Alan Armstrong

There are celebrities of all kinds today with online videos MA no exception, some are just popularity figures where others are the real McCoy, gonna take some practice to differentiate the two. We are all now available to be exposed to good and bad MA just a lot more of it than ever before, suggest trying to decern the differences between them. MA still takes practice with a partner cooperative or competative no video can replace that. Therefore make the most of the material at hand from our information age and add personal development and experiences to them with plenty of practice with likewise individuals such as yourself.

The way I personally regard bone power is that of a type of Dragon or lizard movement, could also include Greyhounds and Cheaters with their attribute of speed and agility. As bone power still needs muscles, the use of them is put to the minimum. Bruce Lee's one inch punch is typical use of bone power, encompassing total skeletal alignment opone impact. Bruce Lee's physique resembling the leaness of muscle for utilising bone power, strength, speed and agility. Bone power includes activating the spine and includes full range of movement, also using the joints elasticity to the fullest. Watching Shaolin monks limbering up and stretching is very obviously bone power methodology at work. As using bone power encompasses using minimal muscle, the hyperextending and Stretching out and reaching when delivering blows can create extraordinary results, such as an over hand right thrown to the head, that lands can be devastating for the recipient.

Bone clashing implies meeting force with force, that is normal in external martial art blocking techniques. However bone spinning is when bone meeting bone, an alternative is to pivot on the contact point instead of clashing as in the usual way of blocking an attack. Many perhaps are uncoucouslly using bone spinning in their techniques without realising it. By being aware of bone spinning principles, it opens up new alternative ways of defending against stronger opponents. As bone clashing type blocking the stronger will usually win. Therefore those that usually out power their opponents will probably have less use for bone spinning attributes. An abnormality to bone spinning (pivoting) is that for some reason the untrained opponent doesn't react to it (The tactil quality) it is as if the brain has a blind spot and cannot register it happening. Same is true when sliding over the opponents forarm, as long as the pressure stays the same and the contact point is maintained the brain doesn't react to the strike. It is as if the brain cannot differentiate the difference between contact and movement as long as contact pressure is constant. There are martial artists that base their entire MA system around bone spinning concepts, with a little research there are plenty of videos on the subject out there to be found. Personally I prefer pivoting/spinning as opposed to clashing, as it is very useful to make full use of, not saying clashing isn't usefully as it has its moments, just like deflecting works wonders at the right moment.

As Jake's take on martial arts is none aggressive which is not suitable or palatable for many that are, he does however have a healthy new age approach to living, that at the end of the day, he just might out live us all, including his critics.

Do you practice or use bone power movements?

What are your preferences in this regard?

Stretching and limbering up movements everywhere any time usually all the time, my wife tells me that I stretch in my sleep. I open and close doors with joint locks and Aikido technique. Manuver around people on the street as not to give them my blind side. Park benches for me are just another type of exercise equipment. Elevators are a good place to practice katas and punching combinations or routines, when alone of course caught on camera I suppose.

Congratulations tallgeese and a big thank you for sharing your passion for martial arts with everybody,

No matter the spellings three minutes without breathing is life threatening. The cleaner the air the more beneficial it is for one's health also in reverse the more polluted the air the less healthier we become. Harnessing and understanding the use of oxygen as when inhaling and exhaling when exercising or performing physically improves overall performance. As air is seemingly invisible and free it is very much taken for granted by many but the few make a point of using it as a way to stay more youthful for longer, as in Tai Chi or as in Chi Kung practice. By harvesting and storing chi on a daily basis, also incorporated in to movements that promotes chi flowing throughout the entire body.

Stamina is not only physical but also a mental strength to combine one with the other. Practice where you are optimising your potential be it in a fitness gym or park, wherever you feel inspired and motivated to get better results. It is important to ; Not letting or allowing unimportant individuals that will never mean anything to you to impede your progress, not now or ever!

Che-lu could stand for cynics as "Cheesy Lunatic" but have noticed that if a martial art system is a working viable one it can stand the test of time and all cynics. As Che-lu is about helping others with martial arts that is it's strength and its weakness is the belt ranking system devised for it, as having a 10th dan, being the son of O-sensei, as Brandon Lee could have titled himself the same also in JKD, as would be pointless. Seems to me that Che-lu was created to fill a need for a time in a specific place in time and now there are other alternatives to forfil those needs. Many MA systems have come and gone those that have stuck are here to stay only because they fit the needs of those practicing them. Such as Aikido is to promote harmony or peace perhaps Che-lu was another pacifist philosophical type of martial art contributor.

Lin sil die dar, from Wing Chun, meaning simultaneous blocks/grabs and strikes. While watching a video of Chi Sao meaning sticky hands, wanting to remember what I had seen, to remember it I made a kata exactly from the movements.

Ukemi in Aikido or Judo done on concrete is not comfortable but neither is combat. Done incorrectly on mats is more dangerous than done correctly on solid surfaces. Those that can do safety rolls in all directions on concrete is a notch above the rest as martial artist in my books.

