Dragon's List Fall 2012

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Dragon's List FALL 2012

MA G A Z I NE

qigong

LIFTING THE SKY

Quite possibly the best Qigong exercise ever?

Your words may actually kill you. They can also save your life TAI CHI

SECOND HAND TAIJI QUAN

It’s one of the main reasons why even the hardest working students get stuck SELF DEFENSE

AN INTRODUCTION TO FORCE DECISIONS

In the extreme moment, only force can stop force

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Wicked Words that May Kill You

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SELF-DEFENSE

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contents

EDITOR

Chris Hall

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TWO MINUTE DRILL AND LIFTING THE SKY

by Sifu Anthony Korahais

Quite possibly the best Qigong exercise ever?

page 4

Timothy King

WICKED WORDS THAT MAY KILL YOU

by Lawrence A. Kane

While

sticks

and

stones

can

break

your

bones,

your

words may actually kill you. They can also save your life..

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SECOND HAND TAIJI QUAN

by Adam Hsu

It’s rare in taiji quan to find movements or postures in which both right and left arms are given equal importance.

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14 The

Krissy Parker

DEPUTY EDITOR

page 8

8

page 12

DEPUTY EDITOR

AN INTRODUCTION TO FORCE DECISIONS

by Rory Miller

ideal

of

peaceful

resistance

only

works

when

backed by the big guns of public opinion and economics

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OUTDOOR TRAINING WITHOUT SUNBURNING

by Susan Lynn Peterson, Ph.D.

Burns heal, but the consequences of sunburn don’t always go away with the burn.

DEPUTY EDITOR

Samantha Bookman

t HE

dRAGO N’S lIST

FALL 2012 iSSU E hAS aRRIVE D!

features

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page 18

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21 21 22 23

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UPCOMING EVENTS Upcoming martial arts events

STAFF SPOTLIGHT Meet Kungfu Krissy!

FEATURED FORUM TOPIC Teaching Children Martial Arts Classes Now-A-Days

MEMBER SPOTLIGHT Meet Ngfamilymember!

CLASSICS

Our Classics section features some of the most populoar articles previously published in The Dragon’s List newsletter. This issue’s Classic is “It’s Time” by Dr. Yang Jwing-Ming and is one of the most important discussions of martial arts today.

ISSN: 1521-687X

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QIGONG

t wo minute d r i l l A ND LI F TIN G THE SKY

Best Qigong Exercise Ever?

by Sifu Anthony Korahais

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QIGONG

I

f you have the Qigong technique called Lifting The Sky, then you also know how awesome it is. It is quite possibly the best Qigong exercise ever.

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QIGONG

D

aily practice is the key to success with Flowing Zen. But it’s not easy to keep your practice regular. No matter how disciplined you are, you’ll still run into obstacles. The 2-Minute Drill is a great way to overcome these obstacles.

Let’s say you’ve just had a stressful day in the middle of a stressful week. Even though you KNOW that practicing the 15-Minute Routine will help, you still avoid it. Your internal dialogue may go something like this:

“I should practice but I just don’t have time but it’s only 15 minutes but I have to send that email right now and besides I’m too tired I’ll just do it tomorrow…”

This internal dialogue is not serving you.

To overcome it, practice the 2-Minute Drill as follows: Tell yourself that you’re only going to practice for 2 minutes, and mean it.

Perform Lifting The Sky 10-15 times, focusing on enjoying your breath.

Stand Flowingly Still for about 10 seconds.

Walk around briskly when you’re finished.

The goal of The 2-Minute Drill is to change your state. You should feel refreshed and more relaxed. This routine is not as powerful as the 15-Minute Routine, but it is still a valuable tool because it keeps your practice going.

Here is a habit that I recommend you adopt: If you miss a day of practice, it’s okay. But no matter what happens, don’t let the next day pass without doing The 2-Minute Drill. After all, who doesn’t have two minutes?

LIFTING THE SKY - POSTURE 1 •

Your feet are close together.

•

Your mouth is Your feet are close together.

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Your mouth is gently open.

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Your toes are pointing forward.

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Your hands are relaxed by your sides.

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Your posture is upright but relaxed.

LIFTING THE SKY - POSTURE 2

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•

Your palms face down toward the ground.

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Your fingers point toward each other.

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Your fingers have some space between them.

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Your arms are as straight as comfortably possible.

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Your neck tilts down, as if looking at the hands.

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Your body remains upright.

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Your shoulders remain relaxed.

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Your jaw is still relaxed.

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QIGONG

LIFTING THE SKY - POSTURE 3 • Your arms arc up smoothly to the top.

• Your nose follows the movement of the hands.

• Your head ends tilting back comfortably.

• At the top, you lift up gently from your heels to your hands.

• Your arms remain comfortably straight.

• Breathe in gently through the nose as you arc upward.

LIFTING THE SKY - POSTURE 4 • Your arms drop smoothly down, like a bird slowly flapping its wings.

• Your wrists are no longer bent.

• Breathe out gently through the mouth as your arms are dropping.

• The neck gradually returns to normal with the nose pointing forward.

• Finish in Posture 1.

Sifu Anthony Korahais is the Director of the Flowing Zen Healing Center, and the Chief Instructor certified in the U.S. by Grandmaster Wong Kiew Kit. He lives in Gainesville, Florida with his wife, Dr. Akemi Borjas Korahais. To read more about Sifu Anthony you can visit his site at http://flowingzen.com/

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SELF-DEFENSE

Wicked Words t hat May Kill Yo u 8

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SELF-DEFENSE

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hile sticks and stones can break your bones, your words may actually kill you. They can also save your life.

Having to be right despite the cost, reacting indignantly in the face of a threat, or insulting an adversary often guarantees that a conflict will escalate to violence. Clever words, on the other hand, can de-escalate a tense

As long as you can keep the other guy talking, he’s not physically assaulting you. situation, stave off bloodshed until help arrives, momentarily distract an opponent to facilitate your counterattack and escape, or create sympathetic witnesses who will testify on your behalf.

