Posts

Showing posts from 2010

Master Wu Guo Zheng's talk on the history of Bagua

Image
Bagua is an art form that has a very confusing background in regards of history. Dong Hai Chuan usually is considered the founder for most lineages. Yet there is also the history of Bagua developing from the Wudang temple. History in China is something that is almost impossible to pinpoint due to many legends, rumors and events that continually changed through out all eras of China. We do know that it was usually found in the hands of those who were of a higher branch in some form of combat. From the personal elite bodyguards for the emperor, to high level assassins. The nature of both occupations would not allow for any public information about bagua and its secrets. My line of Bagua, said to have been developed my Dong Hai Chuan, has passed through the hands of five successors. From Dong Hai Chuan, Cheng Ting Hua, Gao Yi Sheng, Wu Jin Yuan, and Wu Guo Zheng. Each style of Bagua takes on a very different form depending on the teacher of the style. This is also a mystery of the histor...

Glad I missed the bus

Image
My training has continually taught me and re-taught me of how to refine myself. By refining my physical abilities I am able to sharpen my mental skills and percieve the actions of my life through what some would call wisdom. Every master of every creed and type will eventually step into an arena of clarity, a heightened since of perception that can only be called truth. Bruce Lee, Tiger Woods, Micheal Jordan, Muhummad Ali, Albert Einstein and other masters, were able to use their craft to explain a portion of what would be purpose. However on this very same path without guidance we can be tricked into stepping into a darkness with in ourselves that can lead us to perverse our own gift. Man being riddle with flaws, we must always stay connected with the source or we could completely lose ourselves. Every day there is a chance to look into the energy of your own life and choose to grow stronger or grow weaker. We have no control over the things that happen to us but complete control over...

One perfect move

Image
I have always seen the line between martial arts and life. How each is just a mirror of the other and a way of achieving a better focus. Recently I was training my footwork when I came into an enlightening experience that let me see more deeply into kung fu and life. While working on my flow training the idea is to keep each movement connected to the last. Movements can be changed in direction, speed and timing but never sacrificing the flow of energy from one step to the other. In bagua the legs pull the body, the body pulls the hands and the hands are able to let the Qi flow through every motion. Striking and defending are all a part of the same circle at a different point of axis. I found myself growing into a much deeper understanding of the movements after years of researching new methods of training. But instead of finding a better way to train, I found a better way to live. I found that every movement was connected to a thought, memory or experience I have had and am yet to...

Be like water

Image
We often hear that it is important to be like water when practicing martial arts. Meaning we should be clear and able to adapt to the attack of the opponent. Reacting to every movement that is made and attacking the exposed parts of his defense. Of course this is much easier said that done. Most times we find ourselves planning out an attack and trying to force open a weak point of our own. This usually leaves us struggling with both our opponent and our own idea of what to do. In the end if we can not let go of our game plan and mold to the situation we may find ourselves defeated. Not by our opponent but by our unwillingness to adapt. It is the very seem when seeking out opportunities in life. Though we can spend lots of time preparing and training for opportunities that we hope might come, we are not able to bend life to our will. Therefore the most important factor is our ability to flow with the situation and seize the opportunities that appear before us. This means we may find ou...

The Return of Robert Jay Arnold

Image
My birth name is Robert Jay Arnold. A name that over the years of different challenges and struggles I grew a certain disdain for. Half of my friends called me War and the other half called me Fox for different reasons. All details that I will share in my book The Story of Warren Fox. No I am not going to change the name of the book because it carries even more meaning and is a crucial part of the plot. Keep reading along and you will get it. I will add the other chapters soon. Returning to my original name means that I have finally found peace and have conquered the demons of my past. Now I will use my birth name to deal with the demons in the future. Sorry for all of the confusion. Just one of those little growing pains that we all have to deal with. Keep training.

Bagua Fight Scene 八卦掌用法

Fight Scene I shot with the Tianwudao Crew. It's kinda nice.

