Articles | YMAA

Another Heaven
February 12, 2024
Every instance of conflict is a proclamation, a resolute warning to the opponent that they have clearly crossed a line. 5 Min. Read.
2024 The Year of the Dragon
January 29, 2024
Twenty-twenty-four marks the Year of the Wood Dragon in the Chinese zodiac. YMAA Staff Writer Gene Ching, who was born under the sign of the Dragon and bears the Buddhist Shaolin name ‘dragon,’ shares some insights on the mythology behind Chinese dragons and the element of wood. Reading Time 8 minutes.
Rebellion Tales-Choi Hong-Hi
January 15, 2024
Choi Hong-Hi: Leading Korea from the Ashes of War. Reading Time 7 minutes
Outwitting the Ebony Stupa
January 8, 2024
Many things are the same: if the orientation is wrong, it's just wrong. The incorrect thing, even if it is done effectively, is still incorrect. Reading Time 10 minutes
A Moment of Chaos and Escape
December 25, 2023
It is known that keys open locks, but who has considered a key carried to a foreign land in a time of crisis and exodus, what meaning can it claim in a new place? Even more so, what is the significance of a key left behind with no lock to open?
Masters Make the Legends or is it Legends that Make the Masters? Unraveling fact from Fiction - September 4, 2023
Whether these tales appear orally from student-to-student, on the big or small screen, or in the form of the written word, they remain a key element of martial culture.
What is Enlightenment Meditation? - November 14, 2022
The first step towards enlightenment is to establish a strong will, without which you will not finish the training.
Purposes of General Meditation - October 31, 2022
“…if you can control your consciousness without falling asleep, you can build up a better sensitivity for energy correspondence with the outside world. This is one of the desired states in meditation practice.”
The Leg Scissors and Its Descendent: The Triangle - August 1, 2022
So, for the purposes of understanding how the triangle choke has evolved and how it will continue to develop, it’s best to say that it is an offspring with many parents come from many parts of the world.
Taiwan, Teachers, & Training: An Interview with Yang Jwingming ~ Part 2 - March 14, 2022
Now that you have provided us with some fascinating background details dealing with family, studies, and work, I'd like to focus on your martial art studies. What exactly got you interested in these arts? Please provide some details about your very first teacher.
Taiwan, Teachers, & Training: An Interview with Yang Jwingming ~ Part 1 - March 7, 2022
The name Dr. Yang Jwingming became known to many because of his early publications dealing with Taijiquan. Despite some editorial faults expected in early works by a native-Chinese speaker who was a novice to publishing, his pioneering volumes offered insights and experience into the art that captivated thousands.
Muscle/Tendon Changing and Brain/Marrow Washing Qigong - February 28, 2022
China has more than seven thousand years of history. The greatest contribution it can make to benefit the human race is to share the knowledge it has accumulated in the field of Qi.
Qi, the Dao, and Cell Biology - February 14, 2022
Both Western and Eastern medical traditions base their definition of health on the correct functioning of bodily systems. In the Western paradigm, this is considered optimal cellular metabolism. In the Eastern model, this is considered the smooth flow of qi. Which concept is correct? They both are.
2022 The Year of the Tiger - January 31, 2022
This year, 2022, marks the Year of the Tiger in the Lunar calendar. Revered for its power and ferocity, tiger figures prominently as a symbol in the martial arts and qigong. In celebration of the new year, YMAA Publication Center staff writer Gene Ching explores some of the connections of tigers to the martial arts.
Fighting Range Strategies - November 15, 2021
If you cannot overwhelm the attacker and end up temporarily disengaged facing him, you should keep moving to prevent becoming a static target and to camouflage any additional tax you must unleash as you launch into retzev. (Retzev is a Hebrew word that means continuous motion.) In short movement from movement is more difficult to discern then movement from a stationary position.”
Anatomical Targeting Strategy: Works for Both the Attacker and Defender - October 11, 2021
Keep in mind that you don’t want any type of fighting chess game; instead, the goal is to eliminate any and all of his future counter-movement and counterattack capabilities. In other words, achieve checkmate with your first or second optimized combative as soon as possible.
False Dignity Gets Its Reward - July 26, 2021
In this collection of fables, Dr. Yang, Jwing-Ming shares the stories that have influenced him most as a martial artist and lifelong student of the Dao. They bring the Dao to life for readers of all generations.
Understanding Physiological Reaction to Threats and Violent Conflict - July 12, 2021
The Sympathetic Nervous System (SNS) mobilizes your body’s nervous system fight-or-flight response. Immediate SNS activation occurs when you recognize and face imminent violence. Once activated by the perception of possible impending bodily harm, the SNS in turn activates immediate physiological changes by flooding your body with stress hormones. Your freeze, fight, or flight response hits full throttle
Push Defense: Police Hold Number Eight - June 28, 2021
As with all self-defense combatives there is a legal side, should you apply a joint lock on someone. Not only do you risk civil and criminal charges of battery, you might also face the risk of being convicted of false imprisonment.
Krav Maga Fundamental Strategies: Defend Yourself Without Getting Busted - June 24, 2021
YMAA proudly presents Krav Maga Fundamental Strategies, the fourth book in David Kahn’s popular Krav Maga series.
Searching for SUPERHUMANS: ENERGY – How Far Can Human Potential Go? - May 17, 2021
YMAA presents the three-part documentary series Searching for SUPERHUMANS by Lee Holden and David Verdesi.
Three Ancient Chinese Teachings: Fo, Ru, Dao - May 10, 2021
Buddhism is an ancient religion based on the Buddha's teachings - the title given to the Indian spiritual seeker Siddhartha Gautama after he attained enlightenment more than 2,600 years ago. The Buddha's best-known teachings are the four noble truths and the eightfold path, which describe the nature of human suffering and a way to liberate oneself from the existential pains of life and reach nirvana.
Krav Maga: Lower Back Combatives - March 29, 2021
You can perform krav maga kicks at low, torso and head-level heights. To deliver head kicks, you'll need flexibility, balance, and enough strength to lift your leg. The Israel Defense Force, (IDF), in developing its krav maga program, set up tested candidates, many of who were talented martial artists, to run extensive distances with full combat loads. After an exhausting run in combat gear, the candidates were told to defend against an attack using whatever techniques they felt most comfortable. Few test candidates favoring high kicks could perform them. Their physical exhaustion prior to the fighting tests made high kicking extremely difficult.
Takedowns and Throws - February 3, 2020
The Israeli krav maga curriculum incorporates several core throws. Founder Imi Lichtenfeld was awarded a black belt in judo by Moshe Feldenkrais, who trained in Japan directly under the legendary Kano Jigoro. At the green-belt level (third belt level in the official krav maga curriculum) Imi incorporated several of judo’s most accessible and effective throws and takedowns.
2020: Enter the Rat! The First of the Twelve Chinese Zodiac Signs - January 20, 2020
The Chinese year 4718 begins on January 25, 2020. According to the Chinese zodiac it will be the Year of the Rat (鼠年 - “rat year”; pinyin: shǔnián). The Chinese calendar is lunisolar (not purely lunar). Months begin with the new moon (when it is darkest). New Year's Day usually falls on the second new moon after the winter solstice. The year 1 on the Chinese calendar corresponds to the first reign year of the legendary Yellow Emperor (黃帝; pinyin: Huángdì), who is said to have invented the calendar during the 61st year of his reign.