousand Gin Sinking 千斤墜 Pt2
I have been practising Dayan Qigong大雁氣功 for over 35 years. My teacher, Grandmaster Yang Mei Jun楊梅君, was a small lady, less than 5 feet tall and not over 90 pounds in weight. When she was in…
Master Tse's Taiji Fist #37
Thousand Gin Sinking千斤墜
Jing勁 is based on Nei Gong內功– internal power. This power is based on the legs and then spreads to the whole body making it internally strong. When someone has a deep strong Nei Gong, then it means they…
Master Tse's Taiji Fist #36
Jing and Standing
The more we practise Chen Style Taijiquan the more Chan Si纏絲 movements we will practise. Each movement whether it is in a long form or short form, Laojia老架, Xinjia新架, Pao Chui砲捶, 19 Movements十九勢etc. are…
Master Tse's Taiji Fist #35
Nei Gong內功 for Chan Si Jing 纏絲勁
Master Fung would also ask us to lock him in many ways. Once I locked his neck and shoulders by hooking both his arms from behind and interlocking my fingers behind his neck. He asked me, “Are you…
Master Tse's Taiji Fist #34
Chan Si Jing 纏絲勁 Counter Skill
Chan Si Jing is very powerful. The spiral movement can tie up an opponent at any part of their body. This is a high level of Chan Si Jing. I was completely sucked in. Master Fung also showed me how to use…
Master Tse's Taiji Fist #33
Chan Si Gong 纏絲勁 Breaks Bones and Tendons
Mr Fung spoke about Chan Si Gong and said, “When we practice Taijiquan, all our movements must come from our waist, and this also meant the Dantian. Each movement spirals from the Dantian to…
Master Tse's Taiji Fist #32
Staying in One Position a Long Time
The more time I spent with Mr Fung the more heard and learnt about Chen Taijiquan. He talked about its founder Chen Wangting陳王庭，陳發科 and his disciple Jiangfa蔣發, to Chen Xin陳鑫 and Chen…
Master Tse's Taiji Fist #31
The Story of the 25 Movements 二十五勢 pt 2
The driver’s surname was Fung. He told me that his teacher had learnt from the 17 Generation master of the Chen Family, Chen Fake陳發科. He told me many stories about Chen Fake.
One day…
Master Tse's Taiji Fist #30
The Story of the 25 Movements 二十五勢 - Part 1
After we have learnt the 19 Movements 十九勢 of Chen Style Taijiquan 陳家太極拳, in our classes, we will then learn the 25 Movements 二十五勢. There is a story…
Master Tse's Taiji Fist #29
19 Movements 十九勢
When people start to learn Chen Taijiquan陳家太極拳 in my class they begin with the 19 Movements十九勢 as this is the easiest and simplest form, but it also covers a lot of basic movements. It is good for beginners…
Master Tse's Taiji Fist #28
Warm Up for Taijiquan
Taijiquan太極拳 is Kung Fu功夫, so this means it is a fighting skill, even though most people practise it for health. Whenever my Sifu, Grandmaster Chen Xiao Wang陳小旺, demonstrates Taijiquan there is so much…
Master Tse's Taiji Fist #27
Cultivate the Original Qi, Practise Regularly培養本元，勤學苦練
Chen Xin陳鑫 said in his book, "Cultivate the Original Qi, practise regularly."
When you study Chinese Medicine and Qi, you will know that the Original…
Master Tse Taiji Fist #26
Hard & Soft Are All Gone, Everything Comes From Your Heart剛柔俱泯，—片神行
Chen Xin陳鑫 wrote, "Hard and soft are all gone, everything comes from your heart." When we practise our Taijiquan, in the beginning we pay…
Master Tse's Taiji Fist #25
Jumping, Leaping Over, Sometimes Up, Sometimes Down窜奔跳躍，忽上忽下
Chen Xin陳鑫 said in his book, "Jumping, leaping over, sometimes up, sometimes down." This is quite right. The more we practise Taiji, our movements develop and…
Master Tse's Taiji Fist #24
Slow in the Beginning, Fast Later, then Fast Returns to Slow先慢後快，快而復慢.
Chen Xin陳鑫 said, "Slow in the beginning, fast later, then fast returns to slow."
This is about how we practise Taijiquan. We should…
Master Tse's Taijifist #23
Turn Softness to be Strength and make Softness and Strength work together運柔成剛，剛柔相濟
On the Centre’s 2016 polo shirt I wrote, “Make soft and hard work together剛柔相濟.” This comes from Taijiquan, but is originally…
Master Tse's Taijifist #22
Loose Chest, Straight Back, Shoulders and Elbows Sunk含胸拔背，沉肩墜肘
In his book, Chen Xin陳鑫 says, “Loose chest, straight back, sink the shoulders and elbows” this is correct for any posture, not just in Taijiquan. However…
Master Tse's Taijifist #21
One Movement After Another Movement, One Position Connects with Another Position上下相隨，內外相合
Chen Xin陳鑫 says in his book, “One Movement after another Movement, one position connects with another position.” This means…
Master Tse's Taijifist #20
Up and Down Movements are Continuous, Internal and External Movements are Related上下相隨，內外相合
Chen Xin陳鑫 continues to describe Taijiquan, “Up and down movements are continuous. Internal and external movements are related.”…
Master Tse's Taijifist #19
Spiralling Movement Help Smooth the Channels纒繞運動，舒暢經絡
Chen Xin陳鑫 said, “Spiralling movements help smooth the channels.”