Famous Last words will kill you On Jan. 27, 2005, actress Nicole duFresne was robbed at gunpoint by 19-year-old Rudy Fleming who stole her friend’s purse and pistol-whipped her fiancé. What was supposed to be a simple property crime turned tragic when the 28-year-old actress confronted the teenage robber. She became furious, shoved Fleming, and snapped, “What are you going to do, shoot us?”

by Lawrence A. Kane

She died shortly thereafter in her fiancé’s arms.

There’s a tremendous difference

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SELF-DEFENSE

between dealing with a robber who wants your stuff verses a predator who’s wants to rape, maim, or kill you. It’s paramount to respond accordingly. Giving your vehicle to a carjacker, your wallet to a robber, or your apology to someone who tries to start a fight hurts a lot less than eating a blade or a bullet simply because you refused to back down. de-escalating words and apologies The duFresne tragedy is a textbook example of what not to do when confronted by an armed aggressor. Having to be “right” despite any cost tends to escalate conflict in most any environment, but mouthing off to any street punk is especially dangerous. Robbers are already breaking social norms when they threaten you, so it’s ludicrous to assume that they will react in a civilized manner if you push back. Save your righteous indignation for a safer environment. Don’t let your ego overrule your common sense.

shouting for nonexistent friends. There is strength in numbers and in making an aggressor believe you are not alone. unexpected descalation words If you realize that de-escalation is not working and believe that you will have no other choice but to fight, it may also be possible to cause your opponent to make a mental twitch, providing a moment of opportunity to counterattack while he mentally shifts gears. This twitch is brought about by dissonance between what the person expects and what you actually say or do. Ask something completely unexpected like, “What time is it?” or something really odd like, “What was Gandhi’s batting average?”

For better or worse, your words are a weapon.

Similarly, if you are in error about something admit it. Honesty is a much better way to de-escalate a bad situation than lying or stubbornly refusing to acknowledge a wrong. If you find yourself taking things to a personal-level, spewing insults, you are deep in your monkey brain (to borrow a phrase from author Rory Miller). This means that you are operating from emotion rather than logic. Not only is the argument no longer about the real or perceived error, but also you are pushing matters toward violence; and doing so in a way that precludes a legitimate claim of self defense since you are part of the problem. It is tough on the ego to apologize, but it beats the alternatives.

Warding words for protection Even if you cannot de-escalate a situation simply by talking, clever words may enable you to stall until help arrives or the attacker changes his mind and leaves. You may be able to scare the other guy off or gather strategic intelligence that will help you in a fight. As long as you can keep the other guy talking, he’s not physically assaulting you.

You can also use conversation as a psychological weapon to increase your chances of surviving as well as to create openings for your physical defenses. Deception, for example, is but one of the tactics you might choose to employ. Any convincing distraction you can create will be to your advantage, such as

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Cognitive dissonance is powerful. During the opponent’s momentary confusion, you will have an opportunity to act.

Similarly, if you can hit an aggressor while he is talking, it takes about half a second for him to switch gears mentally from communicating to fighting. creating witnesses If things get physical, you must not only win the fight, but also the aftermath. What you say before, during, and after a confrontation holds a lot of weight in convincing witnesses that you’re the good guy. It is pretty easy to shout, but hard to verbalize during a fight. The challenge is finding words that put you in the best possible light and your assailant in the worst.

Start by acting afraid, verbally calling for help.

This cannot be overstated. In her book, Witness for the Defense, Dr. Loftus relates, “The danger of eyewitness testimony is clear: Anyone in the world can be convicted of a crime he or she did not commit, or deprived of an award that is due, based solely on the evidence of a witness who convinces a jury that his memory about what he saw is correct.”

Unfortunately memory is notoriously unreliable. Research indicates that mistaken eyewitness identification accounts for about half of wrongful convictions in the United States. Video evidence can ameliorate the problem, but you cannot rely that the incident will be captured.

Shouting something along the lines of, “Oh my God, don’t kill me with that knife!” is a pretty good indicator of peril. It clearly differentiates who the bad guy is and can help you justify

SELF-DEFENSE

Think about various scenarios ahead of time so that you will have a better chance of articulating strategically. countervailing force in a court of law. “Put down the weapon,” “Please don’t hurt me,” “I don’t want to fight you,” and “Help, he’s got a gun” all put you in a much better light than “Go ahead, make my day!” or “I’m gonna kill you sucker!” Think about various scenarios ahead of time so that you will have a better chance of articulating strategically.

Lawrence Kane is the author of Surviving Armed Assaults, Martial Arts Instruction, and Blinded by the Night, and co-author (with Kris Wilder) of The Way of Kata, The Way to Black Belt, How to Win a Fight, and The Little Black Book of Violence, and co-author (with Rory Miller) of Scaling Force. A technical consultant to University of New Mexico’s Institute of Traditional Martial Arts, he also has written numerous articles on martial arts, self-defense, and related topics. Since 1970, he has studied and taught traditional Asian martial arts, medieval European combat, and modern close-quarter weapon techniques. He co-hosts a weekly podcast with Kris Wilder at www.martial-secrets.com.

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words are a double-edged sword

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For better or worse, your words are a weapon. The challenge is that they can hurt you just as easily as they can harm your adversary. Use them wisely.

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Upcoming Events (Click on event for more information)

October 15th - Dragon’s List Online Magazine Fall 2012 Issue Published!

Janurary 19th, - 22nd - 2013 Shaolin Tour This tour includes a trip to Southern Shaolin Temple (GuanDong), A trip to Wong fei-Hung Museum and to the Bruce Lee museum. Besides these trips, there are a birthday party for Hung Gar Grandmaster Dr. Chiu Chi Ling 10th DAN (he becomes 70) and a Traditional Kungfu World Cup on Saturday in the last weekend.