The story of my life

Image
I am writing a book which is kind of like an auto biography of all of the events that have shaped my life. If you are interested in all the details you can check out the site. http://tianwudao.com/the-story-of-warren-fox

Taiwan Top Model Demonstration

Image
I just finished a demonstration for a runway model competition. It was kind of wild. You can find the details on the TWD site. http://tianwudao.com/the-ronin-and-fox-diaries-top-model-in-taiwan

Take the day with you

Image
My father used to tell me stories about his masters and his master's masters. I remember one about his master Choi, who used to go into the mountains in Korea to train. Inside of a cave he would do a ridiculous work out, thousands of punches and kicks. He mentioned to my dad that he used to punch the wall hundreds of times a day for several years. After years had passed he said that the wall had not changed much aside from the small, smooth groove. But now every time that he hit someone with that punch, they would also feel the wall of the the cave. I don't recommend punching walls for training these days but there is more to the story than that. Every day that you are able to get up and train, you take a part of the day into your technique. The days I train and it's freezing cold I add the frost to my footwork. The days I train in the intense heat I add intensity to my lungs. The days I train in the blinding rain I add clarity to my attack. The days I train when I have no ...

Bagua sticking and trapping tutorial

Image
I am going to keep putting tutorials on the Tian Wu Dao site. It allows me to have more space. Also it gives me a chance to be a part of something bigger than me. Check it out. http://tianwudao.com/bagua-sticking-and-trapping

Tianwudao video links...

Hope everyone has been stoppin by the Tianwudao site from time to time. If you like more than just Bagua, there are a lot of different flavors to see and learn. Now each of the styles have videos to give you a clearer idea of what the style is about. www.tianwudao.com Keep training.

Find your power

Image
I'm nearing the end of my footwork training which is only the first step of developing my body flow training. Ideally I train footwork for a full year. Training each and every step and turn everyday until I have practiced thousands of variations of possible ways to enter and exit my opponents defense. When this is finished, I will begin training my weaving and flow training which is a completely different type of focus. It all leads to the third and final step of this training program which is to develop the way of the hands. All of the footwork and flow training is only a means to extend more power into the hands. Each training period lasts a year and after that it will be the beginning of a new training program. If I actually counted the days that I have from now until the time I finish the program I have layed out, it will be over five years. It is a distraction to think about the amount of time that it will take. It is also a distraction to wonder if I will have enough money ...

Effort

Image
I have just come into my 8th month of footwork practicing. It has been a long and steady process that I am looking forward to getting through. In the end I will have a lot better speed and balance. For myself it is exactly what I need to get to the next part in my training. This year the weather has been a little crazy. The hot weather has been especially hot, the cold weather has been especially cold. I have also added on additional speed training with my moon crescent swords. Everytime time I finish it feels like my hearts gonna come out of my mouth. Why do you train so hard? What is the point to all of it? Why not just put it off until next week? I hear these questions echo through my head as I wake up to another open field to start the process. Squeeze in a few hours before working my Clark Kent job. Maybe a little bit of Taichi after work. I don't get any money from training. I don't even get a belt in my style. The only thing that I have at the end of every session is the...

Demonstration with the Martial arts heroes

Image
Recently I was invited to do a demonstration with the masters from China and Taiwan. They were all representatives or the head of their lineages of the arts. It was great to be able to meet them in person and talk about different ideas. Im am truly fortunate to be able to do a demonstration with masters of such a high caliber. My master Wu Guo Zheng also demonstrated. He did the Pre heaven and I showed the post heaven techniques. To be selected to be a representative of an art is a huge achievement in China....especially if your not Chinese. I wrote an article about it on our new tianwudao page. http://tianwudao.com/the-ronin-and-fox-diaries-martial-arts-demonstration This has all of the nitty-gritty details. Keep you posted for more. If you haven't signed up for the tianwudao site yet, you should. If you like my blog, you'll love this.

Tianwudao site!! Need some help....

