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If you've ever spent time learning kung fu you quickly come to realize that the movements aren't dependent on a single portion of the body and its muscles; for example, we don't throw a punch with tension, utilizing specific muscles from the shoulder and/or arm only. It is a mindful, whole body motion that utilizes… Continue reading Maturing in Kung Fu: The Proprioception Principle, Part 2
Earlier today I released a blog as an introduction into some of the principles embraced and exercised in kung fu. (If you've not read that blog, I encourage you to do so.) It highlighted a key component to kung fu that a practitioner taps into: the created self has an integrity to it that must… Continue reading Maturing in Kung Fu: The Proprioception Principle
Someone asks: I've heard that Wing Chun practitioners practice something called chi sau. What is that? What is it good for? Chi Sau (also spelled chi sao) literally translates as "sticky hands". It's traditionally been termed this due to the connected bridge which begins the exercise's rolling hands (poon sau). It's also been identified (or… Continue reading What is Chi Sau?
A young man, attending Indiana State University (here in Terre Haute, Indiana), wrote to me, recently, and asked the following: I used to study Wing Chun before I moved to Terre Haute. . . . I noticed that you just did your Siu Nim Tao form much slower than my Sifu did. . . . … Continue reading Should My Wing Chun Form Go Fast or Slow?
Sifu Yost, I noticed that there are different ways people do Siu Nim Tao [the first empty-hand form in Wing Chun, for those of you who don't know what this guy's talking about], and was curious which way is the correct one? Well, one reason you're seeing different ways to perform the first empty-hand form… Continue reading Which Wing Chun Form is the Correct One?
I remember, as a young man, being gung-ho to achieve the world. Everything I started I went 100+ miles per hour. The problem was that every time I failed (or fell short of my expectations) I would speed up, try harder, and get frustrated. I never quit. I was too hardheaded for that. But, it… Continue reading Having the Right Pace to Succeed in Life
As a Wing Chun practitioner (for over twenty years), I've heard the debates over which is (more) important: learning to become more sensitive to your opponent's force or controlling pressure (either from yourself or others). In this blog, I thought I'd touch on this subject, as I've matured to understand it. When I started in… Continue reading What’s More Important: Learning Sensitivity or Controlling Pressure?
