Self Care Arts

Bit of a strange question...

Thu, 08 Jun 2006 23:27:57 GMT

I'm disabled. I have really bad problems with my muscles. They're a complete mess.
I can't do any kind of heavy exercise as I pay for it for weeks afterwards.

Walking is enough pain as it is.

But... I really do need to do something.

Right now I'm looking for ways to strengthen my ankles and wrists as I'm getting a lot of pain in them whenever I put any kind of weight on them.

If anyone can give me nice, gentle exercises that will slowly strengthen them to the point where I can do something a little more strenuous, I'd be really, really grateful!

I've cross-posted this to a few communities, so for some of them, there's really obvious stuff in the above.

Weight Lifting and Internal Martial Arts

Sun, 21 May 2006 05:34:44 GMT

It is sometimes said that you shouldn't lift weights if you are training an internal "soft" style like Tai Chi, because those styles require you to get away from muscular strength. But Dr. John Painter is living proof that weight lifting and internal styles go together like, well, Yin and Yang.

Sifu Painter teaches baguazhang to Self Care Arts' own Sifu Martin Kelly and has taught many seminars at Self Care Arts. He is the lineage master of the Daoqiquan system of internal martial arts, which he inherited directly from Chinese master Li Long-Dao who fled Communist China. At Dr. Painter's seminars, he has promoted weight training, including power lifts like squats.

Sifu Painter explains that strong muscles simply give you more power, period. Whether it is internal or external depends on how you use those muscles in concert with your body mass and momentum. For example, if you are generating internal power by pushing with your legs, turning the waist, and directing your overall momentum, it helps if all of those large muscles are as strong as possible. Since your body mass is a key component of "whole body power," it also helps to have a large body mass, i.e. big muscles. Yet, having big muscles doesn't mean you have to tense them up all the time or be stiff or use them in isolation.

It's true that strong muscles can distract you from internal training; if you are strong enough to push your partner with your arm alone, you may forget to put your whole body into the exercise. But if you are paying attention (and have a watchful Sifu), you will not "cheat" by muscling through an exercise. If you are diligent in your internal training, weight lifting should be a benefit, not a problem.

Submit Your Idea for a New Topic!

Sun, 21 May 2006 04:57:15 GMT

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Standing Meditation

Sun, 21 May 2006 04:42:28 GMT

The following topic was submitted by kungfu_fightin:

The intent of this post is to start a discussion on standing meditation as it relates to internal martial arts. We will discuss "standard" elements, posture, breathing etc. We will also discuss the effects of this training, for example does it really make a difference in your kung fu skills. With that in mind let the discussion begin.

What are "principle-based" martial arts?

Thu, 23 Mar 2006 06:46:34 GMT

Martial arts generally fall into two categories: technique-based and principle-based.

Technique-based martial arts teach you sequences of moves designed to counter specific attacks. For example, a defense for a right punch might be the following technique: left outward block, step in, right punch. Most martial arts popular in America today are technique-based.

Principle-based martial arts do not teach specific sequences of moves. Instead, they teach principles of motion, such as "the knee and the elbow always move together." Students practice applying these principles in various situations, until they come naturally without thought.

Technique-based and principle-based martial arts can be seen as journeys through the same territory in opposite directions. Beginners in a technique-based style may memorize their sequences immediately, but they are often unable to make the techniques work against a real opponent until they become advanced--that is, until they have absorbed the principles of motion that make their techniques effective. Beginners in a principle-based style may master one principle of motion under certain conditions but be unable to generate power in other types of motion and unable to come up with a fluid series of motions to counter a real attack. Advanced principle-based students master enough principles of motion, and absorb enough of an ability to improvise sequences, that they are able to fight effectively.

Either way, you need both skills: executing a sequence of moves, and performing those moves effectively. That is, you need to master both technique and principle. The only question is which to tackle first, and that defines whether or not your art is principle-based.

Welcome to Self Care Arts!

Sun, 12 Mar 2006 07:38:14 GMT

Self Care Arts is a kung fu studio in Colorado Springs specializing in principle-based martial arts. Most of our students study a system called Mountain Dragon Martial Arts, founded by our Sifu Martin Kelly. It is a reality-based blend of Wing Chun, Aikido, and Jujitsu. We also have students in the internal arts of Tai Chi, Baguazhang, and Hsing-Yi.

All Self Care Arts classes focus on whole-body principles of motion, for generating efficient power. Even our internal systems such as Tai Chi are taught for effective martial application, not as ornamental forms.

Because this principle-based, whole-body focus is rare in martial arts schools, Self Care Arts has started this journal as a place for students all over the world to discuss and share. This is a moderated journal, meaning your posts will be reviewed before they are accepted on line. We would like to keep this forum respectful and free of spam.

Thanks for your visit!

NOTE: This journal is in "beta." Expect all elements, from layout to the content of moderators' posts, to be in flux while we test various features of Live Journal and determine how best to use it.

Your posts are welcome any time, even during the beta period.