There are times when the only way to advance is to back up…
May
22
2013
22
2013
Jan
14
2013
14
2013
The Other Side of the Martial Story
There is another side of martial practice, a very good and important side, which might be called the “Yin” portion.
Jan
6
2013
6
2013
Terrible Terrain
“Under everything is the land” may sound like the slogan of a professional real estate organization but it is also the truth of martial practice. Thousands 0f years ago it was pointed out by one of the first major military writers, Sun Zi: “The natural formation of the country is the soldier’s best ally…”
Dec
25
2012
25
2012
Martial Arts: How Good Can You Get?
Of course children rarely wonder. When you are nine just about anything is possible…
Dec
18
2012
18
2012
The Real Power of Martial Arts
There are many histories to the world, different from the “official” story. One history might be written about non-scientists who have made major breakthroughs. Another might be about the importance of popular media and its effect on the dreams and ambitions of people. Martial arts also has a history much larger and more influential than […]
Nov
25
2012
25
2012
Martial Arts … and Crafts
For thousands of years the Chinese character has celebrated those arts known as martial. Hundreds of thousands have studied it, written martial novels, performed martial routines in opera, sung brave songs dealing with bandits and heroes, wrote drunken poems about the joys of swordplay, painted contests in open matches and dreamt heroic dreams. A combination […]
Oct
12
2012
12
2012
Why My Knees Still Work
I am superstitious; I have two records which I assume will instantly break (literally) once I mention them…
Oct
5
2012
5
2012
When is a punch…?
One of our DVD authors and a darn good self defense instructor, likes to ask the following question. “When is a punch a punch?”
May
14
2012
14
2012
What Do You Practice and Why?
I remember reading an interview where someone asked Hawkins Cheung what Wing Chun made up his practice. In other words what was his regimen. “That’s for beginners,” he said. “I practice whatever I want.
Jan
21
2012
21
2012
A Black Belt Story
I start teaching the next class but I’m really bothered; on the one hand, Dan might just be claiming what never happened; on the other hand, I guess I could have forgotten I attended a ceremony, or something like that.
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.
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, […]
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…
Feb
21
2011
21
2011
“Tai Chi” is a Chinese Way of Thinking
Through natural processes this way of thinking became so profound and penetrating that it spread throughout the Chinese culture, influencing and appearing throughout martial culture…
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
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.
Dec
17
2010
17
2010
Kung Fu’s Four Faces
Which Kung Fu Do You Practice? All around the world million practice Kung Fu. And every one of them has his or her idea what that is. I prefer the classic outlook refined by dozens of centuries. For me this tells the WHOLE story and everything else is a scene.
Sep
20
2010
20
2010
Keeping Strong
I’m sixty now and in better shape than I have been in decades. I think I’ve passed through the same tunnel recently …
Aug
31
2010
31
2010
You Can If You Believe You Can…
Among the topics I investigated was the subject of mastery which proved to be bigger and even more interesting than I had anticipated…
Aug
17
2010
17
2010
A Rock and a Hard Spot
For Those Times When the Training Seems To Stop One minute you’re Bruce Incarnate, the next you’re unable to tie your shoes without the danger of a self-inflicted eyeshot.
