Effective self-defense requires a chain of complementary skills: awareness, discernment, agility, and so on.  This chain, like any other, is only as strong as its weakest link.  Many practitioners of martial arts concentrate on strengthening one end of the chain—the tactics of physical attack and defense—and give only cursory attention to other important links.

Emotional mastery is one such underappreciated skill.  [Read more →]

While waiting for some Chinese takeout earlier this week, I read a brochure for the local branch of Dahn Yoga.  In addition to Yoga and Tai Chi, they now teach a martial art called DahnMuDo.

I had never heard of this martial art before, so I looked it up on the web: [Read more →]

Years ago, my typical morning meal consisted of espresso and a donut or pastry.  I didn’t have the time or inclination to make a proper breakfast before going in to work, and a brief stop at the coffee shop was quick and easy.

At that time, I was practicing taijiquan and meditation 2-3 hours per day, and the coffee seemed to be hindering my ability to relax. Although I had read articles claiming that moderate coffee consumption is good for health, my own experience suggested otherwise.  So I devised a simple experiment, to help me decide whether I should quit: [Read more →]

The old Kung Fu master touched his assailant, with no apparent effect.  Days later, the assailant died a sudden and mysterious death.  He was a victim of the legendary dim mak, the touch of death.

dim

mak

Dim mak is a popular discussion topic among martial arts enthusiasts.  Some instructors claim to have the skill, or believe that it was used to kill Bruce Lee.  Others insist that dim mak instructors are frauds and the skill itself is a complete fantasy.  Is there any evidence to support the existence of dim mak?  Could it possibly work? [Read more →]

Version History

Kung Fu version 1.0 was released at the dawn of human history, and it was truly a killer app.  Though it contained only two basic features—kill people and kill animals—it was useful in solving the problems of the prehistoric age. 

Kung Fu 1.0 provided end-users with critical advantages in the constant struggle for food, and an opportunity to reproduce.  By leveraging bleeding-edge innovations in Rock and Stick technology, early adopters were able to live to the ripe old age of 30 years, and perhaps even become grandparents. [Read more →]

While reading another martial arts blog, I encountered this advice on the use of anger:

You have to be aggressive and attack your opponent, attacking them will make them block more and hence stop their attacks… So how do you become aggressive, if it’s just not in your nature? It’s all about how you process the situation, psychologically. Start thinking “I’m not going to let them do this to me. Fcuk them!”. You have to get mad.

I believe that, if you practice martial arts for personal development, rushing to rage is a counterproductive strategy.  And truthfully, anger isn’t all that useful for fighting either. [Read more →]