We are heading towards the end of 2005 and still there are more exciting events for the Chinese Martial Arts Community in New Zealand. Each year more and more people become interested in Tai Chi. The workshops we held in August provided Tai Chi students with a rare opportunity to train with an internationally respected […]
Along the dusty road, you pass ancient two-wheeled carts, pulled by large cows. Half wild herds of buffalo make their lazy way through lush dense jungle, driven by barefoot boys wearing krama. Rice farmers squat in their flooded fields, their heads protected from the intense Cambodian sun by pointed wide-brimmed straw hats. Children play, casing […]
If you studied martial arts from a clinical perspective you would see that all real martial arts have similar principles. I shall explain why. All real battle arts of the world work following natural laws such as "the Law of Preservation of Energy", "the Law of Gravitation", "System of Levers", "Three Planes.", etc. Elementary mechanisms […]
My goal was to live in every country in Asia, learn their language and study their martial arts. So far, my plan had worked well in China, Taiwan, and Thailand. But when I got to Cambodia I discovered that the ancient Khmer Kung Fu had nearly been lost. In fact, other than a single Khmer […]
Virtue before Vice Values before Vanity Principles before Personalities An Analysis by Patrick McCarthy Butokukai Kyoshi Karatedo 7th Dan Introduction When Japan emerged from feudalism in the mid-19th century, the Dai Nippon Butokukai was established as the nation’s first and foremost organization responsible for classical and modern martial arts. Although it has had an immeasurable […]
In Taiwan I met one of the "old men" of Shehequan, master Liu-Song-Shan. Hi is an uncle of my Sifu (brother of my Sifu's father, Liu Yi-Shan). At age of 83 he is still practicing Shehequan every day. He is a headmaster of the family tradition of Shehequan. It was Master Liu who was asked […]
The thoughts I wish to share with you are long overdue, every year it seems that there are less of us, Wrestlers, Referees, Promoters, Writers and last, but certainly not least the great and loyal fans who still remember the good old days, – The Golden Age of Professional Wrestling in Great Britain. Although long […]
Arjarn Nick Hewitson is from the Petchyindee Muay Thai Boxing Camp International There is a famous saying by the philosopher Nietzsche, "that which does not kill us makes us stronger." These are very fine words and though simple give us a very clear message with regard to how to prepare one's body for combat or […]
A new national sports body, 'Taekwondo New Zealand', has made major progress in unifying a number of Olympic WTF-style Taekwondo organisations in New Zealand. This is an exciting and groundbreaking development as never before has any one organisation been able to unite so many independent styles and clubs under one banner. The sport has been […]
The room is silent. I stand with my eyes shut, trying to remain relaxed. The atmosphere might appear calm, but I know something is about to happen. I wait in complete darkness, in an almost forced meditative state, for what seems like ages. "G'me your money now!" A man slaps a choke on me and […]