Gyokko Ryu’s Internal Power Training

There is no doubt in my mind that Hatsumi Sensei possesses unusual power in his budo.  Anyone who has trained with him can tell you that!  But what is it and where does it come from?  More importantly, how can YOU develop it as well?

Soke’s martial movement displays many of the characteristics associated with Internal Power training: ghostly movement, immovability (static and dynamic), shockingly powerful strikes with little windup, adhesion caused by movement, kuzushi on contact, and others. Continue reading

This Simple Practice RESETS Your Body

Let’s face it.  Some days we just need to hit the RESET button.  Whether due to stress, an accumulation of injuries, fatigue, or illness we need to find a way to RESET the body in order to allow its own natural healing function to take over.

Luckily, there is a very simple process whereby we can RESET ourselves and acquire a deep level of whole body relaxation.  It can be accomplished through the Yiquan training method of Wuji standing, otherwise known as Health Standing.

Wuji translates to “without poles” or “pre-heaven” meaning that yin and yang have not yet been determined.  It is a pure untapped potential and possibility.  It is from this untapped potential that we will begin to form a relaxed, connected body primed for internal power training.

Before we get into the particulars of the exercise, you need to know how to stand. Continue reading

Resolving the Tension Paradox for Martial Artists

In order to truly begin our quest for Integrated Strength, we must first resolve the tension paradox between conventional strength training and internal power…

“Don’t use muscle!”

“No power!”

“Relax!”

“Move naturally!” Continue reading

Theme for 2015 – Integrated Strength

New Years Day, 2015

Warrior Fitness HQ

Happy New Year, Warriors!

When I first began Warrior Fitness way back in 2008 the goal was simple – utilize my knowledge, training, and experience from several different disciplines under the broad heading of Strength & Conditioning to enhance the performance of martial arts.  I began by creating a unique series of functional training exercises that encompassed mobility, flexibility, strength, conditioning, balance, agility, coordination, and endurance. Continue reading

Research of Martial Arts (Book Review)

I love reading martial arts books.  Over the course of my career, I have probably read hundreds of them.  There are currently a dozen or more on my book shelf.  I had to get rid of some that I no longer read to make space for the ones I constantly go back and refer to over and over again.  Unfortunately, in recent years martial arts books have become boring and predictable.  They have little real content and lots of pictures of techniques that don’t really mean anything unless you are taught them in person.  I literally cannot remember the last martial arts book I read in the past few years that was worth talking about.  Until now… Continue reading

A Glimpse Into Internal Power Training – The Push Test

The push test is a very practical way of testing the quality of one’s solo training for internal power.  As explained in Weakest Direction Theory is BS, the body, when properly trained, acts as an omni-directional structure.  This allows the practitioner of internal power to neutralize any incoming force by diffusing it throughout the structure rather than having to surrender to it or resist against it.  Either you can do it or you can’t.  There’s no way to fake it. Continue reading

Martial Software or Martial Hardware?

Remember in The Matrix when Morpheus downloaded those dozens of different martial arts programs (software) into Neo’s brain and he instantly could perform all the techniques from those arts?

That is a perfect example of a software upgrade.  Techniques instantly available at your fingertips – literally! Continue reading

Weakest Direction Theory is BS – Part 2

Make sure you read the highly controversial Part 1,Weakest Direction Theory is BS, before moving on to part 2 below…

Preface

I love martial arts.  I love everything about it.  I love training martial arts, practicing martial arts, teaching martial arts.  I love reading martial arts history, philosophy, even martial arts fiction.  I love talking about martial arts.  I love writing about martial arts.  Are you getting the picture yet?  Have I pre-framed this well enough for you?   Continue reading

Weakest Direction Theory is BS

Warning: The following post is going to conflict with the most basic, fundamental principle you “know” to be true in martial arts.  Chances are you learned this principle on your first day of martial arts class.  Since that day you have repeated it almost every class.  You have taught it as truth to every new person you’ve ever trained with.  It’s so ingrained into your psyche that it’s practically dogma.  Most likely you will read this a instantly brand me a Budo Heretic.  Yup.  It’s that controversial…

Continue reading

My Morning Routine

For the past several weeks there has been a running theme interwoven throughout my blog posts.  That theme has been practice, Daily Personal Practice (DPP), to be precise.

I’ve gotten several questions about the details of my own DPP since I refer to it several times in my writing.  So I figured I would pull back the curtains and give you a more detailed glimpse into my Morning Routine of DPP in this post. Continue reading