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ICE STORM UPDATE.
WE ARE BACK IN BUSINESS.
OUR POWER AND UTILITIES ARE BACK.
All classes resume as of April 8.

Open Zoom class for Members Thursdays at 14:00 (UTC-5)

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Upcoming Events

  • FRANCE: Rencontres Tui Shou 5 jours, avec IAN SINCLAIR @ CREM
    Monestiés, France : June 21 - 25
    Sat Jun 21 2025 - Wed Jun 25 2025
  • Ellgurd School, ANTWERP: Intensive Tai chi tuishou Workshop (Ellgurd)
    Sat Jun 28 2025 - Tue Jul 1 2025
  • Wu Dao Academy, Hoboken, BELGIUM: Fundamentals of Tai chi and Qigong
    Sat Jul 5 2025 - Sun Jul 6 2025

Recent Posts

  • The Tuishou Paradox: Practical training is non-competitive
  • One Person, Four Hands
  • Softer pushes push harder than harder pushes
  • Internal power Contains External power
  • “Brush Knee Push” (Zhou / elbow)

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New video series

Posted on 23 November, 2020 by Sinclair Martial Arts
23 November, 2020

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

The most important martial arts lesson.

Posted on 28 September, 2020 by Sinclair Martial Arts
29 September, 2020
sinclairinternalarts.com Ian sinclair

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)

The 4 Pillars of Martial Arts Training

Posted on 21 September, 2020 by Sinclair Martial Arts
21 September, 2020

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

Introduction to Tai chi, Episode 9: The Eight Trigrams in the Hands

Posted on 24 August, 2020 by Sinclair Martial Arts
25 August, 2020

“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

Paraphrasing Agamemnon: Kungfu and Life Lessons from a Greek Tragedy.

Posted on 13 August, 2020 by Sinclair Martial Arts
13 August, 2020

In part of the chorus in Agamemnon, the Greek tragedian, Aeschylus (circa 525 BCE – 456 BCE) writes the following “Mortals are set on the path of wisdom,bound by holy ordinance to pay, with suffering, for their education. Even in our sleep, the relentless pain that we try in vain to forget falls drop by drop . . . read more

Intro to Tai chi, Episode 8: The Five Elements are in the Feet. …What?

Posted on 5 August, 2020 by Sinclair Martial Arts
15 September, 2020

This is another one of those opaque concepts that needs to be explored, or updated, or ignored. Understanding it might be out of the question. Transcript There is an important dictum in taijiquan literature that declares that one should have “the 5 elements in the feet and the eight trigrams in the hands.” This has . . . read more

Five Element Theory vs Rock Paper Scissors Lizard Spock

Posted on 3 August, 2020 by Sinclair Martial Arts
3 August, 2020

How far can a tai chi metaphor go? When you practice and art and follow its philosophy long enough, you eventually start to see it everywhere. You may even be tempted to manifest it in places where it probably shouldn’t belong. Case in point: tai chi fanatics on a dance floor. Another case is the natural attempt . . . read more

Moral Compass as a Martial Art

Posted on 13 July, 2020 by Sinclair Martial Arts
14 July, 2020

In the ancient military classic, “The Art of War”, Sunzi begins by listing five constants that determine victory. The first of these is a moral compass. A nation is not defined by its borders. It is defined by the principles upon which it is built. To defend a nation is to defend its principles. The . . . read more

Introduction to Tai Chi, Episode 7: Levers, Love, and the Biomechanics of Systemic Racism

Posted on 15 June, 2020 by Sinclair Martial Arts
20 June, 2020

This video took two weeks to write and produce. It could have been ten shorter videos. But with the current socioeconomic situation, it seemed appropriate to present it in this format. I will be adding a complete transcript of this video in the near future.  (Self Defeating Class Three Lever Syndrome) SDCTLS When I am . . . read more

Is Tai Chi an effective martial art for purposes of self-defence?

Posted on 15 April, 2020 by Sinclair Martial Arts
15 April, 2020

Most tai chi teachers have no interest in the martial aspect. Even those who do are often unwilling to test their skills or adapt their pedagogy. If you want tai chi to help you in a fight, it must be tool for liberation, not an albatross around your neck.

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