Not Ju-Jitsu But Very Impressive!

Looks far more like kung fu than ju-jitsu

This 84-year-old Chinese man, named Zeng Guorong, recently performed some calisthenics that could leave anyone, even most folks in their teens or younger, green with envy. Simply fantastic. Not sure how he got the term "jujitsu master" attached to him though.

The pictures, each and everyone extremely impressive leaves no traces of the art of ju-jitsu as I know it after nearly 40 years of training it. They do however leave me thinking of kung fu or tai chi poses.

I'm pretty sure it all stems from the fact that the term ju jitsu, written with Japanese/Chinese characters basically means something along the line of soft, pliable, gentle, flexible ('ju') and art ('jitsu/jutsu'). It would indicate then that this esteemed gentleman is a master in his fitness art of being flexible - which he obviously is :-)

One extremely fit 84-year-old! - Image from peopledaily.com.cn

"Cun-Fu-Ningulus"

New York -- Ian Kerner, a "sexpert" based in New York claim that men can improve their oral sex skills by comparing their cunnilingus style to martial arts, according to yourtango.com. And no, in case you wonder, oral here does not imply talking about it...

Any idea what this grappling style of marital arts is called? Tongue fu? Tai sheet? No? In any case, I bed you want to read more about it :-)

Stolen Kung Fu Panda Idea?

California -- An American tai chi master has reportedly accused the movie company DreamWorks Animation of stealing one of its most lucrative characters - the Kung Fu Panda.

The man describes himself as ... are you ready for this ... a writer-producer-teacher-philosopher, according to abcnews.go.com. He also says ... are you even ready for this ... "he pioneered the practice of tai chi, kung fu and qigong in modern medicine." No sh** Shirley...

The man is reportedly claiming in a lawsuit that he originated the idea for a movie about a "spiritual kung-fu fighting panda bear" and that he contacted the company in November 2001 and had meetings with them before they, months later, decided to make "Kung Fu Panda" without involving him.

Hyperactivity and Martial Arts

Florida -- When 34-year-old Chad Houvouras was a child, he struggled with hyperactivity, according to seminolechronicle.com.

However, what another might be using as an excuse in life, this elementary school special education teacher turned into a passion to help others.

The Apopka dad started studying Kung Fu in Gainesville. "I have dealt with hyperactivity my entire life, and I found martial arts were a great outlet for my energy," he said. "It helped me to focus and stay calm. Now I study Kung Fu, Yoga and Tai Chi."

Houvouras is also a certified behavioral analyst and provides home therapy to children and their families.

Bikendo?

Oregon -- A fellow called 'Nature Boy' from Portland, allegedly a longtime practitioner of karate and tai chi, has apparently come across the idea to develop a specific self defense technique for people who ride bikes, using the bicycle itself as a tool for fending off attack.

He has been working on creating particular techniques using bicycles for several months, according to bikeportland.org. Recently a group of 16 bike riders were introduced to the 'wheelie' new art of bikendo.

Cool idea. I do wonder if it shouldn't be called bikempo though - rather than bikendo :-) You'll be the judge of that.

Knee Arthritis and T'ai Chi

A study has been presented at the meeting of the American College of Rheumatology, according to presstv.ir.

The study is reportedly showing that traditional Chinese martial arts (t'ai chi) helps in alleviating pain in individuals suffering from severe knee arthritis.

It is said that practicing the slow t'ai chi for an hour twice a week not just reduce the pain in those suffering from severe knee osteoarthritis but also tackles depression and improves physical function.

Wudang Kungfu

China -- Watching Zhao Jianying teaching young and old alike at the park, it's quite common to think she looks great for a woman in her 60s. However, the martial arts master -- acclaimed as a "living fossil of Wudang martial arts" -- is 84 years old, according to chinadaily.com.cn.

As she demonstrates Taiyi (taiji) Wuxing Quan, a form of Wudang kungfu, the moves are graceful - slow and relaxed. But she also uses lightning fast hits in mock fights against even young men.

She's been practicing Wudang kungfu for over half a century, and says this is the reason she's still strong and agile at her advanced years.

In 2007, She was named a "Key Inheritor of Intangible Cultural Heritage" by the State General Sports Administration and the Ministry of Culture in China.

This is an interesting article about someone who has clearly lived an eventful, long and healthy life!

An Old Punk And Tai Chi

James Newell Osterberg, Jr. is probably better known as Iggy Pop. The 61-year-old rock icon - known from the legendary band 'The Stooges'.

Anyone who has been to an Iggy concert can attest to how the guy really has an amazing physique for his age. And as we all know he's definitely been around the block a couple of times as far as drug abuse and injuring himself during shows goes.

Newspostonline.com recently had a story about the veteran rocker. Iggy revealed that he was in great shape due to the fact that he did tai chi (which he practices regularly) ... as well as a "slamming girlfriend" :-)

Iggy Pop and tai chi ... I'll be darned.

Senior Friendly Martial Arts

There are many myths within martial arts. One of them is seeing the arts as a youngsters only activity.

This is probably something that will change over time, as more and more people in their 60s, 70s, and even 80s take up various forms om martial arts - not only tai chi.

Here is a great article ('Senior citizens and martial arts do mix') from Germany about the many potential benefits of doing martial arts for those of us "out of kindergarten" :-)

Martin Halle, a noted sports medicine physician at the Technical University of Munich, Germany says that "Strength, coordination, and endurance diminish in old age." And he adds: "These are precisely the things that martial arts can train very well."

As long as you consult your doctor -- a good advice no matter your age -- and know about the few risks involved in some of the arts, you're absolutely good to go!

