TanDao » toni josephson

Groundhog Day

admin — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 21:08:37 +0000

In Act One of Shakespeare’s Richard III, the future king says “Now is the winter of our discontent, made glorious summer by this son of York…” It is a statement of celebration, difficulty has turned a corner. Today, Feb 2nd, in Pennysylvania, the grand groundhog, Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow. The tradition tells us this means six more weeks of winter. This is the harshest season in the cycle. It may have a feeling of stagnation, coldness, isolation – with no imminent sign of spring.

Set in cold and snowy Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, we almost all know the film Groundhog Day has a hidden message. An egotistical weatherman trapped in time relives the same day for years until he is liberated by his own awareness. It is an endless winter, a time of seeing his shadow. This is an allegory of our spiritual journey.

We may see something of ourselves in the Groundhog Day protaganist Phil Connors. Inside of us are the moments of self loathing or self absorption. We are the grandiose, or the world weary. Both are painful. This is a time to take a good look — do you see your shadow? Where are you in your life? In your practice?

Our path is one of process, flow, progress. The story of the warrior always has at its core the apprentice finding his way along the road to mastery. It is learning from mistakes, preparation, practice, meditation, change, growth. For us at TanDao, the orientation is always the martial way, though the philosophy applies to anything you endeavor. It is the cycle of the Evolving Martial Artist: the warrior, the scholar and the monk. These three parts of the self are all moving, turning together, each with elements of the other changing us. We’ll slow it down to get a clear look at the stages of the evolution. In the first stage, there is youthful arrogance, egocentric attitudes, a stumbling, yet flexible growth. Second, a time for refinement and responsibility as focus shifts away from the self. Last, awareness beyond the self — compassion, as knowledge flows into serenity and wisdom. They are all moving into one another, flowing, changing. The final and total integration is the soul of the quiet master.

In change there is salvation. And redemption. If you are mired on your path, work to break the loop. Like Phil in Groundhog Day, learn to work, practice and play for the joy of work, practice and play. Take the journey, leave your ego in the dust. When you look, may you find no shadow there, as your long winter makes its way into the sun.

Toni Josephson

Check out our Tiger Combat ebook
And…our video downloads – Tiger Claw and our vbook, The Red Book

The Way

admin — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 20:32:35 +0000

The feeling is strong, it overpowers my thoughts.
I am not aware of the reality that my blood knows only too well.
My mind is hostile for the wrong reason.
I am only son, and man,
And the need to be brother is tremendous.
~Kenny Rankin, Inside

This is the martial way, the human way…the WAY.

Listen to the incredible Kenny Rankin’s words and music Inside
Inside CD on itunes

Check out our Tiger Combat ebook
And…our video downloads – Tiger Claw and our vbook, The Red Book

TanDao
on Google+

Tweet

Take The Time

admin — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 22:04:10 +0000

This year has been particularly challenging for our global village, everyone seems to have been impacted. But — it is time to take a break from it all…just for a bit. Make it happen. (LOL – we know our problems will still be there waiting for us). Keep the faith!

Toni and I wish you, your family and friends the best during this holiday season.
Special greetings to the troops!

Happy Holidays,
Lawrence Tan

Check out our Tiger Combat ebook
And…our video downloads – Tiger Claw and our vbook, The Red Book

TanDao
on Google+

Tweet

Cyber Monday Tiger

admin — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 17:55:08 +0000

It’s Cyber Monday, roar a little! Our Tiger Combat ebook is now available for all of your reading devices – Kindle, Nook, iPhone/iPod Touch, iPad, and more, on Smashwords.

Take your style beyond punching, with the TanDao Tiger System, an integration of Shaolin Animals and Bruce Lee’s JKD. You will find new strategic principles, hand/finger exercises, stances, diagrams, and photos to hone a powerful tiger claw for realistic self defense.

Get 20% off on our Tiger Combat ebook – TODAY ONLY! On Smashwords. Use coupon code TD29T.

Tweet

Bodhidharma Returns Home

admin — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 15:44:25 +0000

Who knew? TanDao has gone viral in India. Our video Bodhidharma and True Power, suddenly has jumped to over 1,000 hits a day for the past two weeks. We’ve received thanks from proud Tamilians from Southern India, who express appreciation for our video introducing this legend.

