Northern Arts Kung Fu

10/23/2026

Even though, as humans, we don’t have this anatomical “ratchet” locking mechanism in our hands, training to emulate this is a major focus of the traditional Eagle Claw Kung Fu System:

https://www.raptorresource.org/2021/01/22/racheting-raptor-toes-an-upside-down-eagle-at-great-spirit-bluff/?fbclid=IwAR3lIr-GuE2pvc6Mu5cFtwlJykmXluvhyP5uxWdKZbS3mT59NcMXiYsczbI

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08/29/2026

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

05/23/2026

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.

01/24/2026

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

01/24/2026

Here is the unedited footage of the "Master's" Demonstration at the July 29th, 2023 tournament in Redwood City, CA. Some of you may have seen a highly-edited version of this. My former instructor, Benson Lee, is on the left as the defender and I am on the right as the attacker. And no, Benson's falls were not planned-they were mistakes. Here’s why:
Note to instructors and future instructors: When you plan to do a demonstration with your student of 33 years, and they offer to go through the demo beforehand since it may have been at least 15 years or so since you’ve worked with them, you say "YES" rather than no.”
A misplaced sense of grandiose self-importance and a pattern of malignant narcissism has been the downfall of many a martial arts instructor, as proven in this example.

01/19/2026

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.