Power of baji quan, 2 man demo

Very nice demonstration of a Baji 2 man set. Master Liu Lian Jun and student.

Basics 1: Power Stretching and Kung Fu basics

One of the most important aspect in teacher Mike's training: basic, basic, basic! Remember: No basic, no Kung Fu... I keep on forgetting it, so let's hear the master again. :)

mikemartello — 9 oktober 2006 — Okay why this? I have been getting many e-mail and questions about my stretch vids... Many like them, Thanks more to come, and many think they are, well, to aggressive or violent as one said, and that I am bouncing and I should not be stretching that way because I will get hurt, it should be gentle and relaxing and yadda yadda blah blah...

Well I am 40, and have fixed all previous sport injuries I attained through training, due to the fact that teachers teach wrong, never say or can show principle, and we just don't know or see it for ourselves!!!! The western problem is just that we are not taught deep enough about proper mechanics of our bodies. Sure we can recite the bible of stretching and so on, but we just don't internalize enough into daily lives down to the bone... Its not our culture to probe the body and mind this way.... So injuries occur and we believe the BS that goes around or why we get injured and then our training suffers!!!

The combined IMA/CMA flexibility, agility, stretching and strengthening and so on, are advanced foundation building blocks for those who want more from their body and there body to grow old gracefully.

In contrast IMA/CMA is not sport training and therefore we should not sport warmup the same way as for tennis or for basketball. I am all for cardio and physical fitness, but not in a sport way anymore.

My idea is after achieving sport fitness, look to attain training deeper through the IMA ways of building the body here forth... Just look to the vids of teacher Wang in his 80's, he is a living example of what and why I train this way... Human bodies are not geared for sport and core strength in old age, as we get older weakness sets in and this is what and why we must train...

IMA/CMA training is just that, it allows oneself to see more that just fighting, but the fight is inside with oneself... Ones daily life style, work, bills, spouses, family and so on... The fighting skills are just a by-product of practicing and self defense skills are attained... Sport fighting and IMA/CMA for me are two very different animals... I am getting older why would I practice to hurt myself, instead I practice to live longer and healthier...

Sorry for the rant!
I hope all enjoy objectively...
mike martello

蔡李佛 Choy Li Fut - a Southern style with a Northern flavour

at 0:28 and 0:32 = Mantis influence! All armswings, uppercuts, twist and turns = Long Fist influences ;)

Cai Li Fo (Mandarin) or Choy Li Fut (Cantonese), both written 蔡李佛, is a system of Chinese martial arts founded in 1836 by Chan Heung (陳享). Choy Li Fut was named to honor the Buddhist monk Choy Fook 蔡褔 (Cai Fu) who taught him Choy Gar, Li Yau-San 李友山 who taught him Li Gar, and his uncle Chan Yuen-Wu 陳遠護 who taught him Fut Gar, to honor the Buddha after which the art was named.

The system combines the martial arts techniques from various Northern and Southern Chinese kung-fu systems; the powerful arm and hand techniques from the Shaolin animal forms from the South, combined with the extended, circular movements, twisting body, and agile footwork that characterizes Northern China's martial arts. It is considered an external style, combining soft and hard techniques as well as incorporating a wide range of weapons as part of its curriculum. Choy Li Fut is an effective self defense system particularly noted for defense against multiple attackers. It contains a wide variety of techniques, including long and short range punches, kicks, sweeps and take downs, pressure point attacks, joint locks, and grappling. According to Bruce Lee:

Choy Li Fut is the most effective (traditional) system that I've seen for fighting more than one person. [It] is one of the most difficult styles to attack and defend against. Choy Li Fut is the only style [of kung fu] that traveled to Thailand to fight the Thai boxers and hadn't lost.


From: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cai_Li_Fo

The day Kung Fu died...

One year ago, Sifu Mike Martello woke up and died of a congential heart defect. Teacher Mike had Wolff-Parkinson White Syndrome. On the morning of June 2nd, 2009, Mike Martello passed away suddenly in Belgium. He was 42, despite his young age, he had achieved the level of mastership of a Chinese master in his 60's. As a martial arts genius, he was loved all over the world and travelled a lot to teach and to meet students and friends. Yet it was not only his profound knowledge that impressed the people who were fortunate enough to meet him. He was a generous man, with a heart for the people and the art. Both played a very important role in his life. From the start, Kung Fu was for him a way of selfdevelopment. Through giving and sharing from the heart, he connected himself with others and pointed us towards the meaning of passion - the beauty of life.

During training, he would make tea for us and after the intens lessons, he would cook or we would go out for dinner. Being a just man with a big heart, he talked a lot about the moral fabric of the individual. He believed firmly that with great power comes great responsibility. For the men he was tough, like a father who wanted his sons to be able to look after themselves and yet with a love only fathers possess. For the women and the children he was a gentleman amongst gentlemen, his eyes changed from strict to protecting, caring, respecting and loving.

Just like Picasso, he was like a large tree with a strong root bearing all kinds of different fruit. The strong root stands for his great personality as an individual, one who refused to follow the herd. Rather, it was in his blood to lead. The different types of fruit were a result of his hard work to fulfill his passion. And yet, everyone was welcomed to benefit from it.

