Taiping Institute

15/06/2025

Wensheng Quan

27/05/2025

Too often, martial arts are viewed through a narrow lens—either as a form of self-defense or as a health-promoting activity. But in truth, the classical systems of martial arts were never fragmented this way. The best traditions understood that combat effectiveness and health cultivation were intertwined. One refined the other.

At its core, martial arts training is about preparing the body and mind for function under pressure—physical, mental, and even moral. This preparation must include both damage potential (the ability to subdue an opponent) and damage tolerance (the ability to endure and recover). The training methods are therefore designed with dual outcomes: to make the practitioner a more capable fighter and a more resilient, healthier person.

Take, for example, traditional training tools like stance work and form practice. To the untrained eye, they might appear as slow or even ornamental. But these exercises cultivate muscular endurance, joint stability, spinal alignment, and breath control—all of which contribute to generating power and maintaining body integrity in combat.

Similarly, breath-regulated movement and coordinated spirals or coiling (as seen in many Chinese internal styles) teach practitioners how to mobilize force efficiently through the fascia and tendons, not just muscle. This reduces injury risk while increasing striking effectiveness. In combat, this translates to greater speed, impact, and control. In health, it supports circulation, posture, and even organ function.

Conditioning drills—whether it's iron palm training, body toughening, or controlled impact work—are not simply about taking hits. When done correctly, they involve recovery protocols that promote blood flow, stimulate nerve adaptation, and build internal resilience. The practitioner doesn't just survive combat better—they age better.

This blend of “hardening” and “healing” is not coincidental. It’s by design. Many martial systems have paired combat drills with restorative practices: herbal liniments, massage techniques, breathwork, and meditation. These were not afterthoughts—they were integral, recognizing that the longevity of a warrior depends not just on how he fights, but how he recovers.

In an age of specialization, martial arts remind us of the value of integrated training. You don’t need to choose between fitness and fighting skill, between physical therapy and performance. Traditional methods—when properly understood—offer both.

Martial arts training, when approached holistically, becomes not only a way to defend life but to cultivate it.

- Wu
Taipinginstitute.com
-preserving the combat arts

12/03/2025

Bajiquan

20/02/2025

Modern Chinese Wushu is often classified into the Performance (Wushu Taolu) and Sports Combat aspect (Wushu Sanda). Today we consider them as new sports unrelated to traditional combat chinese martial arts.

17/02/2025

Taijiquan
Taiji embodies the balance of dualities: the interplay of heaven and earth, yin and yang; opening and closing, motion and stillness; softness and strength.
With every movement of extension and contraction, advance and retreat, life and death coexist. Opening and closing alternate, revealing change within constancy. The balance of emptiness and fullness appears and disappears in harmony, blending vitality and grace. Whether drawing in or releasing, moments of tension and relaxation weave together seamlessly, creating a dynamic interplay of suppression and elevation. Each action must have purpose—neither overexerted nor neglected. Through genuine effort and persistence, simplicity shines ever brighter.
The cycle of fullness and emptiness follows its rhythm, unpredictable in form. Insight foresees what comes; wisdom conceals what has passed. The roles of host and guest remain distinct, the path clear and balanced. Principles and adaptability intertwine, addressing weaknesses and reinforcing strengths. Like a divine dragon’s unpredictable transformations, Taiji moves with vast, unfathomable energy. The practice unfolds with steady grace, free from haste or disorder.
Every part of the body—from skin to joints—opens and aligns. Movements are synchronized, neither premature nor delayed, equally responsive to incoming and outgoing forces. Front, back, left, right, above, and below are interconnected, transitions fluid, and actions alternate between swift and steady. Reaching high or low, intentions are fulfilled, unhindered by superficiality or emptiness.
In sincere practice, control and freedom coexist. The flow of vitality is lively, circulating naturally like cosmic energy. Pretending to yield or feign defeat, one controls the balance of power, bewildering opponents. By adapting to circumstances, profound techniques remain hidden. Striking upward or downward requires precision without imbalance. Feints and unexpected actions, shifting directions, create an air of unpredictability. The endless cycles of nature—cold giving way to heat, seasons following their course—reflect the eternal rhythm of Taiji.

Taipinginstitute.com
-preserving the combat arts

Taiji embodies the balance of dualities: the interplay of heaven and earth, yin and yang; opening and closing, motion and stillness; softness and strength.

