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Vital Point Striking – Part 2
This is Part 2 of a 2-part article on Vital Point Striking. Read Part 1 HERE. Simultaneous with the development of the lethal techniques discussed in Part I of Vital Point Striking, were the creation
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Ba Gua Qin Na
Qin Na (chin na) is variously translated as “capture methods,” “seizing and controlling,” seizing and locking.” Qin (擒) means to capture, catch, or seize. Na (拿) means to hold, grasp, or squeeze. Qin is like
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Interview with New York Internal Arts Instructor Wes Tasker: Part 3
Tom Bisio interviews NYIA instructor Wes Tasker. Wes’ extensive experience in martial arts has spanned 30 years of teaching and training in arts as diverse as American Kempo and Kosho Shorei-Ryu, Filipino martial arts, Kuntao
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Vital Point Striking – Part 1
Vital points are not a myth. The secret knowledge of vital points has been known for 2,500 years. Bian Que, a legendary physician from China’s Spring and Autumn Period (around 500 BC), was a traveling
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An Interview with New York Internal Arts Instructor Wes Tasker: Part 2
Tom Bisio interviews NYIA instructor Wes Tasker. Wes’ extensive experience in martial arts has spanned 30 years of teaching and training in arts as diverse as American Kempo and Kosho Shorei-Ryu, Filipino martial arts, Kuntao
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Training Methods of Ba Gua Zhang by Jiang Rong Jiao – Part 2
Jiang Rong Jiao on Ba Gua Zhang Training Methods 八卦掌的锻炼方法 The advice Jiang Rong Jiao offers for training Ba Gua Zhang is profound. Jiang’s seventeen points on training Ba Gua Zhang offer students one of
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Xing Yi Quan’s Oral Tradition: The Eight Word Song and the Eight Necessities
Like Ba Gua Zhang, Xing Yi Quan employs rhymed verses and mnemonics in order to help the student remember the key body alignments and points for attention in practicing the forms and movements and understanding
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An Interview with New York Internal Arts Instructor Wes Tasker: Part 1
Tom Bisio interviews NYIA instructor Wes Tasker. Wes’ extensive experience in martial arts has spanned 30 years of teaching and training in arts as diverse as American Kempo and Kosho Shorei-Ryu, Filipino martial arts, Kuntao
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Fourteen Characters on Stake Standing
十 四 字 站 樁 SHI SI ZHAN ZHUANG These fourteen Chinese characters are meant to serve as a mnemonic for remembering the essential points of Zhan Zhuang or “stake standing,” a practice common to
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Training Methods of Ba Gua Zhang by Jiang Rong Jiao – Part 1
Jiang Rong Jiao on Ba Gua Zhang Training Methods 八卦掌的锻炼方法 The advice Jiang Rong Jiao offers for training Ba Gua Zhang is profound. Jiang’s seventeen points offer students one of the most succinct and to-the-point
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Ma Dan Yang Acupuncture: The 12 Miraculous Points – Part 6
Ma Dan Yang was a practitioner of Daoism in the 12th century. As a young man he developed great skill in acupuncture and moxibustion (Zhen Jiu 针灸). He left behind an ode to 12 miraculous
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Cheezheng Pain Relieving Plaster
The Cheezheng Pain Relieving Plaster is a very effective pre-prepared stick-on plaster (Gao) that can be used for a wide variety of injuries, including fractures, bruises, pulled muscles, sprains and other soft tissue injuries.
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TRAINING WITH FILEMON CANETE – Part 4
Tom Bisio writes about training in Eskrima in the 70s and 80s with Filemon (Momoy) Canete, one of the late greats of Cebuano Eskrima. Filemon Canete was one of the founders of the famed Doce
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Ma Dan Yang Acupuncture: The 12 Miraculous Points – Part 5
Ma Dan Yang was a practitioner of Daoism in the 12th century. As a young man he developed great skill in acupuncture and moxibustion (Zhen Jiu 针灸). He left behind an ode to 12 miraculous
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Ma Dan Yang Acupuncture: The 12 Miraculous Points – Part 4
Ma Dan Yang was a practitioner of Daoism in the 12th century. As a young man he developed great skill in acupuncture and moxibustion (Zhen Jiu 针灸). He left behind an ode to 12 miraculous
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TRAINING WITH FILEMON CANETE – Part 3
Tom Bisio writes about training in Eskrima in the 70s and 80s with Filemon (Momoy) Canete, one of the late greats of Cebuano Eskrima. Filemon Canete was one of the founders of the famed Doce
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TRAINING WITH FILEMON CANETE – Part 2
Tom Bisio writes about training in Eskrima in the 70s and 80s with Filemon (Momoy) Canete, one of the late greats of Cebuano Eskrima. Filemon Canete was one of the founders of the famed Doce
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Treating Burns in Chinese Medicine: Ching Wan Hung Burn Ointment
