Wen Hsiu Quan

Hi, guys and girls! :) I have realised this week that for a person running a blog about his own style of martial arts I write a lot about other styles. Sure- I have reasons to do so, but I think it's time that we focus on my style- the style of Wenhsiuquan (Wen Hsiu's Fist) for a change. Even if it is just to discuss one kick... The idea to write today's post came from a video that got shared on my Facebook timeline. The video explained how the reverse roundhouse kick (I notice that in the US it is called a "Hook Kick") is done. When this Saturday came around the video itself was no longer to be found on my timeline. Fortunately- Jesse Sensei knows very well about what kick I am talking about since he has his own video showing how it is done. This is also the first species of this kick that I have learnt as a white belt in Shukokai (yes- I was a white belt, but karate people will tell you that 14 year old white belts get taught cool stuff quicker if...

Some years ago, back when I was a kid, I thought just like a lot of people do today that I just had to get that black belt to have all the skills I have ever wanted in martial arts. Nowadays- we know that this is not how it works, of course... I have long since forsaken the quest for any kind of belt. While I respect the wishes of those who still works towards getting their next belt- I'd like to tell you a bit about the other side of the coin. A side which seems to be silenced on social media in this day and age. This morning I have designed this short form using Shaolin's Snake Fist. I have created forms using the Leopard Fist and Tiger Claw as well some time ago, but the Snake Fist actually came to take up much of my mind this week. The reason for this is that it has finally begun to get strong enough to hurt more than just the eyes and larynx. You see- since I have started working out with this punching bag I developed the habit of practicing the...

I was bullied a lot in my early years of high school. One of the things I have learnt about bullies is that they thrive in those dark corners where no teachers or other adults are present. Later on in life you quickly learn who rules the workplace when the boss is away. Well- now it seems we live in a country where the Deputy President's bodyguards and the police have learnt that they can get away with a lot as long as they can't be identified. All of it is just another variation of cowards feeling safe in an environment where what they do cannot come to light. Recently the story told in the newspaper clipping took place near my home town. The offenders here went through all this trouble of threatening innocent people at gunpoint because they did not want to their wrong doing to be on video. A couple of years ago a large group of uniformed pigs wanted to confiscate my phone because I have photographed their vehicles' licence plates and themselves while they we...

As you already know- I train and practice on a regular basis- I meditate daily- And it does not cost me a cent! To be honest- I have never realised that people would actually be willing to pay to have someone teach them to meditate. Unlike martial arts that have layers upon layers of techniques meditation is something in which you can get far by sticking to what you have been taught at the beginning. Sure- I paid  money for the magazine from which I have learnt my first meditation exercises and also for the books, but after that practice was free of charge. Still- I see lots of people paying month after month for going to this or that class... And people tend to think I am crazy... Umm... well... I guess people can spend their money as they see fit, but it looks like many of these people believe that whatever benefits they seek from meditation can only be obtained by attending that particular class on a regular basis- for which they hav...

Although I started my martial arts journey with Judo as a kid I have only begun learning to do proper throws after I have taken up Karate. As soon as I have learnt about what cool things you can do once you got yourself firmly rooted into the ground I felt like the secret to limitless hidden strength got opened up to me. So- I am not very fond of jumping, standing on the balls of my feet or even bouncing. The first aerial throw I have seen in my life was when I started playing Mortal Kombat II. One of the characters in the game, Kung Lao- had this insane throw that involved him grabbing hold of his opponent as he somersaults over him and then throwing him across the screen as he lands. Cool move as it was- I thought it was completely made up and that it had no basis in actual martial arts. Well- then, many years later, I have found this video on Youtube- The kata in which this move is found is well known to Shotokan students. The most recognisable feature of the kata, ...

Hi! I was planning on writing a post on aerial throws when something caught my attention during the week. By now I think we all know Jesse Enkamp, right? He is an active Karate competitor, teacher and also an online celebrity who has made a lot of information on Karate available in videos as well as articles that he publishes online. The video below actually, and ironically, came to my attention only today when I was searching for material for my post. It is important to note that it got published on the 18th of March 2018. What got my attention during the week was this... Frankly- I know we should have expected it. The martial arts world is known to have its fair amount of trash talking and self-promotion and this has been so long before the internet came about. In the town where I have learnt Shukokai there was a Sankukai dojo as well. It did not take me very long after joining the Shukokai dojo to learn at school (high school) that the students of these two scho...

If you have been doing Karate or Kickboxing all your life and someone tells you he's doing Taijiquan (or "Tai Chi" as I often hear it being called- a misnomer that does more damage to one's perception of the martial art it is supposed to refer to than "Kerawdee" does to Karate.), you don't immediately think of a fighter, do you? For the purpose of this blog post I will leave the entire incident surrounding the viral Taijiquan vs MMA video out of this discussion. I simply have moe than enough to write about without it. I think that the teachings from internal martial art systems are really underrated these days and that they have a place in all martial arts. I foresee, however, that I would have a tough time selling this idea to the local Karate dojo or MMA gym.  It is easy to think why- - Internal arts like Taijiquan and Qigong (which in my view should be practiced together)  at first glance do not seem to have any relevance to fighting ...