Over time I have become more concept based than technique orientated, suppose it is easier to incorporate ideas that help to flow more effectively. As if my opponent is bigger then doubling up on footwork to move in and out of position is beneficial. Or starting with a jab and ending with a jab, help to bridge a gap or make space. None telegraphic movement or concealing it within combat is a very worthwhile practice, by adding this quality to favourite techniqes or combinations. As there are tale tale signs that a punch or kick is heading towards a target, shame really when watching trainers missing this aspect with their fighters. As it is not so much speed that helps hit the target more like the surprise of none telegraphic directness.

The Book Of five rings is in the public domain, that can be read or listened to very easily. The most important aspect or essence of this book is the warrior's spirit, as he points out, that many martial artists are just merchandising sales people for the most part, not my opinion but Myomoto's.

Wing Chun is a concept based system of fighting, as such there is a lot of ideas to absorb and over time they do make sense working together. Potential problem is one teacher of Wing Chun will over emphasize aspects of their own personal perspective, also as it has been shown that classic moves need to adapted to modern day fighting systems. Another issue is trying to make Wing Chun a competitive sport as groin kicks and eye gouges don't fit well in to sportsmanship behaviour, that wiould only create blind impotent Maoists. As comparing Wing Chun to karate, personally three months training in karate I was fighting full contact, as compared to teaching Wing Chun, I wouldn't dare to do such a thing to a student. I find it interesting that much of the terminology of JKD is Wing Chun including JKD which ironically is also. Also that JKD is somehow something entirely different than Wing Chun but in actuality it is the person expressing the same thing that makes the real difference. As when Bruce Lee does the exact same move of Wing Chun it is considered to be JKD; just a little food for thought.

SDA single direct attack, from Bruce Lee. Strike with the nearest weapon to the target. Gives freedom from pre set moves or routines. There are however moves that flow easier than others, such as a hook punch that follows well with an elbow strike with the same arm or an uppercut with a rising elbow, efficiency combined with effectiveness, as two strikes with one move. Personally I prefer freedom of movement over set routines. Routines are not equipped to deal with the realities of feints, bobin and wevin, broken rythem, variations of speed and none telegraphic movements and the ever changing distance of opponent to oneself.

Admittedly I had been exceeding the feed limit and the results expanded my waist line. Five months later I'm back to flat again and seven kilos lighter. Walking about 40 kilometres a week and progressively working more on core exercises, upper body strength and plenty of kicking and stretching exercises. Trying to not eat between meals and to not make life based around eating for instant gratification or pleasure. As muscle mass is about the size of a tangerine to fat is the size of an orange, I am feeling more compacted now than jiggly mostly around the waist.

By living in a polluted city chance are their lungs will be grey compared to some one living in the country side, as their lungs should be pink in color; could be why sages like the mountain top views where the air is fresher than what we now call the green house effect on lower living levels in cities. Interestingly enough that lungs don't have pain receptors, perhaps this is why they can be so easily, overlooked or ignored and abused by smokers. Tai Chi practice is for the most part a way to cultivate and store chi and not to spend it on late nights out partying, which is why younger people spend theirs on a good time and the older generation try to keep it for future use, pardon me for generalizing!

Flexibility is on my must list being a Maist. Along with: strength and endurance.

When hearing the word style, the word "mimic" comes to mind, as when a person uses the movements of a MA system. As when a person mimics for fun or illustration a karate technique done robotically or a kung fu move flowery, as they are removed of functionality that style is the most noticeable thing. Point being, functionality has no time for style only what works matters most.

Chinese use utherisms to describe techniques such as a "White Gorilla Picks A Peach" Also using a word to describe a technique or doing a movement that seems irrelevant but is not, for example "Cultivation arm" which is the right way to cut through dense vegitaion otherwise it would seem to most to look like a hacking movement when not.

Endurance, practice improving it as much as possible even if you might finish a fight in seconds. Courage, test it often, you might never need to have any but it will certainty give a boost to your confidence if needed. Skill, develop it as in as many ways as possible till it becomes second nature, even if you never use it. Flexibility, is your ally combined with strength improves your range of motion and power, decreases the risk of injury, pliability improves offensive and defensive manuvers. Flexibility be it physically or mentally, military or not, helps with adaptability, something that strategically is very beneficial to have than not, unarmed or not. Flexibility routines combined with massage is the antidote to short tightened muscles that without, eventually impedes performance and decreases range of motion that is very beneficial to being a martial artist.

I would start training with someone that started their own style and if it is better than mine I would stick with it till something better is available.

Isn't it the simple questions that seem to be the most difficult to answer? For me it is using the understanding and principles of Yin and Yang and the wisdom of countlesss genenerations of Chinese martial artist sages through the ages. As the advancement of technology reigns supreme, there are areas that ancient wisdom still seems impossible to call redundant, nothing more so than Chinese martial arts, that there is always something new to discover. Could it be due to the over whelming amount of information to be able to master or learn for one person within one life time. So what makes Chinese martial arts so different than all others from your perspective?