Chen Village… What to Expect?

A film clip taken from the Chen Village movie. Here we listen to some of the foreign students talk about what a visitor from outside China can expect when they come to study and practice Tai Chi Chuan at the remote Chen Village. Joseph who is talking in this video clip, is from the United Kingdom and has been living in Chen Village for over one year.

In this intimate journey to Chen village we discover how the present generations of the family have rescued the Chen style from obscurity and why every year thousands of Tai chi students from all over the world make the long pilgrimage to a small village in rural China. Hear the stories from the students own words of living and training in the village and although they are not expected to farm or work in the fields, they are expected to live like anyone else does in rural China … very hard and very tough! ”Training here improves your Tai Chi so much” says student Daryl from Seattle… “it’s like going to the source, back to the well where the water is sweeter.” Joseph adds “Just by being here you imbibe a lot of knowledge of Tai Chi because of the environment.” All the while the documentary it is set to a backdrop of the school Tai Chi classes taught by Chen Xiaoxing and Chen Xiaowang with Chen Ziqiang, the school coach. As we approach our dramatic ending with an induction of new disciples, John a teacher from the UK says “It was the most important day of my life. Chen Xiaowang told me you are now part of the family, if you lose balance come back here and we will take care of you.”