Category: Mindset & Philosophy

How to get stronger without “working out”

Oscar AgramonteConditioning, Mindset & Philosophy

Have you ever looked at a high-level student perform a deep Tam Tui (one-legged squat) and wondered, “How do they have the strength to do that?”

The answer usually isn’t that they spend hours in the gym destroying their muscles.

Yes, some students have the prerequisite mobility and natural strength to make this look easier than others. But just because it isn’t easy for you right now doesn’t mean you can’t build it.

The same goes for a perfect One-Arm Pushup. How do you get the strength to do that?

The answer is to treat strength as a skill, not just a physical attribute.

There is a concept in strength training called “Greasing the Groove” (GTG). It was popularized by Pavel Tsatsouline in his book The Naked Warrior, and it is the perfect methodology for martial artists.

Here is how it works and how you can use it to master your bodyweight mechanics.

The Concept: Strength is a Skill

Imagine you are trying to learn a new song on the piano. Would you practice it once a week for 5 hours until your fingers bled and you were exhausted?

I guess that is an option. But the better option would be to practice it for 10 minutes a day, every day. You would play it perfectly, stop before you got tired, and come back to it later.

Greasing the Groove is the same concept applied to strength.

When you do an exercise, your brain sends a signal through your nervous system to your muscles. The more often you send that signal without fatigue, the more efficient the “groove” becomes.

The Rules of GTG

  1. Frequency over Intensity: You do the movement throughout the day, but never to failure.
  2. Stay Fresh: You should feel stronger after the set than when you started. If your max is 5 reps, you only do 1 or 2.
  3. Perfect Form: Because you are “grooving” a neurological path, every rep must be perfect. If you practice sloppy reps, you are greasing a sloppy groove.

The “Naked Warrior” Combo for Kung Fu

If you want to build full-body tension and power for your forms, try applying GTG to these two movements:

  1. The Tam Tui (One-Legged Squat/Pistol) In the fitness world, this is called a “Pistol.” In Wah Lum, it’s the strength behind our Tam Tui kicks and deep stances.
  • The Progression: If you can’t do a full one yet, don’t force it. Use a box to sit down on, or hold a doorframe for assistance.
  • The Groove: Every time you walk through a specific doorway in your house, do one perfect rep on each leg.
  1. The One-Arm Pushup This teaches total body integration, connecting the hand to the core to the feet.
  • The Progression: Start doing them on an incline (like against a kitchen counter or a staircase). As you get stronger, move lower to the floor.
  • The Groove: Every time you go into the kitchen, do one perfect rep on each arm.

The Result

By the end of the day, you might have done 10-20 reps of each exercise. By the end of the week, that can be up to 140 reps.

You aren’t sweaty. You aren’t sore. But your nervous system is learning how to fire those muscles with incredible efficiency.

So, pick a move you want to master. Stop trying to “workout” until you drop. Start greasing the groove.

As my strength coach Brett Jones would remind me about GTG, the reps are done fresh, frequently, and flawlessly. You need all three for each rep.

See you in training,

Sifu Oscar

 

P.S.  There are 2 ways I can help you Start the groove. 

  1. See it for yourself: The best way to understand Wah Lum is to see it in person. Email us kungfu@wahlum.com with Observation and we will set up a time for you to come visit a class.
  2. Guidance: The best way to get strong is to start small and be consistent. If you are looking for a program to help you build the habit of daily movement, Control System: Foundations is the blueprint. Email us kungfu@wahlum.com with FOUNDATIONS and I’ll send you the details.

What Mozart Told the 21 Year Old

Temple TeamMindset & Philosophy

Hello Wah Lum Family,

There are two ways to climb a mountain.

You can start at the bottom and make every single mistake from scratch on your way to the top. Or, you can take a Sherpa with you and master the best of what others have already figured out.

We often hear that “mistakes are the best teachers.”

I don’t know about that.

Your mistakes aren’t the best teacher; they are just the most expensive. The successful learn by example; they learn from the experience of their Sifu and their seniors. The foolish insist on firsthand pain.

However, there is a trap here.

While you need a guide, you cannot rely solely on asking for directions. Advice is overrated, and action is underrated.

There is a story about Mozart that perfectly illustrates this point:

A young man asked Mozart how to write a symphony. Mozart replied, “You’re far too young to write a symphony.” The young man protested, “But you were writing symphonies when you were 10 years old, and I’m 21!”

