Author: Oscar Agramonte

What Crossroads Are You At?

Oscar AgramonteWah Lum

At life’s crossroads, choices emerge. Picture this: a moment where the path ahead diverges, and you stand there contemplating. 

Do you choose the familiar, or venture into the unknown? 

Take a breath, and let’s explore the crossroads you’re facing right now. 

This could be a whisper of possibility, a pull towards something new. 

On the flip side, it might feel like the pounding beat of frustration, a push away from the way things are right now. 

These emotions signal potential crossroads, offering you a choice to be made.

So, how do you summon the courage to make the braver choice? (It doesn’t have to be the bravest… but we can strive for braver.)

Well, first you have to admit that there’s a choice to be made. 

Consider this: I want to carve out time for additional training that I KNOW will improve my Kung Fu or Tai Chi. Now, compare that with the late-night Netflix (currently it’s Amazon’s Reacher series) binge. 

See the crossroads? A choice looms – Will I take action? Will I let go of something? Will I choose to do nothing? 

When you’re at the intersection of possibilities, the decision is yours to make. 

Reply to this if you’re at a crossroads in your Wah Lum Journey and share the choice you’re going to make. 

Sifu Oscar

 

P.S. Whenever you’re ready, here are ways we can help you get started.

1. Schedule a time to observe a class.
Interested in Kung Fu or Tai Chi?  First step is to watch a class and see if we would be a good fit! Email: kungfu@wahlum.com for an appointment.

2. Become part of my exclusive Coaching Group with CYH Remote Coaching.  Get personalized coaching delivered right to your phone and catered to your specific goals. Email: kungfu@wahlum.com for info.

Can 5 Minutes A Day Unlock Your Potential

Oscar AgramonteWah Lum

I’ve often spent more time imagining an elusive move in Kung Fu or Tai Chi instead of practicing it. 

Life gets in the way, doesn’t it? 

Whether your goal is self-defense, inner peace, or perfecting a butterfly kick, remember that small, consistent steps lead to big progress. 

Here is a quote from James Clear, author of Atomic Habits that particularly resonated with me today:

“You’re not focused enough unless you’re mourning some of the things you’re saying no to.”

It made me think of 3 questions to unlock clarity, focus on action, and eliminate distractions:

  1. What is my goal with Kung Fu or Tai Chi?
  2. What is one daily action (under 5 minutes) that I can do that will move me towards that goal?
  3. What will I have to limit or give up to do this daily action consistently?

Feel free to respond with your answers by replying to this post!

Sifu Oscar

 

P.S. Whenever you’re ready, here are ways we can help you get started.

1. Schedule a time to observe a class.
Interested in Kung Fu or Tai Chi?  First step is to watch a class and see if we would be a good fit! Email: kungfu@wahlum.com for an appointment.

2. Become part of my exclusive Coaching Group with CYH Remote Coaching.  Get personalized coaching delivered right to your phone and catered to your specific goals. Email: kungfu@wahlum.com for info.

Build Rock Solid Habits: 2 Smart Strategies

Oscar AgramonteWah Lum

Let’s talk about building habits without the drama of 7 steps of this, or the complexity of 50 shades of… whatever.

You’ve probably heard the classic advice: Do something for 21 days straight, and boom, a habit is born. Or, just clench three things aggressively (teeth, hands, butt), and voila, problem solved.

But does that really work?
Here are two proven strategies, no clenching required:

  1. Duhigg’s Trigger Trick:
    • Charles Duhigg, the habit guru, suggests focusing not only on the new behavior but also on the trigger that kicks off the old one. Identify that YouTube binge that steals your training time—step one done!
  2. Fogg’s 60-Second Rule:
    • B.J. Fogg from Tiny Habits says your new habit should take only 60 seconds. Want more Kung Fu or Tai Chi? Step two: Commit to just 60 seconds of practice. Make it so easy that it feels like a warm-up, and watch the magic unfold.

Now, let’s apply this to your training:

Example Scenario:

  • Identify the YouTube (or social media) time thief.
  • Commit to 60 seconds of your chosen form or technique.

Result:

  • You’ve simplified your start, and chances are, you’ll end up doing more than just 60 seconds.

So, what do your two habit-building steps look like for you? Hit reply and let me know—I’m curious!

Stay strong,


Sifu Oscar

 

 

P.S. Whenever you’re ready, here are ways we can help you get started.

1. Schedule a time to observe a class.
Interested in Kung Fu or Tai Chi?  First step is to watch a class and see if we would be a good fit! Email: kungfu@wahlum.com for an appointment.

2. Become part of my exclusive Coaching Group with CYH Remote Coaching.  Get personalized coaching delivered right to your phone and catered to your specific goals. Email: kungfu@wahlum.com for info.

