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¿Golpeas al objetivo?
December 14, 2009
Nunca dudé, al ponerme frente a Kanazawa sensei, que iba a "enchufarme". Pero tenía la absoluta certeza de que no iba a hacerme daño.
Are you hitting the target in Karate?
November 30, 2009
There was never a doubt in my head when I lined up to face Kanazawa sensei, I knew he was going to 'plug' me.
Five Qigong Categories
November 18, 2009
It is very important to keep the Qi (internal energy) circulating smoothly in your body. Many different kinds of Qigong exercises have been created to achieve this, but they can generally be categorized into five groups according to the main purpose of the training.
Remembering Chojun Miyagi
November 11, 2009
Among the huge number of so-called karate styles in the world these days, all can be traced back to the island of Okinawa, the largest island in the Ryukyu archipelago that stretches from the southern coast of Japan to the northern tip of Taiwan.
Beyond Your Barehand Taiji Form (太極拳套)
November 4, 2009
Once you have learned a basic Taiji form, whether you study Yang, Chen, or another style, there is still a great deal that traditional Taijiquan training can offer.
The Dao of Kung Fu - 武道 - October 15, 2009
Religion is full of paradox, and Eastern religions are no exception. One of the most compelling paradoxes is that Eastern religions (Buddhism and Daoism) are closely linked with the martial arts.
Lessons from the Taijiquan Form Seminar - September 17, 2009
I had the chance last weekend to teach at the YMAA Boston Taiji Form Seminar. I was tapped to teach the Two Person Fighting Set. YMAA canon maintains that the Fighting Set is the last thing a person trains prior to free sparring.
Hojo Undo: Traditional Karate’s Forgotten Training Methods - September 9, 2009
In an age where karate training is often viewed as a family pastime for some or a career path for others, many of the older and more traditional forms of training have slipped from use, replaced in many cases by a quest for physical entertainment.
Big Rocks: The Hidden Values of Traditional Karate - August 13, 2009
A philosopher and teacher of the ‘Way’ began addressing his students. He produced, from behind a screen, a large glass container and a box of fist-sized rocks. After a few moments of carefully placing the rocks into the glass container, he came to a point where no more would fit. He then turned to his students and asked: “Is it full?”
Shaolin: the Root of Taijiquan - June 23, 2009
After Bodhidharma (Da Mo) passed down his qigong (chi kung) theory at Shaolin Temple around 550 A.D., the Shaolin monks trained the cultivation of Qi, and realized that muscular power could be enhanced to a tremendous level, which could make martial techniques more powerful and effective.
Simple Chinese Medicine: A Beginner's Guide to Natural Healing and Well-Being - June 9, 2009
More and more people are seeking to understand how Chinese medicine can help them prevent illness and provide a better quality of life.  To address this significant trend, my book “Simple Chinese Medicine: A Beginner's Guide to Natural Healing and Well-Being” explains the healing powers of eastern medicine in an easy to understand, relevant and personalized manner.
Daoist Breathing Techniques - May 20, 2009
Daoist breathing exercises are designed to activate the diaphragm muscle, expand the lungs, and invoke the body's innate relaxation response. There are four major types of breathing (调息tiao xi) used in Daoist practice.
Benefits of Tai Chi Qi Gong for Arthritis - May 11, 2009
May is National Arthritis Month: One of the challenges we have in this country as well as in the rest of the world, is how to approach the health care goals of the growing wave of our aging population. We are living through special times. We can see a shift towards greater acceptance of new methods and treatments for various debilitating diseases such as arthritis.
Taiji Chin Na - Martial Application - May 4, 2009
Taijiquan was originally developed for combat in ancient times. Its fighting theory is to use the soft against the hard, and to use the round to neutralize the straight or square.
The True Quality of Tai Chi - April 20, 2009
What is Tai Chi? How does Tai Chi improve health? People ask me these questions all the time. Some ask because they see so many people doing these exercises in the park. Others ask because they can hardly believe there can be any benefits from such slow body movements.
Taiji and Qigong - April 6, 2009
Those who practice both Taiji and Qigong as separate arts soon realize that Qigong is included among the many layers encompassed by Taiji. Knowingly doing Taiji movement as Qigong not only adds the benefits of Qigong but also improves the quality of the Taiji movements.
Basic Concepts of Qi and Qigong - Part 2 - March 30, 2009
In modern times, we mainly use only the narrow definition of Qi, which refers to the energy circulating in the human body.
Basic Concepts of Qi and Qigong - Part 1 - March 23, 2009
The Chinese word "Qi" translates in English to "energy". Qi is the energy or natural force which fills the universe. The Chinese believe in Three Powers (San Cai) of the universe: Heaven, Earth and Human.
Senior Moments #2: Taiji, Happy Toes, and Piano Fingers - February 17, 2009
So how does one teach Taijiquan to seniors, rehabbers, and the generally unfit? Consult the ancients, "The best leader follows." These people are generally coming to Taiji because of a life urgency (old age, sickness, injury, etc.) which has created an opportunity for change.
Senior Moments #1: "Because we can't" - January 30, 2009
Back in the day of the last millennia, I had my first venture into teaching Martial Arts to the elderly. I secured a nice gig at the local senior center. There were about twenty intrepid explorers ready for the unknown.
2009, The Year of the Ox - Happy Chinese New Year! - January 26, 2009
The Chinese year 4707 begins on January 26, 2009. Chinese months are reckoned by the lunar calendar, with each month beginning on the darkest day.