Northern Arts Kung Fu

Application technique from the Eagle Claw form “Tai Jo Kuen” (trans.: “Song Dynasty First Emperor Fist”)-one of my personal favorites!

One of my beginning students, Tiantian, doing the Eagle Claw “Claw-Press Palm” (“Jaau-Ngaat Jeung”) part of the “Claw Off-Sweeping Leg, Press Palm” technique. Tiantian has no prior martial arts experience and has been a student of mine for seven months.

An excellent approach to forms/kuen/kata. Understandably, there are non-traditional martial artists who might disagree, but only in the sense of the pre-arranged practice form. However, I think many experienced martial artists would agree that repetitive practice of technique(s) is necessary for honing one’s skills in our respective arts.

Once a kata has been learned, it must be practised repeatedly until it can be applied in an emergency, for knowledge of just the sequence of a kata in karate is useless.

-Gichin Funakoshi

Kung Fu, and Eagle Claw in particular, improves all aspects of your life by building strength, flexibility, confidence, and overall excellent fitness. Even Goth Go-Go Dancing! My wife of 14 years, (“Simo” to my students), Blix Bunny Birkenbeul-Hesse, still practices Eagle Claw Kung Fu.
She started In 2010 at my school in Sacramento and continues here in Portland. Here she is getting ready tonight for her volunteer shift for Go-Go dancing at Church of Hive PDX, Star Theater, here in Portland, OR.