Internal Fighting Arts | Learn Real-World Martial Arts Insights from Top Instructors of Tai Chi - Xingyi - Bagua and Qiqong
Episodes
Internal Fighting Arts 82 - Bob Bacher
25 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Ken Gullette talks with Dr. Bob Bacher, a Taijiquan teacher who studied with Wan Xi'an, one of the "Four Tigers" of the Chen Village. For ten years, B...
Internal Fighting Arts 81 - The Eight Energies of Tai Chi
04 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The "Eight Energies of Taijiquan" are not mystical -- and they don't mean there are eight specific types of energy coursing through your body. The nam...
Internal Fighting Arts 80 - Mark Becker
14 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Ken Gullette talks with long-time Taiji instructor Mark Becker about training with his teachers, including Liang Baiping, Grandmaster Feng Zhiqiang, a...
Internal Fighting Arts 79 - Aaron Leisinger
22 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Ken Gullette talks with Sgt. Aaron Leisinger of the Cedar Rapids, Iowa Police Department and a long-time martial arts student and instructor. He also ...
Internal Fighting Arts 78 - Lindsay Lambert
20 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Ken talks with Lindsay Lambert, the owner and head instructor at Wu Dao Kung Fu & Tai Chi in Watertown, Massachusetts (on the outskirts of Boston). Li...
Internal Fighting Arts 77 - Hai Yang
08 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Celebrating the 10th Anniversary of the Internal Fighting Arts podcast, Ken Gullette talks with Hai Yang, who has become familiar to a lot of internal...
Internal Fighting Arts 76 - Dan Miller
06 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Dan Miller is a martial artist, author, and for six years he was publisher of The Pa Kua Chang Journal, from 1990 to early 1997. In this interview, Ke...
Internal Fighting Arts 75 - Tim Cartmell
22 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The Diamond episode of the Internal Fighting Arts Podcast -- number 75 -- features an interview with Tim Cartmell, a highly-respected internal martial...
Internal Fighting Arts 74 - William Bentley
13 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Ken talks with Bill Bentley, who teaches Xingyi through daoistgatecenter.org, and privately he teaches Xingyi, Bagua, Wudang style sword, and self-def...
Internal Fighting Arts 73 - Raphael Smith
11 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Ken Gullette talks with Raphael Smith, an instructor of Song style Xingyiquan, Chen style Practical Method Taijiquan, and combat-related arts in the S...
Internal Fighting Arts 72 - Gerald A. Sharp
05 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Ken Gullette talks with instructor Gerald A. Sharp, who Ken first became aware of in the 1990s when he bought Gerald's "Five Fists of Power" VHS instr...
Internal Fighting Arts 71 - Byron Jacobs Xingyi Quan Book
16 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Byron Jacobs published an excellent Xingyi Quan book in 2023 titled "Dragon Body, Tiger Spirit." In this book, Byron translates a collection of Xingyi...
Internal Fighting Arts 70 - Greatest Hits Vol. 1
09 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This podcast features some of Ken Gullette's favorite clips from the first couple of years the Internal Fighting Arts podcast. It's a Greatest Hits fe...
Internal Fighting Arts 69 - Tony Wong
16 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Ken Gullette interviews instructor Tony Wong. His birth name was Wong Wai Yi and he grew up in Hong Kong before moving to the United States. He lives ...
Internal Fighting Arts 68 - Nabil Ranne
30 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Ken Gullette talks with Nabil Ranne almost three years after Nabil's first appearance on the podcast. Nabil is a disciple of Chen Yu (the son of Chen ...
Internal Fighting Arts 67 - Michael Dorgan
02 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Ken Gullette talks with Michael Dorgan, a disciple of the late Grandmaster Feng Zhiqiang. Among Michael's other teachers are the late Master Zhang Xue...
Internal Fighting Arts 66 - Scott M Rodell
31 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Ken Gullette talks with Scott M. Rodell, a Yang style Taijiquan instructor who is known for his swordsmanship. He is the founding director of the Grea...
