Tag: Tai Chi

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Old Was More Effective

Steve Rowe

What’s lacking in most modern marts? Power. People are derisory toward 70’s and 80’s Karate and Kung Fu because of their simplicity and training methods, but the truth is that the good practitioners of those days would smash straight through most of the modern technicians. They may have been raw but they had the components that worked for real and they tested it every bloody, bone crunching training session and in security work where there was no badges or cameras, only hard earned reputations. Why were they so much more powerful? Because they practised hour after hour of rock solid … Continue reading Old Was More Effective

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I Am Beautiful

Steve Rowe

I am beautiful. That’s not a ‘guru’ style bogus affirmation, at 74, with a barrel rather than a 6 pack, riddled with arthritis, a missing leg, more wrinkles than a crumpled crisp packet and more scars than a Russian gangster my body is my best friend and a record of an exciting life. I am beautiful. Because despite its battering my body is suffused with chi (life energy), alchemised and educated into geng (warrior energy) and then shen (spiritual energy) by trained emotions and a mind that has trained and meditated twice a day for over 50 years. I am … Continue reading I Am Beautiful

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Trust Your Gut

Steve Rowe

Over the years, I’ve learned the hard way to trust my gut. The moment I meet someone I know whether they are a ‘wrong ‘un’ or not. Unfortunately I’ve not always listened to it, only to discover in the end that I should have – and sometimes it’s cost me dearly. It’s important to meditate and learn about your instincts and how important it is to rely on them. Your head and heart can mess you up, but your gut never does. Continue reading Trust Your Gut

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I’m Not To Blame!

Steve Rowe

There’s nothing worse than having walked the road and got to the destination in the martial arts to watch those that want to get to the same destination, but you know that what they’re doing won’t get them there and they are convinced that it will. The irony is that if you try to tell them they will be offended and defensive, they’ll come to you for instruction in the art but then not believe you if you try to tell them why what they’re doing won’t get them there. We’re not always right, but with the experience we have, … Continue reading I’m Not To Blame!

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Emptying Hearts & Stuffing Bellies

Steve Rowe

Lao Tsu talks about a wise leader ‘emptying the hearts and stuffing the bellies of the nation’, and this has many levels of understanding. The word ‘karate’ often translated as ‘empty hand’ Funakoshi explained the ‘Kara’ part ‘empty’ as empty of (violent) intention and ‘te’ (hand) is generally understood as a term for martial art. Therefore an art of peace. Draining the chi (ki) from the heart to the belly calms the body, emotions and mind. Filling the belly is to retain and store power instead of losing it. This gives an absence of negative energies like fear and anger … Continue reading Emptying Hearts & Stuffing Bellies

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Demons Dressed As Martial Artists

Steve Rowe

Watch carefully. There are people in the martial arts world that will worm their way in to your world to try and control it to suit themselves. They will be very ‘gollomy’ and try to blow smoke up your backside calling you ‘Master’ or whatever they think will please you. They will do you ‘favours’ even when you haven’t asked for them and do anything to get in a position of power or control and get their name associated with yours. When you finally realise what they’re up to they will turn and try to use everything possible against you. … Continue reading Demons Dressed As Martial Artists

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Use Of Weapons

Steve Rowe

Weapons… It’s important to understand the difference between functional and theatrical. Using a bladed weapon, one centimetre can mean the difference between life and death. Functional is small movements, usually involving angles, footwork, sticking, slipping, curved movement and cutting, slashing, striking and stabbing to vital points often using different parts of the weapon. Theatrical comes from theatre, street performers, movies and competition and utilises the bigger more dramatic movements that look good to the audience. I like both but only practice the functional. It’s important that you know the difference between the two and understand which one you’re practicing, just … Continue reading Use Of Weapons

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Good Men Don’t Argue

Steve Rowe

Explanation Of The Tao Te Ching Part Eighty One  “Truthful words are not beautiful. Beautiful words are not truthful. Good men do not argue. Those who argue are not good. Those who know are not learned. The learned do not know.  The sage never tries to store things up. The more he does for others, the more he has. The more he gives to others, the greater his abundance. The Tao of heaven is pointed but does no harm. The Tao of the sage is work without effort.” This could be good advice for social media. As the Chinese would say, ‘don’t put legs on a snake’. Tell the … Continue reading Good Men Don’t Argue

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A Small Country

Steve Rowe

Explanation Of The Tao Te Ching Part Eighty “A small country has fewer people. Though there are machines that can work ten to a hundred times faster than man, they are not needed. The people take death seriously and do not travel far. Though they have boats and carriages, no one uses them. Though they have armor and weapons, no one displays them. Men return to the knotting of rope in place of writing. Their food is plain and good, their clothes fine but simple, their homes secure; They are happy in their ways. Though they live within sight of their neighbors, And crowing cocks and barking dogs are … Continue reading A Small Country

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A Bitter Quarrel

Steve Rowe

Explanation Of The Tao Te Ching Part Seventy Nine  “After a bitter quarrel, some resentment must remain. What can one do about it? Therefore the sage keeps his half of the bargain But does not exact his due. A man of Virtue performs his part, But a man without Virtue requires others to fulfill their obligations. The Tao of heaven is impartial. It stays with good men all the time.” This is about learning to be the better person. The Buddha said that holding on to anger is ‘like drinking poison and hoping the other person will die’. Fulfilling our part of a resolution is important but … Continue reading A Bitter Quarrel