BUILDING REAL STRENGTH

 by Yang Xuangxing

Many poems have been written about how much we learn through the experience of pain and how little we actually learn from joy or happiness. And I believe that, for the most part, they're true. This is especially true of martial arts and the development of real “strength.”

What I refer to as “real” strength (and so do many other martial arts teachers) is not the kind of strength that may be acquired by lifting weights and engaging in similar exercise routines. Rather, it is “spiritual strength”; the strength that enables us to push forward even in the face of great adversity, to keep moving forward even while enduring terrific physical, mental, or emotional pain, the willingness to come face to face with any and all obstacles (most of which we've made ourselves) and fearlessly engage and overcome them.

Strength – of any kind – is built through discipline, struggle, and discomfort (including pain). Without these things, progress and the development of strength simply isn't possible. If we only experience happiness, we learn and develop nothing. If we're always satisfied, we become complacent and get nowhere. In martial arts, real skill is achieved through constant struggle, which requires great discipline. And your instructor knows it.

BOWING TO THE FLOOR/MAT

 by Yang Xuangxing

I was at a large, national seminar/conference a while back and just as one of the classes was about to begin, one of the instructors turned to me and remarked, “We need to have a class to teach people how to bow properly...” I had to agree.

Over the years, I have visited many martial arts schools and in most of them, I have seen the majority of students (and often, instructors) bow to the floor or mat with little more than a quick nod of the head. I spent many years training in both Kyokushin and Shito-ryu karate and my instructors insisted on a proper bow when stepping onto or stepping off of, the training area. When I first undertook the study of gong-fu, I saw that students didn't bow to the training floor; they just walked in and started warming up. But I was in the habit of bowing and so I always did it.

My teacher, Master W.C. Chen, thought it was appropriate and a good idea (although he never required anyone else to do it). I recall one day when I made a small, quick bow before hurrying onto the floor. I hadn't made it ten feet before sifu stopped me and said gruffly, “You didn't bow.” Huh...I could've sworn that I did, so I walked back to the entrance to his basement and did it again.

He stopped me again. “No!”, he said. “That is not a bow.” I looked at him quizzically and he explained, “This place is special. It is where you will learn and grow. You should take time to pay proper respect to it.” I realized that what he said was spot-on. I took my time and bowed properly, which satisfied him. Although he was Chinese (and China is not “the land of bowing”) he understood its significance perfectly.

The proper bow, especially in so far as the martial arts are concerned, requires more than just learning how to incline the body. The mind and heart must also be correct.

APPLICATIONS? COULD BE...

 by Yang Xuangxing

In working to break down the applications of the movements/techniques in your form, it's well to bear in mind that each one has a PRIMARY application; it's the main (and usually the most fundamental, although not necessarily the most obvious) application. However, there are often other less obvious applications that may be gleaned.

Additionally, it isn't unusual for only the “entry” of a given technique/application to be shown. The rest of it is implied (but not shown outwardly). This is often true of hidden joint-twisting techniques and throws. The problem is that unless you're very familiar with a variety of such techniques, you'll probably never see them; you won't know what you're looking for.

For instance, the popular basic Shotokan kata, heian yondan, features what appears to be a knife-hand block and a high block executed simultaneously to the left. Then, without delivering an obvious counter blow, the practitioner turns and executes the same movement in the opposite direction! Then he apparently completely disregards that opponent and turns 90 degrees to engage an enemy standing in front of him. This is what I call a “red flag”; a clear indication that something has been concealed.

Master Seiyu Oyata (10^th dan, dec.) showed me that it's actually a takedown. Only the basic entry is shown in the form. Another example is the so-called “reinforced block.” It never made sense to me; and I smelled a red flag. Again, I was shown that this is actually the entry to a joint twisting technique...

Even the footwork matters. Sometimes, the final stance, per se, of one particular sequence (a “sequence may consist of only one technique, by the way...) may be the first “entering” step of the next sequence. Note: A “sequence” is a movement or series of movements that deal with a single foe.

Some martial disciplines, such as baguazhang, are built largely upon different ways of “entering” - entries – that are linked together. The “finishing” technique(s) are implied. Another note: an “entry” is a means by which you penetrate the enemy's defense perimeter.

Sometimes the “final” technique in one sequence is the entering technique of the next. The position(s) of the hips and shoulders may provide an important clue. This is why breaking down a given form is very time-consuming and it's also why the forms should never be changed. Volumes could be written about just one basic form. Think about that...

A LOW BLOW

 by Phillip Starr

Thanks to Hollywood, many martial arts devotees have been led to believe the kicks to he head are genuinely effective in real combat. And I agree that a head kick is truly effective. But it's a far, far cry from being practical and it's a great way to put your dentist's kids through college and grad school. You may think your high kicks are very fast and maybe they are...but rest assured that they're very likely not fast enough. At all.

They LOOK nice and may score points in tournaments but in combat, trying to kick someone in the head makes about as much sense as trying to punch them in the foot...unless the opponent has been struck powerfully in the body (like the groin) and he's doubled over in pain or laying on the ground. Then kicking him in the head is possible. Otherwise, I can't recommend it. Why use the bodily weapon that is furthest from the head to try to strike it?