Internal Fighting Arts 65 - Running Your Own School with Kimberly Ivy and Michael Celeste
29 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
If you are like a lot of martial artists, you dream about having your own bricks-and-mortar martial arts school. In this episode, Ken Gullette talks w...
Internal Fighting Arts 64 - Questions with Graham Barlow
23 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In a different kind of episode, Ken Gullette does a joint podcast with Graham Barlow, the martial artist behind "The Tai Chi Notebook" podcast. Graham...
Internal Fighting Arts 63 - Taoist Monk Yun Rou
15 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Ken Gullette talks with Taoist Monk Yun Rou about applying philosophy to the sobering reality of death. Everyone will die, but for those who are diagn...
Internal Fighting Arts 62 - Ryan Craig
06 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Ken Gullette talks with Ryan Craig, an instructor of Chen style Taijiquan in Philadelphia, PA. Ryan is a student of Nabil Ranne, who is a disciple of ...
Internal Fighting Arts 61 - Radames Pera
12 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Ken Gullette interviews the last surviving star from the original "Kung Fu" TV show, Radames Pera, who played young Caine, the student monk who learne...
Internal Fighting Arts 60 - Steve Contes
10 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Ken Gullette talks with Steve Contes, a disciple of Grandmaster Zhu Tiancai, one of the "Four Tigers" of the Chen Village. Steve lives and teaches in ...
Internal Fighting Arts 59 - Douglas Gentile
20 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
What is the secret of achieving enlightennment, awakening, nirvana? Are we sleep-walking through our lives? How do we become better people? Zen Buddhi...
Internal Fighting Arts 58 - Byron Jacobs
30 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Ken Gullette talks with Byron Jacobs, a teacher of Xingyiquan and Bagua Zhang who lives in Beijing. His teacher is Di Guoyong. This is a wide-ranging ...
Internal Fighting Arts 57 - Louis Martin
14 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Louis Martin is the author of "The True Believers," the story of how he became involved in a martial arts school in Monterey, California that had a ch...
Internal Fighting Arts 56 - Justin Meehan
21 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
J. Justin Meehan is an attorney in St. Louis and the senior U.S. disciple of Master Zhang Xue Xin, who lives in San Francisco and is a disciple of the...
Internal Fighting Arts 55 - Dennis Mace
16 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Ken Gullette talks Bagua Zhang with Dennis Mace, an instructor of Cheng style Bagua Zhang in Seattle, Washington and a disciple of the late Yang Guo T...
Internal Fighting Arts 54 - John Scott
11 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
John Scott is the Maryland State Representative for the Chen Pan Ling family and the Ling Yun Pai family. He is a successful instructor and tournament...
Internal Fighting Arts 53 - Jakob Pang Isaksson
10 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Ken Gullette talks with Jakob Pang Isaksson, a Jiang style Bagua Zhang instructor who lives in Stockholm, Sweden. Jakob has spent a few years in China...
Internal Fighting Arts 52 - COVID and TCM
02 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Stephen Jackowicz, Ph.D. has developed an early-stage anti-viral treatment for Covid-19 patients using Traditional Chinese Medicine, particularly herb...
Internal Fighting Arts 51 - Nabil Ranne
15 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Ken Gullette talks Taiji with Nabil Ranne, an instructor in Berlin, Germany who is a disciple of Chen Yu. Nabil is the co-founder of the Chen Style Ta...
Internal-Fighting-Arts-50-Chen-Huixian
30 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Chen Huixian is a 20th generation descendant of the Chen family. She grew up in Chenjiagou, the Chen Village, where Taijiquan is believed to have orig...
internal-fighting-arts-49-ronnie-yee
08 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Ken Gullette talks with Chen Taiji instructor Ronnie Yee of Vancouver, British Columbia. Ronnie has studied martial arts since 1980, when he enrolled ...
