Beginning with Breathing Concepts introduced to Soke Riedner by Dr. Roy Brown under the "Aka Ryu Shakai Kempo" system, Dr. Riedner was more formally introduced to what is now taught as "Ba Men Chaun Fa" by Dr. Andrew P. Tamper. Dr Tamper gave Dr. Riedner the 8 gates of Ba Qua as the basis for the continued development of the Chinese connection between other martial arts techniques and Tai Chi. Dr. Tamper's inheritor, Si Gong William Van Camp has issued Sijo recognition to Dr. Riedner for the style "Aka Ryu Shakai Kempo" aka "Ba Men Chaun Fa." Several other Masters have made a substantive contribution to the style including Soke Scott Sikes, Si Gong Mike Martin and Kyoshi Earle Marvin.
BA MEN CHAUN FA (8 gates fist way) is both a Martial Art designed for grappling/in fighting as well as a curriculum of teaching the main principles of Tai Chi which may be then applied to one's Martial Art. The Martial applications of Ba Men revolve around the application of the 8 gates to a combative situation. The Tai Chi forms and breathing principles are taught to enhance the student's understanding of Chi flow, breathing and eventually the application of these to the 8 Gates methodology.
The 8 Gates are learned as a unit and then application is made to various attack/defense situations, using the 8 gates in combination as well as drawing upon the principles of Chin-Na as advised by Dr Tamper. Basic methods of breathing are applied to the 8 gates as well as to our basic organ cleansing form. The primary goals of Ba Men are not to see how many forms the student can learn, but rather how the student can apply the principles of breath and Chi flow to his arts as well as personal health.
Training in Ba Men Chuan Fa is open only to Black Belts training directly with Nippon Shiho Karano Ryu® Head Family.