PRIORITIES

 by Phillip Starr

We all have a list of priorities in our lives, whether it's in writing or not. What's at the top of your list? Is it your family, your job...? That's fine. If you have a family, they should be in the #1 spot and your job, which enables you to provide for them, should be right up there, too. But where is your training, both in and out of class, placed?

Many will allege that's near the top...but that doesn't prove to be true, according to their actual attendance. The may WANT to think it's near the top of the list but the truth is far different. Coming to class twice a month, training outside of class once a month (maybe) indicates that training is actually pretty low on the list. And if one expects to develop any real skill, it's going to have to be moved up. Period.

Most martial art practitioners enjoy their training as little more than a hobby, rather like bowling on Thursdays, or playing golf on Saturdays. “Play” is the definitive word here. “Play” is done for enjoyment and as a distraction from the pressures of work and/or the humdrum of daily life. And there's nothing wrong with that. But just as a weekend golfer can never realistically hope to become a pro on the PGS Tour, so those whose “hobby” is a particular martial art should never aspire to achieve any real level of high skill.

Martial arts were never intended to be practiced as simple”hobbies”, or forms of “play.” They were intended to become lifestyles. So I think it's necessary to consider what you want out of martial arts. Is it just an interesting distraction or do you want more? The more you want, the higher you must place it on your list of priorities.

NO SECOND PLACE WINNER

 by Phillip Starr

A well known master of the handgun once said, “In a gunfight, there are no second place winners.” True! In fact, in any life-and-death struggle it's the same thing. And that's how we must train our bodies AND OUR MINDS. You don't get a trophy or a medal for taking second place...you just get dead and a shovelful of dirt in your face.

Real fighting and sparring are two completely different animals. In a real skirmish, there are no judges or referees, no gloves or other protective gear, no trophies and no rules. The fight doesn't stop if, for some reason, you end up on the ground, or if you're injured. Or score a “point.”

The fact that you spar fairly well may be of some help once the fight is underway, but the truth is that most fights don't get “underway”; they're over within two seconds or less. There's rarely any “squaring off.” No fighting stances, no signals to begin or stop. And you have to be able to deal with getting “scuffed up”, at the very least.

You must be aware that the bad guy may very well be joined by one or more of his friends, especially nowadays. And you can pretty much rest assured that your assailant and/or his friends are armed with something. You must be prepared for this.

Sparring is useful in developing a sense of distance, timing, and several other important factors. But it's a far cry from real fighting where the only award you get is that you get to go home.

THERE'S NO NEED FOR TENSION!

By Yang Shuangxing

Many martial arts devotees firmly believe that they're to tense their muscles like iron just at the moment of impact (when they strike something), and then they should relax. Most of them have been told that this is how it is to be done by their instructors and at the risk of losing some fans, I'm here to say that this is entirely wrong as well as unnecessary, for the most part.

I say “for the most part” because some measure of muscular effort is required to stop your blow; otherwise, it'd just keep going and you'd be out of control. Remember in the movies when the bad guy throws a wide punch and the good guy ducks? That punch just kept going, leaving the villain open to a quick counter, right? Well, we want to be careful not to punch or strike that way...

Normally, when we deliver a blow, there's no need to stiffen up like a wooden soldier at the end of the technique. In the past, some teachers were taught that stiffening the muscles just at the point of impact would provide more impetus to the blow (by increasing the amount of mass involved and stiffening the body – especially the joints – so that there was minmal “give” when the “reaction force” traveled back through the body). The truth is that tensing the muscles does not increase the mass one whit and attempting to time this hardening of the body AT THE INSTANT OF IMPACT is, frankly, pretty much impossible.

The instant of impact is measured in micro-seconds. If you throw a tennis ball against a wall and it bounces back...the tiny instant in which it is in contact with the wall is its point of impact. Same idea with delivering a blow. The point of impact is too fine to be seen by the human eye and if you consciously try to stiffen up at that very second, you're going to be too late or too early... And even if your timing was, by some miracle, perfect – it wouldn't matter much at all. You're not going to increase the mass behind the blow one iota by tightening the muscles.

The key is actually STRUCTURE, which is why I wrote my 6^th book – MARTIAL STRUCTURE. Our martial arts forefathers knew this but over the generations, much of it hasn't been properly passed down. Some of it has been misunderstood, mistranslated, or tossed out altogether.

It comes down to aligning the joints that are involved in delivery of the blow. Consider: a joint joins together two bony structures. If it's perfectly aligned, the two bony structures act as one; as if they're just ONE structure. However, if the joint is misaligned (even slightly), impact's reaction force is going to cause it to “give” a bit, depending on how serious the misalignment is. And that “give” means a loss of (striking) power. Period.

The body must be perfectly aligned rather than stiffened. Tense muscles prevent us from moving quickly, so hardening them reduces the acceleration of our technique; keeping them pretty much relaxed allows for maximum acceleration and at the instant of impact, everything must be properly aligned. Never stiff.

