Latest Articles

Ancient Chinese Weapons

Dr. Yang, Jwing-Ming, August 30, 2010

A country as vast as China encompasses many types of terrain. Whereas deserts and high plateaus cover the northern territory, mountain ranges dominate the west. The southeast coast and central zones, favored by the Chinese for thousands of years, are lush and warm with many lakes, ponds and rivers. More >>

About Junbi Undo—Part 2

Michael Clarke, August 23, 2010

"Lift things properly, hit things with care", this maxim should be at the forefront of your mind when embarking upon the study of traditional Okinawan hojo undo. Find your limit with each tool and exercise, and then carefully and methodically push that limit further and further. In doing so you will learn much about yourself and who you really are. More >>

About Junbi Undo—Part 1

Michael Clarke, August 16, 2010

In an Okinawan karate dojo, warming-up exercises are known as junbi undo, preparation exercises. Within many Western schools of karate today, the warm-up exercises often have little in common with the mental activity that follows, neither do they always relate particularly well to the physical demands placed upon the specific muscle. More >>

Form as a Vessel for T’ai Chi Principle—Part 2

John Loupos, August 9, 2010

Once enrolled in my class, she was all over the place swinging her arms as if dancing to imaginary music (fine at home, perhaps, but not in T’ai Chi class). This woman completely lacked structure, but more significantly, she lacked any desire for structure or willingness to consider its merits. More >>

Form as a Vessel for T’ai Chi Principle—Part 1

John Loupos, August 2, 2010

When the average person thinks of T’ai Chi, the image that I expect most often comes to mind is one of some person or persons practicing a slow motion T’ai Chi form sequence. This is quite reasonable given T’ai Chi’s usual portrayal in the various media. More >>

Manuel Pottek training at the Retreat Center

A Month at the YMAA Retreat Center

Manuel Pottek, July 26, 2010

I lived and trained at the YMAA Retreat Center for the month of March 2010. Close to the end, Dr. Yang asked me to write something about my experience there. Now, sitting in a café in my beautiful hometown in Germany, I think about the time spent there. More >>

Seize the Opportunity with Chin Na—Part 2

Dr. Yang, Jwing-Ming, July 19, 2010

A Chin Na expert must also know how to escape from an opponent's Chin Na control, and be able to counterattack and reverse the situation. To escape from an opponent's control, you must master several techniques in addition to those explained in the previous section. More >>