tactical notes-the jab

those in training wanting to learn how to deal with the Boxer's Jab (with the elbow down) first need to learn how to move your head. Then learn to move it-slip it sideways-so your opponent's jab goes over your shoulder--if you are both in left lead his jab should go over your left shoulder while you hit him under the arm in the armpit or short ribs.

If his elbow is out on the jab you'll need to flank him more and hit him under his elbow or tricep or ribs.

If he is too tall for this then you'll need to get you head not only to the side but also to the back so you can kick his lower leg with your lead leg...both Tai Chi and Savate have this in their training...Tai Chi prefers not to lean and deflects with the forearms----except for Chen Pan-ling's system where you lean and deflect with the arm! good to err on the side of caution!

The Hsing-I approach using Chang's Tai -as in my dvd of that name is to parry by slicing down his jab-with "Splitting" from Hsing-I---you do this from a "Southpaw" or mirror position with your lead hand...

do NOT do this if his elbow is out! that required brushing the whole arm inside while you step laterally...

aim for his carotid or eyes as you do this...if he is your height...as you slice down the outside of his arm adjust your front foot to a horse-stance (toe in) and in the same movement hit his temple with the second knuckles of your right hand (the same hand you sliced with)...something the Chinese really seemed to get down in most of their systems is the ability to deflect and hit with the same hand...saving the rear hand to access your weapon-as a policeman or swordsman would do...

where are the new products?

...had a call from a friend who-looking at his Christmas Want List- wanted to find where the new products were? he had been looking at the older material on the Physical Training Traditions site --- the newer products are under "Wisdom of the Body"...I have found "Wisdom of the Body" is such a well used phrase I may move everything back to "Physical Training Traditions" eventually...but for now they are under Wisdom of the Body...

getting this thing going

Having been properly chastised for not being very Blogicious I hope to be more regular on this thing and take questions and comments and the rest...one thing that occurred to me was simply putting questions and answers up from various emails as regards training, workshops etc...I get a few questions now and again from readers of the Journal of Asian martial arts as regards my articles and also my own students and peers hit me with pretty interesting stuff which I will post when it hits the right nerve...

First off the Amazon Dance had a partial unveiling at Emory University yesterday so I am interested in hearing how that went...there are nine positions which correspond to Gurdjieff's Enneagram but the dance choreography is mine based on the necessities of human survival in the period of the Sarmatian Warrioresses...the ladies and I are taping some of the practice sessions so I expect to have "how to" material for those who live far away...

Secondly- my pilgrimage to the sacred sites of Europe is aimed for April next year and then in May I will go to London, perhaps Mancester then across to Brest, France on to Paris and then Zurich and Rome...there will be workshops in each place.

The workshops will be largely based on my own martial and yogic pedagogy called The Scythian Path which derives it's philosophy from the martial/yogic application rather than visa versa...so in my own pedagogy application practice comes first...then philosophy, idealology and Shamanism... I'll also work with people on any of the Traditions I am in charge of preserving and consult on physical training...

There will also be - during this trip a lecture in Zurich on the subject of " 2012" with a Theosophical group. I'll mainly be looking at the Astrological side of that in light of historical cycles... I have- over the years- given several lectures at the Theosophical Society of Atlanta and many of those I have also put on DVD...not all the lectures are complete.

My point of view is mainly as one who travels East to West and gathers information and techniques and knowledge as he goes...that is my path...and that is also why my teaching is called the Scythian Path because that is the path they followed from N. Persia into Europe...that is also why-idealogically- I get along well with the Sufi Orders as well as Buddhist and Christian groups. I have to say the work of Rudolph Steiner continues both to amaze and guide me. As Owen Barfield said, "The older I get the more true it seems to be". Having said that the philosophical content of my teaching has evolved very slowly and went through Christianity and Buddhism -particularly Tibetan Buddhism and then into Sufism

and in particular research on Gurdjieff's Sarmoun Brotherhood. I am aware some think that the Sarmoun (ie Sarmatian) is an invention of Gurdjieff though the evidence appears to me to present the opposite idea, that it was indeed a real Secret Community in Central Asia. I believe this group has very specific links to Steiners prophet of the Scythians --- who he called Scythianos. So one could say my teaching - if you follow the highly vectored insights of R. Steiner- is coming from the overlap of Christian and Buddhist streams which have Scythianos in their midst...of course I have students who also just want to know how to "kick some ass" too! luckily it's a point to grow from rather than a place to grow to...