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Category Archives: Articles
Workshop Report: The Fine Art of Choking
A demonstration and workshop on the fine art of choking was a change in schedule for the Saturday morning Kung Fu class last week. Black sash instructor, Mike Gruber—highly knowledgeable about Kung Fu, and an expert Judo player—opened the class, … Continue reading
Posted in Articles, Events, Seminars
Tagged kung fu chokes, Kung Fu Santa Cruz, kung fu self defense, martial arts santa cruz
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Fifty
Today I celebrate fifty years in the martial arts. It has been long enough now to seem natural that it became my fate or, at least, a “way of life,” as everyone calls it. People ask me what could possibly … Continue reading
Posted in Articles, Profiles
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Your Lineage or, Keep Practicing That Punch
We couldn’t resist posting this clip here for a number of reasons: Here, at the biggest Baji Quan (Baji style Kung Fu) convocation in the world, your great-grand teacher, Liu Yun Chiao, is honored with everyone in the hall doing … Continue reading
Posted in Articles, Kung Fu, Videos
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Hello from Wales
Dear Students, I hope everyone is practicing and having a good time. Many schools go through a re-calibration when the head-instructor is away. But this is actually an important time in martial training, when students are face to face with … Continue reading
Posted in Articles, School Business
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Seven Experiences of Martial Training
Nowadays, everyone seems to want a practice. But the fact that martial arts practice has a path all its own may result in some disappointment to those seeking a casual gym-style experience. Such deep practice can render unexpected results. The … Continue reading
Posted in Articles, Philosophy, Principles
Tagged combat, Forms, Kung Fu, Martial Arts, meditation, relaxation, Tai Chi
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Interview with Grandteacher Adam Hsu (Added parts 4 & 5)
Adam Hsu is one of the top Kung Fu teachers in the world. He is also one of the “grandparent” teachers at the Academy, having taught both sifus Linda and Ted. In this series—the first THREE parts now posted—he begins … Continue reading
Posted in Articles, Kung Fu, Philosophy, Principles, Profiles
Tagged Adam Hsu, bagua zhang, baji quan, big spear, chang chuan, changquan, chinese martial arts, chinese weapons, hsing I chuan, Kung Fu, kung fu weapons, Li Shu Wen, Liu Yun Chiao, Long Fist, lost track style, mei hua quan, mizong quan, muslim kung fu, pachi chuan, pakua chang, pigua zhang, pikua chang, Qigong, san cai sword, spring leg boxing, sword polisher’s record, tai chi chuan, Taijiquan, tantui, weapons sparring, wutan, xing yi quan, xingyiquan
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Slow Learner
Next October, I will celebrate my 50th year in the martial arts. When I started studying, I had no idea or plan to make this a lifetime practice. I joined up for the same reason a lot of 16 year … Continue reading
Posted in Articles, Philosophy, Principles, Training
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Martial Basics: Not What You Think
Everything starts with basics. And when you are young and/or just beginning a long term study of expertise, whether your taste runs to the piano or the basketball hoop, there is always a sentinel line of basics to be crossed … Continue reading
Posted in Articles, Training
Tagged Basics, beginning Kung Fu, Kung Fu, lessons, Martial Arts, school, Shaolin, Tai Chi, Training
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Wang Zi Ping
Of course, part of martial arts learning resides in traditional choreographed forms. We at the Academy, take this one step further and teach classical forms for two people (partner routines) such as the San Cai Sword. In the film clip … Continue reading
The Passing of Rod Oka
Rod Oka, long time student here at the Academy, passed away on the third of this month. He had been fighting pancreatic cancer for about a year. During his time with us he had studied Shaolin and Tai Chi. In … Continue reading
What you should know before you start a Tai Chi class
I love teaching Tai Chi, and I especially love introducing this beautiful health promoting martial art to beginners. But many people start out with some ideas that are not only wrong, but prevent them from sticking with the practice long … Continue reading
The Profile of Long Fist
The Core of Long FistThe types of material we teach here—Tai Chi, Bagua and Long Fist Kung Fu—all belong to a large family of Kung Fu style from middle and northern China. Tested in war and refined in peace, this … Continue reading
Posted in Articles, Kung Fu, Principles, Resources
Tagged Chang Quan, Kung Fu, Long Fist
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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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Taiwan Tales #4
The metro that links Taipei’s diverse neighborhoods rolls and wriggles many times a day, stuffed with people. There is an old Chinese saying that, “If I don’t know you, you don’t exist.” This allows a person to maneuver through the … Continue reading
Posted in Articles
Tagged Adam Hsu, Kung Fu, Kung Fu tradition, Kung Fu training, ted mancuso
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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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