It's Easy To Close Your Mind Off to a Better Way of Martial Arts
Stop the Exaggeration - Nobody Knocked Anyone Ten Feet Through the Air
I've always been an advocate of an important concept in the internal Chinese martial arts. That concept is simple:
Keep it real.
The first thing you might think of are the fraudulent claims about "qi powers" that some teachers claim to possess. That actually is a bunch of malarkey, but I'm talking about a different issue this time.
I've read it in books. I've heard it said in podcasts. I heard someone say it again just today when I listened to a podcast. You've probably read it or heard it, too. It goes something like this:
"This master (insert the name here) did push hands with a student (or hit the student) and sent him flying back THROUGH THE AIR TEN FEET!"
I have a simple answer for this claim: "No, he didn't."
We need to stop saying it. Why should we stop? Because it isn't true.
We tend to exaggerate. But our martial arts are pretty good. We don't need to exaggerate to make our art, our teacher, or ourselves look good.
From the edge of the red (by my left foot) to the ...
Why Do You Study the Internal Arts -- Peeling the Layers of the Onion
When I teach, I try to give a lot of detail, especially about the body mechanics that make the internal arts so powerful. Sometimes, however, it's not good to overwhelm students who are just learning a form. We all occasionally need to take it one layer at a time when it comes to complexity.
I spent many years studying Taiji, Xingyi and Bagua without being taught some crucial details. The reason I wasn't taught it? Because my teacher didn't know the details. A lot of times, we think our teachers are masters because they say they are. Especially before the internet, there was no real way to know for sure. We just took a teacher at his word. That's not enough anymore.
The truth is, the internal arts can be as simple or as complex as you want them. If you want to do them for health and fitness, you can just learn the choreography and that might be enough for you.
I try to start every student's learning with the six key body mechanics that I identified after studying Yang style for more...
Are You a Failure at Martial Arts?
I received an email from one of my online members who said he hasn't been practicing much lately because of a busy work schedule.
He felt like a failure as a martial artist.
The truth is, you should never feel like a failure at martial arts. Sometimes, life, work, family, and other important activities can get in the way of a regular practice schedule. It happens to all of us occasionally. It's okay.
I don't know why you got into martial arts, but I got into it for three reasons:
Reason 1 -- I wanted to learn how to fight more effectively, like Bruce Lee and Kwai Chang Caine.
Reason 2 -- I kung-fu is cool.
Reason 3 -- To impress women. Of course, this is why some of us guys do anything.
I might be in my 70s now, but I still like to impress Nancy. That's why every now and then, I whip out my broadsword.Â
As Joe Biden would say, here's the deal. Don't get suckered by the tough keyboard warriors online who pretend you're not worthy if you aren't ready to enter an MMA ring. That i...
A Lack of Motivation to Practice Martial Arts and a Paradigm Shift
One of my online members asked a question in an email last night. He asked how I would respond to a student (himself) who found it difficult to motivate himself to practice.
I smiled when I read it, because I can't count the number of people who swore they would be my best student but dropped out quickly when they realized how difficult it is to learn martial arts.Â
I replied, "I would tell him that even 10 or 15 minutes a day can help you move forward. But what teachers THINK is that it's a lot easier to think about being a martial artist than it is to actually do the work to develop skill."
He thanked me for my fast reply, but I realized he had bought his first DVDs from me in 2016. So I replied back and asked him how I could help him.
What he told me next caused a real shift in perspective.
He told me he was so far along in kidney failure that he found it difficult to practice. He also let me know that he has diabetic neuropathy in his feet, making him unable to feel the floor....
Are You Leaking Energy in Your Tai Chi Movement and Breaking Structure
In my live online Taiji classes this week, I focused on the first two or three movements of the Laojia Yilu form and focused on what it takes to avoid "leaking energy."
You can leak energy throughout the form. When you step, or when you shift your weight, it's very common to see even people who call themselves "master" leaking energy and going "outside the frame."
When you leak energy during your movement, you have a break in your structure, and you put yourself in a vulnerable position, making it easier for an opponent to control your center.
