温故 (On-ko) is to ask old things. 知新 (Chi-shin) is to know new things.

This is really interesting, the idea or principle of learning should be properly understood and permeate everything in our lives and particularly our martial arts.

We are often guided toward modern business and spiritual gurus wasting a lot of time and money, not really understanding that there’s nothing ‘new’ in the universe and that truth stands for all time in all things.

If we know how to look, the roots are deep and worth researching. For me, ‘truth’ in the way the world works, the underlying philosophy of my martial arts, how to deal with my own suffering and conduct relationships and business were in Buddhism, the best (and free) resources were at Amaravati Monastery https://amaravati.org/

The roots of martial art techniques lay in the underlying principles and ideas that cross all boundaries and can still be found in the roots of most of the original arts, many for me found in the Tai Chi classics. Many of these can be found (again for free) on the Brennan Translations website https://brennantranslation.wordpress.com/

In both Buddhism and the Tai Chi Classics I have attempted to collate and structure them into my training system and put them into plain language.

So I have nothing ‘new’ to offer, only I hope an intelligent collation of the old wisdom from 50 years of study into a modernised coaching structure.

Truth is always simple – just not easy and requires a lifetime of study, the benefits are insight and wisdom.