Upper and Lower Part 3 (11-minute video)
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 […]
Upper and Lower, Part 2 (6-minute video)
“Doing” meets “not doing” or “Ippon” meets “Koka” Martial sport is about winning. Self defence is about not losing. Hence, there are […]
Upper and Lower – Part 1 (7-minute video)
An important tai chi principle is called “Upper and Lower Mutually Follow” In this video we talk about how this applies to […]
Confronting Autocracy: How martial arts can stop individuals and societies from poisoning themselves.
Dictatorships are invariably self-destructive. They are, by definition, a failure of society to function in harmony. When absolute power is centralized, be […]
True power is integrative, not distributive
There is a common human disfunction, a pathological which causes us to feel that we can gain power by taking it from […]
Don’t call it “chi”. Call it subtlety.
“Chi” or “qi” (both are pronounced “chee”), unless you are speaking Japanese, in which case it is “ki”. The so called “intrinsic […]
Questions, questions, questions. Students must ask more questions. (video)
If the teacher doesn’t like questions, then you might be in a cult. Questions are important, and should never be dismissed outright. […]
“The technique is not about the technique”
Techniques do not work. But practising techniques gives you the context within which to study the principles and the method. Eventually, you […]
“Internal Power Contains External Power”
This is a statement that can get you into trouble if you misunderstand it or use it to infer some superiority of […]
Lest we forget. Balance is a verb.
Martial arts training is a microcosm of international socio-economics. The lessons we learn in class can be applied to peacemaking on a […]
Adaptive pedagogy for tai chi and martial arts – (with a 12-minute video)
It is impossible to find a teaching method that works the same way for everyone. Traditional standard teaching methods, like those found […]
Resistance is Moot
Attachment to technique is typically self-defeating. One should be constantly mindful of tactics, strategy, method, and internal principles. If all is done […]
The delusion cuts both ways. Understanding how internal and external martial artists defeat themselves.
This is about the two errors that can result from martial art training. 1. If you base your training too much on […]
Tai chi tuishou vs class 3 lever syndrome.
Tension in the arms forms class three levers that reduce the mechanical efficiency, increase your total shear modulus, and interfere with the […]
New Lesson: “Brush Knee Push” – the 8th mechanical efficiency.
INCOMPLETE TAI CHI, LESSON 29 Introducing Zhou 肘 using “Brush Knee and Push.” Click here to go to the lesson. When I […]
Fighting is like Wordle
Life is like Wordle. Perfectly legitimate decisions don’t always work. In business, we can make all the correction decisions, and still go […]
Power vs Leadership
There is a lesson that has been taught over and over throughout the ages: Power is not a product of increasing control. […]
New Lesson, February 20
Zhou (elbow) and Kao (shoulder) can be seen as techniques. But their deeper meaning is one of mechanical principle. Zhou displaces the […]
New Lesson Feb 9
Raise hands and pull down (“Pluck”). This lesson begins section 5 of the foundation routine. “Cai” or “pluck” draws the opponent’s force […]
