Month: January 2018

Combining Martial Arts Like Wing Chun And Aikido

Arts blogger

Most martial arts don’t fit together easily. You take the circular hands of Chinese kenpo Karate and try to put them atop the linear stances of Japanese shotokan, and you are going to get an uncoordinated mish mash. Or, the quick and slick jabs of boxing might fit with wing chun, but the round house power punches don’t fit at all.

And, of course, there are arts that do fit together. You can put aikido together with pa kua chang, but it is going to take discipline and logic to categorize individual techniques. And, this leaves the creator with a problem of how do you teach the beast without confusing.

That all said, I was taking an Aikido class one day, I was a mere beginner in that art, though I had seven years of kenpo and karate and a bit of wing chun. So they asked me to partake in randori. which is the freestyle aikido employs to train students. And, it was a sad experience, at best.

I didn’t want to give them my punches, karate had taught me to lock down and become immoveable, and the result was that nobody could throw me, and the give and take of the randori exercise broke down. I blame no one, it was mixing apples and peaches, and one could argue they should have been able to make their art work, but I should have been able to work with them. Interestingly, it was what happened after that that became interesting.

Paul, one of the advanced black belts came up to me and wondered where the breakdown had been. Other black belts, lower ones, stayed away from me like a pariah, but he wanted to learn, and that was the mark of an advanced belt.

So I explained about l how I had been taught to lock down my stance, and we looked at that in conjunction with aikido techniques, and how things could have been different. Nothing was really making sense, until I asked him if he had ever heard of sticky hands. When I showed it to him the lights began to go on.

Wing Chun, you see, has more mobile stances, and we spent hours figuring out how to get the feet to go fast enough to keep up with the aikido centrifugal action. Slowly, we figured out how the feet were supposed to cross or circle with the action of the attack. We began to go into advanced techniques, Paul excited because of all he was learning, myself grinning, because I was getting a super advanced lesson in higher Aikido that the other fellows in the school, the lower black belts, would have died for.

It takes logic to put arts together, and very few people are successful at the endeavor. I succeeded wildly, and this because I always seem to run into people that are willing to look a little deeper, and willing to share what they learn. If you think you know it all, if you’re proud, if you look down on other students, then you will never open your mind and be able to ingest all the wonderful truth that flows so freely in the universe.

Things to Know About Culinary Arts School Ranking

Arts blogger

To help with your search, listed below are the top culinary schools in the world.

Culinary Institute of America (CIA) – CIA has many learning facilities including 41 professional kitchens and bakeshops. They offer bachelor’s and associate’s degrees in culinary arts, baking and pastry arts.ts.

Le Cordon Blue – Their program is designed to give students the hands on experience they need to make it in the restaurant business. Training combines French techniques with modern American technology. They strive to move beyond the basics, teaching students how to create their own recipes and cooking techniques.

The Art Institutes – This program has been reviewed by industry leaders and employers of relevance to ensure the studies meet the highest of standards. The program also reflects how things are done in the real world rather than a simulation.

The French Culinary Institute – They follow a total immersion approach giving students hands on training in small classes taught by distinguished professors. They offer both career and amateur courses.

Arizona Culinary Institute – You can earn your culinary diploma in just nine short months of full time study. Studies combine hands on classroom training with work in the premier student run restaurant. Class sizes are small, with only 10-14 students per class.

Although each of these schools is considered one of the top culinary schools in the world, it’s up to you to decide which school is the best match for your professional goals and interests. So, be sure to compare each school’s degree programs and tuition to find the school that is right for you.

Boiling water without burning it may seem like a simple process but in reality there are some individuals who simply do not know their way around the kitchen. They cannot tell you the difference between saut and broil. Culinary students who are interested in the top culinary schools must have some background in the kitchen if they hope to become an executive chef one day.

They have to know the basics if they want that ‘A’ on their souffle. It can be a demanding career and one that is tough on the body, mind and ego but for those who have the determination the pay off is extraordinary.

Top culinary schools are not everywhere. There are many located throughout the United States that offer a comprehensive cooking degree upon completion, yet there are some that do not and so you must go online. The only online school that may be applicable, should you want to run the front end of a restaurant, is The University of Phoenix with their Hospitality and Business Management program. However, this program will only teach you how to run the front of a restaurant, as it will not include any instruction in the culinary arts.

Many cooking colleges offer a special type of arts program that is world renowned. At the California School of Culinary Arts Pasadena, you can partake in the Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Arts program, about which most people are most familiar.

It is a great curriculum that offers three distinct programs, which you can either take separately or all together. They offer the culinary arts program, a baking program and a program that focuses on Hospitality and Restaurant Management.

If you are not thinking about obtaining a certificate or degree and simply want to further your skills and knowledge in the kitchen, then you may want to think about specialized classes in one area of culinary delight.

My experience has taken me through a vast selection of resorts, 5 star hotels, restaurants, catering companies, cafe’s, boat charters, retail deli’s, cooking classes and major events providing me with experience of all levels of cooking with a huge influence in Modern Australian cuisine and a strong French background.

I have firm experience in a fast-paced environment with extensive knowledge of functions and a la carte menus and also the ability to put together successful degustation and canape menus both on and off site.