Who is Bodhidharma? Traditional practitioners of karate and kung fu know him as the legendary founder of Shaolin Kung fu. Buddhists know him as the first Zen patriarch. He is a powerful master of the body and the mind. But that’s about all martial artists know about this enigmatic monk.

Apparently he is relatively unknown in India, historically teeming with famous Hindu spiritual gurus, yoga and Indian martial art masters. Perhaps that’s why Tamilians from Bodhidharma’s kingdom – where he was born a prince before traveling to China — in Southern India are excited to rediscover their nearly forgotten hometown hero.

At TanDao we hope to reintroduce the deeper meaning of Bodhidharma’s spiritual teachings that is forgotten in today’s martial arts to complement Bruce Lee’s popular fighting interpretation of Shaolin.

As this serendipitous going viral video indicates – The Wheel has turned. Hello India – Tamil Nadu, we hear you!

More on Bodhidharma

Power and Peace,

Lawrence Tan

Tweet

Check out our Tiger Combat book on Smashwords

11/11/11

admin — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 18:22:30 +0000

11/11/11. Is it a magical sequence of numbers? A gateway into spirit? Synchronicity? A symbol of unity? A wake up call? Something good? Something bad? Maybe nothing? It’s a world of possibilities and probabilities.

For certain: it’s the date, it’s a palindrome, and 11 falls between 10 and 12. In the binary system, 11 is a 3. Lucky for us, because we can seamlessly segue into our TanDao system.

In Tandao, the basics comprise only part of the journey. There is a greater awareness. In our holistic model of Triharmony, the essence of our consciousness is represented as an equilateral triangle with a circle in the center. In geometry, it is with three sides that an enclosure is formed and structure begins. For all things, it is the measure of possibilities.

At each of the 3 intersecting points there is: the warrior (body), the scholar (mind) and the monk (compassion/emotion). Seeking the balanced integration of the warrior/scholar/monk (body/mind/heart) is the path. Within that enclosure, at it’s center, lies true power: mastery.

We included the video from the 2011 New York City Marathon – a great sea of people, representing every stage in our evolution, from our individual goals to the shared experience.

Special shout out to all of our vets and their families,

Toni Josephson

Tweet

The Little Dragon Doesn’t Dragon Step

admin — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 23:45:15 +0000

In the mid seventies while studying Damo Animal Kung Fu in Taiwan, Master Li Min-Ching showed me secret dragon stepping techniques. A series of quick steps employing an intricate pattern of movement using traditional twisted stance. It was impressive as far as chop socky fantasy fighting goes. Otherwise it was bullshit!

As a student of JKD’s pragmatic approach to fighting, I used Bruce Lee, the Little Dragon’s, bent phasic stance, which is more flexible and mobile. Because the legs are crossed when executing the dragon stance, I dismissed it as a fancy technique useless and even dangerous for practical combat. I understood the zenith of form skill is the literal expression of the stylized movement in real combat. The traditional goal, is to fight exactly like you do in your forms, with slight modifications.

This is a false view held by many traditionalists and modern martial artists. To those initiated into the true secrets of form, a form is a book of knowledge with universal principles of combat embedded behind formal moves. The contradiction: form is ultimately an artificial movement designed to teach us to move naturally. The practical technique was never meant to be a literal expression of the form technique but it must express all the hidden fighting principles concealed in the form.

Therefore don’t dismiss these awkward looking dragon stances. Study them to discover the real meanings concealed and to make even a JKD stance even more formidable. There are biomechanics and tactics there to enhance your present system. Use this TanDao dragon technique to get ready for 2012 – The Year of the Dragon.

As we say in TanDao: the secrets are there, if you’re aware.

Lawrence Tan

Tweet

Universal Form – Tiger

admin — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 14:05:18 +0000

Time to move! Try our signature exercise — the Universal Form, tiger style. GRRRRRRR…

Tweet

Memorial Day – Freedom

admin — Mon, 30 May 2011 14:05:43 +0000

Remember the warriors who are serving, and who have served.
To learn more about how to help a vet, here are some resources:

http://www.dav.org
http://www.theveteranssupport.org
http://www.nvf.org

Tweet

Triple Strikes

admin — Sat, 30 Apr 2011 18:05:04 +0000

Master Tan demonstrates open hand strikes.

Tweet