Some Thoughts That Might Be Useful

Oscar AgramonteWah Lum

I’ve put together some thoughts that might be useful.

If you’re not progressing at a rate you are happy with, I’d encourage you to take these thoughts to heart. 

(AND THERE I WAS MAINLY SPEAKING TO MYSELF!)

Now, invariably, when I write things like this, I get replies saying ‘Were you talking about me?’

No, and yes.

It’s not specifically about anyone…but it’s about you if it’s about you:)

Here goes…

You are not what you say or think, you are what you do. As a person, martial artist, or fitness enthusiast, your success is 100% dictated by your actions and their results.

The simplest way to be great is just to be consistently good. Small steps day after day, week after week, are the surest path to success.

What you believe is what you settle for. If you believe things won’t work or that things are always hard…they are.

Your ideas and knowledge are worth nothing without consistent execution. You know what you need to know and have access to the coaching, tools, and resources you need…but what you do with them is 100% on you. 

Said differently, Consuming information won’t make you successful, applying it will.

Success is choosing between what you want now and what you want most. How you spend each day will tell you what you’re choosing.

OK – that’s my collection of bonus thoughts. Maybe they’re helpful. Perhaps they’re not relevant or you’re not ready to hear them.

Either way…they’re true:)

 

Sifu Oscar

 

 

P.S. Whenever you’re ready, here are ways we can help you get started.

1. Schedule a time to observe a class.
Interested in Kung Fu or Tai Chi?  First step is to watch a class and see if we would be a good fit! Email: kungfu@wahlum.com for an appointment.

2. Become part of my exclusive Coaching Group with CYH Remote Coaching.  Get personalized coaching delivered right to your phone and catered to your specific goals. Email: kungfu@wahlum.com for info.

How Champions Embrace Stumbles & Smash Goals

Oscar AgramonteWah Lum

Want to achieve something extraordinary in your martial arts and fitness journey? Buckle up, because the road to excellence is paved with setbacks.

Forget instant wins – embracing frustration and learning from defeats is what separates champions from the rest.

Here are some tips:

  • Show up. Do the work. Repeat. Blue-collar hustle meets unwavering will. No distractions, just relentless pursuit.
  • Ditch the strict timeline. Greatness takes time, not deadlines. Commit to the journey, not a finish line.
  • Celebrate wins, learn from losses. If you’re not stumbling, you’re not pushing hard enough. Embrace the grind, it’s where growth happens.
  • One big decision, not a million tiny ones. Choose your ultimate goal, then stay laser-focused. Less decision fatigue, more unwavering progress.

This isn’t easy, but the reward? Crushing your goals and becoming the best version of yourself.


Sifu Oscar

 

P.S. Whenever you’re ready, here are ways we can help you get started.

1. Schedule a time to observe a class.
Interested in Kung Fu or Tai Chi?  First step is to watch a class and see if we would be a good fit! Email: kungfu@wahlum.com for an appointment.

2. Become part of my exclusive Coaching Group with CYH Remote Coaching.  Get personalized coaching delivered right to your phone and catered to your specific goals. Email: kungfu@wahlum.com for info.

Cracking The Code for Fat Loss: A Tactical Approach

Oscar AgramonteWah Lum

Hello, Friend!

When shedding excess fat, the core idea is pretty straightforward: you’ve got to eat a bit less than your body uses. Think of it as getting your body to use its stuff for energy when food is insufficient.

A Tactical Approach:

  1. Finding the Right Amount to Eat:
  • You kick things off by figuring out how much food keeps your weight steady. After two weeks of keeping a close eye on what you eat, if your weight stays put, that’s where we begin. Cut 20%, and that’s your new goal.
  1. Taking Care of Your Muscles While Losing Fat:
  • You want to keep your muscles safe while shedding the extra fat. This means making sure you eat enough protein. Picture 1 gram of protein for every pound you weigh. If you’re not a big fan of protein foods, you can dial it down a bit.
  1. Sending a Clear Signal to Keep the Muscles:
  • Communicate with your body through weight training. It’s like telling your body, “Hey, keep these muscles; they’re important!” You focus on lifting weights that challenge you but don’t push too hard.

Other Important Stuff:

  • You get to choose whether you prefer more carbs or more fats. The idea is to make a plan that you can stick with.
  • Start with 3 meals and maybe 1 snack a day. You can change how often you eat every two weeks. Some people like smaller meals more often; others like bigger meals. It’s all about what works for you.

Special Training:

  • Use resistance training to create an additional metabolic effect. It helps keep the muscles you have and get stronger. Focus on exercises that keep you engaged and moving.
  • If there’s time, add exercises that make your heart beat faster, like swings or battle ropes.
  • And don’t forget a daily walk, just 10 minutes after meals. It’s super helpful.

