Grandmaster Chenxiaowang is now currently on his world tours which makes it harder to get in touch with him. The last time I saw him was November 2005 in Karlsruhe, Germany. There were about 10 participants ranging from relative Chen novice to masters, as well as from other styles. He started normal warm-up exercises among others reeling silk.
He showed me how to jointlock(qin na) somebody who tries to stab you. I was about to “stab” him with a “knife”, in this case one chopstick, and he let me feel how to do it. The force was friendly and gentle, his face caring, but a searing pain penetrated into my brains.
What he did was: He placed my arm in a position which was un-natural to normal anatomy and position of the lower arm. He did not talk too much, but showed every movement. He squeezed my hand together, at the same time rotated my wrist outwards and my hand in the other direction of the attack. First he showed it step by step, but then it was supposed to perform all the actions simultaneously. I could just imagine when he was serious; how easily he could dislocate my arm.
The next one was the counter attack. HOw to release myself with part of a large reeling silk movement. At that time, I thought the reeling silk qi gong exercises were just good for health and qi cultivation. I did not know that AT LEAST two variations of the same exercise could lock or unlock the joints(qi portals).
After the class, we had a little chit chat. Now I train currently and privately with his son Chen Yingjun. Chen Yingjun has just bought a pretty brandnew apartment and he has not even seen it. “The sitting room was not too large?” he asked. “Ah well, no.” I answered.” They have a large kitchen, dining and sitting area. Yum……when his wife Li Na prepares her special chili sauce with Chinese wine, garlic, ginger, red sugar etc. We train outside in the back deck. He only allows me to train indoors with NO weapons and without shoes. Luckily I had my indoor martial arts shoes.”
End of this year and the beginning of next year I will catch up with him in the U.S. and Poland.