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TA I C H I

S e co n d Hand Ta i j i Q ua n

by Adam Hsu

I

t’s rare in taiji quan to find movements or postures in which both right and left arms are given equal importance. No matter what taiji style or form, most often one arm leads and the other follows.

This same principle is mirrored in our social structures--family, government,

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corporations, schools, and so on. Some people are leaders, decision-makers, risk-takers, trend-setters. Others live quieter lives or assume roles that maintain, support, and help get the job done. Though all roles, from top to bottom, are vital in a well-functioning society, quite naturally we give most value to our leaders. Olympic gold medal or royal scandal, they make the headlines and grab our attention.

In taiji quan, it’s easy to spot the leader. The major arm or hand is usually more

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TA I C H I

forward and placed in a central position.

It’s important, prominent, and the eye is drawn to it. While we practice, we always try to move it correctly and make sure it ends up in the right spot. Of course this is good, but it’s just not enough.

Though most practitioners move the second hand according to the general requirements of the form, they usually treat it like a movie extra--it’s in the background, unfocused, uninteresting, and ignored. In fact, this second, “minor” hand also needs quality attention and training.

It must be trained to move with the same level of precision as the first. Without this, our taiji quan practice is incomplete.

This is a widespread problem among taiji quan lovers, including my own students and kung fu brothers. It’s one of the main reasons why even the hardest working students get stuck. Their taiji quan can not advance because they haven’t paid enough attention to this second hand.

Often they will practice hard to perform a move correctly but let the second hand do “whatever”. They work to make sure the final postures are accurate but don’t pay attention to the improper position of their minor hand.

It’s become clear from my own experience practicing and teaching kung fu, that there is no such thing as a major hand and minor hand. Both are equal

in importance. Take a close look at an expensive, finely tailored jacket. The inner lining is made of quality materials and constructed equally as well as the outer surface. With cheap clothing, the external surface may look great but it’s a different story inside.

our body. This is important because our internal organs are situated in the chest and abdomen, not the arms and legs.

By its very proximity, then, this arm can remind us to expand our torsos as our arm moves outward and compress as it presses inward. When our arms trace the circular movements of the chan si jing (silk reeling energy), our second hand remind us that the graceful spirals originate with the torso. And when the torso joins in, our inner organs receive a revitalizing massage. Therefore, from a strictly health-oriented viewpoint, the second hand actually becomes our major hand.

Kung fu usage demands whole-body coordination, every part cooperating fully to reach the target and defeat the opponent. So any carelessness with the supporting hand--sloppy movement or inaccurate placement-- will undermine the primary hand’s mission. At the very least, delivery of the usage will be less effective. It’s even possible that the major Our second hand is also a big player in hand won’t be able to do its work. our mental training. Taiji quan is based on the taiji philosophy from China. If our How we handle the inner hand also practice is to reflect this ancient philosomakes a difference if our primary reason phy, then we must learn to function within for practicing taiji quan is to maintain a mental paradox: our awareness must health. Unless some type of handicap or be intensely focused; simultaneously, special problems are present, motions our awareness must also spread out, that extend outward pose very little diffi- extend, and be divided to take care of culty for all of us. We open up our arms, different areas of our bodies all at once swing them around, reach out to grab while we perform taiji quan’s movements something, step out, kick out, and stretch and postures. As we struggle for correct our limbs all the time, without any thought. coordination, accurate placement, and What about our torsos? They don’t even precise movement of our second hand, begin to get equal time for exercise. we are also strengthening our will, enlarging our mental abilities, and opening new In our taiji quan practice, the inner hand doors of action and perception. can help with this. Because it’s normally held closer to body, it’s easier to use it as a link that draws attention to

Adam Hsu is the former editor and publisher of Wu Tang Martial Arts Magazine, and a past senior editor of the Kung Fu Library of Wu Chow Publishing Company, the largest publisher of kung fu literature. He’s published several books in Chinese, and over a hundred articles in English, Chinese, Japanese, Spanish, Italian, Russian, and German. Also, he has been featured on the covers of more than eighteen magazines throughout the world. You can learn more about Adam Hsu by visiting http://www.adamhsu.com

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SELF DEFENSE

An Introduction to Force Decisions

by Rory Miller

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his book (Force Decisions) is a gift, a peace offering. It is an attempt to communicate across a vast gulf in culture and experience, the gulf that exists between the Law Enforcement community and those whom they protect.

Each day, media outlets all over the country describe events where officers use force. Often, the reporters and the citizens question the need for force at all or whether the type and amount of force used was really necessary. Citizens worry that their protectors— with badges, guns, clubs and Tasers— are caught up in the rush of power, or perhaps giving vent to anger or bigotry.

The officers are frustrated too. Specialists in dealing with a world that is sometimes very dark and very violent, they feel scrutinized. They feel as if their actions are constantly under a microscope, judged by a populace without any experience or training in a very specialized field.

In this book, I want to show you how officers think about force, not only how we are trained to think of it, but also how experience shapes our beliefs and attitudes. If you are one of the people who believe that officers are thugs and question each and every use of force, I don’t want to change you.

peace is an ideal, and that hurting people is wrong.

We have also been taught, in an egalitarian society, that what is wrong for one is wrong for all. And what is wrong to do to someone is wrong to do to anyone.

The truth, however, is harsh. It is this: The only defense against evil, violent people is good people who are more skilled at violence.

Hard Truth #1 The only defense against evil, violent people is good people who are more skilled at violence.

Throughout history, civilized people faced with people willing to use violence to attain their goals have tried a number of strategies.

Appeasement has failed. The hope that Hitler would be satisfied with Poland and Czechoslovakia only gave him more time to prepare. Bribery has failed, and paying- off terrorists to prevent terrorism has been no more effective than Danegeld— money paid to Vikings to stop plundering. Reason and logic could not prevent the Khmer Rouge from killing every educated person in Cambodia. Simply being a good person couldn’t dissuade the Inquisition.

