I had an interesting comment on my last post that made me think about the whole idea of making up your own forms (or Tao Lu) - in Tai Chi, Xing Yi, or whatever. I've tried to do this over the course of several years and I've come to a few conclusions about it, which … Continue reading Making up your own forms – it’s not as easy as you think
Heretics
Don’t be that guy – Blind spots, martial arts and cult-like rituals
Photo by Artem Podrez on Pexels.com We often label other martial arts groups as a cult, and laugh at their silly behaviour and rituals, but at the same time we are a bit blind to the cult-like aspects to the things we do, because that’s ‘normal’ to us. I went to a different BJJ school … Continue reading Don’t be that guy – Blind spots, martial arts and cult-like rituals
The joy of Manchu Wrestling
In the last episode of the Heretics podcast we talked about Chinese wrestling - Shuai Jiao - but Damon also mentioned Manchu wrestling quite a bit. He described it, but you can't get a proper idea of how it works without seeing it done, so let's look a little closer. Manchu wrestling is a unique … Continue reading The joy of Manchu Wrestling
The Azure Dragon and Shuai Jiao
There's a new episode of the Heretics podcast out. In this chat, Damon and I discuss Shuai Jiao, the popular modern Chinese wrestling style and try and separate fact from fiction. We discuss what martial arts it is related to and also if there is a connection to Japanese Kempo. The best thing about this … Continue reading The Azure Dragon and Shuai Jiao
Opinion: Judo is not dumbed-down jujutsu
Photo by Kampus Production on Pexels.com I really enjoyed watching the judo at this year’s Olympics. I thought the technical level on display was simply electrifying, which is why I find it odd that people sometimes refer to judo as dumbed-down jujutsu. I’m a practitioner of Brazilian jiujitsu (which could be described as an offshoot … Continue reading Opinion: Judo is not dumbed-down jujutsu
#71 Xing Yi (part 13) The Water Chestnut Mirror
This episode explores the connection between the martial arts of the great Song generals' tradition and Chinese theatre, which emerged during the height of the Yuan Dynasty. https://www.spreaker.com/user/9404101/xing-yi-part-13-the-water-chestnut-mirro Xing Yi Part 13, The Water Chestnut Mirror I would also recommend this short, funny and smart crash course on Chinese Theatre as background 'reading': https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yzAdZDK4XKA A … Continue reading #71 Xing Yi (part 13) The Water Chestnut Mirror
Xing Yi part 12 Rocks and Bamboo
In part 12 we pick up our series on Xing Yi with a new dynasty, the Yuan, examining the social changes that Mongol rule brought to China and their implications for the martial arts through the lens of the artwork of the period. Damon also covers a bit on Marco Polo and covers one of … Continue reading Xing Yi part 12 Rocks and Bamboo
The Internal Martial Arts
Photo by Brett Jordan on Pexels.com What are the internal martial arts? Does the term "Internal Martial Arts" have any legitimacy? What is a "fake" martial art? All this and more is explored in our new episode. https://www.spreaker.com/user/9404101/67-the-internal-martial-arts
Where Karate got its kicks from (it was the French!)
This is a very nicely made video from the Karate Nerd that shows the influence of Western military methods (created by the French from Savate) on the formation of Japanese Karate. This influence of the West on Japan was something we talked about a lot in our podcast on The origins of Kempo and Jiujitsu, … Continue reading Where Karate got its kicks from (it was the French!)
The new American Boxer Rebellion of 2021
Jack Slack was the first person to draw my attention to the parallel between rioters storming government buildings that happened in China's Boxer Rebellion around 1900, and the storming of the Capitol Building by Trump Supporters in 2021. Both involve a kind of "spirit possession". Of course, America, along with many European nations, was involved … Continue reading The new American Boxer Rebellion of 2021
The Tai Chi Notebook 