Kung Fu training Archives

The Power of the Gap

October 21, 2025October 23, 2025Oscar AgramonteSifu Oscar's Blog

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.

Managing Force, Not Absorbing It

September 30, 2025October 7, 2025Oscar AgramonteSifu Oscar's Blog

We often hear phrases like “absorb the force” when landing from a jump, taking a strike, or even during Tai Chi push hands. But here’s the truth: you don’t actually absorb force, you manage it.

If force isn’t managed properly, your tissues break down. That’s where injuries happen.

Newton’s 3rd Law reminds us: for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. When your foot hits the ground, the ground pushes back with equal force. This is called ground reaction force—and it’s something we must learn to control.

In Kung Fu, especially when we practice jumps, our ability to manage these forces makes all the difference. Here’s what the body deals with every time we move:

Walking: 1–1.5 × your bodyweight
Running: 2–2.9 × your bodyweight
Jumping: up to 7 × your bodyweight

Think about that. A 150-pound person landing from a jump could be managing over 1,000 pounds of force!

In Tai Chi, we practice the same principle in a softer way through push hands. Instead of letting force overwhelm us, we redirect, root, and return it. The skill is not in stopping force, but in managing where it goes.

Whether you’re landing from a Kung Fu jump or feeling pressure in Tai Chi push hands, the lesson is the same: force must be managed.

Strong stances, mindful practice, and controlled movements keep our bodies safe and our training sustainable.

This week in class, pay attention to how you land, how you root, and how you redirect energy.

That’s where control and resilience are developed