Let me say that again: I don’t want to change you.

Sometimes my job requires me to use force on behalf of society, on your behalf. That force should be subject to your scrutiny. What I do want, if you have objections, is to have those objections based on facts and not emotion. Most people will have a negative reaction to any violence, and some problems (from child- raising to the boardroom to politics and medicine and . . .) simply don’t have an answer that makes everyone comfortable.

Ah, but there is always Gandhi . . .

You know what you saw or read. You know how that made you feel. The final data that you need to back up your reasonable objections are knowledge of the rules— to understand thoroughly the legal and policy limits as well as the tactical considerations that the professionals understand.

The ideal of peaceful resistance only works when backed by the big guns of public opinion and economics, and only then if those two things matter to the person or institution that one is trying to change.

This is a hard truth: In a truly totalitarian environment the authorities cannot only kill, but they have control over who finds out about it (communications and the media) and have control over the means to respond (control of economics, the vote and/

There are truths and perceptions that frame this gulf.

First, the perceptions: We have all been taught that

The ideal of peaceful resistance only works when backed by the big guns of public opinion and economics

Not really. Without a relatively free press, a lot of publicity, and an opponent who needed support (both from voters and from trading partners), Gandhi would have quietly disappeared. Where were the Gandhis of Pol Pot’s Cambodia, Stalin’s Russia, or Ceasescu’s Romania? Prague Spring, an attempt by the Czechs to create “socialism with a human face” was ruthlessly crushed by the soviets.

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SELF DEFENSE or personal weapons). When these factors come together the populace is helpless, and the tactics of peaceful resistance result in death, torture, and the disappearance of family members.

Hard Truth #2 In a truly totalitarian environment where the authorities cannot only kill, but have control over who finds out about it and, have control over the means to respond, the populace is helpless.

that only force, or the credible threat of force, could stop a Hitler, a Pol Pot, or a John Dillinger.

It’s often been said, “Violence never solved anything.” The simple truth is that when you are slammed up against the wall and the knife is at your throat, when a circle of teenagers is kicking you as you curl into a ball on the sidewalk, or when the man walks into your office building or school with a pair of guns and starts shooting, only violence, or the reasonable threat of violence, is going to save your life. In the extreme moment, only force can stop force.

Hard Truth #3

This is the world: The wolf pack tears at a caribou, slashing at hamstrings, tearing out guts. Raw, primal violence. The caribou will run if it can, but if it can’t, it will respond as best it can with violence of its own, kicking and goring the pack.

A cat toys with a mouse. The mouse may bite you if you try to save it.

Some predators stalk, some run in packs, some lie in ambush. All predators use violence as a strategy, the easiest and safest way to access a resource that they need or want.

Human predators are the same.

If a person can do so safely, it is easier to steal food than to grow it. It is easier to beat the weak into submission than to earn their respect. It is far easier to rape and abandon a woman than it is to raise children. All provided it can be done safely. Society, or someone acting on behalf of society, must make that kind of behavior unsafe.

A peaceful individual is ill-prepared to deal with a violent human being. The tactics of the courtroom, the boardroom, or the mediator simply don’t work on someone who wants something and has no problem injuring someone to take it. A peaceful society compounds this by allowing the peaceful individuals to believe that their worldview is normal. It is a beautiful ideal but for most of human history, and in many places now, and even within individuals in the most civilized of societies, it doesn’t hold true. There are people for whom violence is a natural way to get what they want.

Civilized people must come to terms with the fact

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In the extreme moment, only force can stop force.

That’s the truth, and in it lies the first problem: Given that only violence can stop violence, and given that a modern, affluent, egalitarian society requires a certain amount of peace and trust to operate, who will be responsible for wielding this violence-stopping violence?

In caste systems throughout the world, there is a warrior caste with the power to make war externally and visit justice internally. In European history, the nobility of the medieval period were professional fighters responsible both for war abroad and for justice on their own lands.

There were problems inherent in this model. What we consider an “abuse of power” had no meaning to the medieval mind. The lord had the power and could use it as he saw fit. Only a more powerful lord could intervene and only as far as he felt the force available to him would carry the day.

Modern societies have been forced to work with both the fact that force is sometimes necessary and the social belief that force is inherently wrong—the “last resort of the ignorant.” The modern solution has been to create professions, soldiers and police, authorized to use force in the name of and for the benefit of society as a whole.

Looked at shallowly, this seems to present a paradox. If a John Wayne Gacy or Jeffrey Dahmer (serial killers and rapists, and Dahmer a cannibal) handcuffs someone and takes them against their

SELF DEFENSE will to another place, it is kidnapping.

When an officer does it, it is an arrest.

When a citizen shoots another citizen, it is usually murder. When an officer shoots someone, it is closely scrutinized, but it is usually an “incident,” not a crime.

The analogy doesn’t hold true all the time.

Most of the time, officers are expected to act like citizens—follow traffick laws, respect other people’s property, and not randomly blaze away with their handguns.

But when law enforcement officers are being enforcement officers, it isn’t a ‘most of the time’ situation. The standard social rules, the way that life and people are expected to be, have already failed or started the downhill slide. ‘Most of the time’ people respect each other’s persons and property. ‘Most of the time’

people can be reasoned with and will do the right thing. ‘Most of the time’ you don’t need the cops.

Referees in any sport are not and cannot be held to the same standards as the players. They have to do things players aren’t supposed to do, such as confront other players and sometimes eject them from the game.

A peaceful individual is ill-prepared to deal with a violent human being.

When you do need officers to respond, it is because the social rules, the way most of us agree things should be, are being ignored. Someone has decided to act the way he wants to instead of the way he should. It is unlikely that the social corrections will work when people are already off the social map.

