EXTRA BAGGAGE

 by Phillip Starr

When I ran my full-time martial arts school many years ago, I debated about hanging a sign outside the entrance to the training hall; “Leave Excess Baggage Here.” I frequently had prospective students come in to inquire about classes and I was surprised that they were even able to walk under the weight of the extra baggage they carried...

The nature of the baggage varied but I think I can safely place them into two broad categories; physical and mental/emotional. Under the category of physical limitations you'll find an enormous number of alleged ailments, from trick knees to bad backs. I often found it surprising that these people knew their ailment(s) and the various techniques of my art so well; they'd tell me what they could and couldn't do. For them, enrolling in the school was akin to ordering a hamburger. Some professed to having physical limitations that were so severe that I told them that they really couldn't practice a martial art or that their limitation would prevent them from participating in group classes; I'd have to teach them privately and that would be very expensive. Surprisingly, some of them apparently recovered enough from their ailment on the spot that they suddenly COULD participate in class!

Some had what seemed to be very severe limitations. I recall one young lady who had lost an arm and a young man who has lost a leg (below the knee) in Vietnam. Their spirits were strong and they regularly trained in group classes! They refused to limit themselves. They weren't really handicapped at all! I am still very proud of them...

Many of the physical limitations that they carried were the result of the applicant's imagination, desire for attention, or disinclination to participate in some training activities (usually those that worked up a good sweat).

Mental baggage varied quite a bit. There were those who considered themselves to be knowledgeable enough to know what kinds of techniques wouldn't work for them (“I'm too short”, “I'm a woman, so that won't work for me”, and so on). For some, it was a question of their particular religious faith...“I can't bow to a shrine or a person...”. I suggested that they seek instruction elsewhere. I explained that the bowing and so forth has nothing to do with religion, but many would not be dissuaded. I hope they found whatever it was that they thought they were looking for.

Then of course, there were those who would tell me, “I don't want to learn those fancy dances (forms) and junk like that. I just want to learn what really works on the street” or “I just can't do anything violent like sparring.” I told then that they weren't allowed to pick and choose what they would or wouldn't learn. Most of them decided to move on to the next school. Wise choice.

Those who asked how long it would take to get a black belt. I'd tell them that it takes about a week and $6.95. However, to acquire the skill takes a bit longer...

CULTURE OR COMBAT?

 By Phillip Starr

I believe that in order to truly understand a given martial discipline and perform it correctly, one must have a firm grasp of the culture that gave it birth. This will necessarily involve some substantial study as well as introspection, which is something that many (perhaps most) martial arts devotees loathe. But just as the various punches, kicks, and/or throws belong to a given martial form, so the does culture from which it comes. And to truly understand the essence and spirit of that martial art, you must likewise understand its mother culture.

There are those who argue that understanding the culture isn't at all necessary, or even important. Most of them will assert that the purpose of the art is self-defense; it was/is intended for combat. Period. It's a rather shallow approach to such a deep subject (as martial arts) but nonetheless, it's the position taken by many practitioners (consciously or unconsciously). Such people can never truly understand the spirit of their chosen art and may very well be doing it incorrectly as a result.

I'm not necessarily inferring that you need to spend time living in the country/culture from which you art came, but you need to study and absorb the culture as best you can. This is something I realized when I lived in China for 3 years. I had spent more than 50 years training in Chinese martial arts and I figured I had it all sorted out. Not so. There was a lot more to Chinese culture than I had ever imagined and my exposure to it changed the way I practice my kung-fu.

As Westerners, we tend to “Americanize” (or “British-ize”, or whatever else) the manner in which we see, understand, and consequently practice, the martial disciplines of the East. It's only natural for us to do so and it's also true of Eastern folks who take up Western activities, whether it's baseball or anything else. And it actually changes the way in which we (and they) practice said activities.

