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Kung Fu/Questions Answered by Expert Ken Gullette
| Subject | Date Asked |
| Young Grasshopper | 8/16/2011 |
| Q: I've been curious lately. What is the origin of the concept of calling a student "grasshopper" or ... A: :) Yes, it's from the Kung Fu TV show, when Master Po called Kwai Chang Caine "grasshopper" because ... | |
| leopard kung fu | 5/12/2010 |
| Q: I was just wondering, is leopard style kung fu based on snow leopards or African leopards? I know ... A: I don't practice leopard kung-fu, but it would be common sense that the Shaolin centuries ago didn't ... | |
| qi gong and spiritual enlightenment | 4/29/2010 |
| Q: I would like to know which chi gong Produces spiritual enlightenment if you know? Thank you very ... A: No chi kung exercise can produce spiritual enlightenment. Chi kung is made up of breathing ... | |
| energy | 2/16/2010 |
| Q: please answer my question your answer will enlighten me . thank you very much A: You can practice from now until you are 100 years old and you'll never be able to use "chi" if you ... | |
| First Punch | 2/7/2010 |
| Q: Hey ken, I know this doesn't have much to do with martial arts... But I thought if anyone would know ... A: Well Collin, I hope you never have to get into a fist fight. The last one I was in was around 1970 ... | |
| Which internal art? | 1/9/2010 |
| Q: Gullette, I am a beginner in the internal martial arts and am looking for your advice as to guide me ... A: John, Any of the internal arts would possibly be good. Bagua incorporates a lot of twisting and ... | |
| Which internal art? | 1/9/2010 |
| Q: Gullette, I am a beginner in the internal martial arts and am looking for your advice as to guide me ... A: Any art that requires you to be thrown doesn't sound like it would be good for you personally, so I ... | |
| Baguazhang from DVD? | 12/23/2009 |
| Q: Gullette, I am interested in studying baguazhang and am currently trying to learn from a DVD. ... A: Josh, I answered this a few days ago but I guess it didn't go through or I didn't push the "submit" ... | |
| i want to learn kungfu. | 10/27/2009 |
| Q: i am 24 years old indian boy and i want to learn kungfu. please guide me that what i have to do, and ... A: I'm sorry for the delay in replying. If there are no kung-fu school near you, I have an online ... | |
| Iron Palm/ Iron Fist/ Iron Body(shirt) | 9/17/2009 |
| Q: First off I asked this question to one of the other experts and never got an answer, so please ... A: Sorry for the delay in answering. I think maybe some of the other "experts" get sidetracked, too. ... | |
| kung fu training teacher | 8/18/2009 |
| Q: i've done more investigation then the average person and i have come to the conclusion that none of ... A: Spencer, I'm sorry for the delay in responding. I thought I had answered this earlier. This is ... | |
| kung fu teacher training etc. | 8/18/2009 |
| Q: i've done more investigation then the average person and i have come to the conclusion that none of ... A: I'm sorry to have been so slow that you had to send this twice. I may have seen this question and ... | |
| Is Chi real ?? | 8/13/2009 |
| Q: I just want to ask if there really is an internal power in us called chi that if controlled ... A: Gabriel. There is no internal power in us called chi. This is an ancient belief that has never ... | |
| Can you please give me some physical endurance tests ....... | 8/7/2009 |
| Q: Hey. I was wondering if you know some harmless physical endurance exercices that strengthens my pain ... A: Yes, anytime you do something to yourself that creates pounding and pressure or trauma to your ... | |
| Can you please give me some physical endurance tests ....... | 8/6/2009 |
| Q: Hey. I was wondering if you know some harmless physical endurance exercices that strengthens my pain ... A: You might not like what I'm about to tell you. All of that stuff about doing exercises to develop ... | |
| Meditation | 6/7/2009 |
| Q: Sifu, I hope you will allow me the privilege of calling you that. I also want to thank you for ... A: There are a lot of DVDs out there that can help you with meditation. Chi Kung is the best meditation ... | |