We all know that Taijiquan is good for our health, one reason, particularly in Chen Style Taijiquan,…
Master Tse's Taiji Fist #18
Light Body, Turn Easily, Qi Flows Through the Whole body and Reaches the Feet輕靈圓轉，中氣貫足
Chen Xin陳鑫 also said, “Light body, turn easily, Qi flows through the whole body and reaches the feet.”
This phrase is hard to…
Master Tse's Taiji Fist #17
Calm down, stand straight and mind focused on the movements心靜身正，以意運動
Chen Xin陳鑫 says in his book, “Calm down, stand straight and mind focused on the movements.” This is very clear instruction for anybody practising…
Master Tse's Taiji Fist #16
Opening and Closing, Firm and Light. Breathe Naturally開合虚實，呼吸自然
Last time we talked about Chen Xin’s 陳鑫book. In it he also says, “Opening and closing, Firm and Light. Breathe Naturally.” This is a principle of Taijiquan.…
Master Tse's Taiji Fist #15
Body Light and External Firm虚領頂勁，氣沉丹田
In the history of Chen Style Taijiquan, the 8th generation had a master named Chen Xin陳鑫 (1849 – 1929) who was famous for his writing and his Taijiquan as well. If we study Chen…
Master Tse's Taiji Fist #14
Wu Yu Xiang’s Taiji Poem武禹襄拳經
“Energy of movement is like Chou Si. Preparing the energy in like pulling a bow. Releasing the energy is like shooting the arrow運勁如抽絲，蓄勁如張弓，發勁如放箭.” Wu Yu Xiang’s…
Master Tse's Taiji Fist #13
Chou Si Jing抽絲勁
We should now understand that Chen Style Taijiquan movements consist of spiralling and circling movements that come from the Dantian. These kinds of movements are called Chan Si Jing纏絲勁.
However, did you know…
Master Tse’s Taiji Fist #12
Chan Si纏絲
When we practise Chen Style Taijiquan, we must know that the movements should spiral. We call this spiralling Chan Si纏絲. “Chan纏” means “Spiralling” and “Si 絲“means “Silk”. Some people call it “Silk Reeling”,…
Master Tse's Taiji Fist #11
Chen Fa Ke 陳發科 part 3
After 3 years Chen Fa Ke 陳發科 could practise his forms 30 times every day! Then one day he asked his cousin to Tui Shou with him. His cousin was very good, and was known in the village of pushing many people…
Master Tse's Taiji Fist #10
Chen Fa Ke 陳發科 Part 2
Chen Fa Ke 陳發科 went home to get the tools they need and then went to catch up with his cousin. As promised his cousin was waiting for him be walking slowly and so he quickly caught him back up and then they…
Master Tse's Taiji Fist #9
Chen Fa Ke 陳發科 Part 1
My Tai Sigong, Grandmaster Chen Fa Ke 陳發科 reached a very high level of skill. However, when he was a 14 year old, he was ill and weak and felt lump inside his body. Since he was so weak, he needed someone…
Master Tse's Taiji Fist #8
Taiji Addiction
During Taijiquan 太極拳 practice we should only focus on our movements and think of nothing else. We do not even need to worry about our breathing. We just have to sink our Qi to our Dantian, let everything moves internally…
Master Tse's Taiji Fist #7
Beautiful Performance
When you watch somebody performing Taijiquan well it looks very beautiful, but it takes a long time and a lot of practice to get to this level. Although the purpose of Taijiquan is not for performance, if you do it well…
Master Tse's Taiji Fist #6
Benefits of Taijiquan – 2: Philosophy
The second benefit of practicing Taijiquan is you will start to understand philosophy. The more we practice the more we start to see things differently. For example we will understand that we do not need…
Master Tse’s Taiji Fist #5
Benefits of Taijiquan
What benefits will we get when we practice Taijiquan? Although there are five major styles but they all share the same principles, no matter which one we are practicing we can say we are practicing the same Taijiquan and…
Master Tse's Taiji Fist #4
Quan 拳
Taijiquan is a martial art, but it is also good for our health as well. Most people practise Tajiquan for their health, but “Quan 拳” means “Fist”. Most Chinese Kung Fu styles have Fist in their name, for example Shaolin…
Master Tse's Taiji Fist #3
Two opposite energies
Two opposing energies together create a problem and this is a fact in everything we come across. Like day and night, fire and water, winter and summer, man and woman, etc. So if we can balance them then we can have a perfect…
Master Tse's Taiji Fist #2
Taiji太and Ji極
So what is Taijiquan 太極拳? To understand Taijiquan as a martial art we need to know what Taiji is and what Quan is.
“Tai 太” means “Big”. However in Chinese when we write big the character is 大. They look…
Master Tse's Taiji Fist #1
Spelling and Pronunciation of Taiji
Taiji 太極 , most people will spell it Tai Chi and also pronounce it like this. Today, we should spell it Taiji because this is the correct way to say it. Even so, most people will still say Tai Chi because…
Grandmaster Chen Xiao Wang’s 70th Birthday
Recent comments