Tag Archives: Kung Fu

Edgy

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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 →

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 →

Defending The Self

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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 →

Practiced Intent

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Internal martial practice is an important step to deepening and improving your kung fu. In this video, Sifu Ted demonstrates and teaches a short exercise learned decades earlier from Sifu Wing Lam, for developing and incorporating intent into movement. Following the instruction is an interview with Ted, where he further elaborates on these concepts.   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGc4FdYOzrg?rel=0    

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Seven Experiences of Martial Training

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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 art establishes a special relation to the body, leading to some confused feelings. I thought that it might be a benefit for students to recognize some signposts on the journey. Phases like those below do not follow a given sequence but, with the proper amount of practice, they will come. 1.Great Expectations You may find that in the first few … Continue reading →

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

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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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Martial Basics: Not What You Think

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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 before you get to the “good stuff.” But the surprise—slow and sometimes disappointingly painful—is that there is no end to the study of basics. When you have learned the most exotic parts of some discipline‑let’s be obvious and say martial arts, for instance—and mastered the strangest weapons, you will put them away, at least for most of the time, and … Continue reading →

The Profile of Long Fist

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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 huge family of Kung Fu styles has many unifying principles. Most of the principles here were rarely spoken in ancient days.

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Taiwan Tales #4

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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 hailstorm of strangers, while performing a little dance of interrupted steps and altered angles. The ultimate Daoist truth is here presented in the flesh, everyone finds his own way. Looking down on it from the high step on an escalator, the whole operation seems Darwinian; survival of the fleetest.

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Spirit Training

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Can martial arts be martial arts without a spiritual component? The answer is “probably not.” Those people who only have interest in how effective it is as self-protection or kick-ass, of course, have a right to their opinion. But I think if you examine the minds of most people who study you will find that at least some spiritual interest is always present. It may be camaraderie, your gang, your friends. It may be, if you are very young, that your parents have you attending classes so you can at least begin to pick up the beginning of some disciplined … Continue reading →

Warming Up the Martial Way

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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.

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