His person, his work will never be forgotten. As in many places all over the world, people are remembering him and honouring him through the practise of Kung Fu, taking care of eachother, being all they can be.

RIP, my teacher and friend.

"Be all you can be, but don't be me" - Sifu Mike Martello.

From the Wikipedia:

Early Life

Mike grew up in New York City, where street fighting was a regular occurrence growing up. "In New York City, kids had to be tough and know how to defend themselves; otherwise you'd just get clobbered."
Following years of training in boxing, gymnastics and street sports, he began to learn martial arts for practical reasons. "First, it was to learn how to fight, but it really saved me when I was a teenager. It taught me both discipline and respect." Twenty years later, Mike Martello appreciates not only the practical aspects of martial arts, but also the beauty of the art form and culture.
Mike began his early training with classical boxing from his father, then at the age of 11 was introduced to kung fu by Teacher Teddy Wong (New York City). Mike later became a disciple under the tutelage of Master Su Yu-Chang, specializing in Tanglang (Praying Mantis), Baji Chuan, Bagua Zhang, Pigua Zhang, Hsing-I Chuan, Tai Chi Chuan and Weapons. Mike also co-teaches with the Wu Tan Organization in Taipei Taiwan. In 2001 he was appointed by Mrs. Liu Yun-Chiao and the Taiwanese Wu Tan Organiztion as an official Wu Tan Director.

Training in Taiwan

Mike continued to travel and study Chinese Martial Arts in Taiwan with Master Wang Chieh, specializing in Yue Jia San Shou (Yue Family Style), Ba Bu Tanglang (Praying Mantis), Bai He Chuan (White Crane), Joint Locking (Chin-Na), Tai Chi, Push Hands (Tuei Shou) and Shuai Jiao (Chinese Wrestling).
Mike taught and performed martial arts in Europe, Canada, South America, Taiwan, China and across the U.S.A. Mike is a nationally and internationally ranked competitor, with over 100 competitions in Chinese martial arts (gold, silver, bronze medalists, 86-88, 90-92 and 94-2000 U.S. Nationals and International Competitions).

Beijing International Training Camps

  

 
The 1st International Martial Arts Camp, 2007 Beijing

Mike along with other Chinese teachers and students successfully organized two International Training Camps, the first of which took place from August 3 to 28, 2007. The camp attracted students from Belgium, Germany, Russia, Netherlands, USA, Canada etc. A second training camp was organized from July 1t to 28, 2009 with an excellent turn out of students.

Passing

Mike Martello had a Wolff-Parkinson White Syndrome, a congential heart defect. On the morning of June 2nd, 2009, Mike Martello passed away suddenly in Belgium.

Long Fist by a student

For me, this is the best performed Long Fist video on Youtube by a student. (name of the form: Yi Lu Mai Fu / 一路埋伏) Long Fist is a Chinese Muslim fighting art and has influenced a large part of various Chinese Kung Fu styles. Shaolin, Praying Mantis, Choi Lee Fut... just to name a few.

Long Fist is also a great style to train as a basic foundation. As a preparation for getting your body ready for another style. It teaches you to use elongated power, correct body alignment and body mechanics.

For fighting, it teaches you the principle of "crash and bang", which is the first simple approach of fighting, this means hitting and kicking in a direct fashion. After that grappling can be applied: jointlocks combined with punches and kicks, then more focused on joinlocks and Shuai Jiao (Mongolian wrestling, predecessor of Judo - but with more emphasis on take downs). All this can be found in Long Fist. Of course, like all great fighting arts, you need to get it unlocked by following a good master.

Don't give up

Teacher Mike once told me, (and he used a word I forgot) that the mental ingredient to progress in training is to channel the stubbornness of human nature into one of productivity. To "not give up" even when you have a bad time. To "prove" to yourself that you can do it, even if it takes a life time to succeed.

We are all stubborn, it is just human nature. But the key is not to get stuck by it. Instead let it be a drive for moving forward. This counts as much in Kung Fu training as in life.

Remember that life always comes in good times and bad times, it is a matter of how to go through it with calmness and acceptance as part of the enrichment of your life.

So don't get stuck, instead, move and progress. As teacher Mike would say: Be all you can be.

Beautiful Mantis applications by master Yu Tiancheng 1937 - 2004

Watch from 1:00, very clear. The master shows the use of ambush in the second technique from 1:00, which is an important element in Kung Fu.

Thoughts from a master...

photo: Zhang Xin Bin Laoshi, source: youtube

Once, a great teacher in Tongbei, master Zhang Xin Bin, who was also a good friend and Kung Fu brother from Sifu Mike Martello told this story about himself:

"When I was young I was very hard to my students, always criticizing, always being negative. At some point my students couldn't take it and left or didn't progress. Then I start to realize that my friends and family are also suffering from my ranting, and I asked myself, maybe it is not the fault of the world. Maybe it is me."

From then on he changed and cared for his students, his friends and family. He focused on constructive criticism and encouragement. Feeling his care, his students progress well and the master is happier with his life inside and outside the training.

It is easy for a master to demand respect from others because he has worked very hard for his own achievement, but it takes true courage and wisdom for someone who is already a master to be open and vulnerable for self-criticism.

Questioning yourself is important for self grow. And this question is worth a million if asked in a sincere way.

"Maybe it is not the fault of the world, maybe it is me"