| Tai Chi vs. Bagua vs. Xing Yi | 5/16/2009 |
| Q: I did some research in the internet and read Kumar' Frantzis book regarding internal martial arts. ... A: I have the Frantzis book. There are a lot of good parts but some that are pretty strange. He is a ... | |
| bone density | 2/27/2009 |
| Q: A: Yes, punching a heavybag will increase bone density. Any weight-bearing exercise will. When you ... | |
| survival in the street | 10/23/2008 |
| Q: so i was wondering is there a type of karate animal stance i could use to warn them not to go near ... A: I wouldn't get into any particular fighting stance if confronted by bullies. That would just let ... | |
| Would like to find a sensei | 8/4/2008 |
| Q: I humble myself to your advice/direction. I am looking for a sensei in Dallas. I am called to ... A: There are probably only one or two good tai chi teachers in Dallas. I recommend looking in the phone ... | |
| Training | 7/12/2008 |
| Q: I am a 25 year old who would like to start a style of wushu.I'm 6 feet 3 inches tall, medium build ... A: There's really no correct answer here. It doesn't matter what body type you are or your flexibility. ... | |
| Wing Tsun | 7/10/2008 |
| Q: I have just started to attempt learning Wing Tsun with a book (because I can't find instructors nor ... A: I don't know a lot about Wing Tsun but I have a good friend who does. Please email Sean Ledig and ... | |
| is Chi Kung okay to self teach? | 2/5/2008 |
| Q: Gullette, For a long time I've been in poor mental and physical health that western medicine has ... A: Chi Kung can be self-taught, but videos are even more helpful. I sell a beginner's Chi Kung DVD on ... | |
| martial arts | 1/30/2008 |
| Q: Recently I was Thinking about martial arts and there aspects in a variety of situations, one of ... A: Body armor was worn when warriors used weapons. This is why police officers wear bullet proof vests. ... | |
| Tai Chi | 9/22/2007 |
| Q: I'm currently interested in learning Tai Chi. And I was hoping you could give me a video ... A: It depends upon your intention. If you want to learn Tai Chi for exercise and health, I would ... | |
| help | 9/18/2007 |
| Q: Please help? I am a divorced single dad with two GREAT kids. I want to get my 12 year old son into ... A: Sorry for the delay in responding. Usually, a taekwondo school or a good karate school is excellent ... | |
| to learn kung fu | 9/16/2007 |
| Q: i want to learn kung fu but as in my town there are no teachers iam fond of kung fu from childhood ... A: It would be very difficult to master kung fu without a teacher, but you can learn a lot if you can ... | |
| learning martial arts | 9/13/2007 |
| Q: i was wondering if you knew of any place in the states where i would be able to devote my days to ... A: Matt, There have been many times in my adult life that I wished I could go back to age 20, when I ... | |
| learning martial arts | 9/13/2007 |
| Q: i was wondering if you knew of any place in the states where i would be able to devote my days to ... A: Matt, I don't know of such a place in the United States. But even more importantly, why would you ... | |
| xinyi | 9/4/2007 |
| Q: what would you say is the easiest and fastest internal martial art to pick up, like be good in 2 ... A: Okay, what do you mean by "good?" Hsing-I is probably the easiest to learn so that you look good ... | |
| hsing yi | 8/28/2007 |
| Q: i am a big fan of the internal martial arts as i think it teaches the practitioner patience and ... A: I don't know anyone personally. Have you done a Google search? Try searching different spellings -- ... | |
| internal arts | 8/27/2007 |
| Q: i was wondering if when one fights using baguazhang, whether in the street or in a tournament, do ... A: That's a good question and not an easy one. I've never fought in the street with bagua, and ... | |
| tai chi | 8/26/2007 |
| Q: Ken Why do tai chi players start facing east? Thanks for your time. Mark A: As someone who doesn't follow most of the superstitions of the East, I've never been concerned about ... | |
| question | 4/29/2007 |
| Q: Do you think that Pa Kua Chang is an effective art, and what's the main focus of this art? Do those ... A: I don't know a lot about Mr. Ralston. I just went online, though, and saw him demonstrating some ... | |
