As an avid drinker of Wulong tea, Wuyi Mountain is a place I have wanted to visit for a long time. A dramatic range of limestone peaks and cliffs nestled in the northwest of Fujian province, straddling the Jiangxi and Zhejiang borders, Wuyi Mountain really is the postcard image of China. The range is known […]
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Current location: Mount Wuyi, Fujian, China
How To Keep Up Training While Traveling
Being both an avid traveler and obsessive martial artist, I often feel I’m living two contradictory lifestyles. Martial arts requires dedication and routine, making sure you train every day no matter what. Travel is unpredictable and exhausting, and the last thing you want to do while exploring a new country is tire your body with […]
The Mercenary Mandarin – a Book Review
Mercenary Mandarin is the account of an eccentric Victorian adventurer, William Mesny. During his time in China, he worked as a smuggler and gun runner, got imprisoned by the Taiping Rebels, and eventually landed himself a job as a general for the Qing Emperor, charged with overthrowing a Miao Rebellion in the mountains of Southwest […]
Buying a Balisong in The Philippines
For my last day in the Philippines, my new friends drove me out to Tagatay, to see the large lake with a volcano in the middle. It was about a two hour drive outside of Manila, most of which was spent just getting through the city traffic! As we got out of the city the […]
Mantis Exchange in Manila
On the second and third day in Manila, Arnold had a couple of students take me around Manila to see some of the sights. The first day, we went to Intramuros, the old Spanish colonial area of town. Intra means inside, and so this area is surrounded by a huge stone wall, built by the […]
Praying Mantis Kung Fu 螳螂拳
Praying Mantis Kung Fu is a system of kung fu originating from Laiyang county, a rural area of Yantai city, Shandong province. It was created around the late Ming - early Qing dynasty (17th century) … read more about Praying Mantis Kung Fu 螳螂拳
Xinyi Liuhe Quan 心意六合拳
Xinyi Liuhe Quan and Xingyi are two names for a system which grew up in northern-central China around Shanxi, Henan and Hebei provinces. Xinyi, which means Heart-Mind Fist was the original name and is … read more about Xinyi Liuhe Quan 心意六合拳
Taekkyon 택견
Taekkyon is a Korean martial art with a strong influence from traditional Korean dance. It was popular during the Joseon Dynasty as a folk game, where competitors tried to kick the opponent in the … read more about Taekkyon 택견
Seven Star Praying Mantis with Brendan Tunks
A good friend of mine, Brendan Tunks, is one of the leading teachers of Seven Star Praying Mantis in the western world. I caught up with him recently for a chat about his martial arts training, and … read more about Seven Star Praying Mantis with Brendan Tunks
Seven Star Praying Mantis with Dog Brother Thomas Holtmann (part 1)
A good friend of mine, Thomas Holtmann is one of the main guys "keeping it real" in the Praying Mantis world. Besides being a formal disciple of Seven Star Master Zhong Lian Bao, he is also a full … read more about Seven Star Praying Mantis with Dog Brother Thomas Holtmann (part 1)
Hohhot and the Grasslands of Inner Mongolia
Today’s guest post is by Only Once Today. Lobke and Inge want to share their experiences and insights with the world. They write about LGBT, budget travel and different destinations. http://onlyonce.today When we embarked on our trip to China, we were a little concerned about language barriers. That’s why we decided to join a […]
The Miao and Their Buffalo Fights by David Leffman
The Miao (Hmong) ethnic group of Qiandongnan – southeastern Guizhou province – are hill-dwelling farmers, best known in China for their embroidered jackets and complicated silver assemblages that women wear during the many festivals dotting the Miao calendar. Buffaloes – aside from their obvious agricultural uses – crop up everywhere in Miao life (not to […]