Tandaokungfu
A note of thanks to our TanDao forum member, Kevin, for responding to our post on Spirit Boxing and asking about the supernatural powers of qi. Since the TanDao’s Dazzling Hands stage traces to qi based tai ji, the question arises: is there any truth to this mysterious power? Qi is the life force energy [...]
With the ghosts, ghouls and vampires about to be unleashed on Halloween, the theme of spirits reminds me of a rare system of kung fu called Sun Gung (in Cantonese ) or Shen Gong (in Mandarin) meaning Spirit Boxing. Imagine being able to straight punch or hook kick like Bruce Lee without ever learning a [...]
Fight Lab and The Shaolin Salutation This week’s TanDao Fight Lab begins with the traditional Shaolin Salutation, an open hand, symbolizing the moon, and a fist, the sun. How quaint. For modern martial artists this is relegated to an arcane gesture to preserve tradition. Otherwise what relevance does it have to a modern fighter? Actually, [...]
“I am standing in the sky on the roof of a glass and steel office tower in Rotterdam, Holland. There are twenty-one floors of air between me and the concrete pavement below. I am about to do what I do best. I am about to jump.” ~Jackie Chan What does Jackie Chan have to do [...]
With the advent of spring, especially after this harsh winter, we are eager to get outside to train. Like early Daoists practicing tai ji by a stream or Shaolin monks kicking boulders in the misty mountains, practicing in nature is a time honored tradition. It is common to all martial arts: gi clad karateka punching [...]