Rory Miller has served for seventeen years in corrections as an officer and sergeant working maximum security, booking and mental health; leading a tactical team; and teaching subjects ranging from Defensive Tactics and Use of Force to First Aid and Crisis Communications with the Mentally Ill. You can learn more about Rory at http://chirontraining.com

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H ealth

Training without Sunburning

by Susan Lynn Peterson, Ph.D.

T

he image of martial arts students training outdoors is pervasive. From Beijing parks to the Shaolin Temple, from Hollywood and Hong Kong movies to “Kung Fu Panda,” the romance of outdoor training captures our imaginations.

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unhealthy amount of ultraviolet radiation, the cause of sunburn.

The Problem of Sunburn

That attractive image may have some justification.

Modern psychologists speak of the outdoors as a cure for “nature deprivation disorder.” Qigong masters speak of absorbing and using the qi of the natural world.

Sunburn is caused by the ultraviolet (UV) light from the sun. When exposed to UV light, the skin tries to protect itself by producing melanin, which blocks the rays (and incidentally causes the skin to tan). If the amount of UV light is more than the body’s melanin can keep up with, the skin burns.

The question then is how to train outside, how to absorb the benefits of nature, without absorbing an

Burns heal, but the consequences of sunburn don’t always go away with the burn. Sunburn can cause

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H ealth infections, photoaging of the skin, changes in pigmentation and even skin cancer. Sunlight causes skin cancer by damaging the DNA of the skin cells. The cell growth is altered, and the cells become cancerous.

skin somewhat from damage from UV rays.

Vitamin D and C may also offer some protection. Though eating a salad before training outdoors won’t protect you from burning, in general, a healthy diet minimizes the skin damage caused by UV rays.

Sunburn Prevention Though herbal treatments for sunburn exist, they can’t beat prevention. Obviously, covering skin—wearing ample lightweight, lightcolored clothing, a hat, and sunglasses—is a good place to start. Realistically speaking, though, how many people are likely to train outside in the summer in long sleeves and long pants?

Sunscreen is another option. Not all sunscreens are created equal, however. Some work better than others. Some are safe; others contain chemicals that accumulate in the body, cause endocrine disruption, allergies, cancer and other cellular damage. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) only regulates a small percentage of the chemicals in sunscreen. Only recently has the FDA announced that they will be monitoring and regulating sunscreen manufacturer’s claims to efficacy. If you choose to use sunscreen, educate yourself. The Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep Cosmetic Database is a good place to start.

You might also consider training in the early morning or late afternoon. The tai chi master greeting the dawn by doing the form among the trees is at low risk of getting a sunburn.

During the early morning and late afternoon, the sun’s rays must travel through more of the earth’s atmosphere to reach you. Some of the UV rays get filtered out. Consequently, the safest times of day (other than night, obviously) are just after sunrise and just before sunset. By contrast, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. allow the most UV rays to reach exposed skin. The lower your latitude and the higher your altitude, the more dangerous midday becomes.

What you eat can also affect how much you burn. A niacin deficiency will cause sun sensitivity. On the other hand, the polyphenols in green tea have been shown to protect the

Certain pharmaceuticals or herbs can also make you more likely to burn. St. John’s wort, angelica and arnica all increase sun sensitivity. Antibiotics, antihistamines like Benadryl, diabetes drugs and NSAIDs like naproxen can also make you more sensitive to the sun.

Sunburn Treatment When you already have a sunburn, when it’s rubbing against your clothes or keeping you awake at night, all of the above information is no longer interesting. You want information about how to make it go away.

First, let’s talk common sense. It is possible to die from a bad sunburn (a very bad sunburn).

When do you go in to the doctor? If you experience nausea, vomiting, changes in consciousness or severe headaches, you may also be experiencing heat stroke as well as sunburn and should seek medical help immediately. If you are blistering badly, if you have large blisters or more than a few blisters, call a doctor and explain your symptoms. The skin is not just a cellophane wrapper for the body. The skin is an organ in its own right. If damaged too badly, the effects can seriously damage the health of the whole body.

First—and I know this is obvious—if you think you are burning, get out of the sun. If you can’t get out of the sun, cover the affected area.

If all you have is a garden-variety first-degree sunburn, in other words if only the surface layer of the skin is affected, you will most likely want to use home remedies. Do a quick search on the internet, and you will find all kinds of home remedies for sunburn. Honey, cucumber, milk, tomatoes, yogurt—the list is long. Home and herbal remedies all tend to fall into one of three categories, however.

Your sunburn’s best friend, however, is witch hazel.

Witch hazel is a decoction of the bark of the witch hazel tree.

It is a powerful antiinflammatory and can help take down any residual heat after you have cooled the burn.

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H ealth Some cool the heat of the burn. Some help prevent infection. Some help minimize the damage done by the UV rays.

First aid for burns in general involves cooling the burn under cool running water. Sunburns, like other burns, are literally hot. Cool running water can conduct some of that heat way from the body. Anything too cold, ice, for example, can damage the already damaged skin.

If you look at the typical home remedy for sunburn in terms of Chinese food theory—most remedies are repurposed foods—you’ll find that almost all of them are cool or cold foods. Melons, cucumbers and yogurt are cool or cold foods. One of the coldest foods is watermelon, a common h o m e remedy f o r sunburn.

Remember, the best way to deal with sunburn, is to prevent it.

cooled the burn. Beyond its help with inflammation, however, is witch hazel’s healing properties. Studies show that it can actually help reverse some of the cell damage caused by the sun’s UV rays.

After the burn has healed completely, if you have some scarring, consider using rose hip seed oil. Oil from the rosa mosqueta fruit is one of the best herbal treatments for preventing scarring. Use it only after the sunburn has completely healed, when all that’s left is the scar. Rubbing it in to scars can help break them up and fade them. If you get a light burn while out training this summer, herbal medicine has as much or more to offer you as biomedicine.