Chi Running

Um... I do wonder. Maybe this stuff is healthy because they're running really, really slow (in some circles also known as walking :-)

Story
North Carolina -- Doctors estimate that 70 percent of all runners will suffer a range of injuries that could sideline their training, nbc17.com reports. But local runners say an approach to running that incorporates the mind/body energy of Tai Chi is helping them avoid injuries.

What is called 'Chi Running' sets out to modify the way we run and calls on some of the basic concepts in Tai Chi.

Key elements include:
- Good posture, with emphasis on tightening the core, or abdominal muscles - Leaning forward, not standing upright while running - Picking up the feet while running, instead of pushing off the ground - Relaxing arms and legs.

Silent Demo

And now: A silent (and slow moving?) demo - tai chi style.

Story:
Martial art enthusiasts are to stage a mass protest in public gardens threatened with development, according to manchestereveningnews.co.uk.

More than 100 followers of the ancient Chinese art of Tai Chi are expected to descend on Didsbury's Marie Louise Gardens for a silent demo against plans to sell off part of the community beauty spot.

Tai Chi Ninja Assailant

UK -- Detectives hunting an armed sex attacker believe he may have an interest in the martial arts, yorkshirepost.co.uk reports.

An appeal on BBC One's Crimewatch on Monday yielded 40 calls to the studio and 20 to Keighley Police, including information about the black plimsoles worn by the man who broke into his 23-year-old victim's Baildon home and sexually assaulted her on Good Friday.

A police spokesman said: "A number of callers said these plimsoles are worm by people who do tai chi."

Disco Dojo

Yep, it's the latest fitness fad from LA - [...drum roll...] Disco Dojo (sic.)

"We can't possibly have the boring old stuff, now can we? People want to be entertained, they demand something fresh and exciting... This karate stuff is sooo last week!"

Story:
Maybe you want to try kicking things up a notch to make things a little more interesting.
You don't have to be a dancer or practice martial arts to take a disco dojo class. "But you can train like one," says Scott Cole, creator of disco dojo. "

What is this class exactly? "Fun, F-U-N," Cole says. "It's a combination of martial arts and dance. I had a dance aerobic background, and then I started taking martial arts in my early 30s and then started combining kickboxing, tai-chi, taekwondo, all into the mix of Latin salsa, some of the kicks, punches, and some of the disco moves too."

Source

Pain-Free With Tai Chi

There's a new study on tai chi, conducted by the University of California at Los Angeles' (UCLA) Center for East-West Medicine. And reportedly this study adds one more medical malady to the list: Tension headaches.

Dr. Ka-Kit Hui, founder and director of the center and co-author of the study, says that "A lot of people have tension headaches and they just take Tylenol or over-the-counter medications, which buys them some relief, but doesn't get to the root of the problem. We teach them how to deal with negative emotions."

Tai chi addresses body-mind issues, Dr. Hui added, which can help improve a practitioner's quality of life.

According to the National Headache Foundation (NHF), tension headaches are the most common form of headache, with about 78 percent of adults experiencing one at some point in their lives.

Source

A Tai Cheater

This story is from August 2006:

An American Chen (tai chi) teacher originally born in China was allegedly running a child pornography site. The site supposedly featured numerous pictures of scantilly clad or naked girls between the ages of 9-16 in various poses.

Apparently, he started taking photos of female wushu athletes in bikinis at various schools around China and it snowballed from there. He then started the site, which eventually drew the attention of several Chinese who revealed what was going on.

Source

A French Playboy

Texas -- At least two more women have contacted Frisco police, saying they may also be infected with HIV after sleeping with a 51-year-old martial arts instructor.

A female acquaintance of the suspect, describes him as a French playboy who seduced women he met through his job as a martial arts instructor at a Plano school for cheer leading, tumbling and karate.

The school teaches young children, and there are always mothers around. "He was dating women that were married, and they didn't know about each other," the acquaintance said. "I knew about four or five."

Source

She Failed

Washington -- A 54-year-old South Kitsap resident was arrested for driving under the influence at about 9:10 p.m. June 1 after driving her car into a ditch and failing several field sobriety tests.

Deputies asked the driver to perform several field sobriety tests, and during the walk and turn, she misunderstood and thought the deputy was asking her to do her ballet steps.

Deputies said she did several walk/stumble/glide steps, hopped and repeated the process. When asked to stand on one leg, she did a strange plie with her arms in a Tai Chi/ 'Karate Kid' maneuver.

Source

Bachelor of Martial Art

Connecticut -- The University of Bridgeport awarded the nation's first two bachelor's degrees in martial arts Saturday.

Two students received their degrees yesterday, part of a 1,200 member graduating class at the school.

Bridgeport started the nation's only martial arts major in 2005 in the school's International College.

The program offers courses on the philosophical, historical and psychosocial aspects of the martial arts as well as practical classes on tae kwon do, tai chi and judo.

Source

Confuse-Us Speaks #12

Quadruple wow! Dude, I would really like to know what sort of mushroom this reporter is on. Is anything in this cosmos further from tai chi than karate? Formula 1 race car driving maybe? :-)

"Tai Chi is basically a martial art form thought to be a mixture of karate and Yoga which apparently has a myriad of health benefits".

Source

Tai cChi Against Rash Hour

A new study shows that T'ai chi significantly improves the ability of older adults' immune systems to fight varicella zoster - a virus that causes shingles (a painful, blistery rash).

It is alleged that about one-third of adults over age 60 develop shingles.

The 25-week study was conducted at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). It involved 112 people, ages 59 to 86.

Researchers found that T'ai chi, by itself, increased immunity against the virus to a level that was comparable to having received the standard vaccine.

Source