Instructor
My name is Siva Arumugam and I have been a student of taijiquan for over 10 years, almost all in the Chen taijiquan family system. I studied with Andy Loria, a direct student of Chen Xiaoxing, in Chicago for five years, and have taken seminars with Chen Xiaowang, his students Davidine Sim and David Gaffney in Warrington, and with Liu Quanjun in London.
I have attended seminars and taken private instruction with Chen Xiaoxing and his son Chen Ziqiang on many occasions.
Chen family
Direct descendants of Chen Wangting and Chen Changxing, the Chen family continue to practice and teach their family art.
Chen Xiaowang
Grandmaster Chen Xiaowang (陳小旺 Chén Xiǎo Wàng) has promoted taijiquan throughout the world since the 1980’s. The power and grace with which he moves at over 70 years of age is scarcely credible.
Chen Xiaoxing
Grandmaster Chen Xiaoxing (陈小星 Chén Xiǎo Xīng), younger brother of Chen Xiaowang, is the Principal of the main taijiquan school in his home village of Chenjiagou, the birthplace of taijiquan. He is a simple, patient and dignified teacher of all those who seek to learn his family art.
Chen Ziqiang
Chen Ziqiang (陳自強 Chén Zì Qiáng), eldest son of Chen Xiaoxing, and head coach at their school, is well known for his formidable fighting ability and straightforward approach to practising taijiquan.
Chen style teachers in England
There are currently two taijiquan schools in England accredited with Chen Xiaoxing’s school in Chenjiagou.
Davidine Sim and David Gaffney
Davidine Sim and David Gaffney have been teaching, practising, and promoting the traditional training practices of Chen style taijiquan in England for many years. Their books on taijiquan are wonderful accounts of what it takes to train taijiquan successfully and are highly recommended. The seminars they teach follow the straightforward, demanding and painstaking yet warm and inviting style of Chen Xiaoxing’s training methods.
Liu Quanjun
Liu Quanjun has over 25 years experience in the internal martial arts and has been teaching Chen style taijiquan in London since 2005. His seminars are a model of clarity, simplicity and rigorous training and are well worth attending.
