#52 Aim for Skills to Start Your Journey Playing with your shoelaces and thinking about running is not the same as entering the race and placing yourself on the starting the line. When you decide to become skillful in your art whether it is Northern Shaolin, Tai Chi Chuan, Sword, Xing Yi Quan or Qigong is when your journey really begins. By committing yourself to regular, focused practice and pay with your time and effort you earn the real skills, physique, and health benefits of your...

#51 Understanding the Four Extremities - A Lost Pearl of Wisdom The Four Extremities are both a classic diagnostic tool in traditional Chinese Medicine and a secret teaching in classical combat oriented Kung Fu used to power up your "Full Battle Mode" and harness the power of your "War Face".

#50 The Earth Dragon Leaps! In this episode we explore why people practice with staves, the history and lore of the staff, and its special meaning for Buddhists. We also look at the amazing Earth Dragon Staff form taught by Wong Jackman.

#49 Sipping the Elixir of Immortality from the Holy Grail - On the West coast of the USA we were starting to come out of our pandemic isolation only to be driven back inside by massive fires and smoke. How do we cope with all of this? It seems to be a bit much sometimes, perhaps even a bit overwhelming. However, we do have the tools and the methods to take care of ourselves. But do we have the will to use them? Will you sip the Elixir of immortality?

#48 Center Equilibrium the Heart of Old School Tai Chi In this podcast I explain the concept of Center Equilibrium that I learned from Yang Zhenduo in the 1990s. Yang Zhenduo was the Grandmaster of the Yang Family of Tai Chi Chuan and a direct father son family inheritor of the style form his Grandfather Yang Lu Chan the founder of Yang Style of Tai Chi. The concept of Center Equilibrium, isn't difficult to grasp and it will provide a useful guide to immediately improve your Tai Chi skills...

The Center Line or Center Axis is a posture and movement principle in many forms or styles of Qigong, Tai Chi Chuan, Northern Shaolin, Xing Yi Quan, Ba Gua Zhang, Lan Shou Quan, Three Kingdoms Cannon Fist and other styles of classical martial arts. In this podcast you will learn about the center line concept, how it is formed of three points. What those points are and how they are important. Learn why and how to develop a good center line awareness and use it in martial arts training and...

In this episode we discuss being centered in martial arts practice and why being aware of your center and your opponents center is so important. Being centered is also one of the key components for building your spiritual energy and reservoir of health. 

#45 Tai Chi Philosophy and the Meaning of Yin and Yang in Traditional Chinese Medicine In the previous podcast we discussed the origins of the Tai Chi symbol in the classci text of Chinese thought the I Ching. This allows us to explain the meaning of this symbol from the point of view of Philosophers. In the next episode we llok at the Tai Chi symbol and philosophy of Yin and Yang from the point of view of Traditional Chinese medicine. This discussion is straight forward and will help you...

#44 Understanding the Tai Chi Symbol and Yin and Yang Philosophy Part One The Tai Chi symbol is one of the most over used graphic designs in the world. In this episode we dive deep into the origins of the Tai Chi symbol and the meaning of Yin and Yang in Philosophy. In addition, we discuss the four interactions of Yin and Yang. And give you tips to help you understand Tai Chi philosophy in your own life and gain insight into the changing world around you.

#43 How Hot are You? - Having listened to previous podcasts about Qi and Blood a number of people have asked whether their cold hands means their Qi is weak. Although a simple "yes" would be mostly true lets learn more about our body and how it generates heat. We are also going to look at different ways to control your body temperature and why you might want to do so.

Got A Training Plan? Take Control of Your Path to Mastery looks at how Teacher knows what the curriculum is and how to teach you the technical skills required to master your art. Have you figured out how you are going to master the lessons your teacher has given you? For most students a great training plan is show up to class and do yoru best. However, you can level up your skills by practicing outside of class. Since we are sheltering during a pandemic attending classes is curtailed and...

