Jan Silberstorff is interviewed in the 21st edition of the Internal Fighting Arts Podcast.

Jan Silberstorff is one of the martial artists who was at the top of my mind when I launched the Internal Fighting Arts Podcast more than a year ago. I have heard such great things about him from other Chen Taiji folks that he was on my wish list of interviews.

Luckily, he was in San Diego a couple of weeks ago, doing workshops at Bill and Allison Helm's Taoist Sanctuary, and Bill helped arrange for me to talk with Jan. By the way, Jan Silberstorff is pronounced "Yahn Zeelberstorff." 

Jan was the first Western indoor disciple of Grandmaster Chen Xiaowang, and he is the co-founder of the Chen Xiaowang World Taijiquan Association. He is based in Germany, but Jan travels the world teaching Chen Taiji.

Our conversation started with his beginning as a street punk in Germany, and his evolution in the martial arts and Taijiquan. His story is that of a determined, dedicated martial artist. Among other things, Jan tells us Chen Xiaowang's surprising reaction the first time he saw Jan perform Taiji, and he talks about how his practice has evolved, and what he is working on now when he practices.

Jan does not have an English website, but you can reach him through this site for the Chen Xiaowang World Taijiquan Association - Germany. 

He has two charity websites, which provide housing for street children in Brazil and Sri Lanka:

http://www.wctag-hilft.de/

http://www.island-of-the-children.org/en

He also has a website through the Center for Daodejing Studies:

http://iods.eu/wp/

Here is a link to the Internal Fighting Arts Podcast via Audello. You can listen online or download the file here: 

http://internalfightingarts.audello.com/internal-fighting-arts-21-jan-silberstorff/

I enjoy practicing with students and helping them learn. Actually, I learn as they learn.

Recently, we began videotaping instruction for the website on moving from form to fighting with Xingyi. Doing the videos drove home the need to take your own ego out of practicing with your students. We've all known teachers who must constantly show that they are more advanced than their students.

In these videos, my partner and I feed each other punches and kicks and we "internalize" Xingyi techniques and body mechanics in anticipating and responding to varying attacks.

To make progress in 2016, all you need to do is put in a little time each day. Study, don't just go through the motions. Really think about how you are moving and why. Think about the energies and methods you are trying to achieve.

Every class you participate in should help you take one more baby step down the path toward understanding.

You should be excited about every small insight, and those insights will come with a good teacher and by thoughtful study and mindful practicing. If you are not leaving your classes excited about a new insight you have gained or an improvement you have made -- a baby step you have taken -- then you need a new teacher or a new attitude.