http://www.isnare.com/?s=author&a=Richard+Clear Recreation Richard Clear Thu, 09 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0800 http://www.isnare.com/?aid=720017&ca=Recreation In China, there are three martial arts which together are known as the Nia Jia, the internal arts. These are Bagua, Xing-Yi, and Tai Chi. Whereas other martial arts focus more on things like physical strength or specific techniques for fighting, the internal arts focus on what is happening inside th... Recreation Richard Clear Thu, 09 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0800 http://www.isnare.com/?aid=720022&ca=Recreation itary strategy, this is good advice. However, combat Tai Chi brings these principles directly to bear on martial arts combat situations. 1. I must know them. Tai Chi martial artists learn to tell what is happening with the alignment of their attackers. Tai Chi push hands drills enable students to le... Recreation Richard Clear Thu, 09 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0800 http://www.isnare.com/?aid=720026&ca=Recreation Tai Chi is not the only martial art to make use of the elbow. Elbow strikes are important in other martial art forms such as Muiy Tai Boxing. However, as an internal art, Tai Chi has a unique take on how to use the elbows as deadly weapons. At the heart of Tai Chi practice are the 13 postures. These... Sports Richard Clear Thu, 09 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0800 http://www.isnare.com/?aid=720029&ca=Sports There's a common misconception in America that Tai Chi is only a set of exercises that emphasizes health and well-being in much the same way that Yoga does. Unfortunately, this view is not only held by many in the general public, but also by some who actually teach certain aspects of Tai Chi. Althou... Sports Richard Clear Mon, 06 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0800 http://www.isnare.com/?aid=716984&ca=Sports Where other types of martial arts focus on building up strength so as to deliver as much force as possible, Tai Chi students learn to deliver as much force with as little effort as possible. Where other arts develop artists with huge muscles, Tai Chi artists can do a lot of damage, even if they are... Sports Richard Clear Fri, 03 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0800 http://www.isnare.com/?aid=712967&ca=Sports We've all seen movies where in the middle of a fight a hero's enemies land what would ordinarily be devastating blows. The hero might stumble for a moment or two, but is ultimately able to withstand the hits and go on fighting and land overwhelming blows. Although these movie fights are just fiction... Sports Richard Clear Fri, 03 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0800 http://www.isnare.com/?aid=712971&ca=Sports Tai Chi practice involves more than just the forms that casual observers associate with the art. It also includes practical applications that can be used in combat situations. Among these are the 13 postures. When Tai Chi moves are explained in the Tai Chi classics, more often then not the author is... Recreation Richard Clear Sat, 28 Jan 2012 00:00:00 +0800 http://www.isnare.com/?aid=706018&ca=Recreation To the uninitiated, the slow, relaxed, and fluid movements in the Tai Chi look like they wouldn't be very useful in a combat situation. Even some practitioners of the art believe that this kind of movement is practiced for health benefits and not for real self defense. However, this type of movement... Self Help Richard Clear Tue, 10 Jan 2012 00:00:00 +0800 http://www.isnare.com/?aid=685669&ca=Self+Help Qigong is a method of healing used in Traditional Chinese Medicine. In translation, "Qi" means "energy" and refers to the vital force of the body. This energy is not a mystical or metaphysical energy. Instead, most Chinese masters believe it can be explained using western scientific terms such as ph... Self Help Richard Clear Tue, 10 Jan 2012 00:00:00 +0800 http://www.isnare.com/?aid=685683&ca=Self+Help Mind intent is an important component of Qigong healing. In Chinese thought, there are many different kinds of mind intent. The previous article discussed Yi or intellectual mind intent. This article will outline Shen or emotional mind intent. If you have ever walked into a funeral or another event...