Posts Tagged ‘ Tai Chi Chuan ’

Rocker Lou Reed Died Practicing Tai Chi

November 2, 2013
Rocker Lou Reed Died Practicing Tai Chi

Ah, it was so sad last week to hear of the death of legendary rocker Lou Reed. Reed fronted “The Velvet Underground”, and was often referred to as the pioneer of punk rock. What I didn’t know about Lou is that he was aparrently really into Tai Chi. Here’s a great little story from his […]

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The Utility of Tai Chi Chuan

May 12, 2013
The Utility of Tai Chi Chuan

Readers of the old “Dojo Rat” blog, which began in the fall of 2006, know that martial arts has been one of my passions for over thirty years. It began with wrestling in high school, progressed through Japanese and Korean Karate, some Aikido blended with Jujitsu, and landed in the soft Chinese arts of Bagua, […]

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Chi, “The Second Brain”, and “The Wellspring”

March 28, 2013
Chi, “The Second Brain”, and “The Wellspring”

Ever had a “gut feeling”? All of us have had the experience where we have some emotional stress, and right away our stomach gets upset, and our breath rate may increase. Perhaps you have to make a choice and it just “feels right” in your gut. Well, modern science is going a long way to […]

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Misconceptions About Tai Chi Chuan “Ward-off”

November 17, 2012
Misconceptions About Tai Chi Chuan “Ward-off”

Last summer one of my Aikido friends came up to visit, and we had several hours of standing grappling and some cool knife stuff. When we were pushing hands, I was trying (successfully) to use ward-off (as pictured above) to neutralize his arms and torso.  As you see above, there is a nice, round feel […]

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RSS Northwest Research & Covert Book Report

  • Review: “Continental Reckoning” By Elliot West
    I learned quite a bit in reading this huge book, which probably was meant for college classes. Indeed, the author of “Continental Reckoning”, Elliot West, is a Professor of History Emeritus at the University of Arkansas. This book should be in an Economic or Law history class, and probably is. Author Elliot West clearly outlines […]
  • All About Ken Kesey: Two Reviews
    “Spit In The Ocean #7 – All about Kesey” is an eclectic collection of real tales about legendary Oregon writer Ken Kesey. Kesey is best known for writing “One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest” (mental institutions) and “Sometimes A Great Notion” (an Oregon logging family). Both books were actually written in California, and both are […]
  • Review: “Acid Dreams” By Lee & Shlain
    I found “Acid Dreams; The Complete History Of LSD: The CIA, The Sixties, And Beyond” a pretty good summary of the LSD experience, from the use of the drug in interrogation techniques used by intelligence agencies, to the use of such drugs to destabilize the revolutionary youth movement. At nearly 300 pages (my copy), it […]
  • Did Jack Scott “Radicalize” The NBA’s Bill Walton?
    Did Jack Scott Radicalize NBA Star Bill Walton? Sadly, we have to note that Bill Walton (and Jack Scott) are no longer living. Walton was a hero for many where I grew up in Portland, Oregon. He was the star of an NBA championship, which I pretty much didn’t care about. Later, Walton was doing […]
  • Review: Gold Warriors – America’s Secret Recovery Of Yamashita’s Gold
    This book, “Gold Warriors”, by Sterling and Peggy Seagrave is really, really good. It can be expensive because it is out of print, but I bought it long ago and it has been waiting in my “to read” pile. Affordable copies can still be found, I ordered one for a friend and apparently it is […]