Both ‘live-to-air’ radio presentations and pre-recorded segments on;

– ABC Perth

– ABC Radio National

– RTRfm

– Radio Fremantle

– 6EBA

– ABC Rural WA

On going artcles in high profile magazines and newspapers such as;

– Flourish Magazine

– Quest Newspapers

– Coffs Coast Advocate

– Byron Bay Echo

– Fishing Western Australia

– Merredin Wheatbelt Mercury

– Nude Food Magazine

– Busselton Dunsborough Times

– The Kalgoorlie Miner

– Echo Newspaper

– Examiner Newspaper

– Post Newspaper

– Pizza News Australia (online magazine)

– Community News Blog (online blog)

– WA Health and Fitness Magazine (online magazine)

– Frigidaire Quality Appliances (online website contribution)

best culinary schools in the world

Kung fu martial arts, Kung fu master info – Enlai Zhou

Arts blogger

This article is about the kung fu martial arts and you can find some useful information in it if you are a fan of the kung fu martial arts.

Enlai Zhou is the first prime minister of P.R.China. Every Chinese people knows that he is a handsome gentleman and is very nice to other people. But I found a big surprise about this famous prime minister of China. Enlai Zhou was the minister of the Central Military Commission and the leader of Central Special Department (like the CIA of U.S.). He was acting as a military officer, not a civil officer for a long time. After the establishment of P.R.China (in 1949), he became the first prime minster. Lots of people knows that he only sleeps for 3 or 4 hours a day, but still in a very good physical condition every day. Actually, what makes him so special is the Chinese kung fu martial arts.

Enlai Zhou is like a kung fu master in the Chinese Communist Party. His kung fu martial arts supervisor is the famous Zuanxia Han. Mr Han is the Number 1 kung fu master in the notable Chinese kung fu movie – Wulinzhi (means “history of the Chinese kung fu martial arts” in Chinese language). He is as famous as Yuanjia Huo (Jet Li’s movie Fearless is about him) in the history of China. When Enlai Zhou was studying in the Nankai University, Tianjin, China( 1913 – 1917 ), he was interesting in both the Communism theories and the kung fu martial arts. Zuanxia Han was running a kung fu martial arts center in Tianjin during this period of time and Enlai Zhou learned this first kung fu martial arts course here. What Zuanxia Han is good at is the famous “Xingyi Bagua” kung fu, he defeated a lot of kung fu martial arts fighters using this “Xingyi Bagua” kung fu. He even killed a big Russian fighter in the boxing ring and this event made him very famous in China.

In the famous Whampoa Military Academy, Enlai Zhou was the minister of the General Political Department. He invited Zuanxia Han to be the chief kung fu martial arts supervisor of this military academy. When they met again there, Mr Han continued to teach Enlai Zhou the kung fu martial arts. In this school, Enlai Zhou learned a lot about the “Xingyi Bagua” kung fu martial arts from Zuanxia Han. Mr Han learned a lot from Enlai Zhou too. “Enlai Zhou is ambitious and aspiring youth. I teach him the knowledge of the kung fu martial arts and he teaches me how to be a honest and upstanding man.” Mr Han said.

One thing I found very interesting is that Enlai Zhou established the Central Special Department (like the CIA of U.S.). In this mysterious department of the Chinese Communist Party, he was acting as the supervisor for all the secret-service agents. His good knowledge of the kung fu martial arts helped him a lot in this special position. ( the tasks of the Central Special Department are: ensure the security of the leaders of the Chinese Communist Party, collect secret information, kill the traitors, rescue the prisoners from the enemy, establish the secret radio stations )

Enlai Zhou is both the kung fu martial arts teacher and the kung fu master in this special department. He rescued the prisoners for several times and executed traitors like: Jiaxing He, Bingshi Dai, Xing Bai. He even helped the Chinese Communist Party to kill the Kuomintang’s secret-service agents – Bing Wang and Shaowu Ma. Because of these, Enlai Zhou was called “Wu Hao” ( means “kung fu martial arts” and “high aspirations” in Chinese language ) during this period of time. All his special actions are named “Sword of Wu Hao”. He is such a good kung fu master and even the leader of the Kuomintang’s secret-service agents said this: “If we caught Enlai Zhou, the whole Chinese Communist Party will collapse.”

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The Nitty-Gritty Behind Chicago Recording Schools

Arts blogger

Chicago, Illinois – the country’s third largest city, is also in the top 3 cities for the best recording schools. With the birth of jazz in 1914 and many music legends such as Nat King Cole and Michael Jackson being born here, you can certainly understand why Chicago recording schools should be at the top of your list if this is your career pursuit.

Needless to say, in a city known for its music history, the Chicago recording schools are numerous and the choices are great., the choices for Chicago recording schools are numerous and great, given that the city itself is known for having a deep-seated musical history.} The School of Media Arts at Columbia College offers undergraduate and graduate programs to provide students seeking an educational opportunity in the arts and recording. Their department of audio arts and acoustics builds the fundamental skills needed to survive in today’s technologically advanced and ever-changing environment. Some of the courses offered: recording and production, recording live sound, music engineering and music design.

