PICK JUST ONE

 by Phillip Starr

A student of mine once asked me, “What should I practice? There’s so much to remember and everything seems so broken up….I don’t have time to practice everything. All of the principles involved…it’s just too much!” Good question from a student who is seriously interested in learning. I told him, “Pick just one thing…say, a single technique. And analyze and work it to the nth degree. Everything eventually “dovetails”, but that’s almost impossible for you see right now. So pick just one thing…and bear in mind that this is going to take some time.”

No, don’t pick a form; that’s much, much too complex. Pick a single technique and movement, like a lunging punch, or stepping forward to do a reverse punch (advancing and punching with the opposite hand and foot). Then start picking apart the obvious points. For example:

• Begin from your fighting stance. To advance as quickly as possible, where should your weight be placed (on the forward foot)? EXACTLY where? On the heel, in the center of the instep, on the ball of your foot…where?

• Is there ANY unnecessary tension in your body that will slow your movement even a fraction? Where is it? Upper and lower body…

• What is your upper body doing as you advance? How do your shoulders feel? Do you lean, even a little bit?

• Is there tension in your knees before you move?

• How do you advance…do you push your driving foot against the floor? Do you “lean and fall?”

• How about your breathing?

• Do you “telegraph” your movement? How? What can be done to eliminate it?

• What body timing do you use? Do you punch after you’ve stepped down, punch and step down at the same time, or does the punch land before your foot hits the floor?

• Is your bodily structure stable?

  

Months of introspection and daily practice are usually needed to polish any one of the above listed elements. And those aren’t nearly all of the elements involved in that “simple” technique.

Then:

• Hang up a foam ball. EXACTLY how far can you advance and deliver a strong blow? This isn’t measured in feet or inches; it’s something you must learn to FEEL.

• Can you do it if the ball is swinging? If you can’t do it consistently, PRACTICE until you can.

  

After an extended length of time practicing all of the above (which may take a couple of years, at least), try inserting what you’ve learned and developed into a basic form. That’s going to place you into an entirely different world! After a couple more years of that, try to apply it in freestyle 1-step or even freestyle sparring (freestyle 1-step is better).

Then you’ll begin again. You’re going to refine what you THOUGHT you’d already refined!

• When your front foot lands (at the instant of the punch’s impact), where is your weight? Do you land with the foot coming straight down or is you weight a bit rearward? Try it on an icy driveway. Once. You’ll figure it out pretty quickly…

• At the instant of impact, is your rear foot flat? Where is it pointing? No more than 30 degrees…

• At what point during your movement do you rotate your striking hip?

• Is your FACE relaxed or do you clench your jaw or create any other form of tension?

And so on and on…

This kind of practice requires a lot of patience and deep introspection and study; it’s much different than just lobbing punches out, one after another and without much conscious effort. You’re slowly polishing and sharpening your technique (as well as many other aspects of yourself). Little by little, you’ll discover what I call “little principles”; seemingly insignificant principles that you probably never knew existed until now…and this will impact everything else you do in training. It snowballs!

NON-RESISTANCE

 by Phillip Starr

I know – you’ve all probably heard it before; “don’t resist force with force”, and all that sort of thing. Martial arts such as judo, aikido, taijiquan, xingyiquan, and many other martial disciplines stress this principle but Hino sensei is on a much higher level of understanding and skill. Hino Akira and Kuroda Tatsuzan, two Japanese martial arts geniuses, have taken it to a whole new level.

For instance, when someone grabs your wrist (or whatever), what is your natural response? It is to tense – maybe even just a little – the seized limb, right. You may not actively “resist”, but there’s still some tension brought to your arm…and what is the opponent’s natural response? To further tighten his grip and/or to pull you; to further control you by restricting your movement. All of this happens in less than a second; you might not even notice it.

And if you try to step or move in any direction (or even strike with your free hand), you opponent will feel it through your captured arm. And he can then apply counter-measures easily. Try it and have the aggressor close his eyes so he can’t SEE you do anything, but he can easily tell when you’re moving and usually in what direction.

Not so with Hino or Kuroda sensei. They relax their arms and shoulders and are able to move WITHOUT THEIR OPPONENTS BEING ABLE TO DETECT IT THROUGH THEIR ARMS! That is REAL non-resistance! They can easily apply joint twisting techniques, throws, and various strikes without their opponents detecting any “telegraphs”, such as tension in the arm or shoulder, etc. It all happens without any warning.

Imagine if you trained so as to be able to do this – in taiji, your skill in push-hands would soar! When your partner pushes at you, he’ll feel…NOTHING. It’d be as if he’s pushing air! The same idea holds true for aikido, judo, and even karate!

But first you’ll have to learn how to truly relax and NOT RESIST; how certain movements affect and create tension in various parts of your body. You have to study this very carefully, in minute detail.

