Tag Archives: Kung Fu Santa Cruz

Sifu Mancuso’s Out of Print Classic Returns

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Something long out of print has made its way back into print: Sifu Kwong Wing Lam (one of the Academy’s grandteachers) and Sifu Ted’s book, “MOI FAH:The Plum Flower Fist of Shaolin.” This was Sifu Lam’s first book on Shaolin, teaching the form, Shaolin #7, that we typically teach to beginners in the Northern Shaolin (Bak Sil Lum) system. It was also the first (and only) collaboration between Sifu Lam and Sifu Mancuso, a student of Sifu Lam’s at the time. The book has a checkered publishing history, which was actually quite common for martial arts publishing back in the … Continue reading →

Tomb Sweeping

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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 →

Longfist Kung Fu, and the Academy: Talking with Ted Mancuso and Nick Hancock

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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.

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Slow Learner

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In less than two years, I will celebrate my 60th 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 olds do: I was getting bullied at school and I wanted to learn some self-defense. Wait– you mean it took me 50 years to learn to defend myself? Am I just a slow learner, or did I find something else to keep my interest all these years? Honestly, the answer is “both.” I had learned all the … Continue reading →

Bridging: Engagement in Traditional Kung Fu

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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 →

Mat of Asphalt

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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

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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 →

Workshop Report: The Fine Art of Choking

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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, demonstrating basic chokes and strangles (not the same thing). He explained that knowing how to execute chokes would render them much less worrisome for the recipient. At first everyone looked around, nervously, to see who would volunteer to be the first victim. But, once we started practicing the clear and safe instruction offered by Mike, everyone breathed easier. Next we … Continue reading →

Adam Hsu Linking Fist

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We are happy and proud to teach one of the best beginning Kung Fu forms:  Sifu Adam Hsu’s Linking Fist. This combines elements of traditional practice with modern methods of instruction. The entire form is 16 movements with not one repeated. These take you through kicks, punching patterns and crucial stance training. A great beginner’s form! For a glimpse of the set, go to  Sifu Marie Anthony’s Cupertino Kung Fu school.

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