{{Infobox person | name = Bruce Frantzis | image = Bruce-Taoist-Cave.jpg | birth_date = April 1949 | birth_place = New York City | known_for = Taoist Lineage Master (Liu Hung-Chieh) | occupation = Tai Chi, Meditation and Qigong Teacher and Author }} '''Bruce Kumar Frantzis''' is a Taoist educator.
==Biography== Bruce moved to Japan to attend Sophia University at the age of eighteen.<ref name="Frantzis">{{cite news| last = Allen | first = Frank | last2 = Lu | first2 = Clarence |title=B. K. Frantzis a Paqua Master Work in Progress | journal = Inside Kung-Fu | page = 90 | date = January 1998 }}</ref> There, he obtained multiple black belts and trained with Aikido’s founder Morihei Ueshiba.<ref>{{cite book|title= Nei Jia Quan|last=O'Brien |first=Jess |year=2004|publisher= North Atlantic Books |location=Berkeley, CA |isbn=1-55643-506-1}}</ref> He soon branched out to Taiwan and China to study internal Chinese martial arts.<ref name="Frantzis" /><ref>{{cite book|title= Planet Medicine: Origins|last=Grossinger|first=Richard |year=2001|publisher= North Atlantic Books |location=Berkeley, CA |isbn=978-1-55643-369-6}}</ref>
In 1973, Bruce traveled to India to train in Pranayama, Hatha yoga, Raja yoga and Tantra, gaining experience with “Kundalini Shakti”.<ref>{{cite book|title= Opening the Energy Gates of Your Body Chi Gung for Life Long Health|last=Frantzis |first=Bruce |year=2006|publisher= Blue Snake Books |location=Berkeley, CA |isbn=1-58394-146-0}}</ref>
Returning to China in the mid 1970s, he spent the next seven years training in the Taoist Fire tradition (unverified tradition)<ref>{{cite book|title= The Power of Internal Martial Arts and Chi: Combat and Energy Secrets of Ba Gua, Tai Chi and Hsing-I|last=Frantzis |first=Bruce |year=2007|publisher= Blue Snake Books |location=Berkeley, CA |isbn= 1-58394-190-8}}</ref> and became a priest of it.<ref name="Relaxing">{{cite book|title= Relaxing into Your Being: The Water Method of Taoist Meditation Series|last=Frantzis |first=Bruce |year=2001|publisher= Blue Snake Books |location=Berkeley, CA |isbn= 1-55643-407-3}}</ref> Next he studied the Water tradition (unverified tradition) under Liu Hung-Chieh.<ref>{{cite news| last = Kealy | first = Sally | last2 = Allen | first2 = Frank |title=Dissolving Process of the Taoist Water Method | journal = The Empty Vessel | date = Fall 1999}}</ref> Through Liu Hung-Chieh he was introduced to Jiang Jia Hua the vice president of the All-China Scientific Qigong Association. This connection gave Bruce access to Chinese cancer clinics where he completed his training as Medical Qigong doctor.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.taichimaster.com/category/dragon-tiger-qigong/ |title=How I Learned Dragon & Tiger Qigong |accessdate=2010-02-03 |last=Frantzis |first=Bruce |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100121143152/http://www.taichimaster.com/category/dragon-tiger-qigong/ |archive-date=2010-01-21 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
Bruce inherited the Taoist Water tradition lineages shortly before Liu-Hung Chieh's passing in 1986. Afterwards the next 25 years of his career pivoted to teaching Taoism to Western societies.<ref>{{cite web |last = Ryan |first = Bill |title = Our Teachers' Teacher: Bruce Frantzis |publisher = Toward Harmony Tai Chi & Qigong |url = http://www.towardharmony.com/about_us/our_teachers'_teacher.html |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100703130400/http://www.towardharmony.com/about_us/our_teachers'_teacher.html |url-status = dead |archive-date = 2010-07-03 |accessdate = December 22, 2011 }} </ref> He primarily teaches the Energy Arts qigong System, Wu-style tai chi, ''bagua'', Taoist yoga and Taoist meditation. He has authored numerous works (including ''The Power of the Internal Martial Arts and Chi'', ''Tao of Letting Go'', ''Dragon and Tiger Medical Qigong'', and ''Opening the Energy Gates of Your Body'') on Taoist energetic practices<ref>{{cite web |last = Kleiman |first = Dan |title = About Us: Bruce Frantzis |publisher = Toward Harmony Tai Chi & Qigong |url = http://brooklinetaichi.org/about-us/about-bruce-frantzis |accessdate = December 22, 2011 |url-status = dead |archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20120213170655/http://brooklinetaichi.org/about-us/about-bruce-frantzis |archivedate = 2012-02-13 }} </ref> and taught over 20,000 students many of whom have gone on to become active certified instructors.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.energyarts.com/Energy-Arts-System/What-We-Teach/index.html |title=What we Teach |accessdate=2010-02-03 |last=Frantzis |first=Bruce |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100126035331/http://www.energyarts.com/Energy-Arts-System/What-We-Teach/index.html |archive-date=2010-01-26 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
== Authored Books == * ''Opening the Energy Gates of Your Body: Chi Gung for Lifelong Health'' {{ISBN|978-1583941461}} * ''The Power of Internal Martial Arts and Chi: Combat and Energy Secrets of Ba Gua, Tai Chi and Hsing-I'' {{ISBN|978-1583941904}} * ''Relaxing into Your Being: The Taoist Meditation Tradition of Lao Tse, Volume 1'' {{ISBN|978-1556434075}} * ''The Great Stillness: The Water Method of Taoist Meditation Series, Volume 2'' {{ISBN|978-1556434082}} * ''Tai Chi: Health for Life'' {{ISBN|978-1583941447}} * ''The CHI Revolution: Harnessing the Healing Power of Your Life Force'' {{ISBN|978-1583941935}} * ''TAO of Letting Go: Meditation for Modern Living'' {{ISBN|978-1556438080}} * ''Dragon and Tiger Medical Qigong, Volume 1: Develop Health and Energy in 7 Simple Movements'' {{ISBN|978-1556439216}} * ''Dragon and Tiger Medical Qigong, Volume 2: Qi Cultivation Principles and Exercises'' {{ISBN|978-1583946619}} * ''Bagua and Tai Chi: Exploring the Potential of Chi, Martial Arts, Meditation and the I Ching'' {{ISBN|978-1583943595}} * ''Taoist Sexual Meditation: Connecting Love, Energy and Spirit'' {{ISBN|978-1583944950}} * ''The Big Book of Tai Chi: Build health fast in slow motion'' {{ISBN|978-0007130900}}
==Personal life== Additionally, he is a regular participant in the Tibetan Buddhist community, a process that began with his training under Dudjom Rinpoche in 1976. He is an active student of Dzogchen.
==References== {{reflist|30em}}
==External links== * [http://www.energyarts.com Energyarts.com] - Bruce Frantzis * [http://www.taichimaster.com Taichimaster.com] - The Blog of Bruce Frantzis
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Frantzis, Bruce Kumar}} Category:1949 births Category:Living people Category:American tai chi practitioners Category:American baguazhang practitioners Category:American exercise and fitness writers Category:Martial arts writers Category:American Taoists Category:Converts to Taoism