Kung Fu Tai Chi is ceasing publication

[GeneChing]

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EX2gpUlVcAAl3jp?format=jpg&name=medium

With the deepest sadness, Kung Fu Tai Chi is ceasing publication. The decline in newsstand distributors coupled with the impact of the pandemic has forced the closure of TC Media International. Current subscribers will be notified by mail on compensation.

Thank you for supporting Kung Fu Tai Chi. We are enormously proud of what we achieved over the last 28 years. It has been an honor to serve the martial arts world. Please continue to support KungFuMagazine.com and MartialArtSmart.com.

Stay Strong and Healthy. And keep the practice alive.

Gene Ching FORMER Publisher, Kung Fu Tai Chi

[Jimbo]

Gene, I am so sorry to hear this. I really got a lot out of Kung Fu/Tai Chi magazine (or by the various names it went under) since the early ‘90s. I want to express my thanks to you and all the contributors throughout the years.

May the spirit live on!

[Kevin73]

So sad!

Will there still be the online content?

[GeneChing]

Will there still be the online content?

Yes, for now. As long as MartialArtSmart (https://www.martialartsmart.com/) can stay in business, KungFuMagazine.com (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/) and this forum will stay online. I'll still be active here part time. It's all still being sorted however. Putting the print mag to rest (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?71782-Kung-Fu-Tai-Chi-is-ceasing-publication) has a lot of factors. But both KFM and this forum are tremendous archives (over a thousand articles on KFM and I can't even begin to tabulate what's stored on this forum) so I'm going to do my best to fight for it. However, I gotta pay my own bills too.

There is a chance that the SUMMER 2020 (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?71773-Summmer-2020) issue might still be produced. We were almost done with it when the Shelter-in-Place order was given. I'm looking into doing some sort of fundraiser like a GoFundMe to complete it.

Publishing has been a struggle and this fate is inevitable for every niche mag. Remember, I've been charting the decline of print mags in our Print-publishing-death-watch (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?52868-Print-publishing-death-watch) since 2009.

Thank you all for your continued support.

[Songshan]

I will miss the Shaolin specials the most. Gene, you were definitely a voice to the west for the Shaolin Temple along with the Songshan Shaolin masters that moved and opened schools here in the US. Sometimes doors close and new ones open. Have you thought about taking your talent to social media outlets like you tube, live streaming, etc.?

[GeneChing]

The Shaolin Special (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?70537-Shaolin-Special-Issues-of-Kung-Fu-Tai-Chi)were my favorite, my personal pet projects with KFTC.

I've had several people suggest I start live streaming on YouTube. I may consider it but to be honest with all of you, I'm a writer, not a vlogger. My appearances on shows like Man at Arms: Art of War (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?70140-Man-at-Arms-Art-of-War-Original-Series-from-EL-REY-Network-with-Gene-Ching) were under directors and heavily edited. I have my moments, but in general, I'm not that spontaneous in front of a camera. It's a very different media, and frankly, building up my name as a franchise wouldn't be profitable for a long, long time. There are so many vloggers in that game.

We've worked YouTube for years through our KungFuMagazine channel (https://www.youtube.com/user/KungfuMagazinedotcom). We currently have 33+K subscribers, something that we built after years of work. Unfortunately, due to copyright issues with some of the music played at the martial demonstrations, we can't advertise profitably there. But that being said, I know how long it takes to build that big of a following in the martial world, and how much I'd make back for that investment, so it doesn't seem that good of a bet at this time. Maybe later, but now I need to find a more stable paying job, which is challenging with all of the hiring freezes and the largest unemployment since the Great Depression.

Sadly, we were developing the first of a vlog series when the Shelter-in-Place began. It's almost done, however now, I've lost my team. Patrick (Design Sifu) and I hope to complete it because we put so much work into it, but we shall see if that comes to pass. He is also looking for work. I had several more vlogs mapped out, along with so many other projects in developmet, but I don't know if they'll ever be completed now.

What's more, TC Media is looking to retain me for KungFuMagazine.com and social media. It's a part-time position now, but I will do what I can to maintain those resources (including this forum). Maybe it'll grow back into a full-time position, but that will depend entirely upon sales at MartialArtSmart (https://www.martialartsmart.com/). To be prefectly frank, like I've said so many times here before, if you want this forum and KungFuMagazine to go on, support MartialArtSmart (https://www.martialartsmart.com/).

[Djuan]

The Shaolin Special (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?70537-Shaolin-Special-Issues-of-Kung-Fu-Tai-Chi)were my favorite, my personal pet projects with KFTC.


