martial arts

84. Gene Ching on China’s film market, lightsaber training, and kung fu movies

Gene Ching is the editor of Kung Fu Tai Chi Magazine.  Last time he was a guest on the show we discussed weapon making, fencing, drugs, and his evolution as a journalist.  Today we discuss the China film market and its relationship to Hollywood.  Is China going to take over as the #1 film economy in the world?  Listen in for Gene’s opinion and his take on what is happening in the film industry today. We also geek out about lightsaber training, weapons, and reminisce about old school kung fu movies.

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69. Matthew Polly on Bruce Lee

Has anyone ever heard of Bruce Lee?  I’m guessing… yes.  Today I chat with Matthew Polly on his new book, Bruce Lee, a life.  This is the first authoritative biography on Bruce’s life which Matthew took over 6 years researching and interviewing those closest to Bruce.  We chat about his discoveries and the process of writing the book.  Matthew is also a fellow martial artist who has chronicled his experiences in his other works: American Shaolin, where he studied for 2 years at the Shaolin Temple and Tapped Out, where he trained for and fought in an MMA fight.

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53. Chinese New Year Wrap Up

Happy New Year!  After a week of celebrations, I am exhausted and happy to be finished with most of our shows.  This year, we welcomed the Year of the Dog.  While most of Asia takes a week long vacation for the Lunar New Year, Wah Lum works over time.   Oscar and I sit down to discuss the ins and outs of Chinese New Year celebrations, Wah Lum Style.  We recorded this episode on Facebook LIVE, so we apologize if we are jumping around a bit in this episode.  We enjoyed interacting with our audience as we answered listener questions and reacted to comments that were being posted throughout the podcast.

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24. Adisa Banjoko on blending hip hop, chess, and martial arts

Adisa Banjoko, founder of the Hip Hop Chess Federation, developed a unique approach to helping youth embrace and apply alternative strategies to obstacles in life by providing an engaging, interactive program that helps youth cultivate the necessary life skills for success. At his center, they teach a blend of chess, hip hop performing arts, and Brazilian jiu-jitsu.  The center is open to all youths, but is especially programmed for those in violent neighborhoods. I had a fascinating conversation with Adisa about the intersection of hip hop, martial arts, and chess, and found the work he is doing to bring non-violence through these mediums remarkable.

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