Image
Sorry its been I while since my last post. We have been working hard on the new tianwudao site which is for all martial artists. It is an on going process much like kung fu that will continually be growing. There are many areas where we can use your help about martial arts teachers, schools and supply stores. No matter where you are....you can do your part. Check out the missions on the site. http://www.tianwudao.com/

Interview with Daniel D. Zarazua

Image
My man David hooked up this interview with me a while back. Check it out, show support. Every move brings us one step closer to our success. http://www.domingoyu.com/writings/identity-culture/interview-with-taiwans-warren-fox/4

Bagua vs Grappling

Image
A lot of students who practice the internal arts ask me about what techniques are best used when facing grapplers. Of course there is no one movement solution because grappling is alive and many factors can change what would be the most effective solution. But here are a few tips I have found useful for my training. First you must have a proper root before trying to use any techniques, defensive or offensive. This comes from practicing strikes and blocks from a low and agile stance. In Bagua we say, "When you are moving you are like water, but when we stop we are like a mountain." These means we must be low and fast at the exact same time. If you haven't trained your stances enough you will find yourself exausted in just a few minutes. When someone shoots in on you they have to have their base lower than your own. If you can train yourself to always have a lower base than your opponent while being able to strike and evade then you have already one half of the battle. Seco...

為何是功夫?!

Image
每天,起床後第一要做的事,就是得練拳,不管天氣多寒冷,或下大雨,身體不舒服的種種情況下,我還是非得練不可,已經這樣持續了26年,但是學的再久,功夫始終是學了一輩子還是學不完的東西。最近朋友問我:你為何要自己辛苦的練習這樣已退了流行的運動??尤其在這個時候根本賺不了錢 小時候,練拳是爸爸的要求,我跟我兩個哥哥都要練習功夫,之所以要學功夫,是由於我們以前住的地方因為有嚴重的種族歧視的問題,黑人常受到欺負,所以先學會保護自己必然是重要的。當我在12歲的時,已經實戰了十來多次,所以,就因為我在如此在不安的社會,使我可以在每一次的打鬥經驗中得到其中的技巧和重要性,當我慢慢長大後,雖然還被看不起了,但我還是很自信的,因為功夫是讓我的腦中和精神,以及動力都變的更堅毅而強壯,我長大後才得以看清楚這些武術的深奧內涵,打敗別人是很簡單的事,但打敗自己的缺點,是每天都要經歷的過程,這原來才是生命中最難克服的戰局吧! 因為有了這個''武''的基礎,讓我能排除了在我生命中所有的疑難雜事,我不畏懼我心中所有的主意想法,無論在寫歌拍戲抑或表演,都能利用武的精神面對,一開始有人單挑我會說:我根本不怕你!,接著一群人,我還是會說:我不怕你們!我不怕這些人,我不怕自己的缺點,我更不怕失敗,因為失敗是自己承認了自己失敗,才算是真正的失敗,就算失去了工作,跟女朋友分手,考試不及格,都是個新的挑戰可以有機會讓自己變的更強,更了解真相,最重要的是功夫是如何的給你無窮的自信,方向,或是別人眼中遙不可及的夢想,這是榮華富貴也無法買到的高尚心靈,不只是成長也增長了智慧,如此珍貴的一切都是功夫賦予給我的力量,這才是我想要把武術帶給每一個人的最大原因!

Commitment

Image
The hardest part of training Bagua is the amount of information and movements that must be practiced and memorized until they are effective. If I spend everyday thinking about all 8000 movements, weapons, power development and new research that needs to be done it can begin to stress me out a bit. Mapping out a plan with thousands of tiny pieces seems like an insurmountable task. On the other hand no matter how complex something may seem, it is at the same time very simple. Just the same as love, sometimes looking at things through a microscope can actually take you out of focus. In the end Bagua is just a combination of circles. Making a circle around your opponent, a circle with in your hands and your body, a circle with your qi . Of course a circle has 360 degrees, angles, etc. But what is the point of making things more complex than what they actually are? My master's father once said, " If you practice walking your circle making a thousand revolutions a day, for a thous...