THE NON-COMPLIANT UKE

 by Phillip Starr

      Should your uke (practice partner who attacks you) be compliant when you perform your defensive technique(s) or not?  Many instructors feel that he should be non-compliant; that he shouldn't “just go along with it”....that he should offer some measure of resistance so as to make the training more realistic.  Others fear that non-compliance may result in injuries, so they stress that the attacker must be fully compliant.  What to do?  Well, listen up...

       The main problem in trying to make the practice more “realistic” is this:

 The uke knows beforehand what's going to happen.  You're practicing a particular strike, joint twist, and/or throw...and he knows exactly what you're going to do.

       So, if he's supposed to be non-compliant, it's very easy for him to do so!  He resists a technique that he knows is going to be applied.  His non-compliance is technique-specific; intended to resist the specific technique that the defender is going to apply.  On the street, however,  your opponent has no idea what you're going to do.  So, his reaction will be somewhat different.

       It's a real quandry, I admit.  Now here’s another problem:

• In a real fight, the aggressor's attention is focused on where he's going to hit you and how. If he attacks with a weapon (like a knife), his attention is focused on his weapon and where he's going to strike you with it.

The aggressor is NOT focused on your response because he has no idea what you may do, But in practice, he does...so he often anticipates your defensive maneuver and easily reacts to it. The element of surprise is lost entirely.

My students have managed to at least partially overcome this problem to some degree... Most of our knife defenses begin with an advancing movement (attacking the attack), preventing the knife from hitting its target, and a SIMULTANEOUS thrust to the face with the entire palm (directed at the aggressor's nose. The LAST thing a real assailant expects is an aggressive, forward movement, and the palm thrust/downward sort of slap to his nose is VERY painful and sends the sinuses into a sudden wave of shock...his eyes water, his nose gushes blood, he is unable to see clearly, and his attention IS NO LONGER FOCUSED ON THE WEAPON (whether it be a knife or bare hand). This provides the defender enough time to apply his defensive technique.

When working with a partner, we don't actually slap the face; students slap the attacker's forehead! No damage is done but it IS quite distracting, which is just what the defender needs. It's a good practice method that doesn't result in injuries.

“Non-Compliance” does not mean that the uke should stiffen up in anticipation of the defensive technique. If possible, he should react as he believes a real aggressor would react. Takes a bit of acting, but tightening up the whole body (which a real aggressor would NOT do) is very risky and can easily result in injuries.

THE NATURE OF THE BEAST

 by Phillip Starr

How many instructors (or senior students) out there have gritted their teeth when junior students, or even more senior ones, walk away from training? I remember one of my most senior students actually becoming so frustrated that he was angry about this occurrence, which happens very, very frequently.

“It's just the nature of the beast”, I told him. “I'm sure it's always been that way.”

We often hear about this or that master of times past – but stop and think about when they were training with their classmates...most of whom we know nothing because they dropped out for one reason or another. Students have been giving up training for eons.

Why?

Rather than trying (pointlessly) to determine just what the problem was or is, I prefer to simple say that “they got out of it what they wanted”, and they were done. Not everyone really aspires to become a black belt (or a senior-level black belt). They may initially SAY they do, but that isn't really true. They are seeking “something” from training, and the “somethings” vary widely. It could be getting into better shape or losing weight, building self-confidence, developing what they perceive as adequate self-defense skills…and they may well not even be CONSCIOUS of what it is that they really want.

And when that “something” is finally achieved, whether it's after two weeks or three years...they're all done. Although they may stick around for a few weeks or even months, their hearts are no longer in it, and they ultimately walk away. They got what they wanted, and they're finished.

So as I told my student, “don’t get too frustrated. It's just the nature of the beast. Always has been, always will be.”

 

MARTIAL ARTS, MATH, AND LANGUAGE

by Phillip Starr

In chatting with one of my senior students, I mentioned that learning martial arts is much like learning mathematics or a foreign language. Let me explain...

To learn math...you begin with simple arithmetic:

1. You must first learn how to read, speak, and write the symbols for the numbers. Sound easy? Well, you learned how to do a long time ago. So just to be fair, try doing it in Chinese! This'll put you back to square one pretty quick. These simple symbols represent the most fundamental techniques...

2. Now you have to learn double-digit numbers; how to write and say them. These represent the introduction of other basics such as stances, which are used in conjunction with #1.

3. Alright – now for triple-digit numbers and beyond. This is trickier than you'd think and it is essential to your progress if you plan to move beyond #2; this could represent learning the most basic body actions (and breathing) that infuse your technique with some measure of power.

4. To go any further, you're going to have to be pretty good at #1 to #3. So now we'll introduce a new concept...ADDITION. Single digits only. What might this be? We might compare it to actually MOVING from one stance to another (aka., footwork).