Learning to speak some of the language of the culture in question is very helpful. You don't need to become fluent, but being able to converse on a very basic level with people who are native to that culture is very useful and conducive to really understanding the culture. Samuel Ichiye Hayakawa, a Canadian-born Japanese gentleman who served as president of San Francisco State University and later became a U.S. senator, was a linguist who made a statement that has stuck in my mind ever since I read it in his book,, “Language in Action.” He said that we cannot conceive of things for which our particular language does not have a word(s); we are, essentially, hindered in our mode of thinking by the language we speak! I have found this to be true. So, by learning other languages we not only enable ourselves to speak to foreigners; we expand our minds!

To really understand the culture of a country and why they do what they do, I think it's necessary to learn something of the language because then you'll learn how they think! And that will impact how you see and practice your chosen martial art.

BREAKING DOWN YOUR FORMS

 by Phillip Starr

Much has been written about breaking down the movements in our traditional forms – heck, I penned one such book myself – but there are some things that must be borne in mind if you intend to derive any real benefit from learning how to “read” your forms.

First, you must actually VISUALIZE your opponent(s). Before you actually begin the set, you should take a few moments to SEE and FEEL your foes as they begin to encircle you. In your gut you should feel that you're about to engage in a life and death struggle with numerous aggressors and when they move against you, you must clearly visualize their attacks and their responses to your counter-techniques. In this way, your mind actually believes that you are engaged in a real fight (since the nervous system can't tell the difference between reality and unreality) and as a result, you acquire a great deal of “experience” in hand-to-hand combat.

You must do your best not only to SEE them, but also to FEEL and even HEAR them. Remember that your mind gathers information through the body's five senses, so you should employ as many of them as possible in order to convince your mind that this is a REAL experience.

I have met a great many martial artists who, upon learning the actual breakdowns of certain movement(s) in their form, display an attitude of, “Oh, that's really cool!”... and they go back to doing the set the same old way. Learning the breakdown has done them absolutely no good whatsoever and should the need ever arise, they'll never be able to apply them (they probably won't remember them, anyway).

Once a given breakdown is learned, it has to be practiced many, many times – until it is “internalized” and can be applied without conscious effort. Only then are such studies useful. They should be practiced solo as well as with a partner, over and over. This internalization is fostered by the solo practice of the form many, many times. Without necessarily being consciously aware of it, the student has performed various counter-strikes, throws, and even joint-twisting maneuvers many, many times. His body knows the movements and breaking down the form will cement that information into his mind as well.

THE ANALOGY OF THE CHAIN

 by Phillip Starr

I often used the analogy of a chain to explain to my senior students how a proper martial art technique should feel and how it is to be applied. A coiled-up chain can't hurt anybody unless you throw it at them or shove it down their throats...but in that condition, it doesn't pack nearly the wallop that it does if it's used correctly. Coiled up, it is soft and flexible.

If you swing it around it has tremendous potential energy but if it doesn't hit anything, it's harmless. The potential energy is never released in the form of kinetic energy. Actually, it is still quite soft; it isn't stiffened at all... until it meets resistance; i.e., the target.

At the instant of impact, it is the RESISTANCE, the target itself that CAUSES THE CHAIN TO HARDEN! The links align and for an instant – just an instant – the chain becomes as a steel rod and if there's a weighted metal tip on it, that tip becomes a lethal weapon that transfers every last drop of energy into the target. This phenomenon lasts only for a micro-second, after which the chain once again becomes soft.

Isn't martial art technique the same? You will probably answer in the affirmative but then consider and ask yourself if you start to tense up BEFORE your fist or foot makes impact with the target? Well, DO YOU? If you do, you're blocking the free flow of power to the target!

“So”, you ask, “Should I stay relaxed until the moment of impact and then tighten up my muscles like the chain?” And my smile would be followed with a thunderous “NO, YOU DIMWIT!” Think on the analogy of the chain once again and reread the first sentence of the third paragraph. Let it sink it. Digest it.

Let the target (the resistance) CAUSE whatever measure of tension is required; DO NOT try to do it yourself! You'll probably generate too much or too little (tension) and in any case, the moment of impact lasts for such a very short time that your timing will very likely be too early or too late! Just let nature – and physics – do everything for you. Your job is to ensure that everything is properly aligned; that all of the “links” in the chain are correctly adjusted (so that they all inter-support each other), so that (kinetic) energy is not lost. Actually, you're going to lose some of it – that's simply unavoidable – but try to lose as little as possible.

