the rum soaked fist: internal martial arts forum

After over 30 years of training with various masters of the internal arts, Alex Kozma has put together a 64 episode audio series of the stories, skills and training of some of the best internal martial artists to have graced the arts. Coming from the perspective of someone who has devoted his life to his own practice and has had the good fortune of training with renowned masters in Tai Chi Chuan, Baguazhang, Xingyiquan, Ziranmen, Yiquan, Silat and others. Alex provides first hand experience of the training and skills of these arts and in depth explanations of the stories and history that make these arts so unique. I would highly recommend these to anyone wanting to improve their practice and gain a deeper understanding of the internal martial arts. Here’s a link to one of the episodes - https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=EVopJfVYjdI
Contact Alex for further details - [email protected]

Whatever Alex releases is of high value. I also highly recommend the 64 episode audio series and his other books and training courses.

After listening to most of the episodes it is clear Alex has been fortunate to train with some great masters with very clear lineages. Because of this I felt I was hearing the stories and training of these arts from people with a deep connection to their arts and great skill. As a Xingyiquan practitioner I found those episodes very useful, looking at all the history and development of the various schools and some really practical training advice. I also liked the episodes on Ziranmen both of the masters of old and modern day, really brought this unusual and rare art to life. Alex also discusses the spiritual and medical aspects of the training and how this integrates with the martial. I found it fascinating to hear and understand why this was and is such an important aspect of the training for these various masters.

Can anybody recall the ITV documentary in the UK called something like 'Martial Arts: The Real Story'? It was the one where Alex tells the story of his teacher lightly brushing him with his hand, accidentally releasing some chi and Alex nearly dying if it wasn't for his teacher providing a remedy. Would love to know if he still stands by that story?!

Here you go.

It was not long after this aired that i sought out Alex and began training with him in Xing Yi / Ba Gua. Roughly 2001 / 2002. At that time he was one of the scariest martial artists I have encountered. A smiling, polite and gentle man, but also full of fire. When he switched on, I perceived him to be unstoppable. Meeting him then, at the perfect time when he had just returned from the east and was full of fire and skill, convinced me of the utility of the internal arts for fighting.

He remains one of the best sources on the martial arts I know of in the UK, our paths diverged, but we still remain in contact to this day. He is a truly lovely person as well, which is equally as rare these days it seems.

Zen Mind is an entertaining series. Well worth the small outlay in my opinion.

northern_mantis wrote:Can anybody recall the ITV documentary in the UK called something like 'Martial Arts: The Real Story'? It was the one where Alex tells the story of his teacher lightly brushing him with his hand, accidentally releasing some chi and Alex nearly dying if it wasn't for his teacher providing a remedy. Would love to know if he still stands by that story?!

thats interesting, as i wrote in the "bag punching thread" about having a "taiji" punch demonstrated on me by a teacher in beijing. the same teacher also did something as a quick downward bruching at/on my stomach with his fingertips, just a light touch(he said with that one too) and i felt this intense nausea that i had to sit down for a moment. at that time i was no stranger to be at the recieving end having some technique demonstrated and didnt mind some pain...but that taiji punch and stomach "bruch" was something else, if it had something about releasing qi i dont know, but extraordinary it was

Thanks Chris (Middleway) and the other reviewers here, and everyone who has supported this new series and all my work.

Master Chen Yuen San is a dangerous, extremely skilled fighter primarily using Taijiquan, and yes for sure that story was true. In fact there were two other occassions when I was hit by him and was in serious trouble (as in emergency room!), the last one he did his healing stuff, reversed the damage and then told me with a little smile..

'I can take your life, and I can restore it!'

We have had a long and sometimes difficult relationship, he is a diamond-hard teacher and I must have been a very non-compliant student at times, but I deeply respect the man and am ever greatful for what he taught me as a family member. For Taijiquan I don't know anyone with more refined, scary skills - and his healing ability is also up there with the best. There is an episode of Zen Mind Martial Power where I discuss him and his teacher GM Lio Pei Zhong at length.

For anyone wanting a nice taste of this old style Taijiquan Master Chen will be visiting the UK again this year.

Great stuff Alex, you do great work. I owe you a small debt that I only recently took you up on.
You maybe forgot, but on our ride back from Gloucester years back you mentioned to me Magus of Strovolos.
I finally read it after so many years September last. Suffice to say their stuff has really clicked with me and feel it's helping me turn a corner..

I'm like the Lannisters, I never forget about my debts.
Love you man.

Let us know about master Chen, I would definitely like a taste

Hey George! Haha that is cool, yup it is a fun book although there is as much controversy over that one as the author's other book on the John Chang Daoist chap...

I am not organising the Master Chen seminar this time but will pay my respects, his senior student posts here and he can give some wild tales of training under the master, basically its like putting your body, mind and soul through a wringer and then repeating...year after year ))

Thanks Alex,

He's posted on another board I pop in and I left him a message, perhaps we will bump into eachother.
It was a nice surprise seeing you unexpectedly in Walthamstow not so far back.

As for Daskalos, the same author I believe wrote a couple others, but I'm personally getting a lot from a book called Swimming with the Whale by one of his students Daniel Jospeh. Couldn't reccomend it enough.

all the best, as always.

Here are links to the topic of all the episodes in the series if anyone’s interested.

https://www.facebook.com/lineofintent/p ... 36/?type=3

https://www.facebook.com/lineofintent/p ... 67/?type=3

Here is a direct link to the whole series

lineofintent.com/product/zen-mind-martial-power/

hi All,

I just finished the whole series so thought i would write my thoughts.

It is very easy in the modern web world to expect something for nothing, podcasts, youtube, etc all having great material on them and masses of good info for people to peruse.

But sometimes the price for someones time, dedication and thoughtful production is worth a fee.

This series is a wonderful journey into various martial masters and their methods. For those that know Alex' books you will know that he is not just some journalist, but an extremely serious, and highly skilled practitioner in his own right. This comes though in the series where he talks eloquently of some concepts that are difficult to get across in words and much better felt!

I highly recommend this series in support of Alex and his endeavors, but also as i think it really is a lovely series for those interested in the internal arts.

http://lineofintent.com/product/zen-mind-martial-power/

Thanks for putting your time into this work Alex.

Thank you Chris, it was a few months work to produce this, have tried to include everything I wanted to say about martial arts....which turned out to be quite a lot )))