Internal-Fighting-Arts-48-Tina-Zhang
10 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Tina Zhang was born in China and lived in a home on the grounds of the Imperial Palace. She studied martial arts in school, and continued her studies ...
Internal Fighting Arts 47 - Frank Allen
16 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Frank Allen is a disciple of Chent Style Baguazhang Grandmaster Liu Jingru and also a disciple of Northern Wu Style Taijiquan Grandmaster Li Bing Ci. ...
Internal-Fighting-Arts-46-Training-Tips
31 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This is a different kind of episode. Instead of an interview, Ken Gullette celebrates the one-year anniversary of sending out a weekly training tip to...
Internal-Fighting-Arts-45-Mark-Chen-Book
30 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Mark Chen has written a valuable new book called "Chen Style Taijiquan Collected Masterworks: The History of a Martial Art." The book is a translation...
Internal-Fighting-Arts-44-Jon-Nicklin
17 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Ken Gullette talks with Jon Nicklin, who lived several years in Shanghai and became a disciple of Dai Xueqi, who is a master of Song family Xingyiquan...
Internal-Fighting-Arts-43-Michael-Dorgan
23 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Is your mind quiet enough to do Tai Chi? Ken Gullette interviews Michael Dorgan, a Hunyuan Taijiquan instuctor and owner of Hunyuan Martial Arts Acade...
Internal-Fighting-Arts-9-Kim-Ivy-Part-1
26 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Kim Ivy is a Chen Taiji and Qigong instructor and disciple of Grandmaster Chen Xiaowang. In part 1 of a 2-part interview, Kim talks with Ken Gullette ...
Internal-Fighting-Arts-42-Holly-Sweeney-Hillman
09 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Ken Gullette talks with Holly Sweeney-Hillman, a Senior-level instructor of Traditional Yang Family Tai Chi in Pottersville, New Jersey and the Center...
Internal-Fighting-Arts-41-Derryl-Willis
02 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Ken Gullette talks with Derryl Willis, a Seattle-based instructor of Chen Taijiquan who is a disciple of Grandmaster Chen Xiaowang. Derryl has made ma...
Internal-Fighting-Arts-40-Matthew-Polly
18 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Bruce Lee inspired Ken Gullette and Matthew Polly to become involved in martial arts. Now, Matthew has written the best and most detailed biography of...
Internal Fighting Arts 39 Graham Barlow
26 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
What happens when a tai chi person takes up Brazilian Jiu Jitsu? Graham Barlow, the man behind the Tai Chi Notebook blog, did just that. He is a tai c...
Internal-Fighting-Arts-38-Stephen-Jackowicz
23 Aug 2018
Contributed by Lukas
What is the nature of chi? How is chi interpreted in different ways? Is there a conspiracy in Western medicine against acupuncture? Is acupuncture eff...
Internal-Fighting-Arts-37-Sam-Masich
06 Jul 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Ken Gullette talks with Sam Masich, a veteran tai chi instructor who grew up in Canada and now lives and teaches in Germany. He studied with Grandmast...
Internal-Fighting-Arts-36-Ian-Sinclair-Part-2
18 Apr 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Ken Gullette with part two of an interview with Ian Sinclair, a tai chi instructor in Orrilia, Ontario. He has studied with Grandmaster Liang Shouyu a...
Internal-Fighting-Arts-35-Ian-Sinclair-Part-One
21 Mar 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Tai Chi instructor Ian Sinclair talks with Ken Gullette about his experiences training with Grandmaster Shouyu Liang, Raymond Chung and other teachers...
Internal-Fighting-Arts-34-Paul-Linden
28 Jan 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Ken Gullette talks with Paul Linden, chief instructor at the Columbus Center for Movement Studies/Aikido of Columbus. Paul began studying Aikido in 19...
