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Fight Lab #3 Double Tiger

admin — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 21:17:39 +0000

Our new Fight Lab series is generating enthusiasm. Many of you are probing deeper, beyond the obvious techniques, especially the idea of hardness and softness in Fight Lab #2. In this week’s Fight Lab we examine the double tiger claw thrust and focus on precision targeting. As a defense against a two-hand grab to the throat or shoulders, we increase effectiveness by hitting the attacker’s collarbone instead of chest. Simple and obvious. But there is another variation.

Did you know that you would increase the effectiveness of a kick with this same technique? Our video depicts a fighting combination that ends with a double tiger claw thrust to the opponent’s chest followed by a kick. Can you find another lesson underlying this push – kick combination? There is an advanced kung fu tactic reflected in this technique that can be applied to other situations. Look beyond the obvious.

Our intention is for the TanDao Fight Lab videos to be repeatedly watched and studied. Aware of the tradition of hidden knowledge, Evolving Martial Artists learn critical thinking to see techniques with new eyes.

Take a good look at the video – what is the main principle behind this technique?

Lawrence Tan
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TanDao Fight Lab #2

admin — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 12:38:16 +0000

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, this salutation uses body language to communicate primal actions. The open hand represents no weapon and peace, in contrast to the clenched fist that communicates potential aggression. Next to each other, it shows the capacity to express our energy either as the peaceful monk or as a prepared warrior.

Yet for traditionalists initiated into the secrets of form and postures, such a gesture has layers of meaning with practical significance for combat, provided one knows the keys to the hidden language of forms. We are introducing the notion of hard and soft, a major theoretical principle for understanding fighting techniques and tactics.

Do not dismiss it so readily. A different mindset is required to understand these hand symbols, but they can enhance our appreciation of the intellectual depths of the martial way. And, of course, increase our power. Evolving Martial Artists use the principle of hard and soft to understanding the true nature of power. We’ll explore further in the future.
Lawrence Tan

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TanDao Fight Lab

admin — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 18:32:50 +0000

It’s here! We have been busy and are happy to announce our TanDao Fight Lab Video series. Many web warriors browse the sea of martial arts videos, ranging from laughable “what were they thinking,” to dazzling, or mediocre wannabe experts, to the occasional genuine expressions of mastery. Thumbs up or thumbs down. Next. Rarely do we stay to analyze the movements and study deeper meaning underlying the throw, punch or locking technique. Sometimes we are unaware of vital knowledge simply because we are not looking beyond the obvious. Or ask questions.

We will address those questions. You might ask: What is the difference between a boxer’s right cross, a wing chun straight or a karate reverse punch? Is the defense against a tae kwon do round kick or muay thai round kick the same? Why should we fight differently at different ages? Is this sparring technique practical for real combat? Our TanDao Fight Lab video series for Evolving Martial Artists explores three themes:

1. Comparative Combat to discover universal principles behind different styles and systems.
2. Secret Knowledge to refine your techniques with tips from masters I’ve encountered in Asia and the States.
3. Traditional Form and Modern Fighting to enhance your power and efficiency by analyzing realistic function hidden in stylized techniques.

Join us! Explore techniques, tactics and strategies from a deeper perspective to enhance our power and skills. We’d love to hear from you. What would you like to see?

A special note of thanks to John Duval for appearing in the videos. John – thank you for your time, effort, patience and talent!

Happy Birthday Sophia!

Lawrence & Toni

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Soul Defense

admin — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 14:57:21 +0000

The Karate Kid’s Mr. Miyagi and Mr. Han are film heroes who show up at the precise moment when we must evolve or die. It seems odd to remake a classic…though we are always up for anything with Jackie Chan in it. The bully theme never gets old, and, unfortunately, it remains a part of our life.

There is the deliberate bully, the unwitting bully, the school yard bully, the office bully, and the bullying that goes on behind closed doors. Since the original Karate Kid we now add cyber bullying and electronic bullying to the pain roster. Of particular concern in the teen community, this type of bullying can be done without ever laying a hand on the victim. It can even be done anonymously. The damage can be so far reaching that it is sometimes unbearable, with lethal consequences for our children, who may see suicide as the only escape.

