Sifu Adam Hsu on Learning Kung Fu
Adam Hsu on learning Kung Fu: “I am glad my instructors taught me in the traditional way.
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Tai Chi: Invest In Loss
When people think of a sport or an exercise, they think of “self-improvement.” and self-improvement means taking that basic person which is you and adding to it. But Tai Chi holds an opposite view. Where the athlete strives to increase their skill from day one, the martial artist begins a slow process of shedding habits, preconceptions, even strengths. In the martial arts we invest in loss. To some this may seem ineffably oriental and mysterious. But Tai Chi, as all martial arts, has embodied this approach for centuries. This is the reason martial arts has always proved so useful: the … Continue reading →
Tomb Sweeping
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 →
Four Things Hard to Believe
At the start of your training, if you’d asked: “What do I need to be a good martial artist?” you might have gotten a list which included strength, endurance, patience, humility, Ben-Gay, and a good pair of shoes. What would probably have been missing is the word “faith.” But anyone who’s done any kind of long-term training knows that that pinch of faith can often be all you have to guide you forward. You can’t check out every situation or problem that your chosen endeavor might involve–sometimes you just have to rely on those well-tested “rules of the road.” Martial arts … Continue reading →
Longfist Kung Fu, and the Academy: Talking with Ted Mancuso and Nick Hancock
Sifu Ted and Sifu Nick sat down a little while back to discuss the nature of Longfist Kung Fu, and how we teach and approach this treasure at the Academy. Click the image below to watch the discussion.
Continue reading →Longfist Kung Fu at the Academy: Talking with Ted Mancuso and Nick Hancock
Here is a nice sit-down between Sifu Ted Mancuso, director of the Academy, and Sifu Nick Hancock, one of our senior instructors. There is also lots of information for people considering studying at the Academy about how we approach teaching. Enjoy! (If you want to see the individual chapter breakdown, watch on our youtube channel)
Continue reading →Edgy
I have to admit that I’ve spent many years standing around just… standing around. Standing practice entered my life in the late Sixties. I experimented from that point on with sessions of continued standing and then modifications. You should know that there was not a lot of information in English on the subject and it was generally agreed that the practice took care of itself, it educated you as you went on. What does standing do? I am not here to convince you of its esoteric qualities. There are many levels of this from the sublime to the silly. My … Continue reading →
Deep Practices
Learning Kung Fu can be a unique experience or, if you are not paying attention, it can be just another subject with the same tired educational template thrown over it. By a “unique experience” I do not mean the kind advertised on vacation posters. I mean an experience that shoots through your veins and hovers over your skin. I mean unique, not in the sense of “really good,” but “one of a kind.” I mean deep. Kung Fu is not the only tree that bears this luscious fruit. But I believe that to satisfy the idea of ‘deep,’ a practice, … Continue reading →
Bridging: Engagement in Traditional Kung Fu
Comes a moment in every martial student’s practice when their focus shifts from attaining perfect posture to one effecting meaningful transitions. Or, better to say: There SHOULD be a moment in each martial student’s practice when their intent moves from picture-perfect postures to efficiently applied transitions. Don’t get me wrong: the pre-structure of postures — from the correct weighting of the stance to the lowering of those shoulders around the ears to the intentional bend of the elbow and wrist — are all important. But I have seen teachers who put way too much emphasis on attaining these perfect mannequins … Continue reading →
Qigong: 10 Points for Body Control
A very long while back, we published a 30 minute video on 10 points for controlling the body in Qigong. Over the years, this was one of our most popular DVDs — it is simple, accessible, and provides solid information for any martial artist wanting to understand basic Qigong structure. The information is ageless, but videographic technology is not so compliant —thankfully, our skills and equipment have improved over time — so when it came time to reproduce a new batch of DVDs, we decided instead to offer this vintage video for free. Yeah, there is a blue tint to … Continue reading →
A Very Short Lesson on Bagua Zhang’s Reeling Silk
Kung Fu Has No Corners
Mat of Asphalt
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 →
Defending The Self
As the story goes, a young boy wanted to avenge the murder of his parents, so he went to a sword teacher and begged to be accepted as a student. “How long will it take me to train myself to be a warrior?” the potential student asked. “Seven years,” the teacher advised. “No, you don’t understand. I want this so much that it’s in my blood. I will train day and night, never stop practicing, completely dedicate myself. If I do that, then how long will it take?” The teacher looked for a second at the boy standing in front … Continue reading →
Kaz Checks In From Humboldt
Got a nice letter from our gone-but-not-forgotten student and friend, Kaz, who moved to Humboldt a few months ago. Here are some excerpts: How are you guys? I miss you! We are pretty settled in up here, and generally loving it! Moving really discombobulated me; I was out of sorts for a couple of months, but now I’m feeling pretty good. It is beautiful here, a land of vast forest, rivers, coastlines and fog. I’m beginning to find some favorite outdoor places; in Santa Cruz I spent a lot of time at the river and the beach, but because it’s … Continue reading →