Learn More about Sunburn If you would like to learn more about the effects of sunburn and sunscreen, I suggest you review the following: Sunwise Program; UV Radiation

If you have minor blisters, you might want to consider an antiseptic once the skin has cooled. One common home remedy is raw honey, which has antiseptic properties. Honey’s low pH and hydrogen peroxide effect make it an antibacterial. We now have evidence that honey can help keep minor skin damage from getting infected. In Chinese medical terms honey’s sweetness also makes it very dampening. As such, honey may be able to help restore moisture to sun damaged skin.

Your sunburn’s best friend, however, is witch hazel.

Witch hazel is a decoction of the bark of the witch hazel tree. It is a powerful anti-inflammatory and can help take down any residual heat after you have

The Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep Cosmetic Database The Environmental Working Group’s Sunscreen Page FDA; Sunscreen (the low-down on the FDA’s new labeling laws) Remember, the best way to deal with sunburn, is to prevent it. Train outdoors in the early morning and late evening and cover up when you know you will be in the sun long enough to be burned.

Susan Lynn Peterson Ph.D., holds a 5th degree black belt in Shuri-ryu karate, author of five books, including two martial arts, and an award winning theology text. She is a contributing writer to martial arts magazines and health & fitness websites. Peterson has spent many years and thousands of hours investigating the way herbs have been used in various cultures to treat injuries. Susan teaches karate and operates her communications business in Tucson Arizona. To learn more about Susan you can visit her site at http:// susanlynnpeterson.com/my-books/western-herbs-for-martial-artists-and-contact-athletes/

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S TA F F S P O T L I G H T

Fall 2012 Staff Spotlight is on Kungfu Krissy!

Krissy Parker-Smith has been a Dragonslist Member since 2000!

a photographer and photo editor, and the super-proud mommy of the most fabulous little boy in the world, Gavin!

Krissy grew up in Southern California and did gymnastics her whole life. After sustaining a career-ending injury, Krissy was a cheerleader but was always looking for something a little more challenging and competitive. On a whim, Krissy went with a friend to a kung fu class and found her love!

Krissy studied Shaolin Kung Fu, and upon moving to Florida, took up Wah Lum Kung Fu and Yang Long Style Tai Chi, as well as Lion Dancing. During her years with Wah Lum, Krissy did many tournaments, taught a children’s class, wrote articles for Inside KungFu, and did stunt work in several independent films.

Due to personal issues and injuries, Krissy stopped training in 2008, but hopes someday soon to return, if not to Wah Lum, then to another style of Northern Kung Fu. Krissy am currently

Featured Forum Topic Our Featured Forum Topic is from ngfailymenter and is in regards to teaching martial arts to children. If you would like to share your comment on this section click here.

Teaching Children Martial Arts Classes Now-A-Days

stage situations so the children will learn to react accordingly and properly without (hopefully) leading to an actual physical self-defense situation. Most of of our self-defense techniques are non-violent and teach a stay safe, get away type method (unless that option isn’t available, then it is apparent that other self defense measures must be taken).

I’m curious if any other instructors or class participants use the same basics of applying similar tactics along with explanation of what is legal and what isn’t and how well it has fared out for your programs?

In my hometown, I run a martial arts program for the city that is specifically designed for children ages 5-13. The program covers the material that is usually taught within other martial arts schools such as blocks, strikes/kicks, footwork, grappling, etc. etc. but we also base a heavy emphasis on anti bully tactics along with state and federal laws regarding the rights to self-defense.

Each class we explain tactics used to stay out of dangerous situations, self awareness, and what to do if a situation presents itself and who to notify. We speak about cyber bullying and try to instill as much confidence as we can into each child. Especially now-a-days, considering the Bully epidemic in schools systems and the preventive measures states are taking against it. We play a lot of scenarios and D R A G O N S L I S T M A G A Z I N E FA L L 2 0 1 2

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MEMBER SPOTLIGHT

Our Member Spotlight is on ngfamilymember!

Jeff Coffey who resides in Ken- combat applications, Jeff attended one year of tournament comtucky, (USA) has trained in sev- petitions (6 Tournaments), including the Blue Grass State Games eral different martial arts systems with 20+ years of experience.

He holds a Master’s rank within Great Grandmaster John Winglock Ng’s Family Style with specialties in Six Harmonies Boxing, Baguazhang, and Weapons Application. Jeff has trained within the Ng Family Style under his instructors Grand Master Tim Pickens and Master Rick Pickens nearly his entire martial arts career. to showcase the Ng Family Style. Once finished with the season, Great Grandmaster John Wing- he had won 3 Grand Champion titles, and placed 1st in nearlock Ng’s Family Style is a combined Chinese Kung Fu style ly every Empty Hand Forms, Weapons, and Fighting divisions utilizing southern and northern attended. Taking his experience, he has taught many younger systems. It is a dual nature art generation students who won numerous 1st and 2nd place tithat includes combative as well tles throughout their tournaas healing/health concepts. Ng ment career as well as worked learned and practiced his family’s with MMA individuals for cage art religiously through his Grandmatches. Jeff has previously father, Chan Jack Mok, guidance. operated 3 separate schools This art was an intricate and unand taught private one-on-one orthodox style that was passed lessons for many practitiodown to him from his grandfaners. thers’ father, and his father before that, and etc, etc. The exact During the past 6 years, he contents of this Family Style, isn’t completely known, but it did has traveled throughout Kenhave a mixture of animal based styles (especially southern mon- tucky and Indiana setting up key and snake styles) along and instructing seminars and with the internal aspects of training camps for the promotion of the Winglock Ng’s Family Six Harmonies Boxing (Liu Style; demonstrating self-defense and combat applications.

