Martial Arts

The value of martial arts training in modern American society can hardly be overstated. The world we live in is motorized, automated, and sedentary, while also frenetic and stressful. This has led to many people suffering the ill effects of physical lethargy and lack of a calm mind. Martial arts provide a nearly ideal remedy for these problems, as they nurture the body and mind simultaneously. The student of systems such as kung fu, aikido, or tai chi becomes stronger, more limber, quicker, and more enduring, while his mind becomes calmer and more focused. In addition, the ethics of martial arts provides a sane counterweight to some of the extremes of popular culture. Such benefits can help us live in the world we have created.

For the past six years, it has been my good fortune to study martial arts under the instruction of Sifu Calvin Jones, who now teaches privately in Fairfax County, Virginia. Sifu Jones has himself studied various forms of kung fu and tai chi for over twenty years, and he brings his own remarkable talent as well as a calm, understated teaching style to the "wuguan" (that's basically a dojo, for you karate students out there). The style of kung fu Sifu Jones teaches is primarily based on the Southern Shaolin Temple tradition, combining the powerful strikes and kicks of a "hard" system with the flowing, liquid blocks and footwork of "soft," "internal" styles. The "hard" aspect of the system emulates the movements and attacks of various animals, with the tiger, crane, snake, eagle, and dragon prominently featured, and other animal techniques present as well. The "soft" aspect of the system involves a variety of palm strikes and blocks, as well as grabbing techniques. Sifu Jones also teaches tai chi fist and sword forms and just about anything else that might be interesting or useful.

I took the above picture in one of the buildings of the Yiheyuan -- the Chinese imperial summer palace -- in Beijing. The room I was in was a small shrine that contained statues of all 18 of the 18 Arhats. Actually, no one was supposed to be taking photographs in there, so I only took one picture. Now, I probably would not have broken the no photography rule, but I was 21 back then and perhaps less thoughtful than I am now. If you are interested in my travels in China, please follow the link.

Here are a few other links to interesting pages dedicated to the martial arts:

Martial Arts Resources
A large number of links to martial arts sites around the Net.

White Tiger Kung Fu Kuan
Homepage of a very serious private kung fu club.

Praying Mantis Kung Fu
A plethora of information on this fascinating martial arts style.

I will try to keep adding to this list whenever I find anything interesting out there.

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Copyright © 1996 Scott Carr