The Tai Chi Gringo

Join me as I document my ongoing journey exploring Chen Taijiquan Gongfu. This blog examines the internal architecture of Chen Tai Chi: the body method, the physiology of adaptation (structural, metabolic and autonomic), and the cultivation of integrated whole-body power. Much of the writing focuses on how these principles express themselves in movement, long-term health, refined perception, and the development of functional capability.

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Alongside this, an additional focus is the pressure-testing and refinement of my Taijiquan within an MMA context. The goal is to map the full spectrum of Chen-style Gongfu, from deep internal development and its lifelong benefits, to practical expression against a resisting opponent.
 

The writing draws on three sources: long-term personal practice, the Chen tradition as taught by Wang Haijun, and current research across fascia science, neurophysiology, exercise physiology, motor learning and biomechanics. The models built on that research are offered as working hypotheses, not settled findings. The foundational references are collected on the Science Background page.

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The articles are developed with the help of AI, particularly for research, drafting, and synthesis across the different fields they draw on. The practice, the core ideas, the final judgement are my own.

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A new article published on the first Thursday of each month