Sure, it sounds simple enough but it requires a good deal of practice. Overcoming the inherent tendency to tighten up, making sure that the body parts are correctly coordinated and aligned...takes a tremendous amount of practice. Even tightening your fist before impact will cost you power. I often tell my students to make a fist as if they've just caught a fly but don't want to crush it. No daylight seeps in (lest the fly escape) but it isn't tight, either. Impact will tighten it for you!

This is the secret of what is known as “kime” in Japanese (pronounced “kee-meh” for you rednecks out there). I have heard on taijiquan practitioner say that chansi-jin (silk-reeling power) is actually generated by maintaining a relaxed condition until the instant of impact... and then body is tightened for just a second. The gentleman who spoke these words said that such was the instruction provided him by a renowned member of the Chen family (who practice Chen style taijiquan in China and teach seminars worldwide). And... he's wrong. Real chansi-jin is another story, but that's outlined in my book, “DEVELOPING JIN.” Certainly the analogy of the chain is applicable, but there's much more to it than that.

And, like the chain, you must not retain any of the (kinetic) energy once impact is made. You have to adhere to the old Christian adage, “T'is better to give than to receive”, and give all of it – every last micro-measure – to the intended target. To do otherwise means that your target receives much less than 100% of the power that you can give to it. If you consciously tighten up, the time of impact is increased and that reduces striking force considerably.

I've seen countless students and teacher alike who, after executing a punch, have what I call a “bouncing fist.” That is, the punching fist seems to bob up and down a wee bit after the punch has been performed. This is indicative of excess tension (energy) being stored in the arm and hand; it is energy that has NOT been transferred to the target. At the instant AFTER impact, your bodily weapon should be empty. Totally.

To strike with real destructive force doesn't require great strength. It requires correctness. There's a difference. All of this is found in the book, “MARTIAL STRUCTURE.”

ACQUIRING REAL STRENGTH

 by Phillip Starr

If I had a magic wand that would enable me to instantly bestow a high level of (martial arts) skill upon my students, I would use it for kindling. I have mentioned this to some of my students over the years and they're always surprised. “Why?” they ask. “Why wouldn't you use it?”

“Because acquisition of high physical skill must be accompanied by an equally high level of discipline and spirit,” I tell them. “And it is the struggle for the skill that makes us strong.”

Martial skill in and of itself is very nice but believe it or not, it's not really the entire goal. The struggle; the discipline, the effort and pain and sacrifice that it takes to achieve high skill is, I believe, the most important thing. It is only through this special forge and tempering process that we can truly come to understand and develop ourselves.

As in the art of kyudo (Japanese archery), the goal is not necessarily to hit the bull's eye. To a Westerner, this would seem nonsensical. But as I mentioned in an earlier writing, we tend to see (Eastern) things through Western eyes. This distorts our vision. We are not seeing truly (which is different from not truly seeing).

No, the object in kyudo and in all of the martial ways is to perfect every aspect of the outer movements. This must naturally lead to perfection of the internal aspects as well. Perfection of the self. And if you hit the bull's eye from time to time, that's nice. But stop trying to hit it. Pay attention to how you're standing, how you're breathing, what your mind is doing (or not doing).

Do it perfectly. You'll understand when you get there.

ABSORB WHAT IS USEFUL...

by Phillip Starr

One of the very worst pieces of advice ever given to the martial arts community at large came from the lips of Bruce Lee.

"Absorb what is useful,

Reject what is useless,

Add what is specifically your own."

Determining just what is useful and what isn't is quite a daunting task and one that should be examined closely. After all, a goodly number of today's so-called "mixed martial arts" crowd as well as followers of numerous eclectic martial ways state very clearly that traditional martial arts aren't entirely applicable to modern combat or combat at all. They believe that numerous techniques that are taught within the traditional martial arts either don't work very well or, in some cases, not at all. This, they say, is why they have chosen to follow their "own paths."

