May+June 2013

[GeneChing]

Our newsstand date for this issue is actually April 2nd, but the cover has leaked out several times now, so we're just going to go with posting it.

You'll find the table of contents (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/magazine/article.php?article=1088) here.

http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/images/mzine/cover2013_03.jpg

[PalmStriker]

Started reading some of the issue. Great article about the correlation between ancient China and ancient India. Studied Vedic literature/Sanscrit texts for a number of years, translations in the article substantiate hand to hand combat training techniques of the Kshatriya military class, being right next door to China with it's pyramids and all, I'm sure they shared some common practices, both sport and combat. :):cool::)

[GeneChing]

Indian Martial Arts Kung Fu's Ancestor? By Harjit Singh Sagoo is experimental for us. We restrict our content to Chinese styles, but in this case, even though the Bodhidharma connection of Indian arts to Kung Fu is apocryphal, we went with it (it helped to have that photo of Dr. Gurukal with Abbot Shi Yongxin). There's a wealth of untapped research in Indian martial arts. We've had good response to some deviation from Chinese styles, particularly when we ventured into Indonesian Silat or some of the Vietnamese styles as they are considered cousins to Kung Fu. If there's good response to this piece, Sagoo has a lot more research he'd be happy to share with us.

[Vajramusti]

Indian Martial Arts Kung Fu's Ancestor? By Harjit Singh Sagoo is experimental for us. We restrict our content to Chinese styles, but in this case, even though the Bodhidharma connection of Indian arts to Kung Fu is apocryphal, we went with it (it helped to have that photo of Dr. Gurukal with Abbot Shi Yongxin). There's a wealth of untapped research in Indian martial arts. We've had good response to some deviation from Chinese styles, particularly when we ventured into Indonesian Silat or some of the Vietnamese styles as they are considered cousins to Kung Fu. If there's good response to this piece, Sagoo has a lot more research he'd be happy to share with us.
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Gene I subscribed and got the last issue but have bot received the current issue with the Indian martial art piece! Wonder why?

joy chaudhuri

[GeneChing]

We send out our subscribers issues several weeks prior to the newsstand date via book rate. Given the decline of the U.S. Postal service, delivery is getting slower and slower. My apologies for that. If it doesn't show up soon, contact Chris Stephens at MartialArtsMart.com - christigertn@hotmail.com. He oversees fulfillment.

[GeneChing]

Check it out. (http://www.zinio.com/www/browse/product.jsp;jsessionid=EE527083B11684127CA4A631490 DD9CE.prd-main-news7?productId=500626248&categoryId=cat1970036&_requestid=485958)

[Vajramusti]

We send out our subscribers issues several weeks prior to the newsstand date via book rate. Given the decline of the U.S. Postal service, delivery is getting slower and slower. My apologies for that. If it doesn't show up soon, contact Chris Stephens at MartialArtsMart.com - christigertn@hotmail.com. He oversees fulfillment.

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Thanks Gene

joy chaudhuri

[Brule]

I just read your interview with the Abbot and was feeling some pain. Was it as difficult to do the interview as it sounded, I mean, he wasn't very forthcoming with the answers.

[GeneChing]

He was particularly guarded this year. Some years, to use the improper phrase, he really lets his hair down. Sometimes he's very open. This year, not so much. Nevertheless, he did respond in a very timely manner, which is an exclusive courtesy he has extended to us for many years, and we are grateful for his support.

I did delete one answer from the print version in regards to the Shaolin at the Circus (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?p=1222979#post1222979).

Vajramusti - get your issue yet? Let me know when you do.

[Vajramusti]

Vajramusti - get your issue yet? Let me know when you do.
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Hi Gene- no issue yet. I did email Chris- no reply yet.

Will let you know when it arrives.

USPS was 4 days late in delivering a grandkid's b day present.

Thx.

Joy

[Vajramusti]

Vajramusti - get your issue yet? Let me know when you do.
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Hi Gene-the issue came today. I am glad that you published Sagoo's sketches. I realize it cannot be comprehensive in a magazine article.

[GeneChing]

I just heard Chris was out for a spell because his kid was sick. My apologies if he didn't get back to you sooner.

Sagoo's article was just an overview. He has submitted another more specific article. It's in my reading queue. We'll see if it fits within our CMA focus. It depends somewhat upon what kind of reaction this first article gets, but so far, it's been positive.

[Vajramusti]

I just heard Chris was out for a spell because his kid was sick. My apologies if he didn't get back to you sooner.

