Origins of Chinese Traditional Martial Arts Clothing
“For the apparel oft proclaims the man.” -William Shakespeare Hamlet Act 1 Scene 3 Do you know where the uniforms often seen in Chinese training halls (Gong Fu Wuguan功夫 武館) and on the tournament floor originated? It all started in …
Today I…
Today I… Remain within the cold comfort(able) age-spotted, witness-walls of the monastery both when within and after slow-stepping out (?) For I know that monazein, the word for ‘live alone’ gave birth to ‘monastery.’ But monazein lived not alone; It …
Ji-Haoma (Lucky Number) Bagua Qigong
“Sit like a Frog, Sleep like a Dog Walk like a Cloud, Keep a Docile Heart” – Li, Long Dao, Secret of Longevity The term Feng Shui means wind and water. When used in China it most often refers …
Within You Without You
“Outside very still. Inside very busy” – Li, Long Dao I was recently in Arlington, Texas, home of Jiulong Baguazhang’s headquarters and Shigong John Painter, Jiulong’s senior instructor, and student. He calls the school The Gompa. It is a place …
Sitting For Postural Strength
In Dr. Painter’s article (Masters of Internal Arts Lifted Weights!), he mentioned that sitting for long periods of time was not beneficial to the postural muscles and that gravity was one of the ways that these vital contributors to our …
Searching For Truth, Justice, and The Natural Way
“All experiences are preceded by mind Having mind as their master created by mind” -The Dhammapada Every thought, word, action, sensation or skill is germinated in the mind. It is the mind that rules our physical body and how we view …
The Mind – Get in the Flow
Find That Spiritual Feeling While Training “…every situation, person and event that comes your way in life is meaningful to your spiritual growth.” Dr. Terry Chitwood The Environment Internal art and yogic literature are full of references to training and …
Taijiquan a Daoist Art?
What is called, “being off by a hair’s breadth is to miss by a thousand li.” Those who study must do it in detail. Wang, Zongyue -Taiji classics On perusing the internet and numerous Facebook groups it is astounding the …
Winter Health Practices
Who so ever wishes to investigate medicine should proceed thus: In the first place, consider the seasons of the year and What affects each of them produce …
Xingyiquan, Where are You?
Xingyiquan (形意拳) is one of the Wudang styles of Chinese martial arts (the other two are Taijiquan and Baguazhang) and is translated as “Form of the Mind Fist.” It is an extremely aggressive style, preferring to “wedge” into the enemy’s …
Spiritual Dragon Practice Long-ningsi
“We are what we think. All that we are arises with our thoughts. With our thoughts, we make the world – Buddha Imagine being in a class where first time Baguazhang students are able to perform perfectly elegant and …