Internal-Fighting-Arts-33- Fascia with Dr.Ginevra Liptan
31 Dec 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Ken Gullette talks with Dr. Ginevra Liptan, owner of the Frida Center for Fibromyalgia in Portland, Oregon . She is a doctor of internal medicine, but...
Internal-Fighting-Arts-32-Keith-Kernspecht
15 Dec 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Ken Gullette interviews Keith Kernspecht, perhaps the most successful martial arts teacher in the world. Kernspecht is the founder and head of the Eur...
Internal-Fighting-Arts-31-Marketing-for-Martial-Arts-Teachers
23 Oct 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Are you an interal arts teacher or school owner who believes your marketing efforts could be improved? Do you have all the students you can hande? Pro...
Internal-Fighting-Arts-30-Wude-Martial-Morality
09 May 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Ken Gullette talks with Jonathan Bluestein and Byron Jacobs about "Wude," pronounced "Woo-Duh" that means martial morality and ethics. All you have to...
Internal-Fighting-Arts-29-Mark-Chen
15 Apr 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Ken Gullette talks with Mark Chen, author of "Old Frame Chen Family Taijiquan" and a formal, rumen disciple of the late Grandmaster Chen Qingzhou. Mar...
Internal-Fighting-Arts-28-Dan-Djurdjevic
31 Mar 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Ken Gullette talks with Dan Djurdjevic, an internal martial arts instructor who teaches in Perth, Australia. Dan is a student of Chen Yun Ching, the s...
Internal Fighting Arts 27 - Rory Miller
15 Feb 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Ken Gullette talks with Rory Miller, the author of an influential book, "Meditations on Violence." As a martial artist and a former corrections office...
Internal-Fighting-Arts-26-Tim-Tackett
05 Jan 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Ken Gullette interviews Jeet Kune Do instructor Tim Tackett, a veteran martial artist who became a senior instructor under Dan Inosanto in 1973. Tim f...
Internal-Fighting-Arts-25-Robert-Allen-Pittman
02 Aug 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Robert Allen Pittman is a Xingyi and Bagua teacher who has studied with Robert W. Smith, and in Taiwan Hung I-mien, and the sons of Chen Pan Ling. All...
Internal Fighting Arts 24 - Peter Wayne
14 Jul 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Tai Chi is a martial art, but most people think of it as a slow-motion exercise for health and meditation. In this podcast, Ken Gullette interviews Pe...
Internal-Fighting-Arts-23-Harriet-Hall-SkepDoc
08 Jun 2016
Contributed by Lukas
People who believe in Traditional Chinese Medicine, including chi healing and acupuncture, say that there is a conspiracy by "Western" scientists and ...
Internal Fighting Arts 22 - Bosco Baek
18 May 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Ken Gullette interviews Bosco Baek, a senior disciple of Chen Bing. Bosco is the chief instructor of the Chen Bing Taiji Academy USA in Los Angeles. I...
Internal-Fighting-Arts-21-Jan-Silberstorff
28 Jan 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Ken Gullette talks with Jan Silberstorff, the first Western indoor disciple of Grandmaster Chen Xiaowang and co-founder of the World Chen Xiaowang Tai...
Internal-Fighting-Arts-20-Ken-Cohen
03 Dec 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Ken Gullette interviews Ken Cohen, whose website describes him as a health educator, Qigong Grandmaster, and practitioner of indigenous medicine. He i...
Internal-Fighting-Arts-19-Taoist-Monk-Yunrou-Part-2
23 Oct 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Part Two of a 2-part interview between Ken Gullette and Chen Taiji instructor and Taoist Monk Yunrou, who lives and teaches in Pompano Beach/Boca Rato...
Internal-Fighting-Arts-18-Taoist-Monk-Yunrou
09 Oct 2015
Contributed by Lukas
The Taoist Monk Yonrou, also known as Arthur Rosenfeld, discusses the events in his life that led him to study martial arts, Tai Chi, and to become an...
