This post is going to start somewhere you don’t expect - over 1,000 years ago in Song Dynasty China during which we find the legendary founder of Xing Yi, Yue Fei, a general in the Song Dynasty army, mulling over the advancing (heavily armoured) Jin cavalry, and wondering how his foot soldiers are going to … Continue reading Possible origins of the Tai Chi Single Whip (Dan Bian) posture name
Swords
How to grip the sword
"When the haft is gripped, this grip is done with the whole body" - Xing Yi classics I am still trying to make sure I do some sword practice every day. Specifically I'm using Bear Eagle from Xing Yi as my main practice. One of the big issues that becomes apparent when you do a … Continue reading How to grip the sword
The boxing is tightly reeled
The Classic of Fighting is part of Yue Fei’s 10 Thesis, a collection of works also known as the Xing Yi Classics. (I once got into a bit of a tiff about these documents being attributed to Chen Changxin in error, but that’s another story.) Photo by Dan Galvani Sommavilla on Pexels.com The Classic of … Continue reading The boxing is tightly reeled
Take it outside
Photo by Nick Bondarev on Pexels.com Another thing that sword practice does is force you to practice outside. Practicing martial arts outside is not something that’s popular in the UK. Village halls and sports centres across the land resound to the sound of a million “Ki-ah!”s, but if you practice martial arts outside you are … Continue reading Take it outside
Threading into one – Shen Fa and weapons
Day 3 of my experiment with switching my training around so that weapons (specifically sword) are the mainstay of my practice, and changes are already happening. Today I want to talk about Shen Fa, which translates as "body method". You could call it whatever you want really, but it just means "the way you move". … Continue reading Threading into one – Shen Fa and weapons
Sword as your main practice
Sorry there haven’t been many blog posts lately. I just didn’t feel inspired to write anything, and when I don’t feel inspired, following the Tai Chi principle, I don’t like to force it. Something has got me back into writing recently though. I was having a conversation with a friend about Chinese marital arts and … Continue reading Sword as your main practice
The Blind Swordsman: Zatoichi CLIP
Here's a clip from one of my favourite martial arts films, Zatoichi. I think it subtly, or not so subtly, says a lot about martial arts teachers. Enjoy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=YV2WQTL_45A&feature=emb_logo
The invention of the Samurai
I wrote a short post for Cook Ding's Kitchen blog the other day about our Heretics series on the history of Kempo and Jiujitsu. If you're interested in the history of Japanese martial arts then I would also recommend this talk by Dr Oleg Benesch on the Martial Studies podcast, which talks about a lot … Continue reading The invention of the Samurai
Hagakure – wisdom of the Samurai
"Hagakure is the essential book of the Samurai. Written by Yamamoto Tsunetomo, who was a Samurai in the early 1700s, it is a book that combines the teachings of both Zen and Confucianism. These philosophies are centered on loyalty, devotion, purity and selflessness, and Yamamoto places a strong emphasis on the notion of living in … Continue reading Hagakure – wisdom of the Samurai
The Judo chop
From the ever-enlightening Urban Dictionary: Judo Chop The act of taking your hand and making a chop motion on a persons shoulder near the neck area while saying in a loud manner, "Judo chop-HAI!" 1. Find a victim. 2. Creep up behind them. 3. Make sure palm/hand is flat and straight. 4 Raise your hand … Continue reading The Judo chop
The Tai Chi Notebook 