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The Jade Forest! Based on a screenshot I took.

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Himalaya high country

Shigatse, Tibet 2021

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Yak

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boys on Timeless Isle

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My favorite pet in WoW is my albino crocolisk, and before Ellen Jewett ascended into the higher planes of art immortality, I commissioned a sculpture of my good good croco boy way back in 2010, and I deeply lub him. Take a moment, and if you’re not familiar with “Creatures from El,” take a look at some of Ellen’s recent art, below:

It makes me so happy to see how Ellen’s art has honed and improved over the years. You can see her online gallery here: http://www.ellenjewettsculpture.com/ I don’t make visual art, myself, but I adore commissioning artists when I can and there’s nothing I enjoy more than following an artist for as long as I’m able, and watching their talents progress. For anyone pursuing a craft, remember your time and dedication might not show immediate results, but practice and commitment pays off.

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Inktober day 08: Crooked

Sha!

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Hoki Maru, soft coral… (at Chuuk, Federated States of Micronesia)

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The Beijing Wenwangge Woodwork Museum of Chinese woodorking/carpentry in Beijing opened in 2017, after the last time I visited China, so I haven’t been able to see it. This video and the accompanying video provide a nice overview of the museum.

George Walker and Jim Tolpin have done a lot of work making the case that traditional woodworking in the western world was laid out using dividers. One of the things we've discussed over the years is whether this extends to woodworking in Asia. In this video, there are clear examples of what’s described as a compass, which implies that dividers were used as well back in the day. I can’t imagine that Chinese woodworkers, or any woodworker for that matter, would have a compass and not also use it as a divider.

Around the 2:00 mark, there’s discussion of Lu Ban inventing the compass. Around the 3:00 mark, there’s a discussion about saws, but in the lower left corner you can see what looks like a compass/divider hanging on the wall.

I'm still Zaprudering the video to see what tidbits I can pick up from the background, but this is fascinating to me, as it's the first real evidence I've seen for the use of dividers in Asian woodworking.

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高山寺/光さす金堂 Kosan-ji Temple/Mainhall with Heavenly Light

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Ming, a Pandaren warrior for Eddyyyeah

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Further along #tigress #carved #limestone (at Bartlett Stone Carving)

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Cutting Down Trees, Uprooting Roots, and Destroying Roots

Cutting Down Trees: This involves using a power chain and striking force, relying on dynamic acceleration.

Uprooting Roots: This uses lever and centrifugal forces, extending the lever to perform work.

Destroying Roots: This relies on stick, Jam, and centripetal forces, emphasizing close-range power exertion.

Most practical combat begins with power chain strikes, such as long-range kicks, close-range strikes, elbows, and knees in offense and defense. All martial arts schools emphasize such training, so we compare it to cutting down trees. Close combat, such as throwing, falling, and Qin Na, are body contact techniques categorized as uprooting and destroying roots. Many Kung Fu schools neglect these techniques, making them weak points in close-quarters combat.

Throwing is considered uprooting roots while falling is seen as destroying roots. I participated in the wrestling team at Taiwan’s Chien Guo High School for three years, where our coach was Chang Dongsheng. In the last century, Master Chang became famous for his unmatched wrestling skills with Baoding Quick Wrestling, earning him the nickname “Wrestling King.” Based on my understanding of wrestling, I’ll use Baoding wrestling as an example to briefly explain the characteristics of uprooting roots:

1. Quick Wrestling wins with fast and varied footwork, like a butterfly flitting about, making it difficult for opponents to cope. Grandmaster Chang was known for his "Butterfly" style.

2. When an opponent attacks, one can often use strength to guide them to the ground and use the reaction force to create deceptive techniques (also known as "dark hands" or "black hands").

3. When adjusting the angle of the opponent's resistance point to become a fulcrum, one can find a better point of application to form a lever and throw the opponent.

4. The lever should be long, and one’s body needs to control a large area of the opponent.

5. Use lightning-fast acceleration to trip the opponent and achieve the full effect.

Throwing techniques differ significantly from falling techniques. Throws often use centrifugal force, whereas falls rely on centripetal force. Throwing is like throwing a stone from a catapult while falling like stirring water into a whirlpool.

Falling techniques are centered around the spine and core muscles. By using active footwork to get close to the opponent and applying close-contact techniques like Baji Quan or Bagua Zhang, you direct the energy into the ground to destroy the opponent’s root. A famous anecdote about Great Master Li Shu Wen is that he practiced Sticking -Jamming against trees, eventually causing several trees to wither, so Grand Master Liu Yun Chiao referred to this type of force as "destroying roots."

Additionally, throwing techniques involve large, powerful movements, often using grips or breaking grips to control the opponent and make them lose balance. Falling techniques involve smaller, faster movements, usually starting with a power chain, then using close contact rolling to disrupt the opponent’s energy field and center of gravity, ensuring they cannot get up after falling, which is the true meaning of “destroying roots.”

In my lifetime, I have had the fortune of experiencing the throwing and falling techniques of Master Liu and Master Chang. When asked about their differences, I would say that Master Chang’s techniques felt direct, fast, and authoritative, while Master Liu’s techniques were enigmatic, smooth, and encompassing the earth. The former leans more towards uprooting roots, while the latter focuses more on destroying roots. I cannot describe it further in words; it’s like "drinking water—only you know if it’s cold or warm."