In the real world, how many of us have Mr. Miyagi or Mr. Han step in to block an attack with their stunning karate or kung fu, and then guide us along our path to inner power? We have to tap into that core strength on our own. Self defense gives physical confidence. But it is soul defense that protects our spirit. Bullying weighs heavy on the heart and soul of who we are. Bullies rely on our helplessness, our alienation, isolation and our silence. These are their weapons, and the goal is to shame us. Don’t let them. The Evolving Martial Artist goes beyond the warrior’s physical techniques to deal with bullies. There are also the ways of the scholar and the monk to empower us to diffuse or even avoid bullying. By all means – get strong. Learn self defense. And here is some soul defense:

Turn On A Light In A Dark Place:
Bullies live in the shadows. They flourish where there is no authority or watchdog.
Communicate. There are compassionate and helpful people. Talk!

Know Thy Self:
It’s inscribed at Apollo’s Temple at Delphi. Don’t internalize the attacks. We all make mistakes, we all have vulnerabilities. It’s not the core of who we are. Our being is much richer and more complex. Remember this.

Don’t Rationalize Irrational Behavior:
Benjamin Disraeli said, “Courage is fire, and bullying is smoke.” Bad behavior is bad behavior. It belongs to the bully. Our focus is to manage our own behavior. Stay calm, don’t engage, and get help.

Toni Josephson

http://stopbullyingnow.hrsa.gov/kids/
http://www.aacap.org/cs/root/facts_for_families/bullying
http://www.safehorizon.org/
http://www.workplacebullying.org/

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Hexagram 41 – Decrease

admin — Sat, 10 Apr 2010 18:23:54 +0000

Bruce Lee said, “It’s not the daily increase but daily decrease. Hack away at the unessential.” Although Lee was referring to technical martial art excellence, it is relevant in every day life. That quote comes from the most ancient of Chinese thought, and you ware likely to find it running through the culture stream of any wisdom tradition.

Our focus this month is stress control. Part of that work is getting rid of what you do not need. A recent I Ching reading cast hexagram #41, decrease. Good advice for these times. Sometimes it is called “empty the cauldron”. It is the trigrams of the mountain over the lake. The water evaporates, and though not visible, the moisture nourishes the mountain. It moves deep inside, hidden – yet is fosters new growth.

It is a time not of accumulation, but meaning. What seems to be lost, and in many ways is lost, is, in the end, just change. The external gives way to the internal. Maybe its a reduction in material possessions. Their loss can leave room for something else: things that are not visible, but felt, understood. Known only in a way that manifests when you make space for it.

Clean up your sh*t. Cutting through excess could be cleaning out a closet, or clearing out your own cobwebs. Streamline efforts in your daily life, or in your martial art or wellness practice. Clearing a place for deeper exploration of thought or spirit. Is it time to talk less and listen more? Maybe the anger has to go. Or frustration. Judgment. Jealousy. Feeling lost. All baggage you do not need to carry. It weighs you down. Hack away at it, let it go. Empty the cauldron. Dissolve into the mountain, see what grows.

Toni Josephson

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Warrior Scholar Monk

admin — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 21:15:58 +0000

There exist only three respectable beings: the priest, the warrior, the poet. To know, to kill, and to create.~ Charles Baudelaire

Baudelaire’s quote captures the spirit of the TanDao Evolving Martial Artist. In Taoism, the bagua follows the flow of nature and the phases of life. We use this concept to express our TanDao triad ~ the Warrior: fire, physical energy (destroyer); the Scholar: water, metal – mental energy (preserver); and the Monk: earth’s mountain and wood, spiritual energy (creator). This is martial arts, wellness, life.

Trinitarianism, or belief in the Trinity, is found in Asian and Southeast Asian religion and folklore, Catholicism and in other traditions. The Sanskrit word Trimurti refers to three forms. In the Hindu tradition, believed to date back to the Rig Vedas, it is the Great Trinity or Triad representing three aspects of a supreme being. This expression takes its one form in the three distinct faces of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. Each represents a stage of creation: Shiva, the destroyer, physical – fire, consuming, transforming; Vishnu, the preserver, mental – water, sustaining life; and Brahma: the creator, spiritual – earth, where life emerges. There is also the Christian doctrine of the Trinity – the unity of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. This is the Triune, the essence of being. Body, mind, spirit.