With every movement of extension and contraction, advance and retreat, life and death coexist. Opening and closing alternate, revealing change within constancy. The balance of emptiness and fullness appears and disappears in harmony, blending vitality and grace. Whether drawing in or releasing, moments of tension and relaxation weave together seamlessly, creating a dynamic interplay of suppression and elevation. Each action must have purpose—neither overexerted nor neglected. Through genuine effort and persistence, simplicity shines ever brighter.

The cycle of fullness and emptiness follows its rhythm, unpredictable in form. Insight foresees what comes; wisdom conceals what has passed. The roles of host and guest remain distinct, the path clear and balanced. Principles and adaptability intertwine, addressing weaknesses and reinforcing strengths. Like a divine dragon’s unpredictable transformations, Taiji moves with vast, unfathomable energy. The practice unfolds with steady grace, free from haste or disorder.

Every part of the body—from skin to joints—opens and aligns. Movements are synchronized, neither premature nor delayed, equally responsive to incoming and outgoing forces. Front, back, left, right, above, and below are interconnected, transitions fluid, and actions alternate between swift and steady. Reaching high or low, intentions are fulfilled, unhindered by superficiality or emptiness.

In sincere practice, control and freedom coexist. The flow of vitality is lively, circulating naturally like cosmic energy. Pretending to yield or feign defeat, one controls the balance of power, bewildering opponents. By adapting to circumstances, profound techniques remain hidden. Striking upward or downward requires precision without imbalance. Feints and unexpected actions, shifting directions, create an air of unpredictability. The endless cycles of nature—cold giving way to heat, seasons following their course—reflect the eternal rhythm of Taiji.

18/01/2025

The Six Harmonies

"The Internal Three Harmonies (内三合) and External Three Harmonies (外三合) are the guiding principles of Da Liuhe Men. The Internal Three Harmonies align the mind, intention, and energy, while the External Three Harmonies synchronize the root, trunk, and tips of the body. Through these harmonies, the art achieves unity and adaptability in techniques, making them fluid, dynamic, and harmonious."

Beginners focus on generating significant power from deliberate or direct heavy strikes but as skill progresses, mastery lies in using light, subtle force to overcome heavy resistance.

Unity of Principles and Techniques:
Liuhe Quan emphasizes that techniques (the external) must emerge naturally from the unity of the mind, intention, and energy (the internal).

Harmony and Adaptability:
True mastery lies in achieving a state where internal and external forces work together seamlessly, allowing the practitioner to adapt to any situation with precision and fluidity.

Balance and Transformation:
The art teaches how to balance softness and hardness, lightness and heaviness, ensuring that movements are both powerful and harmonious.

The Six Harmonies form the foundation of Liuhe Quan, emphasizing the integration of internal energy and external movements. By achieving unity through disciplined practice, a practitioner transforms their body and mind into a cohesive, adaptable force, capable of precision and power in both training and combat.

23/11/2024

Che style Xingyiquan

23/11/2024

Bajiquan

15/10/2024

Taiping training 14 Oct 2024

15/10/2024

The Li family Staff, also known as Tiger Stake Staff, is one of the major staff systems in Guangdong. It is aligned to the principles of Yu Dayou's staff emphasizing single end methods. Absorbed into a number of styles across Shantou, Hailu Feng and greater Guangdong.

21/09/2024

Students of Taijiquan that have studied in Zhaobao town incl Chenjiagou, may have had the pleasure of enjoying these at some point.

03/08/2024

Often the greatest warriors were never known, because they were busy fighting the war and never returned. Thus it is said, history is made by the blood of martial arts heroes but recorded by the pen of coward officials.

Many martial arts in the past, were taught after the return from conflicts or endeavours such as warlord campaigns, rebellion or security logistics bureaus, then retired back home. Often, since they seek no gain nor fame, their heritage becames a distant memory.

It is with this intention that for our existence we have continued to seek and preserve. Not necessarily to the most known but also the obscure, not just knowing about them but to reach the depths through training and learning with them. Obtaining some parts of their collective experience.

Now, that journey is but ending since that elder generation have passed, or has almost reached their final days. It is now about how to correctly pass that legacy on.

Taipinginstitute.com
-preserving the combat arts