What's more, TC Media is looking to retain me for KungFuMagazine.com and social media. It's a part-time position now, but I will do what I can to maintain those resources (including this forum). Maybe it'll grow back into a full-time position, but that will depend entirely upon sales at MartialArtSmart (https://www.martialartsmart.com/). To be prefectly frank, like I've said so many times here before, if you want this forum and KungFuMagazine to go on, support MartialArtSmart (https://www.martialartsmart.com/).

Much Love and Respect Gene

Can we still order the old hard copies of the magazine from the website?

Amituofo

[GeneChing]

Much Love and Respect Gene

Can we still order the old hard copies of the magazine from the website?

Amituofo

While there is remaining stock, sure. In fact, if you want this forum and KungFuMagazine.com to continue, please order from them. You can find back issues here (https://www.martialartsmart.com/magazines.html).

[Djuan]

While there is remaining stock, sure. In fact, if you want this forum and KungFuMagazine.com to continue, please order from them. You can find back issues here (https://www.martialartsmart.com/magazines.html).

got it. on the bright side, this is an chance to expand the brand online. think about it, everything is online, and moving faster than ever, how could the magazine transfer its publication online? there so much that can be covered still and presented by KFTC, it just takes that think tank to pull it out of the Universe. its there.

in general, a lot of magazines are going to go that route, finding ways in forms video journalism, podcasts, vlogging, and streaming services to name a few. Kung Fu and Tai Chi, as arts, the global presence is immense, and is in everything we do, so theres still more than enough space for the publication, just needs a shift of delivery to match the times and future. I'd say the martial arts and general sports world is screaming for a stronger online platform for all things Kung Fu, ( or CMA, from Shaolin to Wudang, wushu to qi gong and everything in between)
I know many others share my sentiment, and we cant take the forum, as great as it is, as the only place we gather as community to say, these are the only ones that know about it and want to keep it going. with the proper online exposure, presentation and accessibility , the publication can grow further in to the future.
cmon man, all the fight in us, can we fight for this publication some how? we need you guys!

Amituofo

[David Jamieson]

All good things must end and this too shall pass.

All the best with what the future brings.

[GeneChing]

cmon man, all the fight in us, can we fight for this publication some how? we need you guys!

I appreciate your sentiment but you're being overly dramatic. The bottom line is we can do anything IF we have the funds. And the funds comes from MartialArtSmart (https://www.martialartsmart.com/).

The 'fight' is solely economic. Fund KungFuMagazine.com by buying at MartialArtSmart (https://www.martialartsmart.com/).

[Djuan]

I appreciate your sentiment but you're being overly dramatic. The bottom line is we can do anything IF we have the funds. And the funds comes from MartialArtSmart (https://www.martialartsmart.com/).

The 'fight' is solely economic. Fund KungFuMagazine.com by buying at MartialArtSmart (https://www.martialartsmart.com/).

Fair enough :p

Amituofo

[MasterKiller]

So sorry to read this. KFTC has been close to many of our hearts for decades.

[mawali]

I have enjoyed the magazine over the years and have learnt alot in my journey by the histories of other SMA system that I was not aware of!
Other than travelling to another state (Wisconsin) to get the mag, it was a fun ride!

Prosper and Enjoy Life:cool:

[GeneChing]

Chinese Martial Arts in the News: May 22, 2020 – Epidemic, Closure and The Loss of Kung Fu Tai Chi Magazine (https://chinesemartialstudies.com/2020/05/21/chinese-martial-arts-in-the-news-may-22-2020-epidemic-closure-and-the-loss-of-kung-fu-tai-chi-magazine/)

Introduction
It has been way too long since our last news update. We are fortunate to have had such a rich series of guest posts exploring the ways that COVID-19 has impacted both our personal training and the field of Martial Arts Studies. That series has not yet concluded, but I thought that it might be a nice change of page to get caught up with the news. For new readers, this is a semi-regular feature here at Kung Fu Tea in which we review media stories that mention the traditional fighting arts. In addition to discussing important events, this column also considers how the Asian hand combat systems are portrayed in the mainstream media. As one might expect, many of the martial arts stories published over the last month centered on the global disruption of the novel coronavirus. Still, it is fascinating to note the wide variety of ways that it is being discussed with reference to the martial arts.
While we try to summarize the major stories over the last month, there is always a chance that we may have missed something. If you are aware of an important news event relating to the TCMA, drop a link in the comments section below. If you know of a developing story that should be covered in the future feel free to send me an email.

