Bruce Frantzis

Bruce Frantzis, (born 1949 in New York City) is reputed to be the first Westerner to hold authentic lineages in Taoist energy arts, including Ba Gua Chang, Wu and Yang tai chi and Taoist meditation. He teaches tai chi (taiji), chi gung (qi gong), Ba Gua Chang, Taoist yoga, Longevity Breathing®, Taoist meditation and chi gung tui na (chi gung bodywork) in North America and Europe, based on the energy principles of the nei gung system.

He is the author of several books, CDs, and DVDs on Taoist internal martial arts (tai chi, ba gua and hsing-i), breathing, chi gung, meditation and energy healing including:

Power of Internal Martial Arts and Chi: Secrets of Tai Chi, Ba Gua & Tsing-I
Tai Chi Health for Life
Opening the Energy Gates of Your Body
The Tao of Letting Go (Book or 6-CDs)
Relaxing Into Your Being

Frantzis practiced Japanese and Chinese martial arts as well as meditation in his youth. When he was 18 he moved to Japan, learned the language and studied martial arts, including aikido with Morehei Ueshiba, its founder. Frantzis studied Hatha yoga and tantric Kundalini meditation in India in 1972 and 73. From 1974 to 1987, he learned Chinese and spent a total of 10 years in Hong Kong, Taiwan and Beijing, following the Taoist path of warrior/healer/priest.

He trained under such grandmasters as Wang Shu Jin and Liu Hung Chieh in the internal martial arts of ba gua (pakua) , hsing-i (xingyi), and Wu, Chen and Yang style tai chi. Frantzis apprenticed as a chi gung healer in Chinese medical clinics and received an acupuncture degree. He learned Taoist meditation and became a Taoist priest.

In 1982, after a serious car accident, Frantzis returned to China and completely recovered. From 2002 onwards, Frantzis had multiple car accidents after which time he decided to move from teaching the strenuous internal martial arts and focus more on teaching chi gung and Taoist meditation, as well as training teachers and continuing to write books, and create CDs and DVDs as part of his Living Taoism™ collection.