Tag: martial arts

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Abraxus the God of Effect

Steve Rowe

I remember journeying to Watkins books in Charing Cross Road in the 70’s to buy this book, unobtainable at the time from nowhere else. Apart from Tai Chi, Karate and Iaido, Zen, Buddhism and Taoism, I was also studying paganism, and ritual magic and had read Carl Jung’s ‘Memories Dreams and Reflections’ so this was a natural follow up as he had written it whilst being possessed by a spirit. As you can see from the screenshot the beginning very much followed the start of the Tao Te Ching using different terminology, but as you can see in the quote … Continue reading Abraxus the God of Effect

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The Magic Jian

Steve Rowe

We study the names of the jian (Chinese double edge sword) techniques in great depth. The jian is the ‘magical’ sword in Chinese culture (a bit like King Arthur’s Excalibur) and the names carry the mythology and cultural stories that go along with it, and most importantly, tell us the ‘spirit’ and mindset that the techniques are done with. They are poetic, they include real and mythological creatures, they are shamanistic as we take on the spirits of various types of dragons, gods, swallows, cats, wasps, phoenix, wild horses, lions, tigers, rhinos, apes, celestial beings and observe and copy everyday … Continue reading The Magic Jian

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Professional Help

Steve Rowe

When you need professional help. When we want to learn martial arts, if we are clever enough we do our due diligence and find a good coach. We check history, who they’ve successfully coached, qualifications and what kind of person they are. It’s a serious and can be a life altering decision. When we finally become a coach, running a club means we have to be able to deal with grading and training programmes, coaching qualifications, tournament programmes, property management, accounts, recruitment, managing others, student welfare, social media, AI, our own professional development, governing bodies, health and safety and so … Continue reading Professional Help

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Your Belly Button Is Important!

Steve Rowe

Your belly button is important! Twisting the waist against the hips and releasing it is the biggest power source we have in the martial arts, but far too few practitioners are able to use it. When twisting the waist most practitioners turn either the hips or shoulders instead, either collapsing the knees and/or leaving the waist motionless. Kata like Naihanchi and exercises like Chan Si Jing in Tai Chi are structured to learn this skill. If you adopt an internally rotated stance like Naihanchi Dachi in Karate or Ma Bu in Tai Chi fixing the hips to face forward and … Continue reading Your Belly Button Is Important!

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Club Demons

Steve Rowe

When an over enthusiastic person joins your club and tries to ingratiate themselves really quickly you have to be careful. Red flags can be: Being too friendly and trying to command attention in class. Using unnecessary titles to flatter you that you don’t use, like ‘Master’, ‘Shihan’ and attaching themselves to them on here like “my Tai Chi Master….” Volunteering to take on tasks and/or trying to form business partnerships using your background to their advantage. Trying to include you in their social life and pushing themselves into yours. Doing unnecessary favours without being asked. Gossiping to separate students and … Continue reading Club Demons

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Fingering In The Martial Arts

Steve Rowe

Fingering in the Martial Arts Hands and fingers are really important in the martial arts. Our arms are tentacles, our hands are feelers on our tentacles and our fingers are our feelers on our feelers that are on our tentacles. Our palms are the ‘arches’ of our hands, our wrists the ‘ankles’ of our arms, elbows are the ‘knees’ and shoulders the ‘hips’, connecting through the body to our legs and feet and working in harmony with them. The nervous system and meridians of chi end and ‘bundle’ in the hands and fingers enabling us to have enormous sensitivity in … Continue reading Fingering In The Martial Arts

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Entropy Of Life

Steve Rowe

EntropyFrom organised structure into chaos.You’re already dead.Death is infinite and assured.Life sits inside death.It’s finite and tentative.From the moment you’re born,You’re also dead.Life/death is yin/yangWithout death, life has no value. From young, healthy, attractive, nicely scented and succulent,You rot into a grey, dry, wrinkled,Old, invisible and ignored carcass,Smelling of piss and biscuits.From mindlessly leaping out of chairs,You go to the ‘Dawn Of Man’ routine to stand.Or slide from chair to wheelchair. Only young people say “if you’re lucky enough to get old”.When old, sick people hear of a ‘sudden death’, they think ‘lucky bastard’,Even if they don’t say it.The key … Continue reading Entropy Of Life

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Karate Kata Bunkai

Steve Rowe

‘Bunkai’ means ‘to break down and explore’ and consists of three parts, known as ‘treasures’. Health – Physical, emotional and mental health in the martial arts are paramount as they are more likely to damage or cause death or ill health than any other reason. This is why the yogic and philosophical aspects of movement is contained within the structure, techniques and names. Skill – Kata are constructed to increase skill level by their complexity and technical combinations, far beyond the requirements of just physical self defence. Spatial awareness, balance, mobility, coordination and fluidity are all life skills. Application – … Continue reading Karate Kata Bunkai

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Buddhism & Taoism In The Martial Arts

Steve Rowe

There’s been a few comments recently about the relationship of Karate and Tai Chi to Buddhism and Taoism. You obviously don’t have to be any religion to study either. They are both practised by millions world wide from all cultures and religions, but they do arise from Buddhist and Taoist cultures. The names of the arts and their styles reflect this, any Japanese art ending in ‘do’ (karatedo, judo, aikido, iaido etc) the ‘do’ is the ‘Tao’ and the names often relate to gentleness, softness, emptiness, peace and harmony from the religion in those cultures. The name ‘Tai Chi’ relates … Continue reading Buddhism & Taoism In The Martial Arts

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Filming Seminars

Steve Rowe

Why don’t I allow students to film during my seminars? For 2 reasons: I rely on ‘direct transmission’ (face to face and the ‘spirit’ of the teaching) when I’m teaching and that can’t happen if the student is looking at me through a camera, has their mind distracted because they’re filming or are relying on the video to remember instead of taking notes. The physical act of paying attention and recording with the mind and then writing it down at the time is important for their understanding. If I allow one person to use a camera everyone wants to use … Continue reading Filming Seminars