| question | 4/28/2007 |
| Q: Do you think that Pa Kua Chang is an effective art, and what's the main focus of this art? Do those ... A: Yes, bagua is a very effective art. It's very difficult though, and takes years of training to be ... | |
| Bruce Lee | 1/12/2007 |
| Q: Regarding Bruce's weight lifting, do you think that his weight lifting shows that he had very ... A: I think Bruce Lee was correct in weight training. I believe in order for your body to truly be ... | |
| harnessing chi | 1/5/2007 |
| Q: Ken Gullette I am Neal Nabb. I've been wandering around confused all my life on how to harness my ... A: Harnessing your chi isn't something I believe in. There's really no such thing as chi. It's never ... | |
| - | 12/11/2006 |
| Q: What do you think about Wing Chun,I don't know too much about it, but I'm thinking of starting ... A: I've only encountered two Wing Chun guys. They both told me they were good, and neither one seemed ... | |
| wing chun or tai chi | 11/23/2006 |
| Q: I am stuck between the choice of studying wing chun or tai chi finally having narrowed it down that ... A: Tai Chi is a much better martial art for real-life self defense. The problem is finding a teacher ... | |
| relaxation and strength | 9/28/2006 |
| Q: My previous question was about cross training and I really appreciated the simple insight you gave ... A: Tim, Sometimes after a hard day of work I teach tai chi and kung fu classes (actually two or three ... | |
| martial arts | 9/13/2006 |
| Q: There is a person on tv who studied hi levels of martial arts. This person also studied magic, ... A: Any person who claims to do this kind of stuff is a fraud. It can't be done. Anyone who has ever ... | |
| Tai Chi fighting form | 9/3/2006 |
| Q: Would you happen to have any advice on finding schools that teach Tai Chi as a mode of self-defense ... A: I'm sorry it took so long to answer this. I didn't see it in my email. You might be able to find a ... | |
| kung fu | 8/14/2006 |
| Q: i am just trying too find out what order the sashes go in A: That varies from school to school. In China, I don't think there are sash levels. At least not in ... | |
| How should I stretch properly? | 2/17/2006 |
| Q: I have a rather basic question. Two years ago I have started learning Kung Fu. I was wondering if ... A: Most schools spend part of the time stretching. But if you want to do it at home, I recommend ... | |
| How do i gain speed | 1/6/2006 |
| Q: I'v seen the speed bruce lee has. And i seen him lift very heavy weights in his body building ... A: Bruce Lee was a very special individual. We all have our strengths and weaknesses. Bruce Lee ... | |
| Taijiquan body mechanics: sung | 1/3/2006 |
| Q: I'm a 48 year old man who has been trying to learn some Chen style tai chi for the past few years. ... A: I'd like to answer as many of your questions as I can. Maybe we'll need to continue this with ... | |
| Newbie needs Help! | 10/5/2005 |
| Q: First off I would like to thank you for offering your time and expertise, its wonderful! My goal is ... A: I think all martial arts emphasize discipline of mind. It's difficult to excel at any of them ... | |
| Kung fu and MMA | 8/23/2005 |
| Q: Lately i,ve read articles and heard about the effectiveness of grappling arts like brazilian jujitsu ... A: I respect grapplers, but I've noticed in Ultimate Fighting matches, not as many fights end on the ... | |
| help? | 3/25/2005 |
| Q: ------------------------- you have never seen a good wing chun fighter what about bruce lee? well i ... A: Yes, Bruce Lee was a good Wing Chun fighter, but even he recognized the limitations. And I know ... | |
| help? | 3/24/2005 |
| Q: ive just currently moved to jacksonville florida from oklahoma where my martial arts journey began. ... A: Good questions. First, let me say that Chen tai chi should be excellent for self defense if the ... | |
| Tai Chi styles | 1/13/2005 |
| Q: I have been taking Wu style Tai Chi and am prepareing to test for my black sash (first in my schools ... A: I'm most familiar with Chen style and Yang style. I have a student who studied Wu style for a ... | |
| Tournaments | 10/15/2004 |