https://chinesemartialstudies.files.wordpress.com/2020/05/5010_kfm201703-junecover.jpg

The Impact of COVID-19 on the Chinese Martial Arts
Calculating the cost of a catastrophe is never easy. In the case of the TCMA these losses can be seen in the slow attrition of the schools, institutions and infrastructure that support our community. Perhaps the greatest of these institutional losses has been the closure of Kung Fu Tai Chi Magazine. The entire magazine industry has been in decline for decades, but in this case the current epidemic was the final straw. Gene Ching, the magazine’s former publisher (and before that editor), has been an important friends to the growing field of Martial Arts Studies and I have had the pleasure to work with him on several small projects over the years. This must have been a devastating blow for him and the entire production team. At the same time, Kung Fu Tai Chi served as an important unifying voice in an area so diverse and riven with factionalism that simply keeping up with current developments is a real challenge.
Newsstand martial arts magazine had a profound impact on me as I grew up in a small, relatively isolated, town. They created an image of martial practice that was almost intoxicating to my young and impressionable mind. The loss of KFTC Magazine feels like losing another slice of my younger self. All created things must end, and it has been a good 28 year run.

COVID-19 is not only impacting the martial arts in North America. While Hong Kong, Taiwan and the Peoples Republic of China seem to have come out on the other side of their respective curves, the effects of the pandemic on their economies, and martial arts communities, continues to be dire. Particularly interesting was an article in Bloomberg titled “Hong Kong’s Economic Crisis Just Keeps Getting Worse,” which opens and closes with the struggles of one of the city’s many Wing Chun schools. Of course, the ongoing civil unrest in Hong Kong adds an extra hurdle for that city’s economy.
“Passing on this cultural touchstone to the next generation is proving to be Lam [Shu-shing]’s biggest challenge yet as the number of students has dwindled to a handful. “This is the toughest moment in the past 40 years that I am teaching Kung Fu,” said Lam, who at almost 70 had to give up his gym when he couldn’t afford the rent. “I don’t see any improvement in Hong Kong any time soon.”

As in North America, some Chinese schools have found new opportunities as they continue to negotiate long-term shutdowns. I found a fun photo essay in the China Daily titled “Martial arts master turns to online classes for global students.” The physical and highly personal nature of instruction has made the martial arts sector resistant to any sort of consolidation (something that we have seen in other areas of the fitness industry). One wonders how resilient the new networks of students and teachers being formed now will prove to be, and whether they might be a harbinger of change in the future.

“Martial arts master Yu Danqiu is teaching apprentices around the world online after his club was closed by the COVID-19 outbreak. On May 9, Yu, chairman of the Ming He Quan, or the Calling Crane Fist Research Association of the Fujian Martial Arts association in Jianxindongling village of Cangshan district, in Fuzhou, East China’s Fujian province, taught fist forms remotely to apprentices from five countries, including Russia, Australia, and the United Kingdom.”
continued next post

[GeneChing]

Of particular interest to me has been the differences and similarities in how universities, on the one hand, and martial arts schools, on the other, have handled the migration to an online format. To be entirely honest, I am not sure how successful this experiment has been on he academic side. Chronic absenteeism and levels of rock-bottom morale suggesting actual depression have left many high-school and college instructors struggling to connect with their students. I have seen some great on-line teaching happen in traditional martial arts venues, but this is also a crowd that generally self-selects. Still, it is always fascinating to see these two world coming together as happened recently when the Taijiquan classes sponsored by Miami University’s Confucius Institute were forced to turn to on-line grading for their students’ Duanwei advancement.

“WA martial arts business owner willing to go to jail to stay open.” While most news stories featured discussions of the move to on-line teaching, the previous headline reminds us that a not insignfigant number of schools have refused to take this rout. In the last month there have been several stories of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu schools that have refused to close their doors in defiance of state and local regulations. One of these is the Battleground Martial Arts Academy in Battleground Washington.
“Rodeman says he disinfects the space on a daily basis, and does everything to maintain a clean environment. But he also noted that his business doesn’t really fit into the phased reopening plan, which left him with few options.
“A law enforcement officer came to my door, handed me a paper that says I can’t even reopen until phase four. I said, ‘Even at phase four, I’m still not legally able to practice jujitsu in here.’”
“So I decided to say, I can’t agree to that, I can’t follow,” he said. “I could be looking at a $5,000 fine and one year in jail. … I’m willing to make a stand because I believe what I’m doing is right.”
Prolonged closures is a threat to all sorts of martial arts schools and gyms. Still, BJJ schools seem to face additional challenges as their style has grounded its legitimacy not in solo-drills with grappling dummies, or Zoom conditioning classes, but rather in constant practice with a non-cooperative opponent. Not all instructors are enthusiastic about the possibilities of remote instruction as a way to stay connected with their students. Additionally, given the popularity of the style many schools are located in large locations which command relatively high rents. Similar stories of defiance are playing out in other states as well, such as the case of Rice Brothers BJJ in California.