He Chuan). Great Grand- Throughout his career he has had the opportunity to train alongmaster Ng has called this art side and teach different law enforcement personal, military, and by several different names elite government branches, which including “Devine Boxing”, he continues to do so to this day “Spirit Boxing”, and/or “Linear through the company he has coBaguazhang”. Great Grandfounded along with his brothers, master Ng received trainUS Civil Corps. ing from many of his family’s friends who were masters in their own styles and as time went US Civil Corps (USCC) is a High on he blended the combination of knowledge into a melting pot Risk Defensive Tactic Training to utilize and teach what worked best in actual application and company that offers self-defense usage. He always preached to use what works! Never rely on to civilians, High Risk Combat applications to State/Federal agenone method nor think you’ve mastered the perfect technique that cies, Small Unit Tactics, Survival Courses, and Tactical Medical beat all other techniques. It Training/Certification. The core of the self-defense and high risk is about applying the skills combat training within the USCC curriculum revolves around the you’ve obtained to simply principles and tactics taught within the Ng Family Style which survive whatever you are have been applied successfully for modern street and hostile faced against. situations. Jeff is a primary combat instructor for USCC. Information about what US Civil Corps offers and incorporates can be Taking the Ng family styles’ obtained at www.uscivilcorps.com. concepts, principles and

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CLASSICS

Our Classics section features some of the most populoar articles previously published in The Dragon’s List newsletter. This issue’s Classic is “It’s Time” by Dr. Yang Jwing-Ming and is one of the most important discussions of martial arts today.

It’s Time If you are a Chinese martial artist, I believe that you may have noticed many of the strange phenomena happening in Western Chinese martial arts society for the last twenty years. Many of you may have noticed these phenomena and let them happen. Many of you may get upset and feel you cannot do too much about it. If you are an enthusiastic Chinese martial artist, I invite you to read this article carefully and think about it. It is our future and responsibility.

It is we who must change the wrong path into the right one. If we do not try our best to correct this path, it is we who should be blamed in Chinese martial arts history for the Western world.

Strange Phenomena

of all Asian cultures. For example, more than 50% of the Japanese and Korean “alphabets” are Chinese. It is the same with the martial arts. Many Japanese and Korean publications have traced back the origin of their martial arts culture and admitted that Chinese martial arts were the ancestors of theirs. From such historical background, don’t you feel it strange that most Westerners think Kung Fu is a form of Karate and should be classified in the Karate section of the Yellow Pages Don’t you feel uncomfortable when people think that the Kung Fu you have worked so hard to learn is only a type of Karate Don’t you feel strange when many Kung Fu schools use the Karate belt system in their ranking Have you ever asked WHY Kung Fu society has been gradually absorbed into Karate society Why are there more American styles of Kung Fu (like American styles of Chinese Food) spread around the country than there are traditional schools Why do they keep making money, misleading generations of innocent young students Why are there not more tra- ditional schools Where and how do these styles originate Typically, they are a mix of some Chinese Kung Fu and Karate kicking. Unfortunately, they do not keep the essence of either side.

Why do so many magazines which claim to be “Inside” Kung Fu or showcase “Real” Kung Fu keep publicizing American styles of Kung Fu or strange styles They are not only promoting the wrong things, but they also simultaneously deny the traditional styles of Kung Fu the recognition they deserve.

How many times when you have gone to a Kung Fu tournament have you noticed that, during the forms competition, most of the competitors demonstrate a high degree of skill, yet when they fight in the sparring competition, they fight like Karate Again, even when you go to a Karate tournament, those who wear Kung Fu uniforms also fight like Karate. It would seem that there is no difference between Kung Fu fighting and Karate fighting. The questions then arise: Can Kung Fu really fight and can its techniques be used against Karate competitors Why do they train Kung Fu when they actually fight like Karate If we think our styles Kung Fu means are right, why do we change Kung Fu into Karate-Kung Fu energy-time. Any training which Does it make sense to you takes a lot of paenergy, If you go to Asia and trace back the oriental cultures, you tience, will see that more than 60% of oriental culture originated in and time to train is called Kung Fu. Kung Fu includes both China. China was considered the “Center” of all the Asian physical and spiritual aspects. However, in today’s Chicountries. China is called “Jong Kuo,” which means “Cen- nese martial arts society, spiritual and moral cultivation ter Kingdom” because China was considered the “Center” have been ignored. Self-discipline has become secondary D R A G O N S L I S T M A G A Z I N E FA L L 2 0 1 2

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CLASSICS to money making. Money has become the first consideration in both training and teaching. How can someone really find a true master and build up a relationship which is not under the influence of “money” Why do so many magazines which claim to be “Inside” Kung Fu or showcase “Real” Kung Fu keep publicizing American styles of Kung Fu or strange styles They are not only promoting the wrong things, but they also simultaneously deny the traditional styles of Kung Fu the recognition they deserve. The responsibility of a magazine should be to promote the true arts and to educate people to the right path. Unfortunately, many of the magazines are shortsighted, looking only as far as their circulation desks. They do not know that they are poisoning the root and destroying the essence of that which will enable them to last forever. The worst part is that when they choose an article, the decision is based on whether this article will impress people and make money. They care only to cash in on the latest fad, and do not even research whether or not it is accurate. They are leading innocent people into false beliefs and reinforcing the misconceptions which the public has about our art.

United States skyrocketed, we cannot ignore that he has mislead the general public into a distorted understanding of Chinese Kung Fu. In order to make money to survive, many Kung Fu schools started to emphasize the way he fought in the movies, pulling out their own root which they had cultivated over many lifetimes. I am not trying to say that Bruce Lee’s films are not entertaining or bad for what they are. I do however feel that Westerners have been brainwashed by his films even though we can be reasonably sure that this was not his intent.

The second reason was that many of the martial arts magazines are run by businessmen who have little or no knowledge of Chinese martial arts. Their motivation is making money, not promoting real Chinese martial arts. For this reason, Bruce Lee was built up as a hero and his fighting style was widely encouraged. As long as they could make money, they were willing to mislead the American public and encourage the American styles of Chinese martial arts.

Unfortunately, the innocent public has been brainwashed.

