A video starring “The Three Asians” “Taiji” or “Tai chi” refers to the dualistic nature of the phenomenal universe. Yin and Yang, up and down, this and that, past and present, me and not me, existing and “not existing.” “Wuji” refers to non-duality, the infinite void from which all things emerge, wherein Yin and Yang . . . read more

“Every fight involves multiple opponents. There is your enemy, their weapon, footwork, mind, skill, technique, rhythm, timing, distance, and strength. You also have to contend with your weapon, your footwork, your mind, your skill, your technique, your timing and rhythm, your strength, and your weakness.  “If you face twenty opponents and your mind is captured by . . . read more

If you are attending classes this weekend at Sinclair Martial Arts, please be aware that the late Gordon Lightfoot will rest at St. Paul’s United Church this weekend. Visitation will be on Sunday from 1 p.m until 8 p.m. That is right around the corner from my studio. So, don’t expect to be able to . . . read more

Stillness allows for faster changes.

Traditionally, a martial art can be the cure for violence and a path to enlightenment. Few other types of meditation can offer the same sort of immediate biofeedback that a martial art can provide. But it is important to realize that enlightenment is not merely the goal of the martial art. Enlightenment is the path . . . read more

Tai chi sword practice can be very helpful in refining skill and understanding of biomechanics and empty handed combat principles. This is NOT a sword lesson as much as it is a tuishou lesson. Nick, the student in this video, is a much better fencer than the teacher is. The lesson is not about superior . . . read more

Pedagogy, tuishou, space-time, philosophy, the standard model of particle physics, and the Dao…. But I digress. We can take advantage of our opponent’s strengths and weaknesses, as well as our own. Good and bad choices are often measured by their results, which goes to show how there are variables that we cannot see. These are . . . read more

Effortlessness in CONTEXT Teaching from first principles helps to avoid the pitfalls that plague many martial artists. Sparring, tuishou, competitions, and the myriad competitive exercises cause students to forget the context of real violence. Non-competitive training can be just as bad as competitive training, if and effort is not made to remind the student of . . . read more

Most people do not seek balance. We tend, rather to seek conflict. The proprioception afforded bt such conflict provides us with a sense of our existence, even while it undermines it. We end up fighting ourselves and giving the enemy the means by which to defeat us. Our own effort hastens our journey toward entropy. . . . read more

Energy doesn’t matter, and matter doesn’t energy Now that we are talking about yin and yang, let’s address the standard model of physics, and get this “qi” power thing out of the way. Fair disclosure: I teach qigong and neigong. There is a context for talking about “qi”, breath, energy, proprioception, calories, joules, and all . . . read more