History of the Lion Dance Lion dancing originated during the Tang dynasty (618-906 AD). Legend has it that the emperor had a dream one night in which a strange-looking animal saved his life. The following day, the emperor described the dream to his ministers. One minister told the emperor thatRead More →
Year of the Snake Happy Chinese New Year (gong hei fat choy – Congratulations and be Prosperous)Happy Chinese New Year (gong hei fat choy – Congratulations and be Prosperous) Emperor Huang Ti introduced the concept of a chronological record of years in the 61st year of his reign. The twelveRead More →
The Nunchaku are two wooden sticks tied together with a small rope. They were initially used as farm implements to knock rice off the stalks. Later, the farmers used the Nunchaku to defend themselves from bandits. The Nunchaku uses forward, backward, figure 8, reverse, figure 8, and many other spinsRead More →
You’ve now had time to work on your New Year’s resolutions, but what about your follow-up and follow-through? Have you taken the time to inspect what you expect? A simple follow-up is often not as simple as it seems. When setting goals, it is also important to follow up andRead More →
Sensing Hands (Pushing Hands) teaches a Tai Chi student how to use Tai Chi for protection. If you’re unfamiliar with Tai Chi, it is a slow-motion – low impact exercise and self-defense system. The words Tai Chi Chuan mean Grand Ultimate Fist. The Chinese consider Tai Chi the best methodRead More →
I’ve noticed this same general feeling with many kung fu students. The basic assumption is that their style of kung fu does not teach defense against street fights (basic jabs and hook-type punching), which stems from the misunderstanding of the protection philosophy. We teach self-defense against various attacks, including leftRead More →