#41 Lessons about your Lungs from Classical Chinese Medicine and Kung Fu Your Lungs are one of your most important organs. Maintaining proper function of your lungs is critical to your health and life. In this episode we look at concepts about the lungs you would learn in Acupuncture school. This includes the role of the lungs in creating, dispersing, and controlling your Qi. We look at practical tips and observations about your lungs and their health. We also discuss the importance of deep...

Episode #40 The Secret Lessons of the Tiger in Classical Kung Fu and Tai Chi In this episode we look at some of the amazing qualities of the Tiger. Different styles of Classical Combat oriented Kung Fu and Tai Chi learn different lessons from tigers and admire different traits. I this lesson I talk about the symbolism of the Tiger and the Lessons the Tiger teaches in Shaolin Kung Fu, in Xing Yi Quan, and in Tai Chi. In Kung Fu Animal Power: The Tiger we learn the Tiger's virtue of being...

#39 Wu De - Martial Virtue - Guan Gong's Awakening Sutra and the Goal of Marital Arts In this episode we explore Wu De or "Martial Virtue" the code of conduct and honor among martial artists. Guan Gong is the Chinese God of War and is the God most revered by classical martial artists. In this episode I read Guan Gong's Awakening Sutra. This is the official words of God Of War defining what Wu De is. Although a tad long, it is a clear and strong message about living a life with good morality,...

Episode #38 Lessons From the White Crane - In this episode we explore why the Taoists of ancient China loved the White Crane and the special or hidden lessons the Crane teaches. learn about improving your balance and balancing both your body and mind in this fun light podcast!

Episode #37 Kicking Your Butt Down the Path of Enlightenment In this episode we answer listener Sean Lim's questions about Qigong, Kung Fu and the Path to Enlightenment. Diving into the greatest mysteries of the human condition we look at the path to enlightenment and the questions that surround it. Listen as we explore the elements of wisdom traditions and how to concentrate with inquiry to generate insight. How Qigong prepares you for deeper states of mediation and more advanced meditation...

#36 Being Centered in the Eye of the Hurricane: Part 2 In this deep philosophical episode we explore being centered, reflection, introspection, the nature of our thoughts and attention, will, and Qi in relation to being centered. We also look at Dante's Purgatorio and the training of the heart to unlock its wisdom yielding insight and clarity in difficult situations.

In this episode, I discuss how we can enter highly charged emotional states by being emotionally triggered. We also examine the connection between the organs and the emotions and how your organs are affected by intense emotional states. We also have stories about Xing Yi Quan Master Mike Bingo and Zig Ziglar and how not get eaten by Komodo Dragons on the Island.

In this episode we answer the question "What do you do, when you do Ba Gua Zhang? Here I discuss what it means to study a martial art such as Ba Gua Zhang and how it differs from other martial arts. We also take a deep look at the components of different levels of training and how you progress through them.

Learn the history and different schools of thought on how Ba Gua Zhang was created. Interesting historic facts about this magnificent, imperial  guard  martial art. 

In this episode we continue the story of Tung Hai Chang the founder of the classical combat oriented martial known as Ba Gua Zhang or Eight Diagrams Palm as recounted to me by my teacher Zhang Hua Sen. It is a great story, I hope you like it!

A Story from old China about the beginnings of Ba Gua Zhang. Part 1 of 2 It isn't easy becoming one of the greatest martial artists in China! Follow this story to learn about how Tung Hai Chang learned and created Ba Gua Zhang!

Stories from Old Beijing and Master Zhang Hua Sen Every time I studied with Zhang Hua Sen he told me at least one lengthy story. Zhang was a master story teller and he loved to tell these stories. For me they were always a high point of any time we were together. Zhang was trained as a child to star in the Beijing Opera as the Monkey King and he was used to performing and hamming it up. He had a flair for showmanship and liked to use many gestures and animated facial expressions. Because he...

In this podcast I describe how the 18 Animals Of Kung Fu Animal Power teach the secrets of "Shen Fa" or Body Method. Body Method is how a well trained expert martial artist moves to generate force. The 18 different animals each have a different lesson to teach you about Body Method. In this podcast I introduce each Kung Fu Animal and describe its unique lesson about Body Method.