Burns can be a nasty business. However Chinese medicine has a very effective answer for burns: Ching Wan Hung Burn Ointment
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TRAINING WITH FILEMON CANETE – Part 1
Tom Bisio writes about training in Eskrima in the 70s and 80s with Filemon “Momoy” Canete, one of the late greats of Cebuano Eskrima. Filemon Canete was one of the founders of the famed Doce
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Man Dan Yang Acupuncture: The 12 Miraculous Points – Part 3
Ma Dan-Yang was a practitioner of Daoism in the 12th century. As a young man he developed great skill in acupuncture and moxibustion (Zhen Jiu 针灸). He left behind an ode to 12 miraculous acu-points,
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The Eight Ba Gua Rolling Hands Exercises: Part 1
Ba Gua Rolling Hands exercises are akin to Tai Ji Quan’s Pushing Hands. The first of the Liang Style Ba Gua Eight Rolling Hands Exercises is the Hip Sucking Palm. Excerpted from Compendium of Ba
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How I Cured My Low Back Pain: The Phoenix Stretch
The Phoenix Stretch is a great exercise for low back pain due to tight low back muscles and hamstrings. A classic martial art exercise, the Phoenix Stretch promotes flexibility and correct body alignment. For generations,
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Ma Dan-Yang Acupuncture: The 12 Miraculous Points – Part 2
Ma Dan-Yang was a practitioner of Daoism in the 12th century. As a young man he developed great skill in acupuncture and moxibustion (Zhen Jiu 针灸). He left behind an ode to 12 miraculous acu-points,
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Ma Dan Yang Acupuncture: The 12 Miraculous Points
Ma Dan Yang was a practitioner of Daoism in the 12th century. As a young man he developed great skill in acupuncture and moxibustion (Zhen Jiu 针灸). He left behind an ode to 12 miraculous
Gao Zi Ying Performing Xing Yi Quan’s Five Fists
Gao Zi Ying (1908-1996) was renowned in Beijing for his Ba Gua Zhang. Many people do not realize that Master Gao also studied Da Cheng Quan (Yi Quan) with Wang Xiang Zai and Xing Yi
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Sun Xi Kun On Daoism Part III: Method of Quiet Sitting – Oral Instruction
Part 3: The Method of Quiet Sitting – Oral Instruction Following Part 1 (Authentic Cultivation of Daoism) and Part 2 (True Formula of the Dao Elixir Secret Treasure), we continue with Sun Xi Kun on
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Chinese Herbal Soaks For Soft Tissue and Bone Injuries of the Upper and Lower Limb
Here are two Chinese herbal soaks for soft tissue and bone injuries that illustrate the traditional use of guide herbs. The guide herbs here are employed externally to maximize the effectiveness of the prescription. These
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Ba Gua Jian: Sword Holding Formations
The Sword Holding Formations of the Ba Gua Jian are forms of holding the sword handle which must be understood in sword training and application. They are the basis of the changes of the movements
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Sun Xi Kun on Daoism Part II: The True Formula of the Dao Elixir Secret Treasure
Following Part 1, we continue with Sun Xi Kun on Daosim, the translation of the “True Formula of the Dao Elixir Secret Treasure” by Sun Xi Kun. In the nose there are two acu-points linking
Ba Gua Zhang Training Methods by Sun Xi Kun
Ba Gua Zhang Training Methods – Sun Xi Kun Sun Xi Kun 孫 錫 堃 (1883-1952) was one of the few disciples of Cheng You Long (also called Cheng Hai Ting), the oldest son of
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Sun Xi Kun on Daoism Part I: Authentic Cultivation of Daoism
In addition to his expertise in Chinese martial arts, Sun Xi Kun was also a practitioner of Daoism and Daoist meditation practices. This article, the “Authentic Cultivation of Daoism,” is excerpted from The True Transmission
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The Double Bumping Palm
Sun Xi Kun 孫 錫 堃 (1883-1952) was one of the few disciples of Cheng You Long (also called Cheng Hai Ting), the oldest son of Cheng Ting Hua. The palms are excerpted from Sun’s
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The Double Holding Palm
Sun Xi Kun 孫 錫 堃 (1883-1952) was one of the few disciples of Cheng You Long (also called Cheng Hai Ting), the oldest son of Cheng Ting Hua. The palms presented here are excerpted
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Sun Xi Kun’s Single Palm Change
Sun Xi Kun 孫 錫 堃 (1883-1952) was one of the few disciples of Cheng You Long (also called Cheng Hai Ting), the oldest son of Cheng Ting Hua. This article is an excerpt from
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Bone Breaks and Bone Broth
In Chinese medicine, one of the “secrets” of healing broken bones is to drink Bone Broth during the healing process. Most Chinese people know this and do not need a doctor to prescribe bone broth.
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Sun Xi Kun: Ba Gua Zhang Foundational Practices
Ba Gua Zhang – Zhan Zhuang by Master Sun Xi Kun Sun Xi Kun 孫 錫 堃 (1883-1952) was one of the few disciples of Cheng You Long (also called Cheng Hai Ting), the oldest
