Shortly after his arrival to the States in 2001, he quickly drew attention to his martial art prowess by winning gold medals in two USA national championships: Orlando, Florida’s International Wushu Kung-fu Festival and San Diego’s USA Wushu Kung-fu Federation National Championship.
Throughout the years in China, he studied under some of the most notable Grandmasters of Chenstyle Taichi Chuan. Masters like Chen ZhengLei, Chen Xiao-wang, and Zhang Zhi-Jun, all have contributed invaluable insights and knowledge toward Sifu Quo’s teaching methodology.
The original purpose of Chenstyle Taichi Chuan was used for attack and defense. Today, this historical tradition continues at the Alhambra Center.
Chenstyle Taichi Chuan is unlike any other Taichi system. It pre-dates all other styles seen today. The moving set exhibits continuous, seamless movements, interspersed with explosive output of quick energy. Its main characteristic is the use of spiraling, twisting force that is generated from within. This vortex of energy provides Chenstyle Taichi Chuan with its devastating combat capability.
The self-defense use of Chenstyle Taichi Chuan comes from its unusual application- techniques called Chin-na and Shuai Chiao, movements found embedded within the Xinjia and Laojia set. These techniques involved strikes, throws, kicks, joint lock and restrains and other defense and attack methods. The power to execute these moves comes from internal energies developed from the Moving Set and other Special Exercises.
Unlike contrasting fighting system that relies on brute, muscle strength, Chenstyle Taichi utilizes internal force that is explainable in scientific terms. Thus people who possess various degrees of physical strength can readily access Chenstyle Taichi to improve their sense of well-being, and just as important, to safeguard themselves and of their loved ones from unprovoked attack.
Today with a few exceptions, most Taichi Chuan schools focus on teaching the meditative and health aspect of the art, giving little regard to its martial heritage.
For those seeking to gain self-defense competence from the various Internal school of martial art, disappointment awaits them. Even when a particular school teaches combat methods, a student may spent from five to ten years studying and still may not achieve practical understanding of this elusive activity toward his/her intended goal.
Sifu Guo’s task, in this respect, is to provide a “life line” for practitioners who are floundering in a sea of conceptual paradoxes and seemingly unresolved contradictions. He has devoted much thought and research to reveal the logical and scientific bases behind the concepts and principles of ancient, historical Chenstyle Taichi Chuan. In collaboration with other Taichi masters, a training curriculum was formulated that derived ideas from scientific disciplines such as: physiology, psychology, laws of biomechanics and physics. He calls it The New Concept Training Method.
Today, master Guo teaches at the Alhambra Center, using the experiences and knowledge gained from these twenty plus years of martial arts activities. He continues to use The New Method to help practitioners shorten the training time needed to attain practical competency in the Art of Taichi Chuan. He is currently instructing Chenstyle Taichi as well as health promoting Chi Gong. The number of class participants are small, private lessons are also available as well as classes for teens and disable practitioners who are wheelchair-Mobil.
There are only a handful of qualified Chenstyle Taichi instructors in the Los Angeles area, much less with Sifu Guo’s caliber. You are invited to come and view the class and even participate in one of Sifu’s workout, free and see how The New Concept Training Method is utilized to accelerate the learning of this unusual Taichi Chuan form.
