Ask any martial arts practitioner that question and that person will probably answer that the style they are practicing is the best. And, if you ask enough people, in the end, all that leaves is continued confusion over which style is really the best. The better question might be …. “which martial arts style is the best for__________ (fill in the blank)”. In other words, what is the objective?   If the objective is to be able to perform impressively high, spinning kicks, then maybe Taekwondo might be the answer.   If the objective is to develop good falling skills and strong joint-lock maneuvers, then maybe Judo/Juijitsu could be the answer. Have other thoughts? There’s probably other, specific martial arts styles that address those thoughts. The point is, every style of martial arts has its strong points. But they also have some not-so-strong points. For instance, Taekwondo has very few punching techniques, and Judo/Juijitsu has very few actual kicking techniques. Our Shaolin Five-Fist Defense System has a good mix of most styles…..strong hand/punching techniques, strong, effective kicking techniques, some powerful joint-lock techniques, and a good amount of techniques that require a person to know how to fall in a manner to avoid (or at least lessen) further injury. As a bonus, our system teaches how to get in and stay in close, yet still deliver effective offensive (or defensive) techniques. Does it take a while to actually develop the skills to be effective? Of course. All styles of martial arts require some serious commitment and dedication to master the movements in a way that one can truly rely on the training for effective self-defense. But that’s the point behind martial arts in the first place…..its very nature and manner […]

Likely, you’re too busy, and have other commitments that demand more of your time that you can give to just one more activity, but honestly, you’re never too old for martial arts. Don’t even try to use that excuse!! Senior Master George (who trains in Concord) is in his 80s, and he still works at his material every day. Everybody studies the arts for different reasons. Some participate looking for a general increase in fitness. Some take it because they want to learn techniques that would be helpful if they, or someone they love was threatened, and an opportunity arose to assist in their defense. Some want to learn the movements to incorporate them into a “moving meditation” routine. Some feel that the stances and movements will really help their balance, and possibly their flexibility. Some believe that by studying the forms and movements, their focus and mental stamina will be increased. The truth? Every one of those benefits can be derived from taking martial arts! No matter the age, everyone can receive some benefit from studying.   A good instructor will scale the movements to the person’s ability and fitness level, yet still gently push the student to do just a little bit more next time, increase that stance just a little bit more, put just a little more power into the movement, stay just a little more upright…..all the while monitoring that the person is not put at risk for injury. Not into the gung-ho self-defense aspect of the arts? (it’s called martial arts for a reason) Fine. The traditional five-animal forms offer an excellent way to receive the benefits of studying the arts. And while there are certainly some very martial aspects in those forms, […]

We’re going to let the weather play itself out with the snow, sleet, freezing rain, and stay warm and safe.   We should be open Thursday for regular hours!

Thursday, December 29th……  we’re open today.  Weather not keeping us down!