Remaining Centered Even When the Ceiling Collapses
Do you know the story of the Buddha and the 84 problems?
The Buddha was passing through a village and a farmer wanted to ask some questions. The farmer asked if the Buddha could make it rain so his crops would grow. The Buddha said, "No, I cannot help you with that."
The farmer asked if the Buddha could get his son not to move away from the farm to the city, so the farmer would have someone to help him with his crops. The Buddha said, "No, I cannot help you with that."
The farmer told the Buddha that he owed money to some people, and asked the Buddha if he could get the people to stop demanding payment until the farmer could save more money. The Buddha said, "No, I cannot help you with that."
The farmer was getting angry. "What good is Buddhism if it can't help me with these problems?"
The Buddha said, "Everyone has 83 problems. I can't help you with those. I can, however, help you with the 84th problem."
The farmer thought for a moment and asked, "What the hell is the 84th pro...
One Tai Chi Movement and 25 Self-Defense Applications
One of my favorite things about Tai Chi (Taiji) is the way each of the relaxed movements are powerful fighting applications when you apply the body mechanics and speed it up to fit the situation.
Here is a video we shot yesterday showing 25 fighting applications in one movement - "Buddha's Warrior Attendant Pounds Mortar."
25 Self-Defense Applications for One Tai Chi Movement
I study Taijiquan for several reasons, but my favorite part of this art is the way all these gentle movements can be used for self-defense.
Yesterday we explored some applications for the second movement in most Chen style Taiji forms -- "Buddha's Warrior Attendant Pounds Mortar."
This is a quick look at 25 fighting applications within this movement. For more detailed instruction, including the body mechanics behind the techniques, visit my website and try two free weeks at www.internalfightingarts.com.
The Only Thing a Bully Really Understands
I went to Southland Christian Church in Lexington, Kentucky when I was a child. My mother made us attend on Sunday mornings, Sunday evenings and sometimes on Wednesday evening.
There was a bully in my Sunday School class when I was around 12 years old. John made my life a living hell for several weeks, calling me names and hurling insults at me in his loud voice, causing other kids to laugh at my expense. I guess I looked a little geeky. I was scrawny and wore glasses. Sometimes the glasses had tape on them.
After several weeks of taking his loud abuse and being humiliated in front of the other kids who I had grown up with, I told him to leave me alone.
"If you wanna do something about it, meet me behind Stonewall Elementary today after church," he snarled.
"Okay," I agreed. "I'll meet you at Stonewall at 12:30.
He laughed as if he knew something I didn't. "I'm gonna kill you," John said.
Maybe he would, but the abuse had to stop.
After church, I arrived home, changed out of t...
In the Concrete Jungle of Chicago, a Flower of Kindness Blooms
Rob and Kathryn Swarczewski of the Chicago area deserve a salute. In a city that has a reputation as a dangerous place, they showed two strangers -- Nancy and me -- kindness and generosity. Here is the story.
I rarely find myself in a situation where I have no idea what to do. It is unknown territory. I am always confident I can handle any situation. Like water, I'll find a way around an obstacle.
But when United Airlines left Nancy and me twisting in the wind in Chicago last week, I was at a loss.
We were flying home from Philadelphia, where we spent four days seeing sights and, while Nancy went shopping, I spent four hours each day at a great Taijiquan workshop by Nabil Ranné, who had flown in from Germany.
The first leg of the return flight on Monday evening, May 16 was from Philly to Chicago. Due to severe weather, we sat in the plane on the tarmac for nearly 90 minutes in Philly before taking off. We were supposed to change planes at O'Hare for the trip home to Moline, but sev...
Hands-On Instruction at a Chen Taijiquan Workshop with Nabil Ranne
I spent four days this past week studying Chen Taiji with Nabil Ranné in Philadelphia. The workshop was hosted by Ryan Craig of Philly Chen Taiji.
Nabil came to the U.S. from Berlin for the workshop. I have been studying in his online classes for almost two years, so it was a pleasure to finally meet him in person. He is friendly and humble; one of those people you instantly like.
During the past two years, Covid virtually destroyed the ability to hold workshops. Just getting together with a group of taiji folks was reason enough to celebrate.
I have attended many martial arts workshops during the past 35 years. Depending on who is hosting the event, you can either feel a spirit of camaraderie or it can feel like people gather in cliques.
In Philly, there was a lot of laughter. Nabil brings a sense of humor to his classes and Ryan joined in. That's all I needed -- to be serious about the art but to have fun training. Those are ideal conditions for me.
We trained four hours a da...
Escaping from Joint Locks Using Tai Chi Energy Concepts
There are valuable concepts in Taijiquan that make it a powerful art for self-defense. One of the interesting ideas is "taking the energy where it wants to go."
Last week, Colin and Justin and I recorded several escapes from Chin-Na joint locks. A longer version with more techniques and explanations is on my website for members, but I put together a shorter version for YouTube.
We are very serious about the internal arts but we have a lot of fun when we practice. I think it shows a bit on the videos we do. Please watch this and you'll learn something about how to escape from a joint lock. Silk-Reeling energy is very helpful against joint locks, and silk-reeling relies on other internal body mechanics, too. This is a narrowly focused video. It doesn't necessarily show how to "soften someone up" before escaping, or what to do as a follow-up, but the information here will be helpful in the real world.
A Tai Chi Mistake to Avoid - "Swimming Knees"
Taijiquan (Tai Chi Chuan) is a lifelong journey. It can take years to develop skill. That's why it helps to have a teacher who has skill and will coach you in a constructive way.
One of my goals as a teacher is to save time for my students and help them discover information that took me many years to learn.
Here is a video I made last week about a common mistake we all make until a good teacher tells us to stop doing it.
It's the problem of swimming knees. I encourage you to watch this video, then watch yourself in a mirror or record your own movement to see if it is something you need to work on.
Four Takedowns from Four Tai Chi Movements
Here is a short video showing and explaining some of the body mechanics to four takedowns in four different movements from Chen style Taijiquan.
I am fascinated at all the self-defense applications in movements that often appear slow and gentle. Taiji (Tai Chi) is practiced slowly to develop proper internal body mechanics. There is a method of developing skill that later involves push hands, then flowing with a partner in unscripted ways, and then incorporating joint locks, sweeps, takedowns, elbow and shoulder strikes and other fighting techniques.
The takedowns come from these four movements:
- Lazy About Tying the Coat
- Walking Obliquely
- Punch the Ground
- Single Whip
Enjoy this video. We shot in on Sunday and I edited it today. Let me know if you have questions.
Dial Down the Paranoia about Defending Yourself "On the Street"
Have you been in a physical fight with anyone since you turned 18 years old?
Here's another question: In your adult life, have you ever been in a "street fight?"
Have you ever been in a situation when another grown-up was trying to damage you physically?
The truth about most adults is that they have never been in a real fight at all. But self-defense instructors and MMA enthusiasts are obsessed with the need to protect yourself "on the street."
When I hear the term "defending yourself on the street" I think of two gangs colliding for a brawl with sticks, chains and brass knuckles. Like "West Side Story" without all the dancing and singing. Let's face it, if your gang runs around singing and dancing, you might deserve to be beaten up.
I saw an interesting graphic online recently and it showed the main martial art practiced by UFC champions who fought matches in the ring.
The top martial art for ring fighting was wrestling. That's right. A college wrestling champ would have a good...
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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