Tag Archives: Bagua

Edgy

The Academy of Martial and Internal Arts Posted on by 1

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 →

It’s Alive!

The Academy of Martial and Internal Arts Posted on by  

Neither rain nor snow nor sleet nor covid has been able to stop our new book by Sifu Ted Mancuso, “Hawk Splits Sky: Jibengong Practice, Bagua Zhang Mastery,” from publication. But it’s not like the forces of nature haven’t tried really hard. Nonetheless, the boxes of books and the spindles of DVDs are now arrived, and you can CLICK HERE to read more about our project, and to order at our introductory price. Woohoo! Oh, and for the first month (until January 15), if you would like an autorgraphed copy, just ask. See Below for more info… Here is a … Continue reading →

Warming Up the Martial Way

The Academy of Martial and Internal Arts Posted on by  

Due to the nature of Kung Fu the first thing to say about warm ups is that some people don’t believe in them. There are even some famous teachers who see no value at all in warm ups. Some of these teachers say, “After all, you can’t warm up before a fight.” They believe that you should do the warm ups and the basics as a whole, that the warm ups and basics should be so close together that they are indistinguishable.

Continue reading →

Event: Bagua Seminar, Sacramento

The Academy of Martial and Internal Arts Posted on by  

September 07/08, 2007: Sacramento: Inner Circle Tai Chi, a group headed by Sifu Robert Nakashima hosted Plum (that is to say Debbie and Ted) to present information on the arts of Bagua and Xing Yi. Saturday introduced and reiterated the basics of Bagua Zhang practice including Circle Walking, Threading, Bagua Qigong, Partner Practice and all those lovely movements which so challenge the nervous system at first. Everyone put in a valiant effort, practicing hard on the hot day and keeping up the constant movement required for an understanding of Bagua. This was followed by a feast—there’s no other word—where much … Continue reading →

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 →