You’ve heard it. You know how it ends. You probably even said it in the corner of your mind already. And you laughed, I know. As if behind these words there was nothing worth of your smarts. Just muscle. Oh, the dumb traps of the unthreatened life… There’s nothing brute behind that thought, I can … Continue reading That quote from Tyson
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The Samurai’s Apprentice
It hadn’t been one year, and the apprentice was already approaching his master. “Sensei, I really want to be a samurai. If I work hard, how long will it take for me to get my sword?” “Ten years,” the master said. The student nodded with all the respect he could summon. ”What if I work … Continue reading The Samurai’s Apprentice
The Supreme Skill of Fortitude
Not sure what's cause, what's consequence. But being raised inside of a Dojo, I always felt that fortitude was the most important emotional skill someone could develop. Because fortitude is the skill of all skills. The thick skin that allows you to face difficulties, learn from them and emerge better. Which applies to anything in … Continue reading The Supreme Skill of Fortitude
Curing writers block with martial arts
Recently I got stuck on my next novel (a story about kung fu and artificial Intelligence). First I blamed how busy I got at work and adjusting our lives to the East Coast. But truly it was because I got so into my survival journey as a white belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu that, despite … Continue reading Curing writers block with martial arts
Frame, Force and Flow
I’ve been thinking a lot about the similarities and differences between different styles of #fighting. Not only their signature moves or their compared efficacy, but mostly how they structure training. After trying #martialarts from so many origins, and approaches so distinct, it occurred to me that all that those systems try to find is their … Continue reading Frame, Force and Flow
Dummy Rant
The #wingchun #woodendummy is a trunk with arms. But it’s the trunk, not the arms! A tool created to help us visualize the centerline, fundamental principle of this art. To help us learn to pressure the centerline. Attack the centerline. Move around the arms and the legs... to attack the centerline. Yet, most people I … Continue reading Dummy Rant
My name is Tigress
Girls should be at home this late. Especially little Asian chicks like me. Never running, alone, in the dark streets of Oakland. Except that when dudes see you so comfortable and confident by yourself, they think you are either crazy or are hiding something.I am both. Crazy and hiding. From a fence ahead, I hear … Continue reading My name is Tigress
For all women
One day, a woman is gonna break into culture and be known as the one beating the guys. May happen through movies, competition, the news... who knows. What I do know is from that day forward, whoever looks like her is gonna be feared and respected as “maybe she knows that karate shit too” kind … Continue reading For all women
Taichi for real fights?
I grew up doing Taichi under the shadow of Wudang. Shifu never explained why or how, but he would make us perform the slow forms with precision and power, then when we had to fight, he pushed us away from trying to use the moves and positions. “No fantasy,” he would say. It infuriated me. … Continue reading Taichi for real fights?
Fighting, for women
For a woman, fighting is different. Technique matters more, intelligence matters more. We can’t rely on our weight and muscles so much. Need leverage, footwork, speed instead. But more than anything, we need inspiration. Not everyone is lucky to have been born in a family of fighters like me, to have been raised by one … Continue reading Fighting, for women
The Girl from Wudang 