The Path of Traditional Martial Arts: THE PREMISE

Sunday, July 16, 2023

THE PREMISE

by Phillip Starr

Ask most martial artists what the basic premise of their art is, and you'll likely get the well-known “deer in the headlight” look or an answer that may well be fairly laughable. I have often encountered this when speaking with practitioners of the internal Chinese martial arts but it is equally applicable to virtually any style or art...

“Upon what premise is this style/art based?”, I ask. The answers vary as much as do the hairstyles of the people I encounter, but it shouldn't be that way. The problem is that most of us have never considered the question.

First you must scrutinize the “hallmark” or “signature” of your style/art. Many martial arts devotees honestly don't know. It's the MAIN THING that sets your style/art apart from the others. You must identify what that is. The premise is the basis for that hallmark. It's the “why” of it.

For instance the style of baguazhang's hallmark is an exercise known as “walking the circle.” Okay...I've asked numerous bagua zealots about the reason (premise) for such a bizarre exercise and I've received various different answers such as:

It confuses the opponent and may make him dizzy.
It makes you a moving (and therefore, difficult to hit) target. Wishful thinking...
It's a form of qigong (an important part of a neijia style).
It develops balance, agility, and tones/strengthens the legs and hips.
All or several of the above.

I remind them that the premise can only be one thing. So they choose one of the singular answers...which is, of course, incorrect. To date, I've never met a bagua devotee – not a single one - who could answer this question correctly (including Chinese “masters”, some of whom are/were very well known or even revered).

Very frustrating.

Oftentimes, it is necessary to do some detective work to find the answer. It's going to take some research and time. You may have to dig into the history of the style/art's founder and the country in which he lived. It's the same kind of work that you should do if you want to truly understand why your forms/techniques are done in a certain way...

What kind of person was the founder? Short-tempered, serene, or what? Was he large and strong, small and thin? What did he do for a living? How would he have dressed on a day to day basis? All of these factors could (and likely did) impact his fighting style.
Did he have any prior experience in a form of martial art?
Was he well-educated or not? If he came from a well-to-do family, he likely was. If not, it is much less likely. He may well have been illiterate. This could impact how effectively he could transmit his teachings.
What was the weather like in that part of the country? Cold in the winter or tropical? And what about the topography? Flat and smooth, rocky, mountainous...?
What was the political climate like? Civil unrest or peaceful? High violent crime rate or not? Was there a war going on?

And so on...try to take into account everything that might have impacted the development of a fighting art.

For instance, in southern China squabbles were often settled in VERY narrow alleys. To engage in a fight on the street would quickly attract the police (who didn't and still don't care who started it...) and a huge number of witnesses. Their styles had to be suitable for very close-quarters combat.

If your founder served in the military at the time, he would likely dress in rather heavy clothing and wear very heavy cotton-soled boots (the soles of these boots are VERY thick) and these factors would inhibit certain types of movements. If violent crime was common or there was warfare, the forms may contain various methods of dealing with armed adversaries...and so on. It may also contain techniques for use against an armed adversary when one has lost one's weapon and is dressed in armor.