Shaolin Five Animals

Kung Fu or Gong Fu means "hard work". Sifu would bring this up when we were in the middle of a particularly brutal exercise. We'd be on our third set of push-ups and he would yell out, "What does Kung Fu mean?!" and we would answer "Hard work!". And if we didn't yell...
D.A.T.E.S.

D.A.T.E.S.

Sijo Carl Totton would often tell us stories about his time training with Senior Grandmaster Ed Parker (The founder of American Kenpo Karate). Sijo clearly admired Ed Parker for his prowess as a fighter and for his generosity as a teacher but I...

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Students and Teachers

Students and Teachers

I've always had an interesting relationship with teachers. I'm a natural skeptic and I tend to challenge authority (especially when I perceive an error in logic or method). I ask a lot of questions and I actively test boundaries to make sure I...

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The Present Moment

The Present Moment

During my time at The Taoist Institute, I was fortunate enough to be able to spend some time with Yo Hoon Kim. Sifu arranged for workshops with him at the school and I was able to travel up to his cabin in the mountains to sit with him for a while....

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The Three Treasures

The Three Treasures

The Three Treasures refers to Chapter 67 of the Tao Te Ching. There are a lot of interesting ideas in this book but this chapter summarizes Taoist ideas in a succinct way. Tao Te Ching - Chapter 67Some say that my teaching is nonsense.Others call...

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Wu Wei

Wu Wei

When I started studying Taoism, I became fascinated with a concept called Wu Wei. This is a central theme of Taoism and is often translated as "non-action" or "acting without forcing". I've been noodling on this concept for so long that I refined...

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Ho’oponopono

Ho’oponopono

I was introduced to Ho'oponopono at a time in my life when I needed some help. I was severely depressed and I was struggling with my self-esteem. I had just experienced a very bitter end to a long relationship with someone I thought I would be with...

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100-Day Gong

100-Day Gong

It takes around three months to develop a new habit. If you are open to taking the plunge and dedicating yourself to exploring this concept, you may be able to unlock the power of incremental growth. Gong = Work If this is your first time trying to...

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