There are business owners who may see some short-term benefit to staying open in defiance of the lockdown rules. This is a bad business decision, especially in the long-term. It is true that some people will applaud your defiance and will support you in your decision. But many more will see your defiance as evidence . . . read more
The aging body is like a teenager. It is prone to rebellion. Like a teenager, the aging body can be difficult to control. Regulating it is not simply a matter of willpower. Like a teenager, the aging body will make noises that you do not like. You MIGHT not like the new music. You will . . . read more
I have made a few videos recently by trying to lower my standards to improve output. That did not work out so well. When I produce a 1-hour video, it takes 20 – 40 hours of work. From concept to script can take a few days. Rehearsal, recording and rewrites can take a few days. . . . read more
From the Head and Neck to the Chest, and back. A new video has been posted. Click here.or go to the Courses link in the main menu.
If you feel as if following social media wastes of time, I can tell you that posting to social media is a much greater soul-sucking waste of time, largely because of the little details that I never went to school for. Being self employed, as my friend Clayton points out, just means that “…your boss . . . read more
It is remarkably easy to provoke people into attempting to explain things that they do not understand. Such games have become a staple of late-night talk shows and comedy routines. I think of Rick Mercer’s “Talking to Americans”, Jimmy Kimmel’s “Can you name a country”, or the Jaye Leno’s “Jaye Walking.” Think also of most . . . read more
The last few weeks have been challenging for me and for the business. I have survived it, due in no small part to donations made to this site. Thank you to all who have contributed to this work. I will be continuing the “Introduction to Tai chi” series. I am also starting a new ongoing . . . read more
Wuji central alignment of body and mind Does your monster have your back? The most important lessons are usually taught on the first day. But students rarely understand, and usually fail to notice. You can read the transcript on the lesson page. (click here)
Transcript: Before I talk about the most important lesson in all of martial arts, I want to address what I call the pillars of martial art training. Typically, I call them the four pillars. I used to like to conflate two of them, since a three-legged table doesn’t wobble. But I have learned that things . . . read more
“The 8 trigrams in the hands” is a vitally important concept in martial arts…especially in tai chi. But it comes with some philosophy and some physics. Don’t expect to understand it all right away, and don’t worry if it doesn’t make sense at first.Introducing the eight trigrams Transcript: As much as I do endeavour to . . . read more