Executing a correct reverse punch, front snap kick, kotegaeshi, or o-soto-gari is a pretty daunting task for most raw beginners who have had little or no previous martial arts training. The new student can spend hours working on any one of these techniques for a whole month and it still is practically worthless in a real fight. The reason why is obvious; to develop any technique so that it is truly usable requires a great deal of practice over a period of time! There are no short cuts. My teacher said that developing effective technique is like making tea. It can't be hurried and any attempt to do so will only ruin the drink.

It would be easy but very premature and terribly foolish for the novice to simply dismiss these fundamental techniques as being "useless." The same holds true for other, more advanced techniques that he or she will eventually learn. I'm sure that you've encountered techniques that just didn't work at first. I know I have. Still do. But with patience, some introspection, and lots of practice you've been able to see how they should be done, where your mistakes were, and suddenly they become functional!

When you learn a technique that doesn't seem to work well for you, ask yourself, "why?" What are you doing wrong? Sometimes the error lies in the physical execution of the technique but sometimes it is hidden in a less obvious place. Maybe it's your timing that's off - and that can be indicative of a mental/psychological error or block of some kind, can't it? Perhaps it's your approach to the application of the technique or your approach (physical, mental, or even spiritual) towards your training "opponent." Regardless, the error is thine. Find it and correct it. Sometimes it's the finding of the error that corrects it.

To say that techniques of the traditional martial arts are not effective (in self-defense) is a blatant display of one's own ignorance, and perhaps, one's unwillingness to put in the required practice (which is a nice way of saying "lazy"). In days long since past, professional warriors (e.g., policemen, soldiers, bodyguards, and their teachers) relied on these arts for their very survival. Back then, it was pretty easy to determine if a given technique worked. If it didn't, you died. Those who developed techniques that didn't work took their failures with them to their graves. For the most part, we'll never know what they were.

The techniques that did work are still with us to this day. If they didn't work, they would have been buried long ago. So, to say that the surviving traditional techniques don't really work is, in my opinion, a statement made by someone who has never learned genuine traditional technique...or who is unwilling, for one reason or another, to put in the time and training required to develop effective technique.

Beginning piano students dare not say that the classics are worthless and no longer functional! The masters who contributed to the creation of the traditional martial disciplines are our Bachs, Beethovens, and Mozarts.

To truly understand a technique and how it should be performed correctly requires at least 10,000 repetitions. In karate or kung-fu this isn't terribly difficult, considering that you can easily practice 100 punches each day. In 100 days you should be able to perform the technique correctly, more or less. That doesn't mean it can't be improved, though.

But that's not the same as making it workable. To be able to perform a technique effectively in combat requires much more practice. You see, the effectiveness of a given technique, whether it's a punch, a kick, a joint twist or throw from aikido or judo...involves much more than just being able to perform the physical aspects of the technique correctly. Much. More.

Back when I trained in forms of Japanese karate, I could not, for the life of me, get a roundhouse kick to work. Actually, it took MONTHS before I figured out how to do it correctly. I guess I just had a mental block and I couldn't imagine how to do it...but once I was able to throw a roundhouse kick, I couldn't figure out how such a kick would ever be useful in fighting! I suppose Mr. Lee would have told me to reject it because, as far as I was concerned, it was pretty useless...

Then came Baguazhang. At first glance, this art seems to have about as much in common with combat as a fish does to a bicycle. It would have been all too easy to simply toss it away as being some sort of pointless, flowery, Chinese bilge water. But I didn't. I stuck with it and studied it...in depth. I examined it carefully, examined myself, examined its strange footwork and body movements...and I practiced and then when I was sick of it, I practiced some more. And when I had problems making it work (which was pretty much all the time, at first), I stayed with it and figured out WHY I was having problems.

In any given martial discipline, at least a decade (or more) is required if one wants to truly understand the art. The problem is that most Westerners don't want to spend that much time in training. They want "instant martial arts." We're accustomed to having "instant food" (which isn't really food), "instant entertainment", and now we want "instant martial arts." But there isn't such an animal...never was, and never will be.

So, rather than absorbing what you find immediately useful and rejecting what you think is useless, just ABSORB.