All adherents of Yang Style Taiji Quan should be familiar with Yang Chengfu’s Shi Yao, or Ten Essentials. The Ten Essentials serve as guideposts for building posture awareness and implementing Taiji Quan principles into your practice, which will aid in elevating your skill in the art. One of these ten essentials is Chen Jian Zhui…
The adage “Mu Jing Xin Ji (目睛心及),” which means “See it with your eyes and feel it with your heart,” is an expression often used in Chinese art and calligraphy. In my view, this idea can certainly be applied to martial arts. The literal English translation of “Xin” (心) is “Heart,” which in Western medical…
Chinese martial arts evolved over millennia from rudimentary forms to highly developed fighting methods that are governed by specific methodology. This methodology has two components: Lian Fa (練法) – Training Methods and Da Fa (打法) – Fighting Methods. Lian Fa can be divided into two categories. The first includes training methods that incorporate auxiliary exercises…
Any discussion of the Fu Chen (拂塵), or Whisk, should begin with the following adage “Shou Na Fu Chen Bu Shi Fan Ren.” This means “The One Holding the Whisk is not an Ordinary Person.” This saying is significant because it implies that the person holding the Whisk is someone of high status. The Fu…
Principle #5 This series of essays deals briefly with Chinese Martial Arts Principles and Sayings. These sayings have been developed over time and are meant to direct your daily practice. Adhering to them will help you develop a proper mindset reflective of a true martial artist. They also reveal distinctive fighting concepts, strategies, and training…
The term Jin Gang (金刚) is often encountered in various styles of Chinese martial arts and occurs most often in Shaolin Gong Fu, as is evident in routines such as Jin Gang Quan. Styles such as Baji Quan and Xing Yi Quan have the Jin Gang Ba Shi. In Baji, Jin Gang Ba Shi refers…
It is customary for every traditional Chinese martial arts school to have a Guan Dao (Guan’s Knife), proudly displayed on the weapons rack. The Guan Dao takes its name from the famed General Guan Yu who lived during the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty (160-220 AD). Guan Yu was renowned for his prowess with…
Nowadays Tai Chi practice is touted for promoting relaxation and other health benefits, but it is important to understand why this idea of relaxation is so important. Tai Chi, also written as Taiji and Taiji Quan, was originally developed as a combative art, and like all combative arts, relaxation and a calm mind are necessary…
In the annals of Chinese martial arts there are many stories of heroes and heroines wielding their swords, and also tales of magical swords. Some of these stories are clouded in myth and legend, but they have been transmitted from generation to generation, and many have survived in modern times. During the Spring and Autumn…
While the literal translation of Duan Da is Close Fighting, a more precise definition is Face-to-Face Fighting. This term is not applied to Free-Style Fighting, which is referred to as San Shou and Sanda; rather, it refers to close-in training with a partner. In a Traditional Wushu Guan (a martial arts school), all aspects of…
The posts on this Blog reflect the knowledge I have received from my teachers, and the volumes of information I have accumulated while doing research and conducting interviews with many masters, during the years of publishing the Wu Gong Journal and the Journal of Chinese Martial Arts. All the material published on this Blog is copyrighted. — Nick Scrima
