AIN'T THAT A KICK IN THE HEAD...?

 by Phillip Starr

      In the many years that I've been involved in martial arts, I've met several practitioners who honestly believed that jumping kicks and kicks to he head are effective techniques for self-defense.  So I thought I'd take a moment and put that argument to rest.

     First off, the head is the most mobile target on the human body.  That is, it responds faster to a threat (an attack) than any other part of the body.  This is because it houses the two most sensitive “organs” that we have...the eyes.  Have you ever been outside on a windy day and suddenly (and involuntarily) snapped your head around and shut one or both eyes...to prevent a grain of dust from getting into your eye?  If you live in the Midwest, I know you have!  That's a good example of just how quickly the head can move when a threat is perceived.

     Second...performing jumping or head-high kicks leaves you in an extremely vulnerable position.  This why flying side kicks, and kicks to the head are not featured in the traditional Okinawan (and hence, Japanese) or Chinese forms.  Ever.  Low kicks – made to the groin and even lower, are extremely effective and much safer to use.  Such kicks are often featured in the old traditional forms if you know where to look for them...

     Third, what bodily weapon is furthest from your foe's head?  If you guessed it's the feet, you win the banana!  So, WHY would you try to hit his head with the weapon that's furthest away?  Your hands are much closer!

     And then there's the problem of distance.  Regardless of what Hollywood would have us believe, fights in real life generally don't begin with the two antagonists squaring off in some kind of fighting stance.  At all.  The attack comes out of nowhere, with very little (if any) warning.  And it begins up close and personal.  My old friend, Master Seiyu Oyata (10^th dan, dec.)  would demonstrate; standing several feet away, he'd raise his fists in a fighting stance and say, “This for sport.  You have a good time.”  Then he'd walk up to his opponent such that he was almost close enough to kiss him and he'd say, “This self-defense.  No can run away or get (physically) ready.”  Point well made.

     So, is it a good idea to practice high kicks?  Yes- it helps maintain a fine degree of flexibility and that will actually be of great help in developing effective low-level kicks. In gong-fu there is a saying that my teacher often repeated; “You can kick effectively only to the level that you can hold your leg.” So, how high can you lift a front kick and hold it for, say, 20 seconds? How about a side thrust kick? However high it may be, THAT is the maximum height where you can land a kick with pinpoint precision and focus. Anything higher than that is relying very heavily on momentum, which isn't totally reliable and precise. An excellent way to strengthen and toughen the hips and muscles used in kicking is to do that 3 times with each leg (with 5 second rests in between). It also strengthens the lower back. Beginners should not try this; it's an advanced routine.

    

FAJIN. GOT IT?

 By Yang Shuangxing

In the Chinese martial arts – especially the internal art – we often hear the phrase “fajin” (發勁) Many assume that this refers to the emission of qi (vital energy), but that's an incorrect assumption. Fajin literally means “emit power/strength” and is sometimes referred to as Fali (發力). So, virtually every percussive martial art has its own particular form of fajin. For some, it's little more than sheer brute force; others require a lot of refinement.

In the internal martial arts of China which includes taijiquan, xingyiquan, and baguazhang), learning real fajin takes some considerable time and practice. It has nothing to do with the size of one's muscles, although the muscles are certainly involved. It is NOT akin to the “force” depicted in Star Wars movies. At all. There's no “magic.” In terms of biomechanics, fa jin is a matter of utilizing body alignment and coordination to form an extremely efficient kinematic chain. The body begins in a relaxed physical state, which is then quickly accelerated in a coordinated whole-body movement. The internal arts are all based on the ability to utilize fajin and without it, they become little more than bizarre forms of shaolin boxing or just flailing the arms around.

Imagine a wet, rolled-up towel or a whip with a small weight attached to the end. If you want to “crack the whip”, you can't just use any arm/shoulder movement; the correct movements must be just so and they have to be practiced repeatedly.

The motions of the arm and hand cause the end of the whip to snap out suddenly and it seemingly becomes “stiffened” as the energy/power is released. In reality, it doesn't really stiffen unless it hits something (meets a resistance). One of the most important features is the TIMING of this release of energy, both during and AFTER. This is all described and illustrated in my book, REFINING JIN.

GONG AND ROU

 by Phillip Starr

In Chinese martial arts, especially the neijia (internal styles of taijiquan, xingyiquan, and baguazhang), there are two words that must be fully understood and practiced correctly if one is to ever reach a high level of skill.

Gong (功) means, roughly, achievement, strength, power. It's the same character found in the term “gong-fu.” It DOES NOT infer the use of brute, muscular force. If a strike possesses proper “gong”, it may be said to be powerful, sharp, and strong.

The word Rou (柔) means “soft” but it does not imply a kind of “damp rag” softness. It is not flaccid; it is simply soft, not rigid. This is exactly the same word and character used in Judo, Jujitsu, Goju-ryu Karate, and so on.

Ancient classics tell us that when a strike is executed, the energy must be transmitted outward to express Gong. Until the strike impacts the target, the body and the striking limb must be in the condition of Rou; the body is relaxed and there is no excessive tension anywhere. At the instant of impact, energy is transmitted outward and Gong occurs. It is important that we ALLOW THE IMPACT TO CAUSE THE PHYSICAL CONDITION OF GONG. The instant after impact, the body and limb must become Rou again. This will occur naturally unless we consciously try to stiffen the body at impact or relax it immediately afterwards.

The best analogy is that of swinging a chain. A chain is soft; it can easily be folded up and carried in the hand. As it swings through the air, it remains soft...until it hits something. And it is the MOMENTARY RESISTANCE of the target that causes it to become an iron rod for a micro-second, after which it once again becomes soft. We would say that it is Rou until the instant of impact and the IMPACT CAUSES IT TO BECOME GONG...but only for a micro-second.