| Q: I am a beginning competitor, and I have many questions about tournaments, so I will understand if ... A: Igor, I wanted to follow up and thank you for the nice rating you gave me. So you never ... | |
| what must i do | 8/21/2004 |
| Q: m david from holland (the nederlands), i,ve bin practicing kung fu for 4 years by now,, a couple of ... A: David, When I was a young guy, I was picked on by bullies. I don't know why they targeted me. I ... | |
| HAI!!!! | 6/19/2004 |
| Q: Osu! hi my name is marc! it is nice to meet you! Here is a little background on myself. I have been ... A: That's a very cool story. I believe that the harder you try to achieve nothingness, the farther ... | |
| Learning Kung-Fu | 5/8/2004 |
| Q: I want to learn Kung-Fu for the self defence and to develope my mind and spirit, im 15 at the moment ... A: It's very difficult to learn kung fu without a teacher. There are many videos on the market that ... | |
| Things that your life and art have taught you | 4/13/2004 |
| Q: Gullette As you are an expert in the martial arts, I would be grateful to receive some of your ... A: Well, they call us experts on the website but they should just call us "experienced." :)) I'm ... | |
| Taoism, Chan Buddhism | 3/5/2004 |
| Q: Can you recomend any good books that explain how Taoism and Buddhism are entwined with kung fu? How ... A: I recommend "The Tao of Peace" by Diane Dreher. It's a very good book if you're looking to put ... | |
| Kung Fu | 6/8/2003 |
| Q: I am looking into taking a martial arts class. I am in good shape but I am looking for something ... A: You should look in the yellow pages at the different martial arts schools and visit a few that look ... | |
| Preventive Measures | 10/26/2002 |
| Q: I'm fairly new to organized training, and I'm searching for methods to help me loosen my hips and ... A: Good morning, Sunshine, Good stretching routines can get you loose in the hips and groin. There are ... | |
Kung Fu
Answers by Expert:
Ken Gullette
Top Expert on this page
Expertise
I am a senior level (black sash) instructor in the American Tao System of Internal Arts. We study and practice the internal arts of Chen Tai Chi, Hsing-I Chuan, and Baguazhang. I also study and teach Chi Kung (Qigong) and Chin-Na. I began studying martial arts in 1973. I was 20 years old, a college student, and was inspired by Bruce Lee and the Kung-Fu TV show. My first teacher was Grandmaster Sin The in Lexington, Kentucky. I studied Shaolin with him. During the 1970's I also studied Taekwondo with Master Randy Chambliss. In the early 80's, I studied Tien Shan Pai Kung-Fu (wushu) with Karen Vaughn in Cincinnati. I met Sifu Phillip Starr in 1987 when I moved to Omaha, and earned a black sash in his Yiliquan system. He taught me the basics of Hsing-I, Tai Chi and Bagua. In 1998, I began studying Chen Tai Chi with Jim and Angela Criscimagna. They are indoor disciples of Grandmaster Chen Xiaowang. I've also learned from Grandmaster Chen and his brother, Grandmaster Chen Xiaoxing, the head of tai chi training in the Chen village, Henan Province. Their ancestor, Chen Wangting, created tai chi about 350 years ago. I have also learned from Mike Sigman and other very good instructors. I have a website, www.internalfightingarts.com, where I teach all three internal arts online to students around the world. The site is very video intense. Eastern philosophy, especially Zen and Taoism, are very important to me. I am developing a means of explaining these philosophies to Americans in plain English so they can apply them to daily life in the 21st Century USA. I call it American Tao. I am 55 years old and enjoy competing in tournaments, often sparring young black belts (and even winning occasionally). I can answer questions about the internal arts, chi kung, tournament competition, philosophy, and keeping fit after the age of 40 or 50.
Experience
Winner of two gold medals at the 1990 AAU Kung Fu Nationals. Continue to compete. My students also are very successful in tournaments. Becoming a teacher and winning the respect and frienship of my students. Teaching chi kung (qigong) and centering techniques that have helped many students deal with stress and illness.
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