The Chinese got some hard lessons in the latter half of the 19th century.
Nov
15
2011
15
2011
Nov
11
2011
11
2011
Oct
25
2011
25
2011
Leo Fong’s Work
Student of Bruce Lee, enthusiastic martial artist, film maker, script writer, teacher, martial writer Leo Fong has worn many caps. He was also one of the first “indie” martial book publishers
Oct
6
2011
6
2011
Sep
22
2011
22
2011
Emei Style “Closing” Hands
Here is a “San Shou” fighting form from the famous EMei Mountain style of Kung Fu. It is 36 “hands” or technique divided up into six sections. The line drawings are a good size, loosely rendered but big and explicit enough to understand the form. This is helped because the single performer versions of interspersed [...]
Sep
13
2011
13
2011
The Double Voice
Martial artists are an ornery lot. They dedicate themselves to discovering their own way. In this modern world where rewards are social and ridiculously exaggerated, it’s hard to follow a very faint voice at the back of your mind.
Sep
11
2011
11
2011
The Many Faces of Chin Na
Chin Na is not a style with a single face. Over centuries of necessity, it has actually developed many different profiles. Because there are only so many ways to bend joints wrong the differences in styles such as Japanese versus Chinese is actually less significant than the different ways in which Chin Na is used. Let’s look at these differences.
Sep
2
2011
2
2011
INB #24: Modes of Locomotion
The problem isn’t going through the first grade, the problem is being stuck in the first grade forever.
Aug
29
2011
29
2011
Training: Tai Chi Everywhere
There is a treasure house of practice methods hidden in Kung Fu styles and many of them use the slow, focused and reflective approach of Tai Chi. Tai Chi takes slow training as an overall basic approach, and this has fooled people into thinking of it as a major theme of that particular art. Yet, [...]
Jul
19
2011
19
2011
What Makes a Kung Fu Style Good?
The crippled grammar aside, I changed it because I realized that with the right type of training the style doesn’t need to be a winner to start.
Jun
9
2011
9
2011
A Martial Secret Hidden in Plain Sight?
Many, if not all, of the styles of Chinese martial arts have legends of secret knowledge divulged only to trusted, “indoor” students. Speculation by those on the “outside” as to what these secrets are often borders on the fantastic, like being able to walk on the tips of reeds or killing someone with one’s mind.
Jun
3
2011
3
2011
May
16
2011
16
2011
Progressive Defense: #2 Parry Power
The parry is elegant. As people progress from hard blocking to this gliding, subtle action they feel as though they had jumped the gate.
Apr
30
2011
30
2011
Elemental Kung Fu
One of China’s oldest philosophical/scientific models was that of the Five Elements.
Apr
21
2011
21
2011
Folk Boxing
There is a returning interest, partly we hope from our own cajoling, in original, traditional Chinese martial arts.
Apr
18
2011
18
2011
A Fist and A Palm
Most of the people who come to Plum are knowledgeable about Chinese martial arts to know that the Chinese word “fist” means boxing
Apr
6
2011
6
2011
Be an Exhibitionist
In the old day tournaments used to be something more than trophy hunts…
Mar
21
2011
21
2011
MA Library on the Cheap
We’ve just added five new (old) titles…50% off and that’s not for used but for hurt, a different animal…
Mar
11
2011
11
2011
Shaolin and the Nat Geo
Well, here’s something we never thought we’d see,
Mar
9
2011
9
2011
Tan Tui Tutorial: Road #8
… and here you legs will indeed have to “spring” a bit.
Mar
5
2011
5
2011
The Three Eights
It is not typical to see them this way, but you could make an argument that most “styles” in martial arts are just about space…
Feb
22
2011
22
2011
Tan Tui Tutorials: Road #6
We teach the sixth road of Tan Tui and show the applications…
Feb
16
2011
16
2011
Tan Tui free tutorial Road #5…
The fifth Tan Tui Road in our free tutorial is relatively easy…
Feb
16
2011
16
2011
Feb
7
2011
7
2011
Jan
29
2011
29
2011
Practice: A Suggestion
Practice. How do you do it? Year in and year out. It’s a task and a pleasure and a promise that, though broken now and then, still endures the years and the tears. Even though friends and lovers come and go there is that stubborn loyalty to something without a name (isn’t the greatest loyalty [...]
Jan
22
2011
22
2011
Tan Tui Applications
Here are the applications for the form Twelve Road Spring Leg (Tan Tui) with a little introduction by Ted Mancuso.
Jan
20
2011
20
2011
Jan
6
2011
6
2011
Discovery: Make Your Tai Chi
Martial artists who don’t do Tai Chi often say that, “Hey, I can do my form slow, too.” Martial artists who only do Tai Chi are generally unaware that the Tai Chi practice method is not exclusive to Tai Chi.
Jan
1
2011
1
2011
The Hardest Thing
What do I mean by cooperation? I DON’T mean just being a rag doll.
