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
“Doing” meets “not doing” or “Ippon” meets “Koka” Martial sport is about winning. Self defence is about not losing. Hence, there are different (but overlapping) strategies and tactics. “Upper and lower mutually follow” refers to one’s own body. But the concept can be extended to include strategy and tactics. Being still when the opponent is . . . read more
An important tai chi principle is called “Upper and Lower Mutually Follow” In this video we talk about how this applies to power and footwork.
Dictatorships are invariably self-destructive. They are, by definition, a failure of society to function in harmony. When absolute power is centralized, be it in a single person, a group, or a dogma, the ability of the society to function, grow, and adapt becomes crippled. But dictatorships continue to arise throughout the world. Even the most . . . read more
There is a common human disfunction, a pathological which causes us to feel that we can gain power by taking it from others. Security is a negotiation, even within the techniques, strategies and methodology of combat. We fail when we fight against force, move against speed, or throw away our own balance for fear of . . . read more
“Chi” or “qi” (both are pronounced “chee”), unless you are speaking Japanese, in which case it is “ki”. The so called “intrinsic energy” might be better though of as the sum total of all the momentum in a body, or system of bodies.