Rou is soft, like cotton. But it's also alive, like elastic. It is not flaccid at all, but it has no stiffness in it.

The key to using these two qualities efficiently lies largely in posture and structure/alignment, which involves much more than simply standing straight. Another element is using Gong and Rou at the appropriate times. When a technique is executed, the body must remain in the condition of Rou and the yi (and consequently, the qi) must be extended forward, to the target. Gong occurs naturally when impact is made, but only if the body's structure is correct.

YOU FIGHT EXACTLY AS YOU TRAIN!

 by Phillip Starr

The most renowned Japanese swordsman of all time, Musashi Miyamoto uttered those words and wrote them down for future generations, And even today, our modern combat instructors from Seals to basic infantry training drill sergeants and instructorss at police academies reiterate those very words; “You can only fight the same way you train.”

When beginners practice to defend themselves, their partners should not attack with much force; emphasis must be on correct technique, body shifting, and other fundamental concepts. When they reach the mid-levels, more power is poured into the attacks; I tell their partners to attack and do their best to just touch them or give them a bit of a thump. The counter-strikes must be performed correctly as well, with some measure of power and complete control.

However, advanced-level students (starting at the brown belt level), the attacker's instructions are to knock their partners down. And the counters must carry some measure of power without actually making contact. The attack becomes real...or as real as we can allow it. The counter-strike must be delivered with full destructive force and absolute control.

Errors that are often seen include:

• Failure to deliver the attack with speed and yi (intention). This usually occurs when the participants know each other; they are afraid they might actually strike their friend.

• Failure to direct the attack or counter-attack to a vital point.

• Catching and/or easing your partner to the ground when a takedown or throwing technique is applied. This is a very bad practice; it becomes a habit very quickly and that means that his is EXACTLY what you'll do in a real fight! Consider: Your partner has been trained to breakfall and he should be capable of taking the fall without injury...without your assistance!

Additionally, easing him to the ground negates your ability to strike him immediately following the throw. And in a real skirmish, that's what you MUST do.

Of course, there are many others. The point is that you must train exactly how you will fight, although you must ensure that your blows are well-controlled. Remember, you can only fight the same way that you train!

EVERYDAY – 365 OF THEM!

 By Phillip Starr

Here's a challenge for those who are determined to achieve higher levels of skill and knowledge about their chosen style of karate, taekwondo, or gong-fu...select a form that you already know, and practice it at least once every day. Every, Day. For a year. If you miss a day for any reason at all, you have to start over.

Think you can do it?

Remember, missing one practice for ANY reason – sickness, forgetfulness, injury, the kid's soccer game... - ANYTHING – sets you back to Day One. Still want to do it? Can you?

I suggest picking a fairly basic form that isn't too lengthy, and one that you can practice indoors (remember, you'll have to do it through the winter, too). You can do it fast, slow, medium speed...however you want. The important thing is to do it as best you can, every day.

With the passing of time through the year, you'll discover things about your form that you may not have even suspected. And you find small errors that you've been unconsciously making for a very long time.

I could go on and on about how this lengthy practice will benefit you, but I'll just leave it here. Let me know what you discover!

DON'T HELP TOO MUCH...

 by Phillip Starr

Familiar scenes during practice... two students participate in practicing defensive techniques against an opponent who's armed with a knife. Of course, the knife is made of wood or rubber for reasons of safety and after the defensive maneuver has been completed, the knife-wielding participant has dropped the weapon, the receiver often bends over to retrieve the knife (or pistol or whatever) and gives it back to the attacker.

A second scene involves a self-defense technique that involves a throw or “takedown.” The participant executing the throw does his best to “ease” his partner into the fall, doing it as carefully and gently as possible.

Scene three. True story. Years ago, a police dept. (I won't name which one) noticed that when officers were killed when exchanging gunfire with violent criminals, they often found some of the officer's spent brass casings in their pants pockets, and their weapons were empty. An investigation was subsequently launched...

First, it was determined, of course, that the brass came from the weapons used by the officers. It was also determined that the officers were shot WHILE PICKING UP THEIR BRASS! How could that be? Well – at the shooting range, officers were required to ALWAYS pick up their brass before loading a fresh magazine! That became a learned habit. So, in a real gunfight...you guessed it.

When I am teaching students defensive maneuvers involving weapons, the receiver is forbidden to pick up a dropped knife (or whatever) and politely return it to his training partner. As far as throws and takedowns are concerned, they are forbidden to “ease” their partners into the fall. Their partners should be skilled in breakfalling; if they aren't, they must go back into a beginning class until they are.

Remember the old maxim: We fight EXACTLY as we train. ALWAYS.

DON'T JUST GLOB YOUR WAY THROUGH IT

 by Phillip Starr

You see it in most karate, taekwondo, and gong-fu schools; when the students are told to go through a particular form, it's done in a nice 4-beat rhythm, kind of like Lawrence Welk counting off, “And a-one, and a-two, and a-three”... There's little, if any, spirit to it and the rhythm never changes throughout the whole set. I call this “Globbing your way through a form.” It's a necessary thing when students are learning a form, trying to memorize the movements. But once the body remembers the form and it can be done without having to consciously think about which movement(s) come next, such practice is detrimental to training.

It must be remembered that most forms are imaginary combat situations, wherein the practitioner is surrounded by numerous villains who are tring to hasten his demise. Some forms are practiced primarily to develop certain skill(s) and don't necessarily involve several imaginary foes. I'm not referring to such forms in this article.

Real combat doesn't occur in a nice, even 4-beat rhythm. So it must be with your forms. You have to study them carefully to determine where the rhythm changes. Without proper rhythm, there can be no real spirit; the form is stillborn. It has no soul.