“(My group) thinks the virus is on the downscale and there are studies that came out that show most of us have had coronavirus anyway,” Rice said. “We need to operate and we need to pay rent. It’s either we go broke and file bankruptcy or we operate business.”… Rice isn’t going to conduct online classes and remains adamant about allowing his grapplers to train at his gym. Rice says he is making his students follow proper sanitation guidelines by having them wear only freshly-cleaned gis and his staff is washing down the mats before and after each training session.”

Of course the vast majority of BJJ schools have opted to place the safety of their students and local community first by following state and local regulations. Still, the economic costs of being a good citizen are high as the following article reminds us. There is some relief on the horizon for gyms and martial arts studios in states like Georgia and Florida which are currently encouraging reopening. Yet once again, the intimate nature of BJJ training seems to ensure that returning to the mats will not necessarily be a return to normal training.

Gracie Barra Martial Arts School in Kissimmee is implementing several safety measures, including having each person practice in their own square, 6 feet apart from others.
“We are allowing people who live in the same household to train together, such as siblings, spouses, roommates,” Owner of Gracie Barra, Igor Andrade, said.
The school is also requiring temperature checks and sanitizing at the door. Members must also come dressed and ready to avoid crowded use of locker rooms.


While COVID-19 is having a profound impact on small businesses around the globe, its effects are also playing themselves out in the realm of public diplomacy. One Chinese, English language, tabloid ran a story titled “Chinese Martial Arts Help Cubans Deal with COVID-19 Lockdown.” The traditional arts seem to be almost custom made for this sort of event. And given the profound ways in which the COVID-19 outbreak has damaged China’s global image, it is not surprising to see stepped up public diplomacy efforts. At least some of that has come in form of increased support for martial arts communities overseas, as this article reminds us. Facing profound economic dislocation, the Chinese embassy in Rwanda has donated a large amount of food to help support the country’s Kung Fu community in the hopes that they can continue their training.
The National Review (which has a very specific editorial direction) addressed these sorts of efforts in an article titled “Traditional Chinese Medicine as Soft-Power Play.” While it directly addresses TCM’s interplay with COVID crisis, one suspects that similar arguments could be made about certain martial arts programs.
“As scientists and biotechnology companies around the world are racing to develop therapeutic drugs and a vaccine for COVID-19, China has been busy promoting traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) abroad as an effective treatment for the disease. The Chinese government reported that 87 percent of COVID-19 patients in China received TCM as part of their treatment and that 92 percent of them had shown improvement as a result. This claim hasn’t been independently or scientifically verified. So why is the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) advocating TCM with such vigor? Ultimately, this push is part of a soft-power play.”


THREADS
Kung Fu Tai Chi is ceasing publication (www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?71782-Kung-Fu-Tai-Chi-is-ceasing-publication)
Covid (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?71666-Coronavirus-(COVID-19)-Wuhan-Pneumonia)

[GeneChing]

READ Kung Fu Tai Chi 1992-2020 (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/ezine/article.php?article=1545) by Gene Ching

http://www.kungfumagazine.com/admin/site_images/KungfuMagazine/upload/3183_KFM-Facebook-Cover_2S.jpg

THREADS
Kung-Fu-Tai-Chi-is-ceasing-publication (www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?71782-Kung-Fu-Tai-Chi-is-ceasing-publication)
Print-publishing-death-watch (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?52868-Print-publishing-death-watch)
Summmer-2020 (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?71773-Summmer-2020)

[GeneChing]

The Final Newsstand Cover Story Exorcising the Mad Demon Staff of Shaolin By Gene Ching with Gigi Oh (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/magazine/article.php?article=1546) is available online

THREADS
Spring-2020 (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?71664-Spring-2020)
Feng-Mo-or-YinShou-gun (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?64616-Feng-Mo-or-YinShou-gun)

[GeneChing]

End of Watch: Kung Fu Tai Chi Magazine 1999-2020 (https://geneching.wordpress.com/2020/06/09/end-of-watch-kung-fu-tai-chi-magazine-1999-2020/)

