The Way of Least Resistance

I am pleased to announce the pending release of another video, this time on the Chang Dao (2-handed sabre) of China. The promotional blurb reads as follows: This video contains a distillation of techniques of the long sabre known as the "Chang Dao".  It does not attempt to present one single style, but rather a synthesis of practical fencing techniques of the two-handed sabre in China, using forms primarily intended for 2-person practise. More modern martial arts forms, particularly ones created after the Cultural Revolution, might be very acrobatic and crowd-pleasing in their performance value, but they give practical application a back seat.  In this video, researcher Dan Djurdjevic (author of the award-winning blog "The Way of Least Resistance") attempts to present the techniques relating to the chang dao in the form they were originally intended: as training for war.  So rather than serve an aesthetic function, the two forms in this video are in fact ...

I'm pleased to announce that my video "Bridging Hard and Soft Vol. 1: Fundamentals" is now available for purchase from my online shop which can be found here . More details can be found in my recent press release and article .  Otherwise, here's a teaser for the video: Addendum: the video is now also available from direct download (at least in the US - it might take another week or so to reach other countries Amazon stores). Copyright © 2015 Dejan Djurdjevic

Possibly one of the most neglected surfaces of the body in the art of deflection or, as I've called it, interception , is the upper arm/shoulder.  It just doesn't seem practical. But it all depends on where the punch is launched from. If the punch is a high cross, jab or hook - sure: the shoulder can be very hard to use. But if the punch has any "rising moment" to it - whether it is a pure uppercut or merely a slightly rising cross - the shoulder/upper arm can come in very useful; particularly if you're caught in a surprise attack, where your shoulder/upper arm may very well be your last line of defence. I really began to realise the utility of this surface as a tool for interception when practising systema with Alex Kostic.  In systema, you learn to "ride" blows, and this frequently involves "rolling' them over and around your upper arm - even if you have to shrug your shoulder slightly. Both the Chinese and Okinawan arts solve thi...

I occasionally receive books for review and I can privately say that in many cases they turn out to be disappointing.  Others are, however, the complete opposite.  This is the case with Jonathan Bluestein's Research of Martial Arts. To call this work "epic" would be understated.  What Jonathan has done is really quite unique - and that is put down what appears to be his life's study into external and internal martial arts styles into book form.  If anything, it shows the depth and breadth of Jonathan's knowledge. In Part 1 Jonathan does a comprehensive dissection of the fundamental differences between the "external" and "internal" traditions of the Chinese (and related Okinawan and Japanese) martial arts.  While I have my own ideas on this topic and they vary from Jonathan's here and there, I couldn't fault his thorough and thoughtful treatment of this topic within his own paradigm.  I'm fairly sure that there will be legions ...

Some of you might be wondering what I've been up to in recent weeks.  Well I certainly haven't been idle! Rather, in response to countless emails and personal messages requesting it, I've been preparing a very special DVD series: A comprehensive course introducing karateka and other external martial arts practitioners to functional, practical internal arts methods (not " woo woo "!).   Ultimately the 2 DVDs that comprise this course provides a complete sub-system for students wishing to add practical "softness" to advanced training within their own art. The DVDs feature techniques from the hybrid forms of Hong Yi Xiang's Taipei-based Tang Shou Dao (Karatedo) system .  Because of their "crossover" nature, they will have sense of familiarity to karateka, northern and southern Chinese stylists and even Filipino/Indonesian artists. Accordingly, they are designed to act as a kind of "plug-in" for most traditional "hard...