Columbia College Chicago is a private college that has the largest arts and media department in the country. It follows that the courses that they offer are outstanding and mentoring and hands-on resources are endless. The school also features a very diverse student population; as such, it’s regarded as one of the finest urban institutions in the United States.

The Flashpoint Academy -Chicago is yet another wonderful alternative for you. Committed to advanced techniques and learning in the field of digital arts and entertainment, Flashpoint, the Academy of Media Arts and Sciences offers a 2-year program in Film/Broadcast Media Recording Arts. Their departments are engineered to replicate studios in the digital recording industry keeping themselves at the cutting edge of teaching students bold new ways to approach recording. Unlike most other schools of advanced learning, Flashpoint prides itself on the fact that most of their curriculum were created by industry professionals and not professors who are basically out of touch with the newest recording technology available.

The list of Chicago recording schools is endless. Finally, if you’re seeking a Bachelor of Science degree in Sound Recording Technology, then DePaul University might be the perfect Chicago recording schools for you. This private institution has more or less 24,000 students, is the biggest private school in Illinois, the largest Catholic University in America and is the 10th largest private university of the country.

The 4-year degree offered at DePaul involves recording sound for television, video and music production and multimedia as well as teaching methods of acoustics and theory. The school takes pride of taking a less conventional approach to classroom instruction by giving students access to state-of-the-art sound equipment. DePaul University offers off-campus teaching in world class digital and analog facilities where students receive experiences in exact settings they will work in; a true advantage for those loving hands on teaching and mentorship opportunities.

The Bo And Other Long Wooden Staff Martial Arts Weapons

Arts blogger

Besides rocks, one of the most basic of all weapons throughout mankind’s history across most cultures has been the long wooden stick. This makes sense since sticks were always readily available in the forests or could be easily made. The Asian martial arts took the long wooden staff into an art form as many martial art styles include the long staff in their systems. Some styles even have traditional weapons forms or katas featuring the long staff. Some systems of martial arts train with weapons such as the staff through practical techniques only without the use of set forms.

Unlike many martial art weapons such as swords, knives, kamas and sais which are short range, staffs are long range weapons with superior reach. This enables the user to attack and defend from a distance which can be frustrating from the point of view of an opponent who has a short range weapon. Long range weapons are also useful in keeping multiple opponents out of reach too. Of course, long weapons such as the staff cannot be easily concealed like short range weapons so they can be cumbersome to carry around.

One of the most popular martial arts weapons from the Japanese karate styles is the bo. Even today, the bo is usually the first weapon taught at karate schools and is the most common weapon seen at tournaments. The bo staff comes in different variations. There are heavy bo staffs which resemble thick poles which are considered more traditional and there are lighter versions which are tapered at both ends. There are also multi-sided bo staffs such as octagonal but these are much less common than the usual round, circular versions.

Although there are one handed swings, most bo techniques involve both hands holding the weapon. Various strikes and blocks can be performed with either end of the bo as well as the sides and middle. Bo users take advantage of the entire weapon as techniques can be executed with any part of the bo. For the majority of techniques involving the bo, the user holds the staff near the middle with both ends protruding out equally. Traditionally, the lead hand (furthest away from the body) has been the right hand.

Contemporary weapons forms competitions have caused the bo to evolve where competitors now use extremely lightweight bo’s and some even have reflective finishes giving a more flashy visual appearance when the user is performing a bo form. Unlike traditional bo forms, contemporary creative open forms with the bo involve more complex spins and even tosses. Some martial artists do not consider some of the modern bo forms observed in the competition circuits to be true weapons forms as some competitors emphasize too much baton-like twirling action rather than actual combative techniques. It could very well be a matter of personal taste. This is why in most of the large open martial arts tournaments, weapons divisions are split into traditional and creative.

Chinese kung fu styles also utilize the long staff although there are some differences in techniques when compared to Japanese karate styles. Instead of holding the weapon in the middle most of the time like a bo is held, Chinese staffs are usually held near one end which has the effect of elongating the weapon even more. Taditionally, the lead hand is the left hand with the right holding the bottom end of the staff. However, there are techniques which involve switching sides as well as using the bottom end to strike too. In addition to strikes executed while holding the weapon with both hands, there are more single handed techniques with Chinese staffs than with Japanese bo staffs. Like their empty hand kung fu forms, Chinese staff forms have more circular, swinging techniques than in Japanese karate styles.

Contemporary wushu forms use a much lighter weapon than in traditional kung fu staff forms. Wushu stylists also use staffs or cudgels that are made of a unique white wax wood from trees that are grown only in China. Staffs made of this type of wood are not made with precision like Japanese bo’s. The wushu staffs are naturally tapered with a thicker bottom and thinner top. The white wax wood is extremely resilient as users of this type of Chinese staff perform techniques which involve smashing the entire weapon on the floor at full force.

Korean kuk sul won also has the long staff in their system and the techniques used are like a blend of Chinese and Japanese moves. Although all martial arts styles that utilize weaponry have more complex and possibly more impressive looking weapons, the long staff has remained to be a favorite for many martial artists.