The ability to remain calm in a real situation can be very difficult indeed. It almost seems like a contradiction. It sounds very strange to relax while you're trying to hit someone and avoid being hit, but you must do this. One of the keys to doing this is learning to control your breath. This is done through Qigong breathing exercises. If you practice these exercises regularly, it will have tremendous benefit to your overall health and the ability to remain calm.   RELAXATION, AWARENESS, INTENT are the keys to combat. You must stay relaxed inn order to be properly aware and you…

I've spoken in the past about the importance of the Sil Lim Tao form for Wing Chun and other martial arts. Now it's time to break it down move by move, section by section to get a better understanding of it. To start, there are three sections of the form. The first section is done to teach proper positioning and energy, particularly the forward elbow energy so necessary for Wing Chun skill. The second section is to teach you to recover from a bad position. And the third section is to teach energy release and power. All are needed for…

One of the less glamourous, but certainly essential elements of fitness, is body alignment. My first gym I trained at was Mack's Gym in Toronto which was run by Mack Miya. He was one tough SOB and was a very old school trainer. His philosophy was that you had no business handling any weight unless your alignment was spot on. So in order to teach me, he had me doing squats with a broomstick. This seemed very unusual to me at the time and I didn't understand it, but as the years went by I truly appreciated it since I've…

Having some "Go To" strikes that you can use when needed might save your neck one day. In a self defense situation, high fancy kicks and other similar strikes are completely worthless and might even land you on the ground which is the last thing you want. There is no place for being fancy in a self defense situation. The martial art of Ving Tsun (Wing Chun) is perfect for that and can be used even if dealing with a larger and stronger adversary. In fact, it's the only martial art I know of that was developed by a woman.…

The heavy bag is certainly one of the best pieces of equipment you can use. It's a fantastic cardio workout, develops explosiveness, power, timing, and so much more. And of course it's essential to develop your strikes for all martial arts. It is important however to use it properly. Learn to form a fist correctly and also use the proper energy. The golden rule (and this may sound a bit strange) is this:   IF YOU TRY TO HIT HARD, IT WON'T BE.   I'm sure that sounds very weird, but the reason why I'm saying that is if you think about trying to hit…

In this video I go over the fundamental concepts that you need to know in order to practice Qigong properly. Remember that in Qigong there is a Sinking or Dropping energy to everything. Also proper relaxation is important as is breathing properly through the nose (not the mouth). Take a look and see what it's all about.   For more information, click here

Footwork is without question the most important element of martial arts. It's the foundation for everything you do. One expression my Boxing coach always likes saying is "You box with your legs, not your hands!". Anyway in the video I go over some basic exercises that can be used to develop the footwork. There are four drills in total.   1. Half Step Drill 2. Full Step Drill 3. Two Step Method 4. Four Corner Stepping  

  One thing that's not often spoken of from the Chinese martial arts is its health benefits. Its based around the theory of the five elements and its a fascinating study. I'm certainly not a Chinese doctor, but I do have some understanding of it through the martial arts. I'll explain more in the video but here's a quick summary.   Metal = Lungs = Chopping Water = Kidneys = Drilling  Wood = Liver/Gallbladder = Crushing Fire = Heart = Exploding Earth = Stomach / Spleen = Crossing   So the movements can both heal and injure the organs. By practicing the movements, there is tremendous therapeutic…

There are many misconceptions about Qigong. I've heard everything from people stiffening $10 bills to some idiot who told me I was dealing with satanic energies! The fact is it's nothing more than coordinating proper movement and body rooting with breathing. Make no mistake, it takes a long time to really develop this ability. But there's absolutely nothing mystical or supernatural about it. Watch the video to see what it's all about   For information about In-Home or Online Virtual Personal training click here

Qigong is one of those things you may or may not have heard of. However Qi or Chi is something many people have heard of. It's been featured in countless movies and tv shows. It was even spoken about in the movie Kung Fu Panda! So what is Qi and what is Qigong? Qi is your life energy or life essence as some people like to call it and Qigong is the method which cultivates it. However unlike how it's portrayed in movies or by scammers, it is NOT some type of magical power or energy you have in your body.…

We're living in a very chaotic time right now. In December , nobody knew what the Coronavirus was and now it's all over the news in what seems reminiscent of the Spanish Flu of the early 20th Century. We will get through this with positivity, social distancing, and being careful and responsible. In the meantime however, managing stress is super important. And one of the best ways I know of is through Qigong Meditation. I've practiced it for many years now and it's really helped me at particularly stressful points in my life.   There are many ways of practicing this. It…

Let's face it. Anxiety and stress is a part of life. Not a particularly pleasant part of it, but if you don't learn to cope with it somehow you're going to have a very hard time to say the least. Now I'm sure we've all heard that we need to live a stress free life. However when you hear some bad news, that may prove to be a little difficult. What we need therefore is a way to cope with it and even better than that, eventually not even needing to turn it on and off.   We all know about the valuie of…

Body conditioning is an exercise that is traditionally done in the martial arts. There are numerous benefits of this. One is obviously conditioning your body so you won't bruise or feel as much pain. Another is that you'll be able to strike harder. However one more benefit to it and one which is important regardless of your fitness goals is increased blood circulation! In fact the effects are similar to getting a massage. Also there is a ton of myofascial release. Watch the video to learn more!  

No matter what activity you engage in, footwork is buy far the most important thing. In today's video, I demonstrate some martial arts footwork and body connection drills, but they can be applied to any activity. Remember that without good footwork and strong legs, it is very similar to a car with a pitiful engine. It may look fantastic, but if the engine is useless you won't be going very far or fast.   In the video I go over a few exercises. The first two are Qigong exercises taken from the Bagua system of Chinese martial arts. The third is a…

So many people think that training for seniors is simply a matter of slowing down, using less weight, or fewer reps. There's a lot more to it than that! For one thing, basic mobility and balance such as being able to squat, sitting in a chair properly, or walking properly can often be a challenge. Some people might not be able to relate to this, but it's a fact of life.   So there are three things that must be focused on. First and foremost is Breathing. Second is Mobility, and third is Balance. In Part 1 of this little series, I'm…

Yin And Yang In Fitness

Many people think of meditation being something that must be done in a quiet room with incense burning and Buddhas. And while this is a form of meditation, it certainly isn't the only one. Basically anytime you're doing something with mindfulness, awareness, and focus, paying attention to things like your breathing and body position, you're meditating! Whether it's moving meditation practice like Qigong or whether you're doing more conventional exercise such as Planks, Squats, Running, etc, it's ALL meditation! And thinking of exercise in this way helps to have it make sense. It's not something you turn on for certain exercises and…