Extra Boosters:

  • Simple vitamins like a multivitamin, vitamin D, and fish oil can be a good idea. And if you need extra protein, a protein shake can help, but think of it more like a food choice than a special supplement.

Summing It Up:

  • If protein intake and total calories are the same, all diets will result in the same rate and amount of fat loss. The secret is finding a plan that suits you, and your busy lifestyle.

Fat Loss Emphasis:

  • For fat loss training the primary goal is to maintain muscle when in a caloric deficit. Burning calories is a secondary goal. Weight training first, cardio a distant second.

Remember, it’s not just about losing fat; it’s about keeping your strength up on this journey.

Stay strong, stay focused.

Sifu Oscar

 

P.S. Whenever you’re ready, here are ways we can help you get started.

1. Schedule a time to observe a class.
Interested in Kung Fu or Tai Chi?  First step is to watch a class and see if we would be a good fit! Email: kungfu@wahlum.com for an appointment.

2. Become part of my exclusive Coaching Group with CYH Remote Coaching.  Get personalized coaching delivered right to your phone and catered to your specific goals.
Email: kungfu@wahlum.com for info.

Info Filter

Oscar AgramonteWah Lum

Do you ever feel overloaded with information?

If you enjoy reading 20 articles a day about fitness, nutrition and martial arts, have the time to train a couple of hours a day, and are already in the best shape you can possibly be in, then this message is probably not for you.

I would love the opportunity to provide you with up to date, effective information that is easy to digest.  

My belief is that there isn’t much out there in fitness, nutrition, and even martial arts that is mind-blowing new.

There are smart people, and there is common sense.  Smart people often have valuable information on the subject, but lack simplicity in the presentation.

So I am going to try (and please forgive me when I fail) to keep things as simple as possible.

A kung fu master approaches training with a beginner’s mindset. A bit counterintuitive, I know.

When it comes to fitness, health and martial arts, most people don’t want to do beginner exercises.

Almost everyone thinks they are at an intermediate level. (And some think they are advanced!)

They are constantly trying the hot new trend due to boredom with the basics. This is understandable.

We all need a little motivation to train, right? That hot new thing can be the spark to get us started again.

However…

 

“The best performers in any part of human achievement are just better than the rest at the basics.

Amateurs practice the basics until they feel they have it right.

Pros practice the basics until they don’t get it wrong.”

Don’t complicate your training. All the trendy exercises boil down to only a few basic movements, there is rarely anything new. 

At Wah Lum Kung Fu, all those cool Kung Fu moves are just the basics done REALLY well!

Why wrestle with a one arm pushup if you can’t even rock a plank?
On my own journey, I had to get humble and drop the idea that I needed to be super original.

I made the most progress when ideas were presented in a fresh way that helped me refocus and see a purpose behind the movements, rather than just going through the motions.

So, how do you filter your information? And what do you want to know more about?

Shoot me a reply and let me know!

Sifu Oscar

 

P.S. Whenever you’re ready, here are ways we can help you get started.

1. Schedule a time to observe a class.
Interested in Kung Fu or Tai Chi?  First step is to watch a class and see if we would be a good fit! Email: kungfu@wahlum.com for an appointment.

2. Become part of my exclusive Coaching Group with CYH Remote Coaching.  Get personalized coaching delivered right to your phone and catered to your specific goals. Email: kungfu@wahlum.com for info.

The Truth About Losing Belly Fat

Oscar AgramonteWah Lum

We’ve all seen magazine and internet articles with titles like this:

“The 5-Second Flat Belly Trick!”

Or:

“6 Days to a Six-Pack!”

But here’s the truth 

Belly fat isn’t eradicated quickly, nor is being “totally shredded” always the most productive health goal.

However…

Some types of belly fat are associated with health risks.

Visceral fat—that’s belly fat found deep in your abdomen, surrounding your internal organs—is linked to chronic inflammation, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and other metabolic disorders.

(Subcutaneous fat—the padding just under the surface of the skin—is relatively benign.)

I’ve noticed some extra “padding” as the years have gone by myself!

Of course, without slicing yourself open (hard pass), you won’t easily know what kind of fat your belly harbors.

Luckily, the healthy behaviors that help you lose belly fat for aesthetic reasons will also help you improve your health and reduce your risk of disease.

They look something like this:

  • Consume a diet centered around minimally-processed foods. (This makes it harder to overeat, and easier to feel satisfied and meet your nutrition requirements.)
  • Find movement that you like and will do regularly. That’s Kung Fu, Tai Chi and Strength training for me. (Consistency trumps just about everything else.)
  • Eat slowly and mindfully. Still working on it! (Helps improve mind-body awareness so you can more easily eat the right amount for your body.)
  • Practice self-compassion. (Sure, it sounds woo-woo, but it’s linked to healthier eating, more consistent exercise habits, and lower rates of anxiety, depression, and perceived stress.)