Mozart smiled and replied, “Yes, but I didn’t go around asking people how to do it.”

You can read all the books, watch all the videos, and ask your Sifu every question in the book. But ultimately, advice-gathering can quickly become procrastination in disguise.

The Balance:

  1. Trust the Sherpa: Don’t try to reinvent the system. It has been refined for longer than you’ve been alive so you don’t have to make the “expensive mistakes.”
  2. Be like Mozart: Don’t just ask how to be good. Go train.

Take the advice, act on it, and adjust accordingly.

See you in training,

Sifu Oscar

 

P.S. There are 2 ways I can help you stop “advice gathering” and start taking action:

  1. See it for yourself: The best way to understand the system is to see it in person. Email us kungfu@wahlum.com with Observation, and we will set up a time for you to come visit a class.
  2. Start right now: Reading about Kung Fu or fitness won’t change your life; doing it will. Don’t wait until you know “how” to write the symphony. Just start playing the notes. Our Foundations program is the perfect place to start.
    Click here to stop researching and start training.

“What We Compress, Expands”: Why We Wear the Uniform

Oscar AgramonteMindset & Philosophy

Hello Wah Lum Family,

When you walk into the Temple, you see a sea of black uniforms (and some white, for our Tai Chi classes).

It looks professional, and it signifies that we are all part of the same team. But have you ever stopped to think about the deeper value of wearing the uniform?

On the surface, the benefit is obvious: Simplicity.

You don’t have to waste mental energy deciding what to wear to class. You don’t have to worry if your outfit matches or if it’s appropriate for training. You simply grab your uniform, and you are ready. But this simplicity unlocks something much more powerful.

“What we compress, expands.”

Renowned strength coach and author Dan John uses this phrase to explain the hidden benefits of uniformity. It begs the question: By “compressing” our choices of what to wear, does our training actually expand?

We believe the answer is yes.

When we remove the distraction of designer logos, expensive shoes, and fashion statements, we strip away the superficial. When everyone wears the same thing, we stop looking at the outfit and start seeing the human person.

By compressing the external variables, we expand what truly matters:

  • We notice the intellect and ideas: We focus on the students’ questions and their understanding of our martial art.
  • We notice the quality of work: Without the distraction of what you are wearing, the focus shifts entirely to how you are moving.
  • We expand our focus: Your mental energy isn’t on how you look; it is on your stances, your power, and your spirit.

In a Wah Lum uniform, we are all on equal ground. We are there to work, to learn, and to grow.

The uniform doesn’t suppress individuality; it reveals your character by removing the distractions that usually hide it.

So, the next time you put on your uniform, remember: You aren’t just getting dressed for class. You are clearing the clutter to make room for your Kung Fu or Tai Chi to expand.

See you in training,

Sifu Oscar

wah lum kung fu temple

 

P.S. Ready to join the team? Training Kung Fu or Tai Chi is easier when your daily habits line up with your goals. Our Control System: Foundations is a 21-day remote program designed to simplify your nutrition and movement habits so you are ready to train. Email back with Foundations if you’re ready

Spread the Pressure

Oscar AgramonteKung Fu, Mindset & Philosophy, Tai Chi

In Kung Fu, Tai Chi, and even in life, pressure is inevitable.

Strategist Lulu Cheng has a formula for measuring pressure: P = F / A — Pressure equals force divided by surface area.

If the same amount of force hits a wide surface, the pressure is low. But if that same force is concentrated into a single point — like a needle — it can pierce through anything.

It’s the same in combat and in daily life.

A wide stance, a solid structure, or a connected team spreads out the pressure. But if you’re alone or too narrow in focus, even a small, focused force can break you.

When life pushes hard, we might not be able to change the force coming at us — but we can widen our surface area.

Lean on your training partners. Ask for help. Connt with your community. Or simply take a step away and do some deep breathing.

That’s the benefit of being part of the Wah Lum family — we don’t face challenges alone. (Have you read my post on The Wah Lum Conspiracy?)

Mental and physical attacks, setbacks, and goals are all shared and supported by the people training beside you.

But when you’re the one applying force? That’s when precision matters. Be focused, specific, intentional — like the tip of that needle. That’s how you make an impact.

Remember, everything meaningful in life involves others. Nothing profound is achieved in isolation.

So when you’re feeling overwhelmed or anxious — take action. Move. Help someone.

Because action absorbs anxiety, and connection spreads the pressure.

