This was a lot of fun to both film and edit. The sword carries itself, I just have to point it at the water bottle...

...also, slow motion makes everything look cooler!

I just posted a video of the Yang Tai Chi 16 Step Form!!! Please stop by and check it out!!!

Tai Chi Connection - Parting the Horse’s Mane to Brush Knee Twist Step The key element to look at while working on this transition is the timing of the hands and feet together. Not everything has the same distance to travel, so to have everything begin and end together requires attention to each limb independently, moving with different speeds.

Here is a short video of some Yang style Tai Chi Sword. There's nothing like a beautiful spring day to practice taiji in the park! 太極劍

Today I posted an old kung fu documentary that has a ton of different kung fu forms and styles as well as a little mini doc about Jet Li in his early years.

If you click on the video, you can check in the comments for a full time code and list of forms so you can jump right to what you want to see.

Have fun!!!

Lessons from injury

So yesterday I got a lil’ too frisky with my kicks and strained a muscle. It was pretty tight last night and when I first woke up.

I started my day with Tai Chi as I always do, being careful not to over stress my leg. As I got through the workout I was increasing the amount of extension, flex, and power to when I ended the session everything was pretty much normal.

Well here’s the cool part (to me at least), having one leg more sensitive than the other gave me a chance to really feel which muscles are working during a technique. Some were as expected, like extending my leg out was a stretch, but others were complete revelations of movement. I found times where waist rotation activated that muscle, and other times when I thought a particular twist would set it off -absolutely nothing.

Sometimes our circumstances can prove more than merely inconvenience.

*Also, I was able to go through my kung fu sets, a run through of kicks, and my usual 5k run. My leg feels like nothing happened... thanks tai chi!

The Kwan Yin Palm of Choy Li Fut Kung Fu is a unique form beyond the fact that it is done entirely while seated in the lotus position. The Kwan Yin Palm form is comprised of many Choy Li Fut strikes and techniques which can be performed slowly to develop the internal side of the martial art or with explosive power to train the martial artist to have power without relying on stance or footwork. I wrote an article about this form for Kung Fu Tai Chi Magazine which was published in the Summer 2018 issue http://www.kungfumagazine.com/ This form has become a part of my morning routine, and I was fortunate enough to film it at one of my most favorite places in the world, the Sierra Nevada Mountains.

CG Tai Chi 24 Form

tai chi zero by alanwandingo

Sakyong Mipham

(source: JetLi.com)

Jack Ma, the founder of Alibaba Group, is going to be the main actor in a new short film, Gong Shou Dao (GSD). Gong Shou Dao is derived from and influenced by Taiji, Kung Fu, and Martial Arts. The meaning represented in Chinese characters roughly translate into “Martial Art” that is based on “Guard and Defense”.

GSD starring Jack Ma and many famous Kung Fu icons who are no strangers to us all. They are Yuen Woo Ping, Sammo Hung, Tony Ching, Jet Li, Donnie Yen, Wu Jing, Tony Jaa, Shiming Zou, Asashōryū Akinor, Jacky Heung and Natasha Liu.

The executive producer Jet Li mentioned, “We all have the same dream with the aim to promote China’s excellent traditional culture and a tribute to the predecessors in the field of Taiji, Kung Fu and Martial Arts. The timing seems to be perfect and everyone involved in this project were so enthusiastic in making it happen.”

GSD is due to release sometime in November. It is a top secret project, but we also heard that it will appear on China’s Youku online video platform.

Jack Ma has always expressed interest in taking part as an actor in film projects, so it comes as no surprise to us because he managed to wow the world with his past projects. It is also a good fit as Jack has always been an advocate for Taiji and to use this as a cornerstone in this project will sure to be an eye opener. We all know that Jack is a Taiji Master himself, so it will definitely be an exciting short film to watch.

Promotion of the film is scheduled to coincide with Alibaba’s 11.11 Global Shopping Festival to enhance awareness of the movie and Taiji.

Meet Joey, a Tai Chi instructor at the local park. After meeting up with his best "bro," Steph, he has to undergo an impromptu physical test with his Sifu (cameo appearance by Ex-Jackie Chan stuntman Vincent Lyn). The swift exchanged left Joey slightly beaten and winded, but he still managed to pass his certification test. One problem down... BUT there are these group of LARPers still causing him trouble. UNTIL NEXT WEEK... (after Steph grabs a bite to eat...) Please check out our Indiegogo link: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/th...

There's a lot going on and much more on the way! My most recent article was published in Kung Fu Tai Chi Magazine (September/October edition) about push hands... Speaking of Push Hands, let's talk about Tournament Push Hands where it becomes more like shove hands. Also BIG NEWS! I've got something in the works and hopefully you'll be as stoked as I am about it!!! - Kung Fu Magazine: http://www.kungfumagazine.com/ - Kung Fu Theater tee-shirt: http://www.shaolinchamber36.com/

Moving meditation

There’s something interesting that happens when we perform simple and mundane tasks, things that require just enough attention that we cannot completely zone out, but not too much attention that we can let the mind itself relax and wander. Things like, washing the dishes, sweeping the floor, or taking a shower. Though they are not the most thought stimulating environments, the benefit remains that we are either entered into a flow state of mind, or have strokes of genius or epiphanies during such mundane activities.... it’s all very zen. There is a similar effect to the practice of Tai Chi. Not to say that Tai Chi is mundane, but rather that the “zen level” formula is refined to invite and encourage flow state and epiphanies and all of that on both the mental and physical levels. So what is this magic formula? Simple, it is the repetition of action with intention coupled with rhythmic breathing, and most importantly, lasting a duration that exercises patience. We force ourselves to be patient in movement, denying distractions, moving forward with a direction or goal. When we combine the methodical movements of tai chi with the meditative slow pace of breathing and the mental focus of solely that, we can unite the body and mind to one common goal. Once body and mind sync up, we feel the results. Is it magic? Will we unlock the mysteries of the universe? Nope. But we will have better insight of our abilities and limitations, which although may seem small, can change the way we see and interact with our world around us.

Now go wash the dishes.

There was a break in the storms this morning. It was refreshing to get out and practice as well as filming a short video.

A short Tai Chi video of a short Tai Chi form!

Kung Fu

by Jubuy