We put it all together and had fun making our martial art video – Warrior, Scholar, Monk.

Toni Josephson

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Lion Dance In the Village

admin — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 20:03:32 +0000

This awesome Lion Dance ushering in the New Year is spectacular, performed at Pearl River Mart in New York City’s Soho district by the Wan Chi Ming Hung Gar Institute troupe. Toni filmed this ceremonial lion dance performed for centuries throughout southern Chinese villages. And here we are in our global village!
Learn more about the history and mythology of the Lion Dance.

Some may be unaware that it is the most skillful practitioners of traditional kung fu schools that perform the acrobatic lion dance. In China, the study of kung fu is more than self defense; the physical skills are employed in the lion dance, a ritual vital for establishing harmony and ushering good luck for the community. Modern martial artists may be unfamiliar with this cultural component of Chinese kung fu.

Martial artists with an eye for classical stances will see concealed behind the lion movements are horse, cat, bow and arrow, and twisted stances, the basis for fighting. Modern martial artists criticize these stances as static and unrealistic. Watching the agile lion movements attests to the claims that these stances can be employed in a natural and fluid manner.

In China, kung fu is more than a science of fighting, it is also, as the lion dance exemplifies, an art. Enjoy the performance!

Lawrence Tan
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Hunger & Hope: Stone Soup

admin — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 20:09:54 +0000

The Story of Stone Soup

Though it is a sunny day in late autumn, there is a chill in the air. On his journey, a wandering swordsman arrives in a village carrying a large sack. Tired and hungry, he quickly learns that the townspeople have stored their food for the coming winter, and are unwilling to share it with a stranger. They watch as he produces a kettle from his bag, brings it to the stream, and fills it with water. Gathering up some kindling, he draws his sword, throws the branches into the air, and splits them all in one fell swoop. Once he builds a fire and sets the kettle over the flames, he rolls up his sleeves, washes a large stone, and drops it into the pot. Setting about his task, he vigorously begins to stir the pot.

The villagers become curious, and ask him what he is doing. The swordsman answers, “Why, I am making stone soup, the most delicious thing one could imagine!” Someone asked if there should be any other ingredients in the pot. “Well, this will be tasty, but putting in some other items would add to the flavor, ” he says. One person leaves and returns with yams from his root cellar, another peas, another onions. The aroma fills the air and beckons more of the villagers, many adding more ingredients from their provisions. Gathered together, they all enjoy the soup.

Facts

World wide over 3 billion people live on less than $2.50 a day, and 880 million live on less than $1. Here in the US over 37 million people live below the poverty line. Poverty is often a trap for the ones with no voice, mired in inequality, vulnerability, powerlessness. And in the poverty there is hunger. The World Health Organization estimates that one-third of the population is underfed and another third is starving. Each statistic has a heartbeat behind it.

What can you add to the kettle?

Know this: the empty pot is always filled with hope. But it requires effort. There are benefits to sharing and cooperation.

Just by visiting http://www.poverty.com you play a role in helping to end poverty. Many extraordinary things in human history have been achieved simply because enough people become knowledgeable about them. You can help by printing the letter you find there and sending it to your government in support of aid. It is also an information resource for many other organizations.

Organizations like Heifer International provide communities with livestock and agricultural training. $20 will buy a flock of baby chicks, $30 for honeybees, $120 for a sheep. Beyond a food source, this can supplement a family income, and selling eggs, wool, knitting and beekeeping can be a family’s livelihood. You can give a gift in the name of a friend, in memory of a loved one. It is a gift of hope. http://www.heifer.org/

Play the rice game, feed the hungry: http://www.freerice.com

Toni Josephson

Anger and Forgiveness

admin — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 02:46:42 +0000

,

“I cultivate a rose in June and in January
For the sincere friend who gives me his hand
And for the cruel one who would tear out this
heart with which I live
I do not cultivate thistles nor nettles
I cultivate a white rose…”

What are you cultivating in your martial art practice?

A spiritual or athletic path? Strength? Vow of vengeance? Anger?
Self protection — or aggression? Are you a power or a weapon?

Spring Cleaning

In many cultures and religions spring heralds a time of renewal and growth. Celebrations around the spring equinox include Christian Easter, Persian Norouz and Pagan Ostara. It is a time to clear the brush from the landscape, cut away the dead wood and plant seeds into the rich soil. Are you ready to survey your own internal landscape? What do you hope to hold on to? What do you need to let go of?