See you in training,

Sifu Oscar

 

P.S. Feeling stuck? Build Momentum. Small, consistent action turns pressure into progress. Join our next cycle and keep moving forward. Reply with Momentum and I’ll get you started.

 

P.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.

Push, Pull, and the Lessons of Middle Age

Oscar AgramonteConditioning, Kung Fu, Mindset & Philosophy

In your late teens and 20s, the choices you make with food and training will stay with you. Strength coach Mike Boyle shared the best advice I know when it comes to body composition, and it is especially true in your 20s. 

Learn the Push. 

Push the table away. Push the extra beer and pizza away. 

Build the discipline now to keep fat cells from multiplying.

Why? Because once you create fat cells, they don’t just disappear. Fat cells act like balloons. When you overeat, it is like blowing air into the balloon and it expands. 

When you train, eat better, and lose fat, you don’t pop the balloon. You simply let the air out. It shrinks, but it never disappears. 

That is why learning the skill of Push early is so valuable. But even if you did not learn it in your 20s, it is not too late. 

The ability to push away what does not serve you is a practice you can strengthen at any age.

By the time you reach middle age, the Pulls of life become more obvious. 

Careers get busier, parents get older, kids need more of your time, and financial pressures pile up. At the same time, your body starts sending reminders — tighter hips, rounded shoulders, slower recovery. 

Strength coach Dan John sums up the solution perfectly: Stretch what’s stiff. Strengthen what’s weak. For most of us, that means:

  • Stretch: hip flexors, hamstrings, pecs, biceps
  • Strengthen: glutes, ab wall, deltoids, triceps

Over six years ago, Sifu Mimi and I started a video blog series called 40 Fit-Fu. We recorded more than 100 episodes on training, nutrition, and health. 

If you scroll to the bottom of the playlist, you will find our final episodes where we looked back at the first ones and shared how our approach has evolved. 

Training is a lifelong process. What works at 20 might not be what you need at 40, and what you build at 40 sets you up for your 60s.

Kung Fu gives us a clear example of this principle. 

The iron bridge stretches what needs lengthening while strengthening what needs support. 

It is also a classic Push-Pull exercise: pushing the hips up, pulling the shoulders back. That combination is exactly what keeps us strong, mobile, and balanced through every stage of life.

See you in training,

Sifu Oscar

 

P.S. The principle of stretching what is stiff and strengthening what is weak starts on day one. That is what our Foundations program is all about. This is also remote coaching through our app, with daily actions and accountability built in. Reply with Foundations and I will get you started.

 

P.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.

Feedback That Builds Skill

Oscar AgramonteKung Fu, Mindset & Philosophy

One of the benefits of training at Wah Lum is the coaching team. You are surrounded by instructors who are constantly checking in, correcting, and encouraging. 

That means you are never left wondering if you are on the right path. You are getting feedback in real time.

Think about school. A single high-stakes test like the SAT gives a snapshot of how you performed on one day under stress. It does not define your intelligence or your potential. 

Research shows that frequent, low-stakes quizzes are much better. They provide more opportunities to learn, reduce pressure, and give a clearer picture of growth over time.

Kung Fu and Tai Chi training work the same way. 

Our tests are important, but what matters most is the ongoing cycle of practice and feedback. 

Every class is like a quiz. Every correction from a Sifu or Si Hing or Si Jye is another chance to improve. The result is steady progress that builds confidence without the weight of one stressful moment.

It is also important to remember that feedback is not criticism. Sometimes you will get detailed, specific instruction. Other times you may not get as much, and that is your opportunity to check in on yourself. 

Both are part of learning.

Action Step: This week, take one piece of feedback from your teacher, big or small, and make it your focus in every class. 

Notice how steady attention to a single detail can accelerate your growth.

Mastery comes from consistent effort, clear guidance, and the support of a strong community. At Wah Lum, that is what you receive every time you step on the floor.

See you in training,

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 Power of the Gap

Oscar AgramonteMindset & Philosophy

Magician Asi Wind once shared how much it bothers him to see an audience on their phones right up until the moment his show begins. 

He wants to reset their minds, to give them a clean palate before the performance starts. 

Without that pause, people jump straight from screen stimulation into the show without a gap in between.

Neuroscientists explain why this matters. Our brains need those gaps. 

Sleep, walks, rest—any moment when we are not being stimulated—are when the brain actually processes and stores what we’ve learned. 

Just like exercise, the growth doesn’t happen during the workout but afterwards, during recovery.

