Wen Hsiu Quan

From Monday the 1st of June 2020 I am finally going to have full 1 hour online classes every Monday and Wednesday night from 18h00 South African time to 19h00. Joining fee is $5 per week. My Paypal link or bank details can be requested in my inbox here or at boshoffm3@gmail.com. All you need to do after paying is to email me the proof of payment to the above email address or- if you manage to do it- to send it to my page or Messenger Inbox. I shall then reply to your email with the Google Meet link. Hope to see you soon!

Hello, everyone, and welcome back.  This morning started rather shakily as I have given my first webinar.  I had a lot of fun pointing out the internal aspects of the Shotokan kata Heian Yondan and explaining why Karate techniques are done the way they are done. I have not forgotten, however, that we still have the Jian to talk about. This is the second last post in the series and the next time you see me we will be doing a short sword form.  Before I do that, however- let's first look at the defense and counterattack techniques of this weapon. You still remember which part of the blade is used for blocking, right? Well- when you are defending- it is that part that shall make the most movement because that is the part that shall make contact with your attacker's weapon.   You have probably practiced these body rotations against body thrusts a couple of times now.  Only thing I can add is that I like to keep the...

Hello, everyone and welcome back. Last week I have posted some basic techniques in the form of warm-up evercises that can be practiced over and over. Those exercises are done standing in one place with only one exercise that has some shifting back and forth- with one foot. Sticking the blade into the other guy is simple when the other guy is within range and standing still. You will not necessarily want to start fighting from within range, though. Once you realise that you are in the kind of fight where not stabbing first means that you might not get to stab at all, starting from out of the opponent's reach and closing the gap between you when you have your chance to stab becomes an important skill to have. Fencing with a partner will of course help, but you have to first prepare your body for the job that it has to do. The first drill is actually a good way of getting into Wudang Kung Fu's footwork. You might recognise the cat/ tiger stance that I use in this video. ...

Hello, everyone. A week ago I was chatting with one of my martial arts friends on Facebook- Nicolas Killen- and we somehow ended up talking about swords. Now- you will know from previous posts (very recent posts) that I have a Katana and a Jian. Nicolas said that he would like to learn a bit about Chinese swordfighting and I said I would gladly help out, so- During the weekends to come I am going to post some basic lessons for use of the Jian- or- Chinese straight sword. The one that I have has a dull flexible blade. I have not seen any with sharpened blades, though-  So- I don't entertain any fantasies of dismembering or decapitating anyone... It does not render the weapon ineffective, though... To use the sword properly you need to understand its design. The sword has one section designated for defense and 3 for attacking. Let's look at these parts from the handle up... The pommel often has a tassle attached to it. It can ...

Hello, everyone We are now in Week 4 of a Lockdown of which the end has yet to be determined (although the end of this month will be really appreciated.) This is the time where I have seen many martial art schools and Yoga studios turn to apps like Zoom to give live online classes. I have been experimenting with it since Thursday. I have not taught anything, but my training sessions were shared with page visitors in these videos: https://web.facebook.com/404145377031933/videos/153641686058159/ https://web.facebook.com/404145377031933/videos/240673023791568/ https://web.facebook.com/404145377031933/videos/2593914424199507/ These videos show the largest part of the training sessions that I have in the mornings. Tomorrow is Taijiquan day. Then it is a lot slower and more peaceful than what goes on on the other days. Mondays are the days for weights and strength exercises. Today's video showed most of the Saturday morning workout. I ha...

I was able to stay off this blog for 2 weeks after our President announced the Lockdown on 26 March. I thought it was going to be over really soon (like the 17th of April)- then it got extended. Going to the gym is out now. And- going to the gym is what I normally do on Fridays, because on Fridays I hit the heavy bag there and do conditioning. For reasons that I would rather not explain the landlords here do not want me to put up any kind of punching bag that is attached to the house. And- last one I had that was not attached to the house was... ummm Yes. It did not last. Nonetheless- I wanted to fill the bag's time with something else... I think you now understand how I got to this point. So- this is more or less the Friday morning workout for the next 3 Fridays (regardless of whether the Lockdown gets extended any further, because after this month I will either work or die resisting arrest after slicing up some people...) ...

My first thought was to title this post "The Empty Hand", but it would not have really suited the content. We know I love kicking, so"Hands and Feet" would have been more accurate, right? But then I would probably get reminded of the elbows and knees... And someone else might then bring up the head, shoulders and hips... As martial artists we often take for granted, especially after some years of training, how much time and effort was put into making our bodies into weapons. Sure- you have the contact areas that have to make contact with the target, but we all know that an inefficient use of the body as the delivery system may cause the fist or foot to never even reach its target... Striking, grappling, defending- all of these actions make up the art of fighting that we practice. Unlike all other weapons in our arsenal, this particular weapon can improve with regular use. It can get stronger, more durable and more effective. ...