Feng Zhiqiang is a Grandmaster of the 18th generation of the Chen style Taijiquan. He is well known as a top student of the 17th generation Grandmaster Chen Fake, as well as the Xinyi Grandmaster Hu Yuezhen.

In December 1997, I returned to China for the first time since my arrival in the United States. In accordance with martial tradition, my first priority was to visit my shifu, Grandmaster Feng.

The following is an interview that I had conducted then, and during subsequent visits over the past few years, with Grandmaster Feng. The interviews were conducted at the request of Mr. Marvin Smalheiser, editor of T'Al CHI Magazine.

Taijiquan is a subtle art. Inescapably, words used to describe levels of progression are subtle also. To reproduce Grandmaster Feng's teaching without editing, I have tried to translate his words as directly as possible. In many instances, it was imperative to retain the original Chinese terms.

I believe that accurate translations and explanations of traditional sayings are crucial for non-Chinese speaking persons to study the art. I have observed, on several occasions, instances where poor translations and/or mispronunciations have confused and even distorted the correct teachings.

In this article we have used the pinyin system for writing Chinese words, with the intonation noted in parenthesis. In Mandarin Chinese, each word can be spoken with one of four different tones. Different intonations have different meanings, so any romanization must include the tone to convey the intended meaning. For example, xin(1) means xin with the first tone, with the number 1 representing that first tone.

I have assumed that the Western Taiji community is readily familiar with some of the most common Chinese terms, such as xin(l) [heart-mind], yi(4)[mind-intent], peng(2)/lu(3)/ji(3)/an(4)[wardoff/roll-back/press/push], and jing(l)/qi(4)/shen(2) [essence/intrinsic energy/spirit]. Where necessary, I have explained or clarified the original Chinese sayings.

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