At times I go back at my previous translation work and try to update them with any new information or insight I have had since my last attempt. This was one of the first translations I published and I thought I would give it a little spruce up and tighten the edges. There are a… Continue reading The Fist Verses of Qi Jiguang (Redux)
The Ming Dynasty (大明 1368 to 1644) is a fascinating time period in history. So much change happening on the global stage, the effects of that change have had huge ramifications for people living in the Ming Dynasty and the events happening in China had wide ranging effects on world at large. For Chinese martial… Continue reading Katana to Dao part 3: Men of Letters, Arts of War
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
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
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 