THE SECRETS

 by Phillip Starr

When I was a young martial arts student, I was absolutely convinced that there were “secret techniques” which, once learned, would bestow great fighting prowess upon me. I searched and searched for them but was unable to find such special techniques. My teacher would just chuckle and tell me to keep practicing the basics and that only convinced me further that he was simply concealing the truth. In time, however, I came to realize that there are no “silver bullets.” There are just (basic) techniques polished to a very high degree and executed with absolute precision.

However...

I DID discover that within the basics are certain principles that can be considered “secret.” Most of them are principles that had once been practiced openly but which, with the passage of time and for one reason or another, had been tossed by the wayside and forgotten. Thus, they had become “secret.” These forgotten principles are the real “silver bullets” that, once thoroughly learned and applied correctly, actually DO bestow great martial ability.

I've always thought that “hiding” such things from students is a poor idea and rather selfish. Admittedly, I don't teach many of these principles until the student is physically and/or emotionally prepared the handle them. But once they're ready, I teach them openly. Too many treasures have been taken to the grave by those who were keeping them too close to the chest. Although they were certainly skilled martial artists and many were also fine teachers, they actually strangled their art.

The old notion of keeping things from those who are unworthy or who have not yet proven their loyalty is, I think, rather silly. Anyone who has put in the hard work in training to reach the levels where he/she is capable of handling the appropriate “secrets” is most likely not a bad person who plans to misuse the knowledge and skill; people like that are usually in a hurry to learn a few “tricks” and they won't stick around for very long and endure the screaming muscles, bumps, bruises, strawberries, and all the rest...