MIND YOUR MIND

 by Phillip Starr

We all know (although it sometimes seems otherwise) that we have a brain. It's a marvelously complex thing. If we could build a computer that could do all that a brain does, the size of the machine would be about the size of New Hampshire, even with the use of cutting-edge technology. Our brains continuously collect data, store it, analyze it, and use it to solve various kinds of problems. Is what we call “mind” the same thing; our brains? I don't think so (I'm bound to get many arguments about this, I know).

The brain is what I call the “conscious mind.” We're very much aware of it, what it does, and to a large extent, how it does what it does. But there is a separate thing; a “subconscious mind.” Some do not believe in it although many do. We don't know where it's located or how it does what it does, but the effects of it are easily seen.

It never forgets anything that you've experienced – it even remembers how many steps you took on your first day of your first job – and whatever it believes to be true (for you), it will ensure that it IS (or if necessary, becomes), in fact, true. Exactly how it does this is unknown.

Your mind gathers incoming data from your five senses and expresses itself through your body. This is why the ancients told us that “body and mind are one.” The body is an outward expression of the mind and what it believes to be true (for you). As you see and believe yourself to be, so you will be.

But how does this impact our training? Actually, it impacts it in almost every way possible. In so far as your forms are concerned, if your mind believes that you are simply doing exercises, that's how you will perform. On the other hand, if your mind believes you're actually engaging in combat... And repeated “experiences” in combat are extremely valuable. But you have to convince your mind that it's real (your mind can't tell the difference between reality and unreality unless you give it reason to do otherwise).

Remember that your subconscious relies on your five senses to determine what's going on. You must use them as best you can every time you perform your form; you must, as realistically as you can, VISUALIZE your opponents. But that's not enough to convince your mind that you're engaged in a life-and-death struggle. You must strongly imagine HEARING what would be happening – the shouts, grunts, yelps of pain, and background noises (such as traffic, passers-by, and so forth) as well – and imagine the SMELLS that would be involved (sweat, blood has an odor, too...and the enemy's funky breath). You can imagine the feel of striking him and deflecting his attacks, which brings TOUCH into the picture. There's not a lot that you can do for the sense of taste, but that's okay...4 out of 5 is plenty.

And you can bring in other feelings as well. The knot in your gut when you realize that you're about to get into a real fight... All of these things help convince your mind that it's all real. When it's over, your mind believes it and this helps your mind sharpen and refine your technique.

Having trouble performing a particular technique or form as it should be? Want to improve it? Sit back, close your eyes, and watch a movie of yourself doing it as you would like....be sure to utilize as many of your five senses as possible. Hear the background noises, smell the sweat of your classmates... Do this for 15 minutes each day. In a short time, your subconscious will come to believe that what you're experiencing is real. And it'll ensure that that's how you perform at your next practice.

STANDING AT THE DOOR

 by Yang Shuangxing

Quite a number of martial arts practitioners undertake the study of their chosen discipline in the hopes of following the “Way.” Most enthusiasts are primarily interested in self-defense or fitness, but there are those who seek more than just acquiring certain physical skills or shedding those nasty, unwanted pounds...they have heard of the “martial path” or “Way” and that's where they direct their intention. The truth is that none of them even suspect what is involved; if they knew what would be expected of them and what they were getting into, they'd likely never even begin.

The word “Way”, as it is used within the context of what we're considering is prounced “Dao” in Chinese, and “Do” (sounds like “dough”) in Japanese and Korean. However, in both Chinese and Japanese, it is written with the same character...道. It is often translated as “a path, a road”, but there's more to it than that. Much. More. “Do” refers to an art; a fine discipline that transcends the purely physical aspects of its dimension...aesthetic and spiritual dimensions underlie the the physical aspects.

The word “shu” in Chinese (“jutsu” in Japanese) is written “ 术” and is often translated as “art.” However, it actually refers to “technique” rather than “an art” of some kind. Thus, “jujutsu” refers to the outer technique only; it doesn't seek to go beyond that. So we have jujutsu, aiki-jutsu, kenjutsu (using the sword), karate-jutsu, and so on. Their interest is only in the arena of combat. Period.

A “do” seeks much more than that and is intended to develop the character and spirit of its adherents, as well as promoting the learning of combative aspects. And we have forms of “do” that have nothing to do with self-defense; chado (Japanese tea ceremony), kado (flower arranging), shodo (writing calligraphy with a brush), and a few others. To my mind, the “do” forms transcend the “jutsu” forms and take them to the next level and beyond.

It was/is the “do” forms that initiated the development of “grades.” We're all familiar with the dan/kyu system used in ranking martial arts adepts. This was first used in judo; most “do” forms eschew “kyu” ranks (in martial arts these are steps below black belt) and their first real grade is that of “shodan” (in martial arts, the first grade of black belt...but bear in mind that “shodan” doesn't mean “first degree black belt. It means simply, “first grade.”). Such grading is found not in martial ways, but also in other “do” forms- of course, they don't award or wear a black belt or any kind of outer sign of their grade; they simple present a certificate

MAKING THE BED...

 by Phillip Starr

It's something I do every day, within an hour after getting up. I make my bed. I've done this since I was a boy. I viewed a video of a speech given to a large group of college graduates by a Navy Admiral, who was involved in training our famous SeALS. He stressed the importance of making your bed. Every day.

