This week’s TanDao video, Mystic Dragon, is different. No fighting application. It’s a lyrical piece on the symbolic meaning of the ancient Chinese dragon. I am doing a free flow internal dragon form (inspired by bagua and taiji) not a prearranged kata. I am moving spontaneously, intuitively allowing the dragon spirit to express itself through [...]
With the glut of young masters dazzling us with their new found physical prowess and modern styles that merely reinvent the wheel of tradition on the internet, it is a joy to discover an authentic master. Steve Rowe is one of the rare martial artists who immersed himself in the classical tradition martial arts training [...]
In TanDao we teach that true mastery is the integration of the warrior, scholar and monk aspects of our selves. Although each part – warrior (physical skills), scholar (intellectual knowledge) and monk (emotional wisdom) can be separately developed, they are always interrelated. The monk side of martial arts is rarely addressed today. So after all [...]
Continue reading about Zen Tale: What Does This Have To Do With Martial Arts?
Still among the best martial art fight scenes on celluloid are those in Jason Bourne films. No fancy stuff. Fast, simple and deadly hand-to-hand fighting techniques. Bourne, skilled assassin, also improvises by using everyday objects – towels, books, pencils – as make shift weapons. The combat also reflects high-level martial arts strategy of economy of [...]
Continue reading about Jason Bourne’s Fantastic Fraudulent Fighting
JKD practitioners, mixed martial artists and modern stylists who practice strictly for street and sport combat, may not appreciate the cultural and historical aspects of Chinese kung fu. But for traditional Chinese martial artists, their kung fu extends beyond protecting the village from brigands and beating rival fighters in the next village, province or state. [...]
