Here is the second section of the Introduction to Duan Bing by Ma Xianda from his book. In the first part he discussed the long history of swordplay and fencing in Chinese culture. In this next section he discusses the extremely influential Republican era of China(1912–1949) and its effect on the formation of Duan Bing… Continue reading Ma Xianda: A Short History of Duan Bing part 2-短兵格斗简史及其特点
It's been a while since I posted anything lightsaber related. So, to remedy that and to start to gear up for our 10th anniversary this August, let's look at some sample matches in the ASL/TPLA rule set. A little disclaimer: The space used is our class room space. We are playing practice bouts to give… Continue reading Lightsaber Combat!
The cover of "Chinese Duan Bing" by Ma Xianda The following is a selection from the book “Chinese Duan Bing” by my teacher’s father, Ma Xianda. Ma Xianda is probably best known for his contributions to Modern Wushu and teaching Jet Li what would become his specialty set, Fanziquan. In fact, Ma Xianda was the… Continue reading Ma Xianda: A brief history of Duan Bing and its characteristics-短兵格斗简史及其特点
I read a nice article today by Gene Ching, of Kung Taichi Magazine Fame, over on the YMAA website. He speaks about the confusion that faces westerners in the naming and language issues that are present in Chinese martial arts, highlighted by the term Taijiquan. Or Tai Chi Chuan. Or T’ai Chi Ch’uan. Or how… Continue reading Taijquan or Tai chi Chuan: code switching and martial art
Like it or not, the continued existence of Chinese martial arts through the later part 20th century is largely due to modern Wushu. Many deride the modern sport as being a corruption of traditional martial art, trading substance for flash. And it is true, the current level of the sport is very far removed from… Continue reading Li Tianji李天骥: Wudang Sword Methods
Terra Prime Fighting Words 