Threads
Kung-Fu-Tai-Chi-is-ceasing-publication (www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?71782-Kung-Fu-Tai-Chi-is-ceasing-publication)
My-personal-blog (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?71788-My-personal-blog)

[GeneChing]

In honor of the Kung Fu Tai Chi Bardo, read My Life in Print (https://geneching.wordpress.com/2020/06/24/my-life-in-print/).

https://geneching.files.wordpress.com/2020/05/afsarmcat.jpg

Threads
Kung-Fu-Tai-Chi-is-ceasing-publication (www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?71782-Kung-Fu-Tai-Chi-is-ceasing-publication)
My-personal-blog (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?71788-My-personal-blog)

[Oso]

is the go fund me active? I'd like to help.

this place was a 2nd home for much of a decade.

much love for all you have done, Gene.

I know you didn't do it all alone, but you are the face of the magazine here.

[GeneChing]

The gofundme has not begun. The market has to stabilize enough first. Enough schools need to reopen safely so that Tiger Claw (https://www.tigerclaw.com/home.php)'s business picks up allowing the bandwidth to pursue this.

If you want to support now, shop at MartialArtSmart (https://www.martialartsmart.com/) - it's under the TC Media Intl umbrella, which is who published KFTC.

[Oso]

ok, I'll make a purchase. There is a kung fu school close by that I could donate the merch too.

I'll try to reach out to them to see what they might need.

[Fu-Pow]

Print magazines are going the way of the dodo, so it was probably inevitable. Hopefully, you can develop new online revenue sources that will keep the content flowing.

Anyways, thanks for letting me write for the magazine many moons ago. It helped me get into one of the best j-schools schools in the country!

[GeneChing]

We're doing what we can at this time. The economy is so askew right now, especially with the martial arts world. We appreciate your continued support of KungFuMagazine.com.

[Tea Serpent]

Man I'm really sorry to hear that.
I had a subscription for a while but the last 6 years or so I've just been buying it off the rack in my local grocery store. They stopped carrying it maybe five years ago and I talked to the magazine guy and got them to get it back in stock. Since then I never renewed my subscription since I figured buying it there helped keep it on the rack.
Honestly though I'm surprised it lasted as long as it did with how print media is going now.
I hope this forum stays up. There is some good information in some of the old threads. Although a lot in those old threads is now known to be incorrect just because of how much more information has been made available in the last few years.
On that note though it might be good to necro some of the old classic threads to add in current information.

[GeneChing]

Supporting us on the newsstands was just as important as supporting us through subscriptions. And you're right - I'm proud of the fact that we lasted as long as we did. If not for the support of Tiger Claw (https://www.tigerclaw.com/home.php), we really should've gone down a decade ago.

As for the forum, I'm striving to keep it going. It's a deep resource, one that we've all been contributing to for over 2 decades now and it would be a shame if it also falls to covid (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?71666-Coronavirus-(COVID-19)-Wuhan-Pneumonia). Please feel free to necro any old threads you find with new relevant information. I always do so when fresh relevant news crosses my feed.

The forum is under the TC Media umbrella, like KungFuMagazine.com (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/) and MartialArtSmart.com (https://www.martialartsmart.com/). At this point, TC Media's fate is unclear. It may be bought out by Tiger Claw. Obviously, the income stream for TC Media comes from MartialArtSmart, so to support that is to support KungFuMagazine.com and subsequently, this forum.

When our print magazine collapsed, I was flooded with people asking about what they could do or how they might help to keep it alive. It was a little too little and a lot too late. Now, if you want to support TC Media, KungFuMagazine.com and this forum, the only way is to get your gear from MartialArtSmart.com.

Thank you all for your continued support.

[heavens000]

Basically, now it has only gotten worse, because of the war the process of recession has started and it is very risky to have a business these days. There are a lot of factors to consider in order to lose profits because times are unstable now. For a more effective business adaptation to the current problems, I advise you to continue reading this (https://bizop.org), which gives advice on how to cope with such problems.

[GeneChing]

Seems like stuff that happened at the beginning of the pandemic was in the jurassic age...

KungFuMagazine.com is doing fine. You'll know when it isn't because this forum will shut down.

[SteveLau]

With the Internet is flourishing, paper media in the publishing market has been declining, and electronic media has been rising. No, I do not think paper media will completely disappear on this planet. There will be an equilibrium.



Regards,

KC
Hong Kong

[Fu-Pow]

Seems like stuff that happened at the beginning of the pandemic was in the jurassic age...

KungFuMagazine.com is doing fine. You'll know when it isn't because this forum will shut down.

That's great to hear!