All posts by Shifu Ahles

The Characters & Meaning of our Motto

Wisdom, Benevolence, Sincerity & Bravery – these are the words recited in the before every class at the Blue Dragon School of Martial Arts. In this talk, Shifu Raymond Ahles reveals the meaning behind those words as he interprets the Chinese characters contained within the motto of the Ch’iang Shan Pa Kua Chang Association logo & how they apply to different facets of our lives including the practice of the martial arts.

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Q & A: Prescriptive Practice, Planning for Progress, Passive Assertion

This Q&A will prove particularly helpful to all who have suffered from aches, pains and injuries. Shifu Ahles discusses how to use the practice of Qigong as a prescription to help heal or to reduce soreness after a hard physical work out. This useful Q & A also covers how to map out a schedule to make progress in your practice. Find out what is meant by being able to be passively assertive in the moment and what it is like to have a “beginner mind.”

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How to Practice in the Martial Arts – Passion, Purpose & Measuring True Progress

A must see talk for students of the martial arts. In this week’s lecture Shifu Ahles discusses how to practice and how to apply the lessons of martial arts in our everyday lives. Having passion with purpose while maintaining a passive attitude may sound contradictory at first but after you listen to this lecture you will come away with a clearer sense of how to measure your progress. It just might not be in the way you think!

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How To Practice: The 5 P’s in Martial Arts & Life

In this week’s talk you’ll learn about 5 important P’s: Place, Push, Presence, Patience & Perseverance in the martial arts and in life. This is one of those lectures given by Shifu Raymond Ahles that makes you think and helps you to formulate a plan and cultivate a certain attitude towards your practice. As always, Shifu Ahles skillfuly draws parallels between the practice and your everyday life adding depth and dimension to this already interesting and inspirational talk.

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Does Magic or Misery Find You? How to Put Meaning & Mastery into Your Life

How often as adults are we missing out on the many magical moments life has to offer? How often do we let misery find us? In this talk dubbed the “4 M’s”, presented by Shifu Raymond Ahles, he brings us back to what is important in our lives. He discusses how to avoid things like depression by getting in touch with the meaning behind what we do and how mastery can help us maintain the magic from day to day in our lives. Watching this talk might be just what you need to get things back on track.

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Revealing the Deeper Meaning Behind Chinese Characters

In this very interesting lesson on the deeper meaning and importance of Chinese characters for “Martial” or “Military” and “Chi”, Shifu Raymond Ahles breaks the symbols apart to reveal the root of the words and then explains the connection between the Martial Arts, The Martial Way and how the symbol Chi (Qi) can be broken down into two words that help us apply the practice in our everday lives. In this talk he also touches upon the main principles of the Chinese Martial Arts practice: Yin & Yang, 5 Elements, and the I Ching.

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