It's much more than just keeping a part of your bedroom neat. It's a discipline; one that should be instilled in every child (and by the way, it's never too late to develop it yourself). Self-discipline is absolutely essential for developing real martial arts skill. A martial artist whose bed looks like something that was used to muffle a grenade probably possesses martial skills that look about the same. His uniform may look like he's slept in it for the last week, too. The lack of discipline is obvious and lack of discipline in one area (of life) easily bleeds over into all other facets.

So, am I telling you that you need to make your bed? Yes, I am. Discipline is discipline. Lack of one form of discipline leads to lack of many other forms of discipline. I know, I know...”Why bother making the bed? I'm just going to sleep in it again tonight.” Well, why bother washing your butt?

Build discipline. It's something that has be done almost constantly and oftentimes, it isn't a lot of fun. But it's important...especially if you want to become a truly skilled martial arts practitioner.

THE MACHINE-GUN APPROACH

 by Phillip Starr

Quite a number of popular videos as well as “martial arts” instructors who attract participants using what I call the “machine gun” approach can be easily found. They hail from a variety of percussive styles, although quite a number have created their own “highly effective” methods. The “machine gun” method involved striking the opponent many times very, very quickly...kind of like a machine gun but without the same kind of result.

I must say, some of these guys demonstrate speed that is impressive...and that's just what they want. However, because of the high speed of their combinations, no single blow lands with adequate force. But then, maybe they're not concerned with that. I am. If my counter-blows are weak (regardless of how quickly they're applied), I'm in a very bad spot! Secondly, I've never known or even heard of an opponent who just stands there while his intended victim strikes him ten times in machine gun fashion...

The fact is that when blows are delivered in such a rapid-fire manner, none of them can be executed so that they strike with much power at all. They LOOK impressive but that's about their only redeeming quality.

I remember when one of my (older) classmates demonstrated how he could strike me a half-dozen times in a very short time. He was very fast and he meant to intimidate me. And he was successful (I was quite young) until my teacher, who'd observed the whole thing from the corner of his eye, walked over and said, “That's very nice. But I need to strike him only once.” Now THAT was truly intimidating! And true, too.

I'm not denigrating using combination techniques but I insist that such things must be reasonable and truly efficient; not demonstrations of high-speed slapping...

KILLING BLOWS THEN AND NOW

 by Phillip Starr

It's very interesting to think about what were considered killing blows 200 or more years ago aren't necessarily the same thing nowadays; it gives you a bit of perspective. For instance, that side thrust kick to the side of the knee that you may have recently practiced could have, back in the day, resulted in the death of the opponent...and possibly his family! Bear in mind that medical therapies back then weren't at all like what we have now and your kick may have ripped muscles and torn ligaments, resulting in a permanent injury that crippled the opponent (even today, WITH proper surgery and therapy, such an injury will usually have permanent results). Your opponent wouldn't be able to work and provide for himself or his family. Welfare didn't exist and he and his family might very well have starved to death. The same goes for those nasty techniques that are intended to tear the ligaments in the elbow or destroy the shoulder...

Yes, really.

Blows delivered to what we'd call “vital areas” would have been even more effective because of the lack of proper, effective medical treatment at that time. Broken ribs nowadays are very painful and any blow that caused internal bleeding could easily result in death because such wounds were largely untreatable (surgery wasn't an option) but nowadays, such injuries can be readily treated and even strikes to many “fatal” targets can, if treated in time, be survived.

Not so back in the day. There are very few spots that will cause immediate (or nearly immediate) death.

KICK WITH YOUR FOOT!

 By Yang Shuangxing

“Again!”, my teacher called out as we executed another front kick. I don't know how many we'd done, but it was a lot...my legs were starting to burn. But his scowl told the story. He obviously wasn't pleased. He finally walked up to me and I knew I was about to get yelled at for the benefit of the whole class...

“Kick with your foot!”, he barked.

Huh? Isn't that what I'm doing? What in the world...?

Sifu Chen saw my confusion and told me to execute another kick. Just as I did, he scooped up my leg and held it in the crook of his arm. Slapping my foot, he said, “Not this foot!” Then he pointed at the foot upon which I was balanced and said, “THAT foot!”

He became even more exasperated when he saw that I was completely lost, but he managed to calm himself and explain just what he meant. The support foot must drive against the ground as the kick is made; it isn't just a peg upon which we balance (which is what most people do). Driving it into the ground adds a lot more impetus to the kick!

Of course, this applies only to “straight line” kicks such as the front snap/thrust kick, side snap/thrust kick, and back thrust kick. Circular kicks that involve a pivot negate our ability to drive the support foot against the ground; the roundhouse kick, crescent kick, and various hooking kicks, for instance.

The support foot must drive against the ground BEFORE the kicking foot leaves the ground; once you are standing on one leg, you can't drive it against the ground. So the timing of this part of the technique is critical...it drives the hip(s) into the kick so that you're not simply kicking with the strength of one leg.

To do this will require some considerable practice.