Category Archives: Profiles

Fifty

The Academy of Martial and Internal Arts Posted on by  

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 be the attraction. I have to tell the truth and admit that I always believed that some human activities are as linked to us as the appetites and emotions we consider define a human being. It is true that, through historical changes, the aliens among us have warped some of these foundational approaches. But activities like dance, story-telling, religion, philosophy, … Continue reading →

Interview with Grandteacher Adam Hsu (Added parts 4 & 5)

The Academy of Martial and Internal Arts Posted on by  

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 an in-depth conversation on the meaning of true Kung Fu. Update: Parts 4 & 5 Now available   Want to watch on youtube? Click HERE Want to watch on our affiliate site (plumpub.com?) Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5

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Instructor Profile: Jim Mullen

The Academy of Martial and Internal Arts Posted on by  

Every man and woman travels through the martial arts by himself or herself. The journey is nothing if not personal and often intimate. For Jim Mullen, one of our top teachers, the journey has been a long one and, as you will read, a fascinating one…

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Instructor Profile: Peter Thelin

The Academy of Martial and Internal Arts Posted on by  

Peter Thelin, a Tai Chi Chuan teacher here at the Academy and a student of Ba Gua Zhang, recently left us after studying and teaching here for many years. Much loved, he was a light and an inspiration to Academy student. I interviewed him before he left about his association with martial arts. Peter grew up in Massachusetts. His intellectual, esthetic and emotional roots were formed in the fertile culture of Amherst, a town that had housed the likes of Daniel Webster, Emily Dickinson and Robert Frost. There the New England appreciation of nature and poetry made its imprint on … Continue reading →