5. Now for single digit SUBTRACTION, which is going to be a pretty new concept. This could be represented by learning to execute basic techniques and movements in simple combinations.

6. Now for double-digit addition. This takes some work conceptually. It's like a whole new world. We might compare this to the most basic form(s) of practice involving a partner...you'll learn how to apply the most basic techniques and movements in very basic ways.

   

At this stage, some students like to try to venture out on their own and find “new” applications or principles. They're guaranteed to fail, just as a five-year old who tries to move much past single-digit addition will fail.

1. Yep, next is double-digit subtraction! This could be learning new techniques and movements, how to execute combinations with the proper body actions, and so forth.

2. TRIPLE-digit addition! A new and confusing concept at first, but once you get the hang of it it's not too difficult. This could be the introduction of a basic form, including the proper form(s) of breathing, footwork, rhythm, and power that it uses.

3. Now, triple-digit subtraction! Here, we might introduce basic applications of the first basic form. BASIC applications!

2. Now for a whole new concept; DIVISION! It's confusing at first and you must have mastered the previous 9 steps. Here, we might introduce the BASIC form of freestyle sparring. It's critical that the student has a firm foundation through the previous 9 steps, or he'll be totally lost.

2. Then comes multiplication...learning to blend all that's been learned so far into the practice of BASIC sparring. Nothing fancy, just very basic material.

   

So, basic arithmetic comes to an end. But you're just getting started- Algebra/Geometry is next:

1. We start with ALGEBRA 1. This could well be compared to a more advanced form that may involve more complex combinations and forms of footwork.

2. GEOMETRY is next in line. Learning more advanced forms of footwork and body movement (for power)...and how to combine them in different ways. This is another risky point where students sometimes go off on their own, trying to mix principles/concepts. It's akin to trying to blend multiplication with Algebra 1 and Geometry. It isn't going to work. Everything must be learned in stages.

3. ALGEBRA II/TRIGONOMETRY...More advanced forms and how to break them down; learning to apply the principles learned thus far to these forms as well as previous forms...

4. PRE-CALCULUS: Now, perhaps the student learns the principles of coiling power and how to perform fajin (emitting power via coiling) in very basic ways. Although quite different from what has been learned in earlier training, the principles learned back in the basic training MUST be mastered.

5. CALCULUS: Could this be compared to emitting jin (power) in combinations?

6. CALCULUS 3: Learn very advanced principles that may seem to be in opposition to some of the basic principles learned earlier (such as weight shifting) and so on...

   

This is just a basic outline that can easily be adjusted, according to what martial art or style of martial art you practice. Because math is actually a language, this same outline can be compared to learning a foreign language; first, you learn how to read and pronounce a few words. You'll move on to writing them and learning basic phrases and sentences. From there, you must learn to HEAR and understand what is being said and respond appropriately.

Eventually, you must learn to speak (and write) paragraphs and acquire an understanding of the language's sentence structure. If you hope to become fluent, you'll pass through numerous stages until you eventually THINK in that language instead of trying to translate your thoughts from English into the appropriate words., which results in slow speech and stuttering. It can't be done quickly and there are no short-cuts.

Sometimes, a student will try to jump ahead, cut corners, or extrapolate (come up with hypotheses). This always leads to disaster. Always. Imagine getting to the stage of double-digit numbers work and trying to jump into division...! Or beginning to learn algebra and trying to move to the next stage after studying it for just a week! It doesn't work that way. Some try to apply relatively advanced concepts that they are only vaguely familiar with, to earlier stages...like hearing about a particular concept or principle used in Trigonometry to basic Multiplication!

It's essential that the student master each stage before going on to the next. Like building a structure, the upper-level bricks rely on the lower bricks to keep the whole thing from crumbling.

MADE A BOOBOO? DON’T STOP!

 By Phillip Starr

Ever been practicing a particular form and stop because you made a booboo? Maybe it's the same mistake you've made many times before, and you get so frustrated that you stop, shake your head, and start over? Well....DON'T!

We all know and agree that in an actual fight, we'll perform EXACTLY as we've trained, right? Of course! And therein lies the rub...

Many moons ago, one of my teachers insisted that we stop (the form) and begin again if we stumbled, lost our balance, or made any other glaring errors. “You lost your balance!”, he would say. “Your enemy has killed you! It is over. Begin again…” And so it went until the form could be performed without any booboos.

Many years later, I would learn that this method of training was badly flawed and could lead to serious, even deadly, consequences. It was during one of my early iaido classes. I was practicing the first basic kata, mae, for the hundredth time…and my nukitsuke (the first horizontal cut made after releasing the sword from the scabbard) was too low. Dammit! I made this error far too often!

