Practical Applications Of Internal Martial Arts

Chris Ray Chappell has worked professionally in Film and Theatre as an actor, dancer and choreographer, fight director. Since 1995 he dedicated his time mainly to the teaching and researching Taoist Internal Arts and Tibetan Mind training practices. He has been visiting China since 2004 to investigate first hand these arts via active lineages in Tai Chi, Ba Gua and Hsing-I and Qi Gong practices.

Over a 50 plus year time frame he has trained with masters in various fields of expertise. Beginning with Wado Ryu Karate Do in 1973 and later Classical Ballet with Christopher Gable former Principle Star of the Royal Ballet and Simon Mottram. In Contemporary Dance Graham technique Chris was fortunate to train with a major principle of the Martha Graham Company the inspirational William Louther.

Chris holds lineages in Tai Chi Chuan, Cheng Ba Gua Zhang and Hsing-I and Hun Yuan Qi Gong. Being an indoor student of the late Grandmaster Tian Ying Jia provided many insights into Yang family Tai Chi Chuan practice not in the public domain which was later supplemented by private study with Master Robert Boyd 2nd Disciple of late Grandmaster Ip Tai Tak.

Chris has broadened his research to include study with Master Practitioners of western body work, in the 1980’s Chris studied Pilates with Michael King and Hanna Gordon and taught Pilates in London. Chris also studied the ground breaking myo-fascial Bodywork of Thomas Myers and Dissection studies with Gil Headly as well as Hypno-analysis with Neil French.

Chris has studied with several Tibetan Buddhist Rinpoches over the past 20 years his main teachers being Chögyal Namkhai Norbu and HH Gangri Karma Rinpoche. He has recently completed the Martsang Kagyu Lam Rim and is currently researching Buddhist approaches to Mindfulness of the body.