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…

During these times, it's important to be able to workout anywhere. Gyms are closed or open with restrictions. But we still need to stay in shape. How can this be done and how can we keep the workouts fun and interesting? There's more to it than just saying to do 100 squats, 100 pushups, 100 sit ups a day. Sure that may work for a bit and you may even get some decent results from that. But eventually you'll get pretty bored and stale on that.    A big part of keeping things fresh and to get better results is to change the…

Sometimes people have difficulty understanding step through or shifting footwork when it comes to the hands. But if you put a knife in your hands it all makes more sense. There's a real flow to it that's hard to get with just the bare hands, but it can be transferred over with weapons.    You may have heard people say that the weapon is an extension of your hand. That's exactly true. Any of the techniques you can do with the knives or other weapons can be done with the hands. Not only that, but the personality of the weapons would always…

Forms practice is a very large part of the traditional martial arts. They serve many purposes. One is that in the old days it served as a glossary of the techniques of a martial art. The majority of the population was illiterate at that time and forms were a way to physically pass down the techniques and spirit of a martial art. Another is that it helps to ingrain the techniques into your subconscious improving muscle memory. And a third is that they are good exercise and in fact great for cardio as well as coordinating the body.   However for our…

Often when people stretch, they do it at the beginning of a training session. It's just very common to do it this way, but unfortunately it's incorrect. Static stretching is done to relax muscles and essentially put them to sleep. Therefore it should be done at the end of a training session, not at the beginning. To start a workout, it's best to use dynamic movement such as running in place, jumping jacks, perhaps some gentle rotational exercises, etc. The idea is to get the body moving and raise your core temperature. If you're doing sport specific training, then you…

This is a bodyweight workout that can be done anywhere with just a bit of floor space. There are four major categories of exercises that all need to be trained for a balanced workout. They are  1. Squats 2. Upper Body Push 3. Upper Body Pull 4. Core Work   At least one exercise from  each category should be done. In this case I've done three from each. Here's a full list of the exercises.  1. Squats 2. Beat Your Boots Squats 3. Wideouts / Pop Squats 4. Pushups 5. Hindu Pushups 6. Knuckle Pushups 7. Swimming 8. Renegade Rows 9. Body Rows (Lebert Equalizers) 10. Spiderman Climb 11. Frog Crunch 12. Side Plank Raise   Click below to see the workout. https://youtu.be/Wd1OHc7yWrU And send…

In our society, many people have been trained to feel helpless. As if they have no control over things. If something is wrong with your health, take a drug. If you suffer from Depression take a drug. If your back hurts there's nothing you can do about. You're old and that's just the way it is. Or you could take a drug for it. If you're diagnosed with Diabetes take a drug. If you have High Blood Pressure, take a drug. Do any of these remedies involve taking control of your life in a a healthy way. These are all legitimate…

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…

Never before have we had so much information about diet and exercise and never before have we had so much bullshit at the same time! Seriously when I think back over the past 30 plus years that I've been doing this stuff, I've seen the entire fitness industry change from being thought of as a weird activity for health nuts to the point where everybody, even kids, are discussing things like the Keto diet, Paleo diet, etc. You know the old expression "A little knowledge is a dangerous thing"? Well it's certainly true when it comes to nutrition.    Honestly it was…

These energies were taught to me as The Eight Energies Of Wing Chun. However, I've come to realize that they are universal to all martial arts. Understanding these energies will vastly improve your knowledge of the martial arts and how to use the various attacks and defenses. Here they are.   1. LISTENING ENERGY - This is also known as sensitivity and is an integral part of all martial arts. Once there is contact between you and your opponent, a bridge has been created. You can feel your opponent and your opponent can feel you. Listening energy is what will allow you…

With almost everyone at home now, having workouts you can do regardless of equipment is essential. Here's a workout you can do requiring only a small floor space and the will to get it done. It's a circuit workout that can be done for either 2 or 3 rounds depending on your fitness level. Don't worry about rushing through it. Just go at your own pace and do the exercises properly with correct focus. For more information about this or other health and fitness related questions, click here

We're living in very unusual times to say the least! With things being locked down, gyms closed, restaurants closed, theaters closed, travel being extremely restricted, our lives have been turned completely upside down. There is light at the end of the tunnel and I'm confident that 2021 will slowly see improvements to allow us to return to normal. But one undeniable fact is that this past year with so many people living sedentary lifestyles, has seen a lot of unhealthy weight gain. I personally know some people who've packed on 25 lbs or more this past year. Normally one's day…

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.…

This was the first workout of my 50th year after my recent 49th birthday. It's a full body dumbbell workout that can be done either at home or at the gym. Here are the exercises along with the number of sets.   SUPERSETS (4 sets) Bench Press Bentover Row   TRISET (3 sets) Side Swings (invented by Vince Gironda) Bicep Curls Tiger Pushups   Goblet Squats (8 sets) Inchworm to Mountain Climbers (3 sets)   This was a great workout and an awesome way to start my 50th year! For more information, click here  

Don't make the mistake of neglecting the muscles on the back of your body. It may sound a bit ridiculous, but a lot of people only train what they see in the mirror. Muscles such as the chest, biceps, abdominals, and front of your legs (quads) always get all the attention. But what about the equally important muscles of the upper and lower back, hamstrings, or triceps? It's imperative to do this. Neglecting this part of your training can lead to muscular imbalances which can in turn cause pain and injury.    Inb today's video, I cover three exercises for this purpose.…

Here's a bodyweight circuit that can be done at home with minimal or zero equipment. For these exercises I used a doorway chinup bar, a pair of Lebert Equalizers, and a stability ball. However these can be modified to be done with things you have at home already. This is done for either 2 or 3 circuits and the reps are counted for this one. Timing your sets can work well sometimes, but it can encourage poor form sometimes. Therefore I generally favour counting reps over timing. Anyway here are the exercises along with the video. For more information on…

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

Here I go again with another oldie but a goodie. Today it's supersets! I have no idea why, but you don't see many people doing this any more. Supersets are awesome for a number of reasons. Before we get to them, what are supersets. It's a grouping of 2 exercises done back to back typically with minimal or no rest between. It's often done with antagonistic muscles such as chest and back, biceps and triceps, or quadriceps and hamstrings. But it can be done for the same muscle as well. One benefit of this is that it saves time. Another…

Some of you may have noticed by now that I like old school training a lot. This is very true. I was taught by old school trainers, so naturally that's what I gravitate towards. I do have an open mind and am always on the lookout for new innovations in fitness. Sometimes I see something I like, but more often than not it's the old school training that brings results!    The method I want to discuss today is the One And A Half Method. This is a method where you do one full rep followed by a half rep. It's extremely…