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Author Archives: school
How to Memorize a Kung Fu Form
Forms are pre-arranged sequences of martial movements. The trouble is that you may not have any experience memorizing sequenced actions. Here are a few tips for making this a pleasant learning experience.
Posted in Articles, Resources, Training
Tagged Forms, Kata, Kung Fu, Kung Fu Santa Cruz, Kung Fu training, Tao Lu
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Training and Training: Shifu Sweats!
There’s training and then there’s training. In Kung Fu there is a kind of training that so challenges the way of thinking AND the body that people successfully ignore it for years and even decades. So begins Shifu’s newest article, … Continue reading
Posted in Articles, Training
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Five Elements Seminar
Click image above and it will take you to page where video will load. May take a minute! Here’s a very condensed version of our Five Elements Xing Yi Seminar (6 hours become 3 minutes). Everyone did a great … Continue reading
Posted in Articles
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Learning a Bagua Move
Thanks to Nick and Ikuyo for allowing us to film this lesson.
Posted in Articles, Bagua
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Academy T-Shirts!
We’ve moved Heaven, Earth and one large Dragon… and, once again, have Academy T-Shirts! You can order HERE or just ask at the studio. Be the envy of your friends and Wear the Dragon!
Posted in News, School Business
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Tea Time with Marcus McDonough
For any who has seen Marcus McDonough’s work at the Academy, it will come as no surprise that Senior teacher John Ottenberg recently awarded him the rank of Black Belt in an open ceremony at class. Marcus is a talented … Continue reading
Monday 8:00 PM Class Hiatus
Until the end of April, the Advanced Internal Arts class on Monday night, at 8pm, will be on hiatus. The other advanced Tai Chi and internal arts classes will still meet as usual, so see you there!
Posted in Classes, School Business
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Arts of the Academy
Congratulations to Steve Strasnick, longtime Academy student, who recently attended the 22nd Annual Chinese Martial Arts Tournament, on March 15, in Berkeley. Steve won the Internal Style Men’s Division by performing a number of styles, including Taijiquan and Bagua Zhang. … Continue reading
Posted in Events, News, School Business
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Sunday Seminar: The 8 Bagua Animals
Last Sunday was another of the Academy’s open-lesson programs to introduce the Chinese martial arts to a wider audience. This seminar—open to Academy students—was attended by Phil, Michael, Cecy, Taylor, Kirk, and also new non-student friends. Additionally we had the … Continue reading
Black Belt Award
No one could have been more surprised than Marcus McDonough, friday night last when, in the middle of the workout class, instructor John Ottenberg announced that he was awarding to Marcus the black belt. As John and Sifu Ted Mancuso … Continue reading
Posted in Events, School Business
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Footage: Our Half and Half Seminar
Here’s some video and teachings from our last unique seminar where teachers John Ottenberg and Ted Mancuso show a traditional Praying Mantis form then “deconstruct” it to reveal its fighting essence. A great turnout and a lot of fun… Making … Continue reading
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Making the Martial Arts Whole Again: A Half and Half Seminar
It’s true: martial artists lose all the time, at least when it comes to battling social trends. One year the Ninja is the favorite Halloween costume and the trees are full of wannabes like dark fruit pretending to be invisible. … Continue reading
Posted in Events
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Academy: We’re back!
Classes start up again today…Looking forward to seeing you all. Ted, Linda, Jim, and Travis
Posted in School Business
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What’s the Point of Lineage?
In modern times people tend to have much less sense of their ancestors and their origins. We are a mobile race and change often causes attrition to our beloved objects, our collected memorabilia and even our treasured emotions.
Posted in Articles
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How To Progress in the Martial Arts By Jim Mullen
Instruction, Class, Practice Practice, Instruction, Class Class, Practice, Instruction Instruction, Class, Practice After many years in the Martial Arts I’ve found myself in every possible combination of these three activities. I’ve done every combination of any two, and I’ve only used one for long periods of time.
Posted in Articles, Philosophy
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