Author Archives: Gene Ching

Tomb Sweeping

The Academy of Martial and Internal Arts Posted on by 2

On Friday, April 4th, 2025, the Qingming Festival is celebrated around the world, wherever Chinese are buried. Pronounced ‘Ching Ming’ (the letter ‘q’ is used for the ‘ch’ sound in Mandarin pinyin romanization, as in Qigong), the festival is conventionally translated as Tomb Sweeping day. However, Qing means ‘clear, pure, clean or peaceful’ and Ming means ‘bright or brilliant’ so it is alternatively known as the Clear Brightness or Pure Brightness festival. Such is the nature of translating Chinese to English: X does not always equal X. Usually X = Y + Z. Qingming rituals date back more than 2500 … Continue reading →

Mat of Asphalt

The Academy of Martial and Internal Arts Posted on by 2

The pandemic shifted everything, even our martial arts practice. Here at the Academy of Martial and Internal Arts in Santa Cruz, the most prominent change has been that we now train outside in parking lot. I know we’re not the only school to do this because I’ve passed others doing the same thing. Some schools lay out mats, but we don’t bother because the bulk of the curriculum at the Academy doesn’t require it. I love training on asphalt. For me personally, it’s a throwback to when I first began training Kung Fu at Lam Kwoon way back in the … Continue reading →

Bagua and the Pandemic Pivot

The Academy of Martial and Internal Arts Posted on by 2

The unprecedented changes triggered by the pandemic are ongoing. Like every school all around the world, the Academy of Martial and Internal Arts is adjusting to the changes. We struggle onward despite these challenges, but there are surely more ahead. Many cling to a hope for the ‘return to normal’ but that’s backwards thinking in so many ways. Change is normal and we’re undergoing global change right now. Others talk about ‘the pivot’. Here at the Academy, it has me thinking about the Bagua. Perhaps it’s because Sifu Ted has been working on a Bagua book, one that I’m sure … Continue reading →

Becoming A Sifu

The Academy of Martial and Internal Arts Posted on by 3

When do you become a Sifu? The simple answer is you become a Sifu when other people start calling you a Sifu. A more legitimate answer is you become a Sifu when your Sifu says you’re a Sifu. However, like many aspects of Chinese culture, there’s simple answers, and then there’s a deep dive. At the Academy of Martial and Internal Arts, we like those deep dives. The title “Sifu” is a fine example of simple answers versus deep dives. On the simplest level, it’s the Chinese term for ‘master.’ It gets complex when you go deeper. “Sifu” is the … Continue reading →

Xingyi Sheltering

The Academy of Martial and Internal Arts Posted on by  

Practicing in isolation due to Shelter in Place orders has me reflecting on the time-honored tales of incarcerated Kung Fu masters. There is a story of when Xingyi Grandmaster Guo Yunshen (1829–1898 郭雲深) was imprisoned for accidentally killing an opponent in a duel. By some accounts, he was shackled in handcuffs and leg irons, limiting his ability to practice. He resolved to focus on a short Xingyi technique that his fetters would allow, a powerful basic attack called Beng Quan or crushing fist (崩拳). He allegedly used a half step to accommodate his leg shackles. After three years, he was … Continue reading →

Shaolin sheltering: Weird Weapons

The Academy of Martial and Internal Arts Posted on by 1

Among the first commandments for stifling COVID-19 is ‘do not touch your face’. This was extremely difficult for me. Spring is allergy season. It makes me cough and sneeze, and the last thing I want to be right now is a coughing sneezing Asian. What’s more, my nose is always itchy. To keep from scratching, I need one of those pet cones. The official term for those is ‘Elizabethan collars’ but I’ve called them ‘cones of shame’ in the wake of the movie Up (2009). The Chinese actually have such a thing. It’s called a cangue, a word derived from … Continue reading →

Shaolin Sheltering

The Academy of Martial and Internal Arts Posted on by  

Master Ted Mancuso, the proprietor of Plum Publications and founder of the Academy of Martial and Internal Arts, is my elder Kung Fu brother, or my Sihing (師兄) in Cantonese. We both trained in Northern Shaolin Kung Fu (Bak Sil Lum 北少林) under Grandmaster Kwong Wing Lam and our friendship spans nearly four decades now.  Master Ted graciously allows me train alongside his students, my martial nieces and nephews, or my Sijat (again in Cantonese 師侄 – it’s not the same in Mandarin), and I’m very grateful to be part of his Academy. Thanks to Ted’s foresight, the Academy closed … Continue reading →