The Path of Traditional Martial Arts

Thoughts and lectures about the spiritual side of the traditional martial arts.

Tuesday, April 28, 2026

THE SECRET OF TRAINING

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  by Phillip Starr One day as the revered zen master, Dokuon, was idly smoking his long bamboo pipe, he was approached by Tesshu, a well-kn...
Monday, April 27, 2026

THE REAL THING

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  by Phillip Starr When I first took up the study of martial arts I believed that the peculiar forms of punching, striking, and kicking con...
Sunday, April 26, 2026

THE MISSING INGREDIENT

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  by Phillip Starr *Excerpts from “Martial Maneuvers” by the author. My first encounter with what is known as “zanshin” ( 残心 ) occurred b...
Saturday, April 25, 2026

SOME STRENGTH REQUIRED...

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  by Phillip Starr In a conversation I once had with Master Seiyu Oyata (10 th dan, Okinawan karate) one afternoon following a rigorous pr...

THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF MARTIAL ARTS

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  by Phillip Starr On various martial arts forums I've recently noticed an interest being shown in what can best be described as "...
Thursday, April 23, 2026

SENSEI, I SHRUNK THE...

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  by Phillip Starr Back in the early 70's, I read an interesting article in one of the martial arts magazines of the day. A writer int...
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About Me

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Phillip Starr
Liuzhou, Guangxi Province, China
I began training in the martial arts in 1956. My primary art is Yiliquan kung-fu, which I developed after training with my teacher, Master W.C. Chen (a student of the legendary Zhang Zhaodong). I am also a yudansha of Kyokushin karate, and a certified instructor of the Pekiti-Tersia arnis system. I was the first kung-fu stylist to become a U.S. National Champion under the auspices of the USKA (United States Karate Assn) in 1976. In 1992 I came out of retirement to become U.S. National Champion once again. From 1991-95 I was the National Chairman for the AAU Chinese Martial Arts Division, which became the largest kung-fu organization in the nation. I have authored five books to date; The Making Of A Butterfly, Martial Mechanics, Martial Maneuvers, Hidden Hands, and Developing Jin. I lived in China for 3 yrs.,in the bowels of the dragon...Liuzhou City, Guangxi Province, China. and have now returned to Omaha, NE. where I continue to write and teach traditional Chinese martial arts.
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