Due to the above influence and again the need to make money, many traditional Chinese masters started to fight like Bruce Lee’s Karate, even though they still trained traIn order to impress people and receive more students and ditionally. Naturally, the main reason for this is that there money, many masters are willing to place a heavy mask has never been an authorized organization which could on their faces and demonstrate some kind of amazing offer tournaments with feasible rules that could fit all of the power which can be performed only on their own students. Chinese martial styles. In order to satisfy the students’ deThese charlatans seem to breed like flies, and the situation sire to fight and compete, they have to bow, however unis becoming worse and worse. How long can this kind of willingly, to the Karate tournaments. Because of this, most magic trick endure, and what will be the damage to these masters either directly or indirectly support and promote people’s reputations when they are finally exposed More Karate while denying their own arts. They don’t realize it, importantly, how will this reflect on the Chinese martial arts but they are destroying themselves. community as a whole No wonder so many Karate players scoff that Chinese Kung Fu is fake and is only tricks. What The last main reason, indicated above, is probably that do you feel about this there has never been an organization with the authority to set up rules, and the ability to provide for fair judging. Many In order to understand how all of the above strange phe- Chinese martial artists believe that it is impossible to set nomena began, we must analyze the past and trace back up rules which can be feasible for such a great number of their origins. different styles. Because of this they must follow the Karate rules, which have been set up for Karate training. For example, in Karate tournaments, the points are the most important. Points are given only for attacking. Good blockHow did it happen ing and defensive strategy are never given points. This is because today’s Karate training emphasizes mainly attacking instead of defending. With their rules they deny The worst influence was probably Bruce Lee’s motion that defense is more important than offense. As long as pictures. If you trace back Bruce Lee’s background, you you kill the enemy, you do not have to worry if you are also can see that he studied Wing Chun for only a few years killed. before immigrating to the United States. In China, Wing Chun is only a branch of White Crane. After arriving in the Another example is that because of all the high kicking, United States, he started to mix the Kung Fu he learned Karate must forbid kicking to the groin and sweeping the with some kicking techniques. What he performed was a legs, which are normally exposed to attack when a person modified form of Kung Fu, and even the Kung Fu he knew kicks high. Not only that, punches to the face and the back was only a tiny portion of its style. Naturally, the martial are usually illegal. I always wonder how these rules can be arts he demonstrated in motion pictures cannot represent used to train a fighter who can fight on the street. Street traditional Chinese martial arts. Though we cannot deny fighters usually train themselves to attack the groin, face, that because of his movies the martial arts market in the

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CLASSICS and even the back. Tell me, do you really think that Kung style of Kung Fu you teach, those are the skills that they Fu should also fight according to these rules should apply in their fighting. Fighting according to the rules set up for sport Karate will pull up the root of your Now that we know how it happened and what we have training, and you will lose the meaning and the real purdone wrong, let’s discuss how we can correct our path. pose of defensive Kung Fu training.

Now, you are probably asking how we can set this whole mess straight. Naturally, open minded discussion will bring up many more ways, but for now I would like to point out a few ways which we can use to realize our dream.

How do we correct our path

Stop criticizing and blaming each other. Unite all of the Chinese martial arts, sit down with open minds, and discuss feasible tournament rules. Many martial artists are relying on the rules which are still being experimenting with in Mainland China or Taiwan. Naturally, we should consider their rules; however, their rules may not be the best ones.

If their rules are the best, why have they kept changing them for the last twenty years Nobody can deny that finding feasible rules will take a long time and require a lot of experimentation. We will need a lot more experience and even more patience. We should not surrender to the obstacles and difficulties which lie ahead of us. The obstacles must be removed and the difficulties must be conquered. I deeply believe that as long as we work together with open minds, we will finally be able to reach a solution.

How can it be done

The hardest part is to find qualified judges. This is especially critical at the beginning of this unification. In the beginning, in order to win over the competitors, we should use well known masters who have demonstrated their high talent through either demonstrations or publications. Later, those who demonstrate a high level of talent during tournaments or demonstrations should be invited afterwards to be judges at future events. Those masters who would like to be part of the group of judges should not hesitate to demonstrate their talent and obtain recognition. Potential judges should be interviewed by a committee, which should vote on their qualifications.

Repel and discourage the American styles of Chinese Kung Fu. Invite them to join us and help them to correct their paths. Let them understand that they will have a fu- In order to lead the fighters to the right training path, for the next five years only Kung Fu techniques should be alture only if they join us and correct their current paths. lowed in tournament competition. Judges should evaluate Force all Kung Fu magazines to improve their quality and the naturalness of the reactions, rooting, and the fighting cover only legitimate Kung Fu. Editors who do not have a strategy of each style, rather than just count points. Ofknowledge of Kung Fu should not be editors. You do not fense and defense are equally important. For example, the single kicks of every traditional style all emphasize the give a car to a child who does not know how to drive. rooting of the other leg. If the heel is up when the kick is Participate in and encourage students to join tournaments executed, then the kicker should be considered to have such as the one in Houston, hosted by Jeff Bolt. Join the lost his root. Naturally, it is important to have only qualified group with an open mind and express your opinions. If you and knowledgeable judges at this beginning stage. In the agree with what I say, then do something, don’t just sit and future, once the rules are set and more judges are qualified, then everything will become easier. watch.

Stop encouraging students to fight like Karate. Whichever Dr. Yang has been involved in Chinese Kung Fu since 1961. He has taught for more than 40 years: 7 years in Taiwan, 5 years at Purdue University, 2 years in Houston, and 26 years in Boston. He has taught seminars all around the world, sharing his knowledge of Chinese martial arts and Qigong. Dr. Yang has traveled to Argentina, Austria, Barbados, Botswana, Belgium, Bermuda, Canada, China, Chile, England, Egypt, France, Germany, Holland, Hungary, Iran, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Mexico, Poland, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, Spain, South Africa, Switzerland, and Venezuela.

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