Wudang Sanshou

16/03/2026

Debut Album from Wudang Sanshou's - Niall Keane's band Mart, now available on digital and Vinyl pre-order...

(if you want to know the attitude that formed the fighter...)

14 track album

12/03/2026

27/06/2025

Got questions on Wudang Sanshou / Nei Jia Chaun / Tai Chi Chuan training methods or aplplications? Theory or History? Fighting applicartion and theory (tactics / strategy)?

Post them in the comments below and I'll do my best to answer them, may even make a few videos if it helps...

It dawns on me that there's a lot of shuai jiao drills, chin na drills, bag and pad drills, weights methods, etc. that aren't covered in the books, but were particularily important in developing effective martial skill which wasn't everyone's cup of tea... If I can help decode some mysteries, sure why wouldn't I?

Stuff like tuishou methods like Reeling Silk and its relationship sanshou drills and methods like gyrating arms are fairly well understood, but Pi Joa is a related tactic and application I rearly see practiced in the schools...

Also from a practical perspective, the orthodox sanshou applications and associated one-step-sparring drills are often "lies to children" they help us develop targeting skills and undrstand leverage points, but rarely does one meet a coat-hanger arm left out to be seized by a frozen opponent, and never do we extend both arms out to intercept one leaving our head there like a golf ball on a T ;-) the techniques are very often practically applied in different circumstances in live combat. And there is an associated skill in leading the opponent to commit such errors that allow us to exploit them. Many are aware that the forms contain sequences of techniques and applications that relate to each other forward and back as counters or recovery applications as well as counter attacking techniques... but not so many know how to use the styles footwork to master the timing angle and range to set up such occurances... even though, again, such tuishou and sanshou drills will offer a nod to some of the main possibilities.

I'm not the only one with answers, and I guess mine will have their own flavour, every cripple has his own way of walking and all... The BaiShi oath contained a promise to learn the art not just for oneself but to be able to pass it down to others... Maybe I'm feeling guilty? Maybe I'm feeling generous?

01/09/2024

https://youtu.be/ySejisT0Yr8?si=j9-rRlR9aQIIjjhw

Mart - MaybeWhat you say? What you say?The other day... The Skies were grey...You wished me dead in companyand I think you meant it solemly?What you say? Wha...

29/07/2024

Steve demonstrating a sabre application derived from a tuishou drill... but also importantly, how to train to keep the entire weapon and its potential in constant awareness...

Often when students begin weapons the tip is of main or even sole focus, even diversions led from the tip like a big pointer.... as one progresses, the body of the weapon comes into play, and typically we learn how to divert with the lower third, chop with the middle third and slash and stab with the top third... this is combined with blade awareness, angling the blade on diversions to protect it from being blunted or damaged, and cutting with the appropriate angle.. and of course it's location in space, hence, for example, forearms and knees are used to support and position the weapon.

The pommel begins to be trained as we practice drawing a sword or sabre and using the pommel to strike the opponents face as we do so...

The sabre in particular offers a very close range type of almost wrestling application... and one of the sabre 8 powers specifically deals with the blade being supported by the empty hand... one tends to avoid closing too close with a jian (sword), it's double edges and their obvious potential to injure the swords man as well as the opponent having made its way even into every day language.. the sabre however can be glided across body and limbs safely and thus offers the possibility of explosive closing and opening to cross ranges, it's spirit thus being the tiger.

"Lever" being one of the 6 secret words, remains a concept to always keep in mind while training so it may, post endless repetition, spontaneously arise as part of one's arsenal when fighting.

In this clip Steve combines much of these aforementioned skills and of course moves (despite the apology for slippy ground) effortlessly and aptly to execute the technique.

For my own students... study this well, and check out more of Steve's videos, his explanations and examples are communicated and executed to the highest of standards!

For those with eyes to see!

22/03/2024

For next couple of weeks... Saturday 10pm at the gazebo... clare Park. Catch yez there!

13/01/2024

See yez tomorrow morning..

10am... gazebo... clare lake.

03/01/2024

Right... New year and all that craic..
New public class.. claremorris, Co. Mayo

It's been a long long time since I gave open classes... (I've mostly been coaching teachers and combat sport athletes in small groups or one to one with the odd internatuonal seminar thrown in.)

