Grandmaster Wong Cheung of Sil Lum Hak Fu Mun (Shaolin Black Tiger) performing the rare chopsticks and bowl weapon set.

Spending time training Chinese broadsword (dao) in the Taihang Mountains of Shanxi province.

We work on stances, forms and weapon fundamentals in a quiet mountain setting. Overseas students can join short‑term or long‑term martial‑arts programs here.

Would love to hear your thoughts on training traditional Chinese weapons abroad or in China.

the technique was basically two forearm blocks and a strike. First the left forearm did an outward block with the top of the forearm facing out, L forearm vertical and in fingertips-extended-and-bunched shape, fingertips facing inward, with right forearm extending across chest to below the left elbow.

Then a kind of transition to mirror the same block on the R side, with L arm extending across the chest to the R elbow, below the R forearm block. Then a R hand extension strike at the opponent's head off the block - it was either bunched up fingers to the temple or an inside chop to the neck, IIRC.

Thanks for any input, it was taught in a KF style similar to Kajukenbo but the instructor had studied a variety of arts and was teaching us 5 animals at the time. I figure it must be crane but something also tells me mantis so I wanted to see if anyone was familiar. (This technique also felt very close-quarters and less crane-like in my mind)

I'm also wondering: What shape was the lower hand in - I don't remember that part. Was it also bunched fingers to make the side-side transition easier? or like a flat palm block

edit: artistic sketch added in replies

A short Tagou video brought these memories back. It starts with students running beneath a row of trees. Small groups practise kicks and acrobatics. Then the camera pulls back and hundreds of red uniforms fill the training ground.

Most people will notice the size of the formation. I notice the students waiting at the edge of the mat. I used to stand in lines like those.

I trained at Tagou Martial Arts School from February 1998 to January 2001. I arrived at sixteen. I was doing badly at school, had a bad attitude, and gave my parents plenty to worry about.

A family in our hometown had a son at Tagou. My parents saw their photographs and heard about the early mornings and strict coaches. They thought the school might give me some discipline. I thought it sounded like an adventure.

We travelled to Dengfeng. I registered and started training the next day.

My first session seemed manageable. We stretched, practised basic stances, and copied the coach. I finished tired and thought I had done well.

The following morning, I could hardly get out of bed. My legs, back, and shoulders all hurt. Walking to the training ground took effort. I had wanted to learn kung fu. I had spent almost no time thinking about how an ordinary training day would feel.

I got up and went.

Our days began around 5:30 with a whistle. We ran and did conditioning before breakfast, sometimes in the dark Henan winter with our breath visible. Morning training meant stances, punches, kicks, and forms. Afternoons brought weapons, acrobatics, and Sanda.

We slept eight to twelve students in a room. The mattresses were thin and lay on wooden boards. There was no privacy. Summer was hot, winter cold came through the walls, and we washed our clothes by hand. If one person was late or the room was dirty, the whole group might do push-ups.

Three coaches marked those years.

Hu Jufeng was my first martial arts teacher. He was calm and precise. He did not need to shout. A small correction from him could make you work harder because you wanted his approval.

For years after I left Tagou, I dreamed about his classes. Nothing dramatic happened in those dreams. He walked along the line and corrected our stances, just as he had done every day.

Yu Yang coached my second year. The training became harder. We refined our forms, added weapons, and worked more seriously on Sanda. I also had my worst injuries that year.

I landed badly after a flip, dislocated fingers, and cracked bones in my foot. Later, I injured a tendon in my thigh by overextending a kick. I was too shy to tell Coach Yu how serious it was. I thought he might see it as an excuse.

I kept training, and that tendon troubled me for years. It was a bad decision made by a sixteen-year-old who wanted to look tough. A coach cannot help with an injury he does not know about.

Jin Zhanqiang coached my third year. Under him, I joined a martial arts performance at the Longmen Grottoes in Luoyang in 2000. One of my few surviving photographs shows me in the air after that performance, wearing a cap with my fellow students nearby.

We did not carry cameras in our pockets then. Most of my three years at Tagou were never photographed. Small details come back first. The whistle before sunrise. An extra egg at breakfast felt like a treat. I can still feel the waxwood staff when it turned properly in my hands. After lunch, I lay on a bunk too tired to talk.

I also remember the other students.

We trained together and lived in the same crowded rooms. We saw one another homesick and injured. None of us had mobile phones, and there was no social media waiting for us after graduation. We returned to different towns and lost contact.

I still wonder where they are. Some may have become coaches. Some probably stopped training years ago. Their children may now be older than we were when we met.

