Be like water…
Welcome to Fighting Words; thoughts and theories on martial arts in the modern world. In today’s post I’ll be considering the use of a clinch in sparring and competitive fights. Ignored by some styles and respected by others – this is why you need to learn how to deal with the clinch… Anyone with aContinue reading “Up Close And Personal: Going Into The Clinch”
Welcome to Pop Culture Kung Fu, where I delve into the weird and wonderful world of movies, books, video games and all other media that touches on the martial arts. In today’s post I’ll be looking at the Street Fighter novel based on the hit fighting game series. Do words replicate the high tempo actionContinue reading “Street Fighter: The Novel by Takashi Yano”
Welcome to Fighting Words; thoughts and theories on martial arts in the modern world. In today’s post I’ll be writing about the often commonly held assumption that martial arts makes people more aggressive. Why do people feel this way and what can we do to help resolve this issue? This may be anecdotal, but I’mContinue reading “Why Martial Arts Won’t Make You More Aggressive”
Welcome to Fighting Words; thoughts and theories on martial arts in the modern world. In today’s post I’ll be considering why sparring is such a divisive subject in classes. Is it a replication of a real life self defence event, a training tool, or something else? Ask any ten people what their impression is ofContinue reading “Why Sparring Is Essential To Your Workout”
How does a physical practice involving people interacting survive a world on lockdown? Welcome to The Water Method; thoughts and theories on Tai Chi in the modern world. In today’s post, I’ll be musing about the current Covid 19 lockdown and some of it’s knock on effects in the world of martial arts. How doContinue reading “Covid Kung Fu And Pandemic Practices”
Gong Shou Dao, or, how to rebrand Tai Chi. Welcome to The Water Method; thoughts and theories on Tai Chi in the modern world. In today’s post, I’ll be focusing on the Jack Ma and Jet Li short film, Gong Shou Dao. With the rise of modern technology such as the internet, motion capture recordingsContinue reading “Tai Chi Across The Web”
How to overcome that first objection: I don’t think I’d be very good at Tai Chi. Welcome to The Water Method; thoughts and theories on Tai Chi in the modern world. In today’s post, I’ll be discussing ways and means to tackle that age old excuse from many new beginners – “I just don’t thinkContinue reading “Taking The First Step”
Is the learning of endless forms necessary for improvement as a martial artist? Welcome to The Water Method; thoughts and theories on Tai Chi in the modern world. In today’s post, I’ll be discussing whether or not the repetitive learning of countless forms is a help or a hindrance to our practice. Just how manyContinue reading “How Many Forms Are Too Many?”
Can students of external martial arts truly master the internal styles? Welcome to The Water Method; thoughts and theories on Tai Chi in the modern world. In today’s post, I’ll be discussing the often heard idea that those with a background in hard styles such as Karate, cannot truly understand and benefit from the internalContinue reading “A Soft Touch?”
The benefits of learning outdated weapons in the modern world. Welcome to The Water Method; thoughts and theories on Tai Chi in the modern world. In today’s post, I’ll be talking about why the fan, the sword and the staff are always good to know, even today. Do you remember that time that you wereContinue reading “Who Carries A Sword Anyway?”
The Water Method 