In our Ninth instalment of “WǔDé – The Definition of a Truly Great Martial Arts Practitioner” we will look at “Perseverance”. Perseverance is already being displayed by those of you who have continued to read all the articles in this series. Now let’s look at why that’s so important. Perseverance (毅 – Yì) Perseverance is the ability to continue on with effort and diligence despite all obstacles. When we consider the five thoughts associated with WǔDé, perseverance is the cornerstone ...  read more

The concept of WǔDé (武德) – Martial Morality, where our actions and our thoughts combine to define us as a truly great martial arts practitioner can be put to the test in the five “Thoughts”: Courage, Patience, Endurance, Perseverance and Will. It can be said that the concepts of Endurance, Patience, Perseverance and Will are almost identical yet they all have subtle differences. When we consider the four, Patience is the ability to accept hardship, Endurance is the ability to ...  read more

The definition of a true martial arts practitioner in terms of what is reflected in their thoughts continues in this segment as we look at the second Thought, Patience. Patience (忍 – Rěn) Patience is the ability to wait for an unknown amount of time, enduring unknown difficulties and hardships, and throughout that suffering, exhibiting no annoyance nor complaint; accepting the situation for what it is and as a means to an end. Does that sound familiar to you in ...  read more

Taijiquan biomechanics? I’m sure the mere mention of those words would draw blank stares from most people, especially tai chi practitioners. We’ve all had the experience in life when we’re out shopping, where we know in our minds what we want, but we have no idea what the thing we want is called, making it almost impossible to find. Well, a tai chi biomechanics workshop is one of those things. Hearing the name alone might not create an association with ...  read more

WǔDé (武德) – Martial Morality, should be the first thing we focus on as martial arts practitioners and should be the benchmark of what we consider a great practitioner to be. If we don’t understand the philosophy behind what we are trying to accomplish, and focus purely on the physical act of martial mechanics, then all we learn as students of the art is empty of meaning. WǔDé is a combination of actions and thoughts. We have looked at the ...  read more

We are now looking at the last of the 5 Important Actions of WǔDé (武德) – Martial Morality, which defines a Truly Great Martial Arts Practitioner, and this is Trust. Trust (信 – Xìn) Who do you trust? Do people trust you? Trust works on the basis that a person is of good character and one who will seek to fulfil promises, uphold ethical values and be law abiding. When you encounter a fellow martial arts practitioner do you trust ...  read more

As wushu practitioners, hopefully you made the most of last year’s Dog Year, and can now reap the rewards in this Earth Pig Year. The Year of the Pig commences on 5th February this year, so make sure you have everything in order before then. The Pig is the last of the zodiac animals. According to mythology, the Jade Emperor sent a notice inviting animals to compete for a position in the zodiac. The Pig had stopped to eat and ...  read more

So far, in The Definition of a Truly Great Martial Arts Practitioner we have looked at Humility, Loyalty and Respect. We now continue with the fourth of the 5 Important Actions, Morality. Morality (义 – Yì) The Oxford dictionary defines “morality” as “principles concerning the distinction between right and wrong or good and bad behaviour”, and so too, should we apply the same definition to the martial arts and WǔDé. The life of a wushu practitioner is not one lived ...  read more

The definition of a true martial arts practitioner continues in this segment as we look at the third of the five Important Actions; Respect. Respect (礼 – Lǐ)Respect is defined as having due regard for the feelings, wishes and rights of others and of ourselves. In living a respectful life we must balance our own needs with those of the people around us, and in so doing, every individual will have a sense of place and self-worth. Respect starts from ...  read more

We continue our understanding of what WǔDé (Martial Morality) is and why it is so fundamental to differentiating truly great martial arts practitioners from the not-so-great. Our first instalment looked at the first of the 5 Important Actions, being Humility. Here we look at the next one, Loyalty: Loyalty (忠 - Zhōng)This is a very traditional concept both in Eastern and Western culture, but for some, it is seen as almost obsolete thinking in the 21st Century. However, loyalty still ...  read more