Science calls this the gap effect. When we stop practicing for a moment, the brain continues rehearsing in the background, replaying what we just learned at incredible speed and even in reverse. 

These quiet spaces allow information to be encoded more deeply than nonstop practice ever could.

This is true in music, math, magic, Kung Fu, and Tai Chi. Constant repetition matters, but spacing it with intentional pauses may be even more powerful. 

In our training, those brief moments of stillness between sets, between forms, or during meditation are not wasted time. They are when the body and mind begin to weave together the lesson.

Mastery doesn’t just come from the work. It also comes from the gaps.

See you in training,

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 Secret to Lasting Progress

Oscar AgramonteKung Fu, Mindset & Philosophy

One of the hardest lessons in training is patience. Real strength takes time. It takes at least six weeks before the body even begins to adapt. 

What feels like progress early on is often just your nervous system getting better at the movement. That is not wasted time, it is practice, but it is not true strength yet.

This is why frustration is part of the path. Every elite athlete has had to learn it. You will not feel progress every day. 

If excellence were easy, everyone would achieve it.

Most people give up simply because they expect too much too soon. They confuse the normal ups and downs of training with failure. 

The road to extraordinary results is never straight.

So how do you keep moving forward?

  • Show up.
  • Do the work.
  • Go home.

Progress comes from a steady work ethic paired with determination. Once you decide on your goal, stick with it. Do not compromise.

True progress requires long-term focus. No drama. No beating yourself up over small setbacks. 

Learn to enjoy the process, because you will spend far more time on the journey than in those brief moments of victory.

Celebrate the wins when they come. Learn from the defeats. 

And remember, if you are never failing, you are not pushing hard enough.

Most importantly, forget the timeline. It will take as long as it takes. Make the decision once and stay committed. That single choice is more powerful than any shortcut.

Kung Fu itself means hard work over time. 

At Wah Lum, our art reminds us that mastery is not about quick fixes. It is about patience, perseverance, and refusing to settle for less than your best.

See you in training,

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.

Goal Setting vs Goal Achieving

Oscar AgramonteKung Fu, Mindset & Philosophy, Nutrition, Tai Chi

Dan John makes an important distinction between goal setting and goal achieving. Setting a goal can feel like daydreaming. 

Achieving a goal is more like solving a puzzle. 

You start with what you already have—your genetics, where you live, your circumstances—and then you do the work to find the solution.

One of the tools he uses is called the 5/2 plan. Ask yourself these five questions about your future:

  • What do you want in two decades?
  • In two years?
  • In two months?
  • Tomorrow?
  • Today?

If those questions feel overwhelming, you can also start with the opposite. Instead of asking what you want, ask what you don’t want. 

Dan John has a term for this that I’ve renamed for this newsletter: Reverse Goals. The idea is simple. When you catch yourself doing something that does not serve you, the lesson is, I am not going to do that again.

This is how we avoid being pulled into the latest fitness fad or quick-fix promise. 

Instead, we keep coming back to the fundamentals, the same way we return to basics in Kung Fu and Tai Chi:

  • Eat the right amount for your body each day.
  • Get enough protein to support recovery and strength.
  • Train with weights 2–3 times a week, just as we train our forms.
  • Walk more (I aim for 10,000 steps a day).
  • Sleep enough so the body and mind can recharge.

Add flossing and a yearly check-up, and you have a strong foundation. Not fancy, but it works.

This week, take a moment to answer those five questions for yourself. Then, choose one simple habit from the list above and give it your focus. 

Daydreams turn into progress when we put them into practice.

See you in training,

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 Secret to Long-Term Progress

Oscar AgramonteMindset & Philosophy

Fall in Love With the Basics

You’ve got to enjoy what you’re doing, but more importantly, you have to enjoy the process.

I recently told an advanced student: “You have to keep falling back in love with the basics, not just the new stuff.”

You also can’t improve everything at once. Some skills need to go on “maintenance mode” while you focus on priorities. That focus is a superpower, one I still need to work on myself. 

When I feel good, I start adding too much, and the priorities slip away.

Remember, there’s a law of diminishing returns. Doing 50 kicks gets you more than 25, but not twice the results. Each extra set gives smaller gains than the last. 

That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t push, but it’s worth understanding.

And one last thing: don’t glorify fatigue. Being tired is not the goal, it’s just a byproduct of working hard enough to change. The goal is growth. Fatigue will show up along the way.

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.