THE QUESTIONS THEY ASK

 by Phillip Starr

One of the ways by which I can determine a student’s level of understanding and skill is by paying attention to the questions they ask. Whenever they ask a particular question, I consider just how it could be that they’d even wonder about such a thing (the object of the question). If they haven’t been practicing it and wondering about it, they would never know what question(s) to ask.

Now, I’m not necessarily talking about very simple things such as “where do my feet go when I stand in a forward stance?” Rather, I’m talking about much more intricate details/principles. At the same time, I warn students not to get TOO analytical about certain movements. Being over-analytical is usually detrimental to their progress.

For instance, if a professional baseball pitcher gets too analytical about how to throw the ball, his mind gets so befuddled with small details that he’ll soon lose the ability to throw the ball as he should. The same is true for all physical activities.

BUT…after practicing his pitch may, many times, he may see a small detail…a principle…that may help him improve. And THEN he can ask his coach about it. After practicing a basic hip throw, a practitioner of judo might find a very small detail/principle that just might enable him to execute the technique more effectively. When that happens, he may ask his instructor about it.

Asking such questions was usually discouraged by instructors back in the day. China and Japan adhered closely to the tenets of Confucianism, which considered questioning one’s teacher as a form of insolence. Answers/responses were often meted out as a form of punishment. The end result was that students quickly learned to keep their mouths shut.

My own teacher, master Chen, would respond rather violently (at first) when his Caucasian student (moi) would ask questions. Admittedly, many of them were, in retrospect, rather stupid questions. I once asked about a particular movement in one of our forms…he responded by having me attack him. He struck my arm with such force that I couldn’t use it properly for the rest of the day! But that’s how we Westerners are brought up to learn…we ask questions. Sifu Chen eventually came to understand this and his responses became much less painful.

My most senior student, Hiro Misawa, will ask questions about very small, seemingly insignificant principles or movements that he’s already been working on for a while. He wants to know what I think…and I tell him. This has been a huge help to him in developing very high skills. And it helps me to better understand his level of expertise. If he hadn’t been practicing enough, he’d never have discovered enough to ask such questions…

QI? NATURAL?

 By Phillip Starr

For many decades now, there has been an ongoing argument regarding the “mysterious” force that is often referred to as “qi.” Americans first heard of it when it was introduced (via taijiquan) by the martial arts media of the time. Since then, there has been a plethora of “masters” who, for a nominal fee (of course) will demonstrate or teach hungry Westerners about the ”secrets” of this inscrutable concept. The result has been that many people refuse to believe that such a thing exists and they go about practicing their (internal) martial disciplines without concerning themselves with the subject.

Much of the problem is that they don’t understand the actual word/concept in terms of the Chinese language. As the renowned scholar, Samuel Hayakawa, told us, “We are limited in our thinking (and ability to understand certain concepts) by our language.” The word “qi” doesn’t fully translate very well into English and the (Chinese) meaning of it, and how it’s used in their culture, is not well-understood in the West.

The old character (not the new “simplified” Chinese character) for qi -氣 - is made from two radicals; One is the character for rice, which is placed inside a radical that refers to clouds, vapor, etc. So it represents boiling rice and the steam rising above it. This is why I like the older form of Chinese characters; the new “simplified” method may make them easier to memorize and write, but much of the meaning (of the original radicals) is lost.

The word for energy (one of the words for it) is huoli. The first radical, huo, means “live” as in the concept of “alive.” Li refers to a force/power of some kind. Thus, “life force/power.” The concept of qi refers not only to vapors, but also to a sort of “life energy.” It is that which makes us alive (it dissipates at death). We can build a complete human being – or any other creature, for that matter – but try as we might, we cannot make it alive. No qi, no life.

That said, qi is not a “thing”, like a stone or even water. It cannot be easily seen, measured, or held in the hand. Like love and other similar concepts, we cannot see or measure it but we can easily see and feel its effects. Most forms of energy occur naturally, as the result of combining certain things. Without these “ingredients”, the energy will not exist. Wind depends on certain conditions existing at the same time, and so on. We say that wind is a “natural-occurring” energy but in reality, certain “ingredients” must be brought to the fore first. The same is true of qi. Qi itself, is, in fact, a naturally-occurring form of energy.

Qi – form of energy that we cannot as yet measure – exists all around us, just as water surrounds a fish. The fish cannot exist outside of it and is unaware of water or its constituent parts. When we breathe, we inhale oxygen AND qi…although we’re not necessarily aware of it. If we stop gathering oxygen or qi, we die.

So, qi is a natural energy form and you “emit” it all the time, especially when you move. It does not, however, add any additional power to your movement(s) unless it is focused properly. What you naturally emit (or radiate) in terms of qi is rather small and not focused at all.

Being able to express it through our bodies, certain “ingredients” are required. So, what are the ingredients that must be present in order for us to express (or emanate) qi? Here is a basic list for static postures (like standing or sitting), but each item is likely more than what you may think it is;

• Mental Bearing

• Posture

• Relaxation

  

To really learn each of these items requires instruction from a good teacher. Mental Bearing has to do with your self-image (see my book, MARTIAL ARTS AND THE MIRROR IMAGE), and your intention/will. Moreover, it has to do with directing your “yi” (mind, intention, will) because as I’ve mentioned in previous articles, where the yi goes, qi goes.

Posture involves much more than simply standing straight. The weight of the upper body must rest atop the hips without any tension being detected; the hips must be held just right, so that the femurs (bones of the thigh) rest squarely on top of them. The same holds true for the knees and ankles.

Relaxation is another problem altogether. There can’t be pockets of tension anywhere – especially in the shoulders and neck, anywhere in the back, hips, knees, and ankles. If the posture is exactly right, there will be very little, if any, tension. But learning to do this requires considerable practice. That’s why many gong-fu styles (especially the internal schools) place great emphasis on the practice of standing postures.

MOVEMENT involves adding a whole new can of worms to the mix. To EMIT qi in any given movement requires the same “ingredients” as when standing (or sitting) still. The yi must be focused, the posture must be such that the body’s structure supports the movement, and there must be no unnecessary tension at all. It sounds like it shouldn’t be too tough to do…but believe me, it takes a LOT of practice over an extended period of time! This is why taijiquan is practiced in slow-motion initially; so you can ensure that the positioning of all the joints is just right and so you can FEEL any pockets of unnecessary tension and eliminate them.

Actually, ANY movement you make (in so far as martial arts movements) emits qi, but lack of yi, kinks in the posture (which act like kinks in a hose), and unnecessary tension will reduce it,,,usually to little more than a trickle. Thus, many practitioners of internal arts deny the existence of qi because they cannot feel it or emit it in a powerful way (fajin, fali). Their lack of mental focus (including doubts about their ability to do so), flaws in their movements and/or posture(s), or excessive tension prevents them from doing so. But many are convinced that their movements and postures are perfect and yet, they cannot perform fajin; their refusal to examine themselves in a clear mirror prevents them from ever achieving any measure of success.

The special body movements that are utilized when “fajin” (emitting power) are intended to AMPLIFY the emission of energy much like the nozzle on the end of a hose focus the water, turning it from a flowing stream to a concentrated blast. The smaller the movement (the tighter the nozzle), the more concentrated and effective is the power that is released…naturally.

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.”