Let's look at the very first movement in a form -- the Opening movement when you start with feet together, then you relax, sink, and step your left foot to the right. Then you shift your weight to the center before your hands rise.
Here is a Taiji instructor who will remain unidentified (this is about principle, not shaming). There are many instructors I could have chosen. In Image 1, he is preparing to step out. Notice the angle of his right...
A Review of My Book of Zen Stories - "A Handful of Nothing"
Dan Djurdjevic, a martial artist and author in Australia, wrote this review of my new book, "A Handful of Nothing." Here is Dan's review:
I have just read an electronic preview copy of Ken Gullette's absolutely brilliant book “A Handful of Nothing”.
This collection of 88 vignettes/stories explores the fundamental tenets of Zen (Chan) Buddhist philosophy, with particular emphasis on the concept of “nothingness” or “emptiness”. Karate practitioners will be familiar with this from the expression “mushin” (“empty mind”) or just the character for “kara” - “空” (“empty [as the sky]”).
This collection is easily the most accessible and insightful treatment of its subject matter I have ever encountered - by far.
The engaging, simple-yet-profound, soothing-yet-powerful stories flick past with the pages - just like ephemeral moments of life. However, each of these “moments” floods you with insight and inspiration.
This is a book you might pick up off a coffee table or bookshelf out of idle curiosity....
How to Use Zen in Daily Life - "A Handful of Nothing" Points the Way
I began reading, studying, and contemplating Zen Buddhism and philosophical Taoism in the 1970s. It wasn't easy to figure out how to use Zen in my daily life, even with wonderful books such as "Zen Buddhism," by Christmas Humphreys. But I worked on it.
I could find no good Zen books that made it as easy to understand Zen Buddhism as the old Kung Fu TV series did back in the 70s. The writers of that show had the actors portray living versions of Zen koans, stories of a young monk being guided by old masters who imparted their wisdom. I started watching the show for the fight scenes (hey, I was only 19), but became fascinated by the philosophy. After growing up in the racist South in a conservative Christian church that told us we were sinners from the day we were born, the TV series introduced me to an entirely new and peaceful way to look at the world. I wanted to find a book that told me how to use Zen in daily life.
Most of the books I read on Zen Buddhism were abstract, focusing o...
What You Believe You Can Achieve in Martial Arts and Everything Else
In 1969, Bruce Lee wrote a letter to himself, promising to be world-famous by 1970 and by 1980, he would have $10 million. He wrote that he would do this by giving "electrifying" performances. He set a goal to become the highest-paid "Oriental" actor in Hollywood.Â
We all know what happened. He did not live to see his greatest fame, but more than 50 years after he died, we're still talking about him and wearing his t-shirts. Okay, maybe you aren't, but all the cool kids are wearing them. :)
The great comic actor Jim Carrey must have heard this about Bruce Lee, because in 1985, Jim wrote himself a check dated 10 years in the future -- 1995 -- and he wrote the check for $10 million.
Both of these guys could SEE themselves successful. They believed it. And they took steps to achieve it.
I don't have $10 million, but I know the power of setting a goal, writing down the steps to achieve that goal, and then taking those steps, one by one, until the goal is reached.
In 2008, a week after...
The Young Zen Monk and the New Year's Resolutions
The day after the young monk visited the village during the Spring Festival, he was sweeping the hallway near the monastery’s kitchen, trying to remain mindful of his chore, but his mind kept turning to the new year approaching. He knew that people looked ahead to the new year and set goals for personal achievements, but this was not something he had ever done.
The old master emerged from the kitchen with a cup of tea.
“Master,” the monk said, leaning his broom against the wall, “is it wrong to set goals for a new year?”
“What goals would you like to set?”
After thinking a moment, the young monk said, “Success. Enlightenment. Those would be my goals for the new year.”
The master took a sip of tea. “As long as the goals are set mindfully, I would encourage you to align them with your values. The goals should not be pursued with attachment or ego-driven desires.”
“Is a goal of success ego-driven?”
“I would answer your question with a question. What are your daily activities now?”
...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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