A True Story about the Ultimate Self-Defense Skill
Spirit - Where Quality Begins in Tai Chi, Xingyi and Bagua
Living in a Bubble -- A Quick Concept in Baguazhang Self-Defense
We have been shooting self-defense applications for the Bagua 8 Basic Palms form for the website. This is the first form that my Bagua students learn. It helps train circle-walking and the energies of the eight palms.
This is a quick video clip that was done while we were walking through the applications for "Embrace the Moon to the Chest," the fifth section of the form.
I drove home a quick point about peng jin and the "bubble of protection" that we try to establish. It is a zone around me -- a circle -- that means trouble for the attacker if they enter it.
Bagua is a lot like a spinning wire ball. If you punch into it, you get caught up and spun out in random directions, leaving you on the ground and broken.
There are a few quick applications at the end from "Embrace the Moon to the Chest," "White Ape Offers Fruit," and "Lion Opens its Mouth."
Ken Gullette Interviewed by David Roth-Lindberg for Thoughts on Tai Chi Blog
David Roth-Lindberg interviewed me for his blog, "Thoughts on Tai Chi."
The Q&A was published today. Here is a link.
https://taichithoughts.wordpress.com/2018/12/21/qa-with-ken-gullette/
Testing Your Martial Art Under Pressure
Would your Bagua applications work against an opponent who was 35 years younger, stronger and 120 pounds heavier?
If he decided to shoot in and grab your legs, how would you deal with it?
We had a great practice yesterday, recording self-defense applications using some of the principles and energies from the Bagua 8 Basic Palms form.
The last time I recorded applications for this form was in 2008, with Sean Ledig, who is a member of the website. I didn't go into a lot of depth in the video, so after 10 years, I am shooting it again and adding more information and applications.
Downward energy is an important internal concept, and the first section of the form, "Fierce Tiger Emerges from Mountain," depends on downward energy.
Theoretically, it should work on a shooter, so we put it into action. Two of my students, Justin Snow and Chris Andrews, are big, strong guys who outweigh me by 120 pounds each. They put the pressure on me.
All martial arts require practice. Even boxers will ...
How to Impress -- or Disappoint -- Your Martial Arts Teacher
Who knew that being a good martial arts student is a lot like being a good college student?
The students filed in on the first day of my first class. I spent a LOT of time working on an entertaining and informative PowerPoint and lecture.
A couple of students looked at me, smiled and said hello as they found a seat. Most of them walked in without acknowledging me, found a seat, and began staring at the computer screen that they each had on their desk. There was no attempt to engage by most of the students.
I have always enjoyed kids, and young people, and have always found ways of making them laugh and have fun.
But a college setting was different.
It was fascina...
How to Achieve Your Goals in the Internal Chinese Martial Arts
There is a popular saying that is very true -- "If you fail to plan, you plan to fail."
This means you can coast along, expecting good things to happen, but if you don't set serious goals and take the steps to meet those goals, then you get the same thing you have always gotten when you put no effort into it.
Nothing. Unless you are lucky, and most of us are not lucky very often.
2018 will come to a close in just three weeks. It is a great time to begin setting your goals for 2019.
I'm not talking about New Year's Resolutions, I'm talking about serious goals for your internal arts development.
It is very easy to talk about training in Tai Chi, Xingyi or Bagua. It is very easy to watch some YouTube videos and practice some moves.
It's a very different thing, and a lot more difficult, to actually build skill. It takes a step-by-step approach and it requires an instructor -- a coach -- to guide you and give you feedback and corrections.
Here are some goals you can reach through thi...
Do You Share the Quality that Made Bruce Lee Successful?
I am reading "Bruce Lee: A Life," by Matthew Polly. Bruce possessed one quality that he had in common with almost all successful people.
Bruce Lee believed in himself, had a goal, and worked hard to reach his goal.
Do you have a martial arts goal? Do you want to learn Bagua, or Taiji, or Xingyi?
It is a good idea not to write down a goal that is overwhelming. Do you want to learn Chen Taiji? Then start with the silk-reeling exercises. Set a goal of learning one every two days, and set a time to study. It may only be ten or twenty minutes, but that is okay.
Perhaps your goal is to learn a form. You can have a big goal such as "Learn Xingyi," but then have smaller goals that help you achieve the big goal.
Do you want to learn the Five Fist Postures? Then write down your goal, set a day to complete it, and then plan out the time to study and practice and get feedback.
Maybe your next goal is the Bagua Swimming Body form. Set a time to complete it, then make a plan to take it move...
The Best Way to Disappoint - Or Impress - Your Martial Arts Teacher
I taught a journalism course at a local university in 2016, both the spring and fall semesters. The picture above is when I arrived on campus at St. Ambrose University.
It was my first experience teaching. I do not have a Masters, but I had enough experience in journalism (I won a few Associated Press awards during 22 years in news) that the department chair thought I would do a good job.
The students filed in on the first day of my first class. I spent a LOT of time working on an entertaining and informative PowerPoint and lecture.
A couple of students looked at me, smiled and said hello as they found a seat. Most of them walked in without acknowledging me, found a seat, and began staring at the computer screen that they each had on their desk. There was no attempt to engage by most of the students.
I have always enjoyed kids, and young people, and have always found ways of making them laugh and have fun.
But a college setting was different.
It was fascinating, watching some s...
Martial Artists Do Not Need to Prepare to Face an MMA Opponent
It is a B.S. argument, but it is the current fad in martial arts discussions.
"If you can't take on an MMA fighter, your martial art is useless."
Nonsense.
Being prepared to take on an MMA or a UFC fighter is NOT real-life self-defense.
That's like saying if you are into boxing, you have to be prepared to take on a Golden Gloves competitor.
The truth is, you don't.
Nobody trains all-out. Nobody trains realistically. It is mental masturbation to think that you do.
If you did train all-out, like a "real" fight, you and your partners would not train very long.
Unless you are in a full-contact fight with no rules at all, it is very difficult to defend the way you want to.
If a shooter comes in, I want to knee them in the face and strike down on the back of their neck with my elbow. If someone clinches, I want to bite a hole in their arm.
If anyone practiced realistically, in any martial art, we would all take turns going to the hospital.
We were practicing clinches last week, ...
Author - Instructor
Ken Gullette
I have practiced martial arts since 1973 and began studying the internal arts in 1987. My goal is to cut years off your development time by coaching you in the real skills for high-quality Tai Chi, Xingyi, Bagua. To see more about my bio, click the "About Ken" link on the menu at the top of this page.
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