Internal-Fighting-Arts-17-Stuart-Shaw
21 Aug 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Separating fact from fantasy in Tai Chi and other martial arts. Stuart Shaw teaches Tai Chi and Sanda in Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia. He has a Fa...
Internal-Fighting-Arts-16-Byron-Jacobs
17 Jul 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Ken Gullette talks with Byron Jacobs, a South African who studies Xingyiquan with Master Di Guoyong in Beijing. Byron also works at the International ...
Internal Fighting Arts 15 - Neil Ripski
02 Jul 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Ken Gullette interviews Neil Ripski, an instructor of Ma Family martial arts, including Drunken kung-fu, plus Xingyi, Chen Taiji and Bagua in British ...
Internal Fighting Arts 14 - Jonathan Bluestein
03 Jun 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Ken Gullette interviews Jonathan Bluestein, an Israeli student and instructor of Xingyiquan who has written a book called "Research of Martial Arts." ...
Internal-Fighting-Arts-13-Jose-Figueroa
10 May 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Chen Taiji instructor Jose Figueroa, a disciple of Ren Guangyi, teaches in St. Paul, Minnesota and is this week's guest. Also, Ken gets philosophical ...
Internal-Fighting-Arts-12-Taoism-Bill-Helm
12 Apr 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Ken Gullette explores the subject of Taoism with Bill Helm, an ordained Taoist priest and the Director of the Taoist Sanctuary in San Diego, which he ...
Internal-Fighting-Arts-11-Kent-Howard-Bagua
01 Apr 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Go inside the art of Baguazhang as Ken Gullette talks with Kent Howard, who has trained extensively in Taiwan in the Baguazhang style of Wang Shujin, ...
Internal-Fighting-Arts-10-Kim-Ivy-Part-2
12 Mar 2015
Contributed by Lukas
In Part 2 of her conversation with Ken Gullette, Kim Ivy describes training with Grandmasters Chen Xiaowang and Chen Xiaoxing, the experience of being...
Internal-Fighting-Arts-8-John-Little
12 Feb 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Imagine having exclusive access to all of Bruce Lee's personal notes, letters, drawings, and photos? John Little found himself in that position and pr...
Internal-Fighting-Arts-7-Mindfulness
02 Feb 2015
Contributed by Lukas
What is the best way to use Taiji and the internal arts for meditation to improve health and ease stress? Ken Gullette talks with Mark W. Muesse, Ph.D...
Internal Fighting Arts 6 - Guided Chaos
19 Jan 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Sometimes truth can be found outside the art you are studying. In the sixth Internal Fighting Arts podcast, Ken Gullette talks with Ari Kandel about G...
Internal-Fighting-Arts-5-Stephan-Berwick-Part-2
08 Jan 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Part two of Ken Gullette's interview with Chen Taiji instructor Stephan Berwick of Washington, DC. Stephan talks about training with Ren Guangyi, Gran...
Internal_Fighting_Arts_4_Stephan_Berwick_Part_1
29 Dec 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Ken Gullette talks with Stephan Berwick about his journey from a 9-year old watching the Kung Fu TV show to an actor in Hong Kong kung-fu movies to a ...
Chen Taiji Interview with Marin Spivack Part 2
19 Dec 2014
Contributed by Lukas
In part 2 of a 2-part interview, Ken Gullette talks with Marin Spivack about the method of Chen Taiji and the value of Taijiquan in the modern era of ...
A Taiji Journey with Marin Spivack - Part 1
12 Dec 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Part 1 of a 2-part conversation between Ken Gullette and Marin Spivack, the senior western disciple of Chen Yu. Marin's journey is an example of the d...
Interview with Chen Taiji Instructor Michael Chritton
02 Dec 2014
Contributed by Lukas
The first Internal Fighting Arts podcast hosted by instructor Ken Gullette, a conversation on the internal arts of Chinese gongfu -- Taijiquan (Tai Ch...