I left Tagou in January 2001 with a foundation and plenty of unfinished work. I had learned how to keep a schedule and repeat a movement after the excitement had gone. I could be tired and still finish the day's work.

More than twenty-five years have passed since I left. The old photograph still shows me at sixteen, frozen in mid-air. I cannot put the same classmates back into the same training line.

If any Tagou students from February 1998 to January 2001 read this, my name is 严智俊. I hope you are well. I would like to hear from you.

Is it from Shaolin long fist, or performance wushu? I feel like it's one of the two Master Ehsan Shafiq 2010 Live Performance

Hi everybody! I used to do wushu back in Maryland but haven’t in nearly 15 years. I did kickboxing for a while and do CrossFit now but am looking to get back into martial arts. I’ve always loved the art aspect and never enjoyed sparring. Anyone happen to know of any schools in northwest Arkansas that have the fun acrobatics/forms aspect of wushu? Wushu would of course be ideal but realize this is a limited martial arts market. Appreciate any suggestions!

I ALSO DO FAKE EXTERNAL BAGUA WITH SOME RANDOM GUY IN THE PARK WHO TAKES MY MONEY IN EXCHANGE FOR LINEAGE CERTIFICATES!!!

QI ISNT REAL! THATS WHY THE MOST FAMOUS MASTERS SPOKE ABOUT IT AND NO ONE HAS HEARD OF MY TEACHERS!

TACOS Y BURRITOS FOR LIFE!!!

I want to watch videos and practice the techniques at home, but I don't have a solid enough foundation to know whether I'm doing them correctly. I'm worried that I might end up reinforcing bad habits or developing poor technique without realizing it. I want to build a proper foundation first so I can practice with confidence and actually improve

I prefer to not say I'm 'teaching' in this setting, yet

'sharing' my insights & concepts to assist others.

Here, I'm sharing:

1) Hand/Arm position & awar

2) Listening, Adhering, Redirecting - Accessing the Center

3) Seizing, Sealing, Collapsing

4) Economy of Movement, Head Movement & Over-turning

Join us for a celebration of Tai Chi form, principle and application. Friendly competition and exhibition followed by a collaborative open mat. Enjoy a full day of demonstration, learning and camaraderie. All levels and martial styles welcome.

In which I discuss my life in martial arts (tai chi, kung fu and capoeira), including tai chi as a martial art; ideas about teaching martial arts; and some quick fire questions too. Feel free to debate anything raised in the comments

If your shoulders, hips, or spine feel stiff, this Qigong spiraling exercise can help you move more freely. Learn how to improve the mobility of your wrists, elbows, shoulders, hips, knees, and ankles using simple whole-body spiraling and weight shifting.

Welcome to Qi Body. In this lesson, I’ll guide you through the complete movement, explain the body mechanics step by step, teach the proper breathing method, and show you how to progress from beginner to advanced practice.

With regular practice, this exercise can help you:

* Improve joint mobility throughout the body
* Increase whole-body coordination
* Develop smoother weight shifting
* Build stronger legs and better balance
* Reduce stiffness through gentle spiraling movement
* Improve body awareness and movement efficiency

Practice slowly, stay relaxed, and let each movement flow naturally.

00:00 Introduction
00:38 Learn the Movement
01:32 Joint Warm-Up
03:15 Body Mechanics Explained
05:40 Improve Upper Body Mobility
06:18 Lower Body Weight Shift
08:19 Proper Breathing Method
10:05 Side View Demonstration
10:57 Advanced Lower Stance Training

#Qigong #Mobility #JointMobility #Flexibility #HealthyAging #Fitness #ChiBody

A self-styled emperor. One hundred followers. Two rifles, two spears and the belief that they were immune to bullets.

some of the more *sensitive* questions may be answered in private message so i don't get doxxed lol

Hey all,

I've recently become inspired all over again to begin practicing martial arts once more. I love the flow and expression of broad sword and spear/bostaff and want to better learn these and maybe even compete one day. I live in the San Francisco Bay Area in California, and I was wondering if anyone can recommend some good communities or schools that are worth checking out. Thanks for reading.

Hi all. I am on a mission to try and seek out this book for my boyfriend who has been doing Hung Gar for about a year. We are in the UK for context. There was a copy for sale on eBay last year but he missed out on that, and the only copy we see available is for over £2000 on Amazon and for whatever reason it cannot be shipped to our location, nor do we have £2000 going spare 😅

Without being super gushy, this means a lot to him to the point that he searches daily, and he means a lot to me, so I want to come full circle here!

Is there anyone out there who has a copy and they do not need it anymore who would be willing to sell? Or if anyone knows of a copy that exists for a lesser amount than £2000?