Both throwing and falling techniques are inseparable from Qin Na. The true meaning of Qin Na is not just joint locks, as commonly believed. The Chinese term "擒拿" (Qin Na) is two characters. “擒” means trying to catch a bird (chicken) with hands, and "拿" means to grasp firmly with both hands. Trying to catch a chicken is much more complex than simple grabbing. It includes techniques like separating tendons, misaligning bones, blocking energy flow in the body, cutting energy meridian along the limb, and pressure point strikes. Our book, Qin Na: Taking Control of Energy, co-authored with Arthur Schonfeld, provides a detailed explanation of Qinna techniques, accompanied by a DVD for demonstration and explanation.

Qin Na skills are not limited to standing techniques; ground techniques like Shaolin Di Gong (ground wrestling) and Dog Fist differ from the jiu-jitsu developed on mats and are suitable for street fights. With BJJ’s rise in popularity today, martial arts practitioners should study traditional ground techniques for emergencies.

Chinese traditional martial arts are diverse, encompassing long-range kicks, close-range strikes, Falling, Wrestling, and Qin Na techniques. This article merely highlights the comprehensive nature of conventional martial arts; whether one dedicates a long time to diligent practice depends on personal willingness.

伐樹，拔根，摧根

伐樹－動力鏈，打擊力，依靠動力加速度。

拔根－槓桿力，離心力。加長槓桿做功。

摧根－丹田力，向心力。強調貼靠發勁。

大部分的實戰是從動力鏈打擊開始：那就是遠踢，近打加肘膝等攻防技法。所有門派都重視這類訓練我無需多說，在此我們將它比做伐樹。而貼身摔跌加擒拿則歸類為拔根與摧根，往往是許多門派忽略的技法而成為零距離作戰時的弱點。

貼身的摔法是拔根而貼身的跌法為摧根。

我高中時參加台灣建國中學的摔角隊三年，當時我們的指導老師是常東昇。上個世紀常師以保定快跤摔遍全國無敵手成為家喻戶曉的摔跤王。基於對摔跤有某程度的了解，在此我以保定跤為例，簡單地說明拔根的特色：

1。快跤以快速及多變化的活步取勝，如穿花蛺蝶般地, 使對手無從應付。常師當年就有花蝴蝶的稱號。

2、 敌手来時舍己從人、 往往將来力傳於地。再利用上傳的反作用力，形成聲東擊西的暗手(或稱為黑手)。

3、 我將敌來手的抗力點稍轉角度成为我的支點。此时我慿感觉另找个最佳的施力點、形成槓杆將对方摔倒。

4. 槓桿要長， 我的身體控制對方的面積要大。

5、 要用迅雷不及掩耳的加速度施絆子以竟全功。

跌法與摔法迥然不同， 摔多為離心力而跌則以向心力為主。摔似拋石，跌如漩渦。

跌法是以背脊與核心肌群為中心，由活步領身挨近敵人，再以如八極拳似的貼靠或八卦掌般的纏卷將此勁道導入地下，以摧敵之根。祖師李書文有個為人津津樂道的武林軼事：他常以貼靠樹木來練功， 竟然將多株樹靠到枯死， 這是劉雲樵師爺稱此種勁為“摧根”的由來。

此外，摔法的拔根動作大而威力強，多以抓把或破把來控制對方使其失去平衡， 跌法的摧根動作小，速度快，常從動力鏈開始��再以貼靠卷纏破壞對方氣場與重心，使對手倒地後無法起身， 那就是摧根的真正意義。

此生有幸曾領略過劉師與常師兩位大師的摔跌功力。 曾有人問到他倆的不同處。我的回答是被常師摔時，我可以很清楚的感覺他的勁道的冷脆，快速而霸氣凌人， 而劉師的則是莫測，圓滾又渾厚包容。前者拔根多於摧根，後者則摧根多過拔根。我無法以文字作更進一步描述。只能說 “如人飲水，冷暖自知”.

不論摔法或跌法都離不開擒拿，擒拿真正的含義不是一般人認為的反關節， 中文擒拿的“擒”是以手捉禽鳥(雞), “拿”是合手, 即以兩手將之抓牢。其實擒比拿要複雜的多， 所以傳統擒拿包括： 分筋，錯骨， 閉氣，截脈， 點穴。我與學生Arthur Schonfeld. 共同著作的各類武術裡有 Qin Na：Taking Control of Energ一書對擒拿有詳細說明並附有光盤講解與示範。

中國的擒拿術不只是站立技，還有地面技如地躺門，狗拳等，與墊上發展的柔術不同，是適合街鬥的武術。當今BJJ 大行其道，功夫武者有必要研究傳統的地面技，以備不時之需。

中囯傳統武術琳瑯滿目， 但都脫離不了遠踢，近打，貼靠, 摔跌加擒拿。 此文只說明了傳統武術的全方位性，至於是否要花長時間苦心修煉，那就看個人的意願了。

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Back to the classic

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Lake Khubsugul, Mongolia

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Practice

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wanted to draw some outfits for the warcraftwinterball twitter hashtag! i’ve loved seeing all the warcraft community drawing prompts