|
|
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
| The Lounge | Champions | The Wire | Schedule | Audio | Arcade | The Top Ten | Historical | Email | Video |
Martial Arts: Mind, Body and Spirit Presented Online
This Martial Arts website uses body, spirit and mind to construct an excellent example of the quality and amount of information you can put on your website. http://www.taichiacademy.com.au/default.htm I am very interested in Martial Arts, as I've been training in Tai Chi on and off for ten years as well as an Internal Martial Art called Wu Dao Gong for a year and a half. I have searched many websites to find a good one to write about but none seem to compare to the site by the actual organization that I am fortunately part of. They are called the Tai Chi Academy and their online magazine can be found at a link from their homepage or at: http://www.taichiacademy.com.au/magazine/index.htm What I find so remarkable about this site compared to other martial art sites is the variety and depth of information shared with visitors. These people really want to paint a true, honest picture about everything that they do and why they do it. 'Flow like a river, and be still like a mountain.' This famous Tai Chi quote epitomizes the flowing yet static style of this website. There must be at least a hundred pages about everything from basic school principles for prospective students to recipes for healthy vegetarian food recipes! Martial Arts are a lifestyle to this school and I believe they want to address all aspects of life in a truly holistic approach. Integrated throughout the site are heaps of photos (most of which are in vibrant color) depicting the actual training as well as cool photos of their field trips to China etc. The magazine site itself is separated into main categories such as Archived Features, Testimonials, Archived Interviews, Suggested Reading, and Vegetarian Corner for Non-vegetarians as well as Links. Under the 'Archived Features' section is a category entitled 'Training in Wu Dao Gong'. This couple of pages gives the visitor an excellent, detailed perspective on the philosophy behind this training. If you are then interested in finding out more you can click on the Tai Chi Academy actual Home Page and click on the subheading 'Courses'. There you can read several more in-depth explanations about all the aspects of the training from meditation to physical exercises and their effects. They emphasize that emotional and spiritual development are integral to moving forward down the path of happiness and peace. They are adamant that this is a course for the arts and is not religious in any way. I found the 'Testimonials' section to be quite interesting as there are a variety of responses from students. They come across as being very authentic as there seems to be such a diverse reaction to the training. The Kung Fu seems to have helped so many people ranging from older women to teenage boys. One aspect that everyone comments on is the lack of ego and competitive nature of the instructors. Just like the website, the stigmatic qualities often associated with Martial Arts is not present here; no one is trying to look cool or be aggressive. This is very important to people whom just want to increase their health and self-defense capabilities like myself. This website is a perfect example of the true function and intention of the Internet, to share positive information and knowledge around the world. Of course the Tai Chi Academy is a business, but the honest and open format of their website reflects the philosophy of their teachings and is appreciated by visitors. All products' costs are right there to be seen; as there is nothing to hide when monetary gain is not the sole imperative of an organization. A lot can be learned here by companies' and individuals' approaches to constructing an identity on the Internet. Jesse S. Somer
MORE RESOURCES:
Google News |
RELATED ARTICLES
The Rebels Guide to Cultivating Vitality Many Taoists recluses and Buddhists monks dwelled in mountains and forests to observe, listen, and meditate in order to gather deeper understanding and greater knowledge of nature than is possible when living in the milieu of human society.Often in search of extraordinary longevity and treasures of life, these extraordinary men (and a few women) moved from observation of nature to experimentation and development of the body. Combatives This is our last installment on "defining" the parameters of COMBATIVES.The point, I am sure, will be missed by some but it must be emphasized that this material is historical fact and is accurate in substance and detail. Martial Training as a Timeless Portal Thanks to several centuries of enlightened teachings by extraordinary men in the martial disciplines, we don't have to be restricted to lives of getting and spending, waiting in quiet desperation for the pain to cease.Most of us in the Arts focus on the tasks in front of our noses (the correct hand forms/kicks/body alignments), forgetting our option to consciously evolve along the way to physical perfection. Samurai Swords - Choosing a Sword to Buy It's undeniable that a well placed and mounted samurai sword or samurai sword set looks fantastic and an ads character to any room of the home, but is it worth spending upwards of $650 on such a sword or sword set? This all depends on your reasons for buying a samurai sword.If you are merely purchasing a samurai sword for display purposes and positioning it as a focal point in a room then you certainly don't need to spend anything like the amount suggested above, you can just go for a relatively cheap manufactured replica with the necessary sword stand. The Best Martial Art It is a very difficult task to determine which martial art is the best so first of all let's take a look what a martial art exactly is and what not.The word "martial art" consists of 2 parts ; "martial" and "art" both of them are very important as you will see in the following lines in the determination of what a martial art exactly is. Samurai Swords and The Swordsmiths Back in the early times of sword manufacture, the production of super strong high-grade carbon steel wasn't even a vague dream. But we know, as history has taught us, that sword makers of ancient times still managed to produce superb quality, strong weapons. Real Life Self-Defense Starts From... "Nicky Bats" was an "old school" kinda guy. He was "street" thru and thru. The Acronym That Saved My Life Frequently, I get asked about certifications, systems or methods. We made a decision a long time ago of purposely staying away from things like this. Samurai Armor Part 1 The first prototype for Japanese samurai armor came about in the form of the yoroi during the Gempei War of 1181-1185. The weight of the yoroi was around 60lb. Samurai Sword Basics, A Brief History Capturing the spirit of old Japan and recognised by its deadly curvature, the samurai sword is widely recognised throughout the world as the most deadly of all Japanese weaponry. Although gaining modern fame and notoriety in modern epic cinema in such films as The Last Samurai and the Kill Bill series by Quentin Tarantino, samurai swords have long being an iconic symbol of Japan and its history. Basic Drills We all have a good foundation in the basic blows and combinations.Think about adding the following drills to your basic syllabus. Bogu Training About four years ago Carl recommended we start using the Bogu during our kumite (sparring practice). This method was developed in Okinawa and then found its way into mainland Japan and eventually to the U. Okinawan Karate So you are thinking of starting to train in okinawan karate. There are a lot of choices as far as okinawan karate schools are concerned. The Test "Will this work so that I can use it instinctively in vital combat against an opponent who is determined to prevent me from doing so, and who is striving to eliminate me by fair means or foul". ~ Rex ApplegateIt really does NOT matter one iota what style, system, method, or technique you MAY wish to apply to your personal survival training. New Book: Positive Aikido A new book with a practical look at Aikido and its history. The Co-authors are direct students of the legendary master Kenshiro Abbe Sensei from 1957. Its Not a Matter of Who is Right "People here may belittle sports arts.. So You Think You Train Hard "Tokio Hirano (1922-1993) 8th DanThe Man Who Revolutionized Judo"By Jim Chen, M.D . Fun Games for Children Training in Martial Arts Keeping children interested in their Martial Arts training requires an element of fun and games. Traditionalists are usually only concerned with the discipline and structure of their training, but incorporating fun games involving proper techniques will add to the value of training and keep the kids interested. Are You Frustrated Yet? I was talking to a parent recently and they told me that their son was not going to compete in wrestling because they were afraid they would get frustrated when he lost. The parent felt the child was far too sensitive to handle the frustration of failure and may get 'burnt out'. A Beginning History of Old School Jujutsu - Part 1 Over the next couple of day's I will writing an article of the history of Pre-WWII Japanese Jujitsu/Judo. I wasn't sure where to start, but here I am so let's get started. |
Section Site Map - Submit News - Feedback - Comments - Advertise with Us Copyright © 2006 Luminati Inc. All rights reserved. |