You were one of the first Chinese martial arts practitioners to enter tournaments in the 1970s. In those days, Chinese stylists were rare. Please share with us some of your experiences. At that time, Chinese styles were not well recognized, especially in the southern part of the United States. What they called “Chinese” martial arts…
The Qiang, or Spear, is one of the most common weapons in Chinese Martial Arts.Known as the King of All Weapons, the Spear falls into the Long Weapons category. Often used in battle by many famous generals, the Spear has a long history that dates to the Han Dynasty. Over many centuries in Chinese history…
When practicing Chinese martial arts, especially the Neijia (Internal Styles)and Qi Gong, you become acquainted with the Dantian. You will hear instructions such as “Concentrate on your Dantian” and “Sink Your Qi to the Dantian” For a practitioner of the Neijia, as well as other Chinese martial arts, it is imperative to know what the…
Grandmaster Leung Yee Shum, known as Leung Shum, passed away on July 4, 2025. I have many memories of his teachings and our interactions over the span of more than four decades. I recall vividly an interview that I conducted with Grandmaster Shum for the Wu Gong Journal, a Chinese martial arts publication which I…
Nowadays, many Tai Chi teachers focus their teaching on the repetitive practice of the Form, which is often empty but is accompanied by encouraging praise. And they may promote Tai Chi as a cure-all type of fitness exercise. Authentic Tai Chi is not at all easy and must be taught with a systematic and comprehensive…
In the study of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) one often encounters reference to the Ren Mai and Du Mai (Mai is the Chinese term for Meridian). These meridians also play an important role in Traditional Chinese Martial Arts, especially in the Internal Arts of Taiji, Xing Yi, and Bagua. While the pathway of the Ren…
In the philosophical teaching of the Doctrine of the Mean, a book of classical Chinese philosophy, there is a passage by Kongzi (Confucious) which reads, “In archery we have something like the way of the superior man. When the archer misses the center of the target, he turns round and seeks for the cause of…
San Jie Gun, or 3-Sectional Staff, is one of the esoteric weapons in Chinese martial arts. It is usually made of Bai La Gun, or White Waxwood, which is pliable and resilient. The 3-Sectional Staff is made of three separate pieces linked by chain rings. The chains rings render the weapons dexterous and flexible; this…
Perhaps few themes have been depicted in Chinese martial arts movies as frequently as the Biao Ju, also written as Biaoju, ancient China’s escort or bodyguard agencies. These enterprises were official agencies licensed by the Imperial Court. Often, they had been founded by renowned martial arts masters, who, in turn, employed other skilled martial artists…
While studying Taijquan, also written and Tai Chi Chuan and Taiji Quan, you will often hear about relaxation. This English translation of the Chinese character 松 – Song, in my view does not properly describe the feeling that we strive for in practice. Loose, or to be Loose, is far more descriptive and appropriate than…
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
