đźś‚ Stillfire Method

Designing My Own Martial Art-Inspired Practice

This isn’t a new system or formal art. It’s a method I’m building for myself—grounded in movement, structure, and ritual. After putting together the routine, I treated it similar to client work to make it real.

Stillfire is a personal project—part movement practice, part design experiment. I didn’t invent anything new. I just started combining martial forms, strength training, and symbolic structure into something that worked for me.

It’s the first iteration of a method meant to help me move with intention. What began as a simple workout became a documented ritual, a named practice, and eventually a full-blown design project—logo, structure, journal and all.

Where It Started

I just wanted a routine I could do daily that felt both grounding and expressive. A way to build strength and focus without needing a gym or a trainer.

Structure Emerged

As I practiced, I began to break it into phases. Warm-up, flow, strength, cooldown. I wrote it down, refined it, practiced again.

Then Came the Name & Emblem

When I decided to print out a guide, it needed a name. Something that felt like a form. I sketched a symbol to match it, and Stillfire was born.

Opening

Breathwork, horse stance, stillness

Warm-up

Shaolin-inspired dynamic warmups

Form

Tai Chi, Aikido footwork, staff forms and flow

Strength

Core, standing drills, light resistance

Cooldown

Grounding posture, breath work

Tools

These are completely optional

  • Bo Staff

  • Stretch Bands

  • Weights

I made my own practice staff from foam and PVC that I grabbed from Home Depot. Cheap, quick, and effective. It doesn’t need to be fancy to be functional. Making the tools made the practice feel real.

The foam was split lengthwise and had adhesive to put it together. The adhesive began to pull apart so I used athletic tape to wrap the entire staff.

Sport tape, grip tape or hockey tape would all work just as well. I tested grip tapes, practiced balance, and made it work with what I had. 

Resources

Disclaimer: This method is not a substitute for professional training. Consult a qualified instructor before attempting any exercises. Use at your own risk. I am not responsible for any injury or harm resulting from the use of this guide. Practice safely and listen to your body.

Shi Heng Yi Warm-Up

Download PDF from my Obsidian

Cloud Hands Tai Chi

Five Stance Form

Bo Staff Figure 8 Tutorial

DIY Staff + Advanced Technique Playlist

Wu Bu Quan Tutorial

Reflection

This isn’t about being an expert.

It’s about building a method from fragments, shaping it into something real, and using it to stay consistent.

Stillfire may change, grow, or fade—but it exists now. And it’s mine.

If it sparks something in you—try it. Or build your own.

I started with a loose idea: build a daily movement practice that felt meaningful, grounded, and martial in spirit. From there, I designed the structure—five phases that move from breathwork to flow to strength. I adapted movements from martial arts into something that fit my space, time, and needs.

Once the routine felt real enough to use, I gave it a name that suited it’s purpose. Then I designed and created a symbol. Then I built the tools. DIY staffs, grips, printable references. I documented everything in Obsidian, refining the phases and flow. What began as a scattered idea became a repeatable, personal method. Completed with structure, visuals, and identity.

Is it a novel idea or something amazing and new to the world, no. But it is no longer just an idea in my head, now it exists. Even if it’s for no reason other than my own.

This is what I mean when I say make something real.

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