Not exactly clickbait, huh?

But consider: How many people actually do all of these things… day in and day out?

Well, statistically-speaking: Less than 3 percent of Americans meet the basic qualifications for a “healthy lifestyle.”

The point: If so few people can do just the basics, how likely is it that they’ll be able to do something that’s even harder? Especially when they’re just starting out?

(Like those advanced, “cutting edge” nutrition or fitness protocols that “celebrity models and Marvel heroes use.”) 

The reality…

Fat loss tactics don’t need to be complicated. In fact, the “boring” stuff totally works—and is a lot more doable (and certainly more sustainable) than pretty much any “extreme” plan. 

Sifu Oscar

 

P.S. Whenever you’re ready, here are ways we can help you get started.

1. Schedule a time to observe a class.
Interested in Kung Fu or Tai Chi?  First step is to watch a class and see if we would be a good fit! Email: kungfu@wahlum.com for an appointment.

2. Become part of my exclusive Coaching Group with CYH Remote Coaching.  Get personalized coaching delivered right to your phone and catered to your specific goals.
Email: kungfu@wahlum.com for info.

Yin Yang Duality of Tension and Relaxation

Oscar AgramonteWah Lum

You may already know that Yin and Yang are two opposite but complementary forces in Chinese philosophy. They are often represented by the symbol of a circle divided into two halves, one black and one white, with a dot of the opposite color in each half.

Tension and relaxation are also two opposite but complementary forces in physical performance. Tension is strength and power, while relaxation is speed, endurance, and flexibility.

Kung Fu and Tai Chi demand both tension and relaxation. For example, when punching, you need to tense your body at the moment of impact to deliver maximum power. But you also need to relax quickly afterward so that you can recover and throw the next punch.

Elite athletes know the importance of practicing both tension and relaxation. They need to be able to tense their muscles to generate power, but they also need to be able to relax quickly to maintain speed and endurance.

Soviet Professor Leonid Matveyev observed that elite athletes are able to relax their muscles much faster than novice athletes. (800% difference!)

This is because they have trained their bodies to switch between tension and relaxation quickly and efficiently.

Here is a simple example of an exercise that you can do to practice tension and relaxation:

  1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your arms at your sides.
  2. Tense all of the muscles in your body as tightly as you can.
  3. Hold the tension for a few seconds.
  4. Relax all of your muscles as quickly as possible.
  5. Repeat steps 2-4 several times.

As you get better at this exercise, you will be able to tense and relax your muscles more quickly and efficiently. This will help you to improve your performance in Kung Fu and Tai Chi.

Sifu Oscar

 

P.S. Whenever you’re ready, here are ways we can help you get started.

1. Schedule a time to observe a class.
Interested in Kung Fu or Tai Chi?  First step is to watch a class and see if we would be a good fit! Email: kungfu@wahlum.com for an appointment.

2. Become part of my exclusive Coaching Group with CYH Remote Coaching.  Get personalized coaching delivered right to your phone and catered to your specific goals.
Email: kungfu@wahlum.com for info.

That Class Was Easy?

Oscar AgramontePet Peeve, Sifu Oscar's Blog

One of the most frustrating things an intermediate or advanced student can say at the end of a class is, “That class was easy!”

An advanced student understands positioning, leverage, tension, and intention.

They can make a beginner or basic class very challenging, or they can make a very challenging class manageable, based on what they’re feeling that day.

Advanced (or challenging) doesn’t have to mean advanced material. It can simply mean making a particular exercise more difficult.

Learning to manage inner tension, intensity, and intention is a master skill that will serve you well in your martial arts journey.

Realize that those skills are in your hands, but you don’t and shouldn’t work maximally every time you train.

Sometimes your body is going to need a class that just makes you feel good.

This is okay!

In fact, I think it’s good to train this way regularly and consistently. But don’t expect drastic body changes that way.

You are going to have to push yourself sometimes.

Intensity drives adaptation. Intensity is your choice, and difficulty is scalable to your skill level.

If you leave class bragging that it was too easy, just realize that you haven’t built the skills yet to make it challenging.

End rant!

I do love hearing from you, so let me know about the last class you did that was challenging!

Sifu Oscar

 

P.S. Whenever you’re ready, here are ways we can help you get started.

1. Schedule a time to observe a class.
Interested in Kung Fu or Tai Chi?  First step is to watch a class and see if we would be a good fit! Email: kungfu@wahlum.com for an appointment.

2. Become part of my exclusive Coaching Group with CYH Remote Coaching.  Get personalized coaching delivered right to your phone and catered to your specific goals.
Email: kungfu@wahlum.com for info.