I smirked and stopped, preparing to start over. “NO!”, my instructor bellowed. “You’re in the middle of a sword fight! If you stop, you’re dead!” I realized, of course, that he was right. He said that his teacher and his teacher’s teacher (who was the highest authority in the world on iaido at the time) had pounded this training concept into him. “If you make a mistake, KEEP GOING! Don’t get into the habit of stopping is you screw up…you don’t dare do that in a real fight!”

I realized how easily pausing when I made a mistake could become a habit; one that I really didn’t want. And it applied to all aspects of training, in any martial art. If you make a mistake or something doesn’t go as expected, KEEP GOING! You can go back and fix the problem later, at another time.

If you think about it, the same thing happens frequently in the practice of self-defense techniques and other aspects of training. It’s important that you DON’T STOP. In actual combat, Murphy’s Law is omnipresent – if anything can possibly go wrong, it will (and usually at the worst time). If you can’t adapt and keep going, you’re lost.

LEARNING TO FORGET

 by Phillip Starr

*Partially excerpted from the book, MARTIAL MANEUVERS, by the author

If you tell an untrained person to defend himself and then commence to attack him, he’ll respond with no thought of techniques and principles; his only consideration is staying in ne piece and either fighting back or running away. But once he takes up the study of martial arts, his mind become obstructed by many other things…

• THE STAGE OF TECHNIQUE

Beginners concern themselves with the various aspects of technique; how the technique is performed, how to stand, how to move, how to fix the eyes, how to execute the forms, and so on. All practitioners must go through this phase but sadly, most never pass beyond it. There’s so much material that must be committed to memory and training must be regular and vigorous lest they forget it all when the chips are down.

The fact is that a great many instructors themselves have never progressed beyond this stage and as such, they’re incapable of taking anyone beyond it. Their minds are focused on what their bodies must do. All physical activities must start this way but it’s important to move beyond it. Like driving a car- when you first tried to use the brake, you probably almost put yourself and your instructor through the windshield, right? You were focused on exactly where to put your foot, how much pressure to apply and how fast to apply it…but now, you do it without even being consciously aware of it!

In actual combat, you must not allow your mind to become attached to the technique or any aspect of it. It must be practiced until you can do it without having to think about or even be aware, of it.

*THE STAGE OF PRINCIPLE

It is only after the most fundamental techniques have been practiced many, many times that this stage can be reached. Only a handful of students will make it this far. The various techniques, stances, and movements have become a natural part of them and they no longer have to think about them; they are naturally correct. Technique has become “no-technique.” Some students, after getting to this stage, believe that there is really”no technique.”

But there is a difference between “no technique” and “no-technique.” In the case of the former, there is really no technique at all. One has tossed away one’s training (probably because of a lack of thorough training in the previous stage). In the case of the latter, one has transcended technique and come to understand the underlying body movement principles. Correct technique appears as needed without conscious effort or even awareness.

• THE STAGE OF “NO-MIND”

Reaching this stage happens naturally and cannot be forced. In fact, it usually occurs when you have given up aspiring to reach it. This is why so few achieve it; if you TRY to get it, it will slip away and you end up with nothing. It’s like trying to grasp the moon you see reflected on the water. Your hand gets wet, but that’s all you have.

This stage has less to do with technique as it does with how you regard your opponent. If your previous training has been correct and thorough, you actions will not run contrary to it…so you can focus on your opponent rather than on yourself. You must not be swayed by thoughts of winning or losing, living or dying, or even effectively defending yourself. Otherwise, your mind cannot move freely and spontaneously because it is fixed (at least partially) on something!

Although many so-called “masters” like to think they’ve reached this stage, very few ever do. It is beyond technique and beyond principle. It is the stage of engaging the opponent without any thoughts about what you will or will not do. It is the stage of “no-mind.” The mind is without physical form and expresses itself through the body. If you have advanced knowledge of a general’s strategy (mind), you can easily defeat his troops (body), but only if you keep your intentions secret until the last moment.

*THE STAGE OF EMPTINESS

This stage (emptiness) allows your mind to be free of thoughts about an enemy and simply act like a mirror. You no longer concern yourself with the fact that there even IS an aggressor. When he approaches, you become one with him.

When you practice, your mind is more involved than your body. Your body will naturally move correctly, so you need not be concerned about it. Mind and body have become one and when your mind orders it, the body is already there. Most martial art practitioners don’t even know this stage exists. Mind, body, and energy have all become one – they are no longer separate. Everything is effortless and when an assailant tries to strike you, it is as if he is trying to hit his own shadow.

*THE BEGINNER’S MIND

This final stage is also known as “original” or “ordinary” mind. Technique has been forgotten and the mind returns to its original condition, before you began training. It sees and acts clearly. Everything is achieved naturally – without conscious effort. Knowing these stages is the first step toward mastery. You have to know where you’re going if you’re ever going to get there.