Practicing high kicks is a good way to strengthen the legs and hips and they promote good flexibility but that's about it. Traditional Okinawan karate forms, as well as those of traditional Chinese sets (even those from the north) don't much feature head-high kicks. Most kicks are directed to targets at waist height or lower and the southern Chinese forms, such as White Crane, Dragon Fist, Southern Mantis, and others, rarely kick higher than the groin.

But. Even arts such as xingyiquan an baguazhang, which don't appear to feature kicking techniques...do. They're generally hidden within the footwork of the forms (this is also found in old Okinawan karate forms); what appears to be a simple step camoflouges a kick to the ankle...

The ankles, and points above them a bit, if struck properly, will not support the opponent's weight and he'll collapse in considerable pain. If he can't stand up, he can't fight... such “small” kicks are very quick and hard to see, but very effective!

A LIVING WEAPON

 by Phillip Starr

My teacher once admonished my classmates and me, telling us that we must become “weapons.” I was a little confused at first and then he went on to explain himself. Picking up a sword, he said, “Sword by itself is just a piece of steel. A gun on the table is harmless and cannot hurt you.”

Okay...so where are we going with this?, I thought.

Sifu Chen continued. “IF you practice hard, your body can become a weapon. But it is different and more dangerous than a sword or a gun.”

I wondered, “Just how is that?” But I knew better than to open my big mouth and ask.

“It is more dangerous”, he continued. “because it is a thinking, feeling weapon!”

I'd never looked at it that way...If a sword could think and feel (and move around), it would be a terribly dangerous weapon! How much moreso for a human who can strike in any number of ways (many more than those to which a sword is limited)! By developing real “weapon nature”, we do, in fact, beome very, very dangerous weapons.

Of course, developing genuine “weapon nature” requires considerable training but when that has been achieved, we have acquired a great treasure. But we must train regularly to keep our weapon (our bodies) sharp and maintain the ability to wield this multi-faceted weapon effectively. Not only must we keep our bodies “sharp”, but our minds as well....especially the mind, because it controls the weapon. In fact, it can be argued that it IS the weapon!

Just something more to ponder...

A BETTER PERSON?

 By Phillip Starr

We often hear (or even tell people) how training in a given martial art will turn us into better people. This is often told to parents to encourage them to enroll their children in classes. But is it true? If you believe so, why?

For what it's worth I don't think that learning the fundamental movements and techniques of any martial art will necessarily produce better people at all. Moving our arms and legs in various ways has no impact on character or behavior. The movements we make as we go through the motions of our chosen discipline aren't magic.

The discipline that's required to acquire any real measure of skill, the focus, the striving and sweat, the willingness to persevere even if it hurts...these are the kinds of things found in our training that build character. However, they must be done because the student WANTS to do them, not because he is simply forced to do them. I was taught that the only real discipline is self-discipline.

It's the spirit of the art that develops character. Otherwise, in so far as character-building is concerned, martial arts is no more useful than jumping jacks.

So it's important that the instructor kindle a DESIRE in the students rather than just running them through class like so many cattle. And it's more than a little difficult to learn how to do this.

YOUR BALANCE

 by Phillip Starr

In Japanese and Chinese arts and modes of physical conditioning, balance is often stressed at least as much as strength and stamina. I'm not saying that Western activities exclude balance, but you rarely hear a Little League player being lectured on balance in the batter's box. Our football players are encouraged to be faster and stronger; there are plenty of running drills and practice with blocking dummies...but not a lot of conditioning exercises that are intended to develop balance.

For the Japanese, stressing the importance of balance may have its roots in Sumo. In Sumo, you lose if any part of your body other than the soles of your feet touches the ground. So it is a contest of balance as well as strength, speed, and agility. And of course, there's Judo... In China, Mongolian wrestling (from which the ancient art of shuai-jiao is descended) features much the same rules (northern Mongolian wrestling has the same stipulation as Sumo).

Think your balance is just peachy? Okay...try standing on one foot one minute. No problem? Try doing the same with classmates running in circles around you. It's a bit more challenging, huh? Maintaining your balance under relatively serene conditions isn't too difficult but doing it in the midst of chaos is another thing. And combat isn't serene by a long shot.

Fortunately, there are many exercises in various martial arts that foster the development of balance; from “one-legged Sumo” to practicing kicks in slow motion, the varieties are almost endless. But one of the best exercises is just to stand with your feet shoulder-width apart for 2-3 minutes or more. Let your arms hang naturally. Check your entire body, from the crown to the soles of your feet, for tension of any kind and let it go. Do you have any tension in your ankles or feet?

One of the secrets to maintaining balance is to imagine breathing (inhaling and exhaling) through the acu-point known as “bubbling well” (yangquan), which is found at the base of the ball of the foot. This point is well known to practitioners of the internal martial arts, but it's also known to practitioners of numerous Japanese martial disciplines. Take a few minutes each day to practice this simple, gentle exercise (it works for standing on one leg, too).