Sagoo's article was just an overview. He has submitted another more specific article. It's in my reading queue. We'll see if it fits within our CMA focus. It depends somewhat upon what kind of reaction this first article gets, but so far, it's been positive.
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There is more to Indian arts than what he has listed- but to be fair one cannot be comprehensive in a short article. He is probably at his best in describing the Sikh arts.

[GeneChing]

...as am I. There are limitations to the length of print articles, especially as this was an experimental piece. I believe his follow-up submission focuses on one style, but I haven't had a chance to read it yet. I'm still fishing for more reaction to the piece overall to see if such content fits within our publication. Like I said, our readership will let us get away with related styles like Silat, but they'd have my head if I ran a piece focused strictly on Karate or TKD. I'm sure you understand. I do appreciate your opinion on the piece.

[@PLUGO]

Shi Yanxu ( 禪功柔拳 - 釋延續) demonstrates Changong Rouquan (Chan Merit Soft Fist)
on our KungFuMagazinedotcom channel (http://youtu.be/TvayS2HgoP8).

[GeneChing]

In honor of our Shaolin Special 2013 (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/magazine/article.php?article=1088), we are running a series of Shaolin-themed ezine articles. Read Rebuilding the True Northern Shaolin Temple - Part VI: Chinese New Year's at Shaolin Branch: Baitasi Temple (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/ezine/article.php?article=1093) by Greg Brundage, as well as The Shaolin Temple You've Never Heard Of (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/ezine/article.php?article=1092) by Daniel Chase, and The Universal Attraction of Kung Fu (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/ezine/article.php?article=1090) by Marijke van der Linde.

[Taijiren]

On page 40, in "The Soft Fist", you have the phrase "筋絡通暢". Was that supposed to be "經絡通暢"? Normally, I'd just assume it was a typo, but since in the translation, you use the phrase "muscle web", it seems you did intend "筋".

Just curious, because to me, the two phrases have some very different implications...

[GeneChing]

It wasn't a typo. We understood that he was discussing the muscles and not the meridians. That's what they wrote down for us. Yanxu did proofread the Chinese for this article, but you'll have to ask Yanxu himself to be sure.

[Taijiren]

It wasn't a typo. We understood that he was discussing the muscles and not the meridians. That's what they wrote down for us.

Interesting - since in the article, you comment that this "refers to circulating power through the meridians for health". I would have thought (solely based on the terms) that Yanxu was breaking out the stages as:

1) physical co-ordination
2) getting power expressed smoothly through the body (referring to not just external physical form, but a deeper muscle/tendon layer of the body)
3) cultivation of the mind

I.e. based solely on the term, it doesn't seem to refer to meridians or health, but rather the 'muscle web' (as you translated earlier). That seems to make more sense in terms of stages (to me anyway).

Of course, I wasn't there, so what do I know?

[GeneChing]

Like I said, Yanxu wrote it down and double checked the Chinese for accuracy. The following descriptive sentence is mine, but based upon what he said in Mandarin. Perhaps something got muddled in translation. Also worth considering is that some Shaoliners are more literate than others (one of my favorite Tamo shirts used the wrong characters for 'Tamo'), so there might have been an error in the Chinese. Our publisher, Gigi Oh, oversees the Chinese and she stands behind what we printed.

If you really want clarification, ask him directly. We published his contact information at the end of the story. All we can do as publishers is open the door.

For reference, here's the cover story, which just went live: The Soft Fist (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/magazine/article.php?article=1094)

[Taijiren]

Thanks for the verification! To me,

1) 協調
2）經絡通暢
3）無我

is a typical qigong progression, but

1) 協調
2）筋絡通暢
3）無我

is something new, showing an interesting emphasis on the physical (which you'd expect from a martial form).

BTW, I think I mentioned it before, but thanks for going through all the trouble of printing chinese characters in the magazine. It often brings out nuances that are hard (or impossible) to catch without them (this being a perfect example).

[GeneChing]

And thanks for your comments too. Your point is spot on. I hadn't really considered the martial versus qigong implication, but that does feel in line with Yanxu's general take on that form.

We're doing our final proofreading of the next issue right now, and as a direct result of your comments here, Gigi is triple-checking all of the Chinese. :)

[Vash]

just want email notifications on any more updates like this. Cool convo.

[GeneChing]

Here's our first meme card for this issue:
https://fbcdn-sphotos-g-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/264531_10151688499939363_2062139065_n.jpg

[GeneChing]

Yan Fei's Shaolin Qixing Tanglangquan (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=445RvQtAg3c) accompanies Seven Star Praying Mantis: A Holy Bug in the Temple By Gene Ching