Mind Body Kung Fu
Lancaster, PA
Classes in Zhong Xin Dao (中心道) / I-Liq Chuan (意力拳), the Martial Art of Awareness.
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Latest Blog Posts
- Firing a Cannon from a Canoe
“You can’t fire a cannon from a canoe.” I originally came across this phrase in a strength training context. While martial arts and strength training sometimes don’t mesh nicely, they are both still physical skills and share some common principles. I found this little pearl of wisdom to apply equally well in both contexts. It… Read more: Firing a Cannon from a Canoe - Fork Energy: Engaging Structure and Mass
At the point of contact, you want to be able to generate at least two energies: one attacking the structure and one attacking the mass. The why and how of this may not be immediately obvious, but the principle behind this “fork” energy can be understood via simple models. As a first pass to understanding,… Read more: Fork Energy: Engaging Structure and Mass - Random Thoughts Dec 2015Inching towards clarity Sifu has said that he doesn’t teach anything new, rather we just understand things differently each time. I haven’t had any earth-shattering learning experiences with my training lately, so I take this to mean that enough of what Sifu has taught me has sunken in that my head no longer hurts when… Read more: Random Thoughts Dec 2015
- Tuning In
“Son of man, you live in the midst of the rebellious house, who have eyes to see but do not see, ears to hear but do not hear; for they are a rebellious house.” ~Ezekiel 12:2 (New American Standard Bible) A good portion of learning I-Liq Chuan is learning to recognize what you are seeing.… Read more: Tuning In - Training Mistakes
Mistakes are part of the training process. Stumbling a bit while exploring beyond your comfort zone is par for the course. Recognizing the mistakes and correcting them is essential to make progress. I didn’t see my mistakes at the time (hindsight is 20/20). Looking back on my training, I’ve made plenty of mistakes that were… Read more: Training Mistakes