A pal suggested that I should be more accessible to the general public... harking on about someone of my level of international experience as a combat sport athlete and coach not making themselves available locally... I guess he was pulling at my social conscience, and the bai shi vows I took to transmit the art... (I won't call it Tai Chi Chuan / Taijiquan ... as the Wudang Nei Jia Chuan I practice and teach is about as similar to the contemporary idea of what Tai Chi Chuan Gung Fu is as boxercise it to how Cus d'Amato trained Mike Tyson.)

I will test this endeavour out, we will see if there is any local interest and begin on Sunday morning 14th January at 10am. Meeting at the Gazebo in Clate Lake Park. (Edit... these classes are now on Saturdays 10am to 12 )

The class will run in an old-school fashion much like my Sigung Cheng Tin-Hung did in his early days on rooftops and parks in Hong Kong. You may come and go as you please.. we all have lives to live... I'll be there for 2 hours or more.. depending on student enthusiasm... now... don't be lazy and arrive after the gung practice, as my Sigung would say in a guttural Cantonese .. I'll translate... "you may practice martial arts for decades but without gung you remain a cripple! "

I will teach the entire syllabus of wudang gung fu...

Classes will begin with jibigung or nei gung (exercises designed to strengthen and hone the body and its flexibility and movement to perform martial techniques with power and efficiency) following such pad work involving punching and kicking will be practiced at a high intensity. Tuishou drills will follow training essential skills, footwork and nei jia chuan flavoured martial tactics and strategy. Sanshou drills and techniques will follow relating to the theme of the day... there are 48 to 72. (Depending who you ask and what is considered wudang sanshou (martial application) techniques and each has dozens of variations... this is the arsenal of the empty hand method of the style and indeed a foundation for weapon skills. Weapon training in spear sabre and sword will follow (i tend to focus on principles and so will use the entire syllabus as suitable to aid in the transmission of practical skill... the approach evidently works given the number of international champions I have taken from zero to hero... so you won't have to jump through hoops or pay for a succession of pyjamas and pink belts before being trained effectually... as I said .... old-school. The end of sessions will involve lots of wrestling and sparring, like I've alluded to there is no uniform (tracksuit and gum shield etc is advised and eventually your own 10 ounce gloves)
We will warm down with weapon and hand forms... what the general public associate solely with gung fu...

These will be adult classes so anyone 18+ is welcome... I suspect given 25 years of coaching experience that some will seek social interaction and self defence skills while others will seek the ability to shine at international level combat sport... all are welcome... let me know your ambitions and ill tailor your training programme... and of course... as your confidence builds with your ability let me know when ambitions have altered...

I've coached to the reasonably affluent (UCD Tai Chi Club ) and to the intergenerational impoverishment of some of Dublins inner city flat complexes... my own Sigung lived in Kowloon and was orphaned by 10.. so I don't believe access to high-level gung fu training should be restricted by an ability to pay. As such I will operate these classes via donations... pay what you think is reasonable and affordable for you and don't miss classes just because times are hard... I'll adopt the traditional Chinese method of envelopes... a thank you note will be as appreciated as the price of a pint.

You can dig out more about me as a coach and the style itself on the FB page, the Youtube page or indeed on the latest Tai Chi International magazine brought out by the TCUGB... I'm interviewed over a few pages...

Email me on [email protected]

See you on the 14th!

13/07/2023

Its been a while, I've a ton of unpublished videos of training / fighting etc. that I'll start posting over the next while...

seen as there's a few hundred followers here, feel free to ask questions about Wudang nei Jia chuan / tai chi chuan / sanshou / sanda...
Or let me know what you'd like to see posted / explained / answered about the art, and I'll do my best.
Mostly teaching the young lads these days, since "travelling West"(Litterally) and keeping the rust off with a few old pals who drop down to train.

Bit busy... at times... parent, architect, radio presenter and ... punk rock singer and guitarist with Deadbeats MO ... and I still get stupid questions about combat sport V "da Stretz", as if you can walk around with green spiked hair and not be able to handle yourself? ;-)

14/11/2022

Class on tomorrow above Canavans Pub in Tuam. 7.30 pm
All welcome, from beginners to practitioners of other styles.
Open classes, pay as you go, first class free.