Similar But Not Alike What are the differences between Jow Ga and Hung Gar? How similar or different are they? Hung Gar and Jow Ga are two Chinese martial arts styles that get mixed up. Both are amazing to watch. Both styles are dangerous. In effect, there are many traits both traditional kung fu styles […]
A Lost Martial Art? Bo Zi Quan, also known as ‘Bojiao Shi Quan‘ is one of the weirdest Chinese styles of kung fu. Practically unknown in the West, with little to no information available. There are thousands of lost martial arts due to persecution from communism and the Chinese People’s Party promotion of state-sponsored kung […]
Fight Like an Animal (or Two, or Three) Most Chinese martial arts, and Southern Shaolin kung fu, in particular, has a five-animal fighting system. Indeed, Shaolin’s five animals are universally known (thank you Kung Fu Panda and all those Shaw Bros films). But seriously, when we think of kung fu, we think of fighting like […]
What is Five Element Theory? Five Element theory is central to Chinese martial arts, Chinese philosophy, and traditional Chinese medicine. Indeed, it is found everywhere in their culture, from food preparation, home decoration, and even city planning. What is five element theory? There are five elements, or more accurately, five phases, that govern nature: wood […]
Fighting in a Trance Than Quyen is the Vietnamese name for Spirit of Divine Fist. Called Shen Quan in Chinese, it is a bonafide Chinese kung fu style with roots in Taoism and the animistic religions of East and Southeast Asia. Is there a more misunderstood kung fu branch than the trance martial arts family? […]
Chinese Kung Fu Via Vietnam Spirit Fist kung fu is known in Vietnamese as That Son Than Vo Dao and in Chinese as Shen Tao or Shen Quan. Spirit Fist, as taught by sifu Phuoc Phan, is a hybrid style. It is also an eclectic style with a complex lineage. Like most kung fu styles, […]
Northern Kicks, Southern Fists What is Shaolin kung fu and why does it matter? Why the most famous, emblematic Chinese martial arts in the world did not make my top ten kung fu styles list? Southern Shaolin is the biggest omission on that list. Or is it? Do I have a problem with Southern Shaolin […]
My Sparkly Crystal Anniversary Today is my 15th anniversary as a martial artist. Fifteen years doing Chinese martial arts. A decade and a half. The fifteen anniversary is symbolized by sparkly crystal. Shinny, attractive, durable. To use a Puerto Rican expression, it has rained a lot since May 15th, 2005. Bush Jr. was president, the […]
What is Zui Quan? Zui Quan is one of my top ten kung fu styles. I blame Jackie Chan for it. It is his fault. Thanks to Jackie Chan, Zui Quan is one of the biggest, most recognizable kung fu styles in the world. Zui Quan is Chinese for drunken fist or drunken boxing. But […]
Would the Real Fut Gar Please Stand Up? Fut Gar is a hybrid style, a combination of two wonderful Southern Shaolin styles, Choy Gar (rat and snake) and Hung Gar (tiger and crane). It is also one of the three styles which make Choy Li Fut. Fut Gar is one of my favorite kung fu […]
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