In this most recent installment of “Finding the Greatness Within You”, we will explore a whole other realm beyond the physical and into the ultimate goal of the practice of real martial arts — to discover who you really are; your True Self; your True Nature. I realize this third part in the series is going to [...]

This article is “Part 2” of “Finding The Greatness Within You”, When we properly practice, and study, real martial arts the benefits go beyond what most people realize. The practice of real martial arts goes much deeper than the experience one has with kickboxing to music or tournament fighting competitions. Maybe you just want to [...]

The two most common reasons people decide to take martial arts classes is self defense and exercise. In reality, when training in real martial arts, these benefits may be the draw, but they are really just a side effect. It’s unfortunate that so little is understood about martial arts by most, and the practice is seen [...]

When I learned the meditation approach of Master Park, he explained that if you cannot count backwards from 500 to zero without losing track, then you are not ready to meditate. This exercise is known as the “Concentration Exercise”, and it is the first exercise taught for beginners to learn how to control their mind. [...]

There is a saying translated from ancient Sanskrit that says, “As the mind, so the person; bondage or liberation are in your own mind.” There is only one thing in this world that we can strive to control: our thoughts. A controlled mind is a calm mind. It is a mind at peace. What can [...]

In modern times, when people speak of Qi Gong, (chee gung; also, ch’i gong, qigong) they are nearly always referring to the health side. Last article The Power of Chi Kung (Qigong) I focused on the health side and discussed the seemingly miraculous results of strong-minded individuals “curing” themselves of everything from high blood pressure [...]

Would you like to be able to control an attack against you without actually injuring your attacker? If someone you care about loses control due to anger, drugs or alcohol would you like to be able to diffuse the situation without your “friend” ending up in the hospital or worse? The potential of learning to [...]

The most basic palm striking exercise, Dou Zhang (pronounced, “dough-ew jong” and meaning “Shaking, or Vibrating Palm”) is an essential part of your fundamental practice of Ba Gua Zhang. It is much more than just a way to learn how to strike something, however. You should not consciously try to shake but instead focus on [...]

A warm-up is recommended to consist of all of the following: 1) cardiovascular (heart and blood vessels; 2) stretching; and 3) sport-specific activities (such as light kicking or punching for martial arts). Usually, exercises such as jumping jacks, rope skipping, jogging in place, etc. are used for the cardiovascular effects and to raise the body [...]

When it comes to properly training for increased flexibility, we have experience vs. education and tradition vs. science. What I have found in more than twenty years of experience with stretching on what works and what doesn’t is that reality doesn’t always agree with what some call “science.” Let me grab the bull by the [...]