Phillip Starr writes, Is your style of karate or kung-fu considered a “hard style” or a “soft style?” Most Western practitioners of these disciplines are able to answer this question in a heartbeat. They may elaborate on the subject a bit, but they immediately understand the question and what it implies; “hard styles” rely on …continue
From Enter the Dragon to Kill Bill, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to Naruto, and Mortal Kombat to Onimusha, the ninja figure has thoroughly cemented itself in 20 and 21st-century pop culture. Countless numbers of children dress up as ninjas for Halloween every year, and it’s not uncommon to run into products like the Ninja blender …continue
Wudang Sword—it’s a form of Chinese swordplay that can be described as nothing other than graceful, beautiful and powerfully awe-inspiring. The first images to be conjured in the minds of many Americans are the spectacular dueling scenes in Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, the most famous example of Wudang Sword to sweep across the United States. …continue
Recently, Kent Howard, the translator of Wang Shujin’s Bagua Linked Palms, was kind enough to answer some of our questions regarding his background and journey with Bagua. Howard is a nationally known writer, martial arts teacher, and former contributor to the esteemed Pa Kua Chang Journal. Read on to learn more about him and the …continue
Wing Chun is a form of martial arts designed to defeat larger and stronger opponents. Centuries ago, a Buddhist nun and Shaolin master, Yim Wing Chun mastered this fighting style, and the art of Wing Chun was born (yes…from a woman!). Wayne Belonoha has come out with a second volume of The Wing Chun Compendium …continue
Freya and Martin Boedicker are the authors of The Philosophy of Tai Chi Chuan, published this month by Blue Snake. Freya and Martin run the Forum for Traditional Wu Tai Chi Chuan and teach Tai Chi in Germany, England, Holland, Poland, Belgium, Spain, and South Africa. Both have published articles on Tai Chi theory and …continue
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