Anger and Forgiveness

“Forgive them Father, they know not what they do”

Even though it is from Christian doctrine, the message is universal and the statement is strong. Perhaps you have been hurt, even badly hurt, physically, emotionally, or spiritually, by something or someone. Maybe the culprits wounded you without understanding the injury because they are coming from a place of their own fear. Or maybe you were the culprit, mired in your own patterns. We tend to interpret things from old patterns, sometimes they are patterns of anger, fear, defensiveness, depression. They may seem to serve us, when in fact they become self-serving and self-defeating. You cannot control what happened or even what happens, you can only control your own reactions and emotions. Anger and resentment are toxins, they are destructive forces. Find closure and let them go. Change the voice in your head. Forgive. Forgive yourself if you need to. Cultivate the white rose.

Warrior, Scholar, Monk

You can make a choice to survive or thrive. In TanDao, the symbols of the scholar, warrior and monk represent the parts of who we are, with a focus on awareness and integration of all three. In geometry, it is with three sides that an enclosure is formed and structure begins. It is the measure of possibilities. There is tremendous power when the warrior, the scholar and the monk all work is consonance with one another: raw energy, intellect and compassion. Strike a balance. Accept the past, let the healing come. As you move ahead and encounter challenge or adversity do not react from a place of anger. Instead, practice this harmony of energies and learn positive responses.

What are the negative responses? Rationalization and justification, denial, projection, blame, procrastination, avoidance, rage, feeling overwhelmed, and isolating yourself.

What are the positive responses? Logical analysis, conflict resolution, empathy, reflection, intellectual processing, and developing support systems. A sense of humor helps too!

In its purest form, martial arts is about problem solving, holistic integration, and growth. Negative emotions are processed and released. It is the teaching of Bodhidharma and the tradition of the Shaolin monks. Modern martial arts has been moving away from its deeper aspect. It requires work. Your problem solving abilities, communication and interpersonal skills will improve. Let go of the sharp edges. Practice clean. Find the pure spirit in your martial arts, and in your life. Be a power, not a weapon. It will inspire others. Cultivate the white rose.

“If you are inwardly free from fighting no one will be able to fight you”
—Lao Tse

What do you think?

Toni Josephson

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The verse above is from the folk song Guantanamera Listen

Sun in Aries & The Art of War

admin — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 19:25:31 +0000

The Vernal Equinox signals the start of a new season. It is spring here in the Northern Hemisphere and fall below the equator. It is also a new year in western astrology. The sun enters Aries, the first sign of the zodiac — representing vitality, passion, aggression and action. It is the fiery warrior. And it is the spark to heat up your practice.

The equinox also has an equal amount of day and night. It is a time of balance. In bringing you tandao evolving martial arts, and wellness, there is more than the physical aspect of a discipline. We are interested in anthropology, sociology and psychology…and all the dynamics that drive our motivations, emotions and aggression. They help us understand why we do what we do. Do not underestimate the power and influence this holds.

Sun Tzu’s Art of War teaches artful strategies (bing fa) to resolve conflicts in life. Opponents are encountered within our environment, in our relationships, and even within ourselves. These obstacles block us from moving ahead. Should we compromise our values and live with these blocks? Or should we focus our energies and employ realistic strategies to remove conflicts? Analysis and planning are elements of the philosophy.

Here are four steps to fire up your practice:

Challenge yourself. An opponent relies on entrenched habits, winning comes from the element of surprise. Get reacquainted with your routines. What can you learn from them? What habits do you need to break? What new routines will you create?

Identify your fear. Don’t underestimate you inner opponent. Or an irrational fear of someone or something else. Become aware of you fear. Where does it come from? Is it even a reality? Or a feeling or judgment?

Make a commitment to your discipline. Skill comes through a long period of determination, then strategy becomes swift. Do you have a plan to meet your goals? Stay focused.

Reconnect with nature. There is heaven, earth — and man in the middle. Move outdoors. If that isn’t possible, spend time in nature – then bring it into your practice. Check our Spring Training video

What plans are you making to meet your goals? Share your ideas and inspiration with us.

Toni Josephson