Chapter 2 Chinese Martial Arts My adult life has been defined by the practice of traditional Chi- nese body technologies, a long-term practical research project I began on Richard Fowler’s suggestion. From September 1993 to September 2005 I studied cailifoquan (Cantonese: choy li fut kuen), a martial art from Southern China; tang peng taijiquan (Cantonese: tong ping taigek kuen), a Northern Chinese martial art; and zhi neng qigong, a contemporary body technology designed to develop the student’s health and longevity, with Wong Sui Meing in Montréal. Since I started in 1993 I estimate I have completed at least 10,000 hours of training under Wong’s direct supervision. Figure 8: The author’s teacher Wong Sui Meing in his Montréal studio, Wong Kung Fu. (Photo by Daniel Mroz) 46 The Dancing Word In September of 2005 I began to study chen taiji shiyong quanfa, a very old form of taijiquan, under the instruction of Chen Zhonghua. I participated in a series of intensive workshops and private lessons over a two-year period and in May 2007 traveled to Daqingshan Mountain in Shandong Province, China, for a one-month full-time intensive training period. I continue to study privately with Chen as often as his busy international teaching schedule allows. In August 2007 Chen granted me a formal teaching license in the style. In addition to these long-term studies, I have cross-trained in a variety of other styles of martial movement, including Indian kalarip- payattu under the late Govindankutty Nair (d. 2006), Indonesian kun- tao and silat under Willem deThouars and his senior student Randall Goodwin and Chinese baguazhang with Ken Cohen and Allen Pittman. I have also practiced the contemporary combat sport of Bra- zilian jujutsu with athletes of Team Renzo Gracie, Ottawa. Most of these studies have been in the format of workshops, private lessons and informal training and have served to shed light on my principal practices. Figure 9: The author and his teacher Chen Zhonghua practicing taijiquan tui shou on Daqingshan Mountain, Shandong, China, May 2007. (Photo by Daniel Mroz) This chapter will present a comprehensive historical and systemic description of the Chinese martial arts. It will also present the theo- retical basis for the relationship between martial movement and the training of contemporary theatrical performers. .