THE BARKING PUPPY

 by Yang Xuangxing

A young Japanese karate teacher and his wife were visiting New York some years back. They'd enjoyed a dinner with friends and were walking casually down the street, looking to hail a taxi to take them back to their hotel. Standing on a street corner near midnight in many parts of Manhattan can be a little unnerving, but even more so when you're a foreigner from the other side of the world. They waited patiently, wondering if there were actually any taxis in the city...

A small group of young men sauntered up beside them. “Hey, little China doll”, one of them quipped. “You lookin' fine tonight.” The young wife was startled and stepped behind her husband. “C'mon, girl...I'll show you a real good time.”, the jerk continued. Reaching out towards the husband, he said, “This Jap isn't gonna be any fun.”

The poor idiot didn't know that the “Jap” was one of Japan's best-known karate instructors. However, rather than becoming immediately violent, the husband laughed. He put his arm arm around his wife and, turning to walk towards a taxi, he said, “You wouldn't have any fun with her”, he said. “She's a 'Jap', too.” True story…

Although he likely wouldn't have had too much trouble with the young jerks, the karate teacher solved the problem by resorting to a strategem that harmed no one. But why did he do so? He saw that the attack was, initially at least, directed towards his ego. His response not only showed the loudmouth what an idiot he was, but he also demonstrated mastery of the martial Way by settling a potential physical conflict without resorting to violence. Had he turned to violence as a response, lives may well have been lost. And there was certainly a very good chance that the situation could have become violent...but the karate teacher didn't initiate it. And he was one of the best-known karate instructors in the world…

Had one of the young punks attempted to physically assault the instructor or his wife, the results would certainly have been immediate and disastrous. But he recognized that the “attack” was directed at his self-image and didn't necessarily warrant a physical response. We may respond inappropriately when someone jostles us as we stand in line at the grocery store or honks and makes certain gestures towards us in traffic. No one enjoys being teased or ridiculed and our response in such situations is to reply with equal or greater vigor.

We need to consider other solutions. The rigorous training that we undergo at the training hall strips away the false pretensions and fears, and fragile or bloated egos and leaves us with a feeling of quiet pride and self-worth. One who has persevered the through the daily, monthly, and yearly demands made on them through their martial arts training knows that he/she has endured very unique experiences and passed tests of both body and spirit. Such experiences provide them with knowledge that enables them to shrug off assaults to their egos. We learn to distinguish between a cheap shot at our egos and a dangerous attack made against us, our family members, and our society. As one teacher put it, “You cannot concern yourself with every puppy dog that barks at you. Worry only about those that mean to bite.”

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 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 it is 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 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).

WHAT IS GIVEN ENERGY...

 by Yang Shuangxing

Many years ago, I had a taijiquan student who was also taking reiki classes somewhere in town. One day, she showed up to class complaining of a sore throat. Her husband was a doctor and I asked if he was going to give her medicine for it but she shook her head. “No”, she said, “My reiki teacher told me how to get rid of it.”

Now, I'm the first to admit that I don't know much about reiki (however, I am an acupuncturist)...so I asked just what the teacher had told her to do.”He told me to focus my inner energy (qi) on my throat and 'burn out' the infection”, she told me. I was aghast. This was the exact opposite of what she should do! I tried to dissuade her from following the instructions she'd been given and within two days, she was hospitalized; her throat had become so inflamed that she was having trouble breathing!

What her instructor had told her to do violated a fundamental Universal Law, which states:

“Anything that is given energy grows.

Anything that is denied energy, dies.”

Sounds simple enough, right? But many people often violate this law without being aware of it. When you get sick or injured, where do you keep your mind focused? Usually we focus on the afflicted area. You put your YI (mind, intention) there. And as I've mentioned in earlier articles,the main principle of directing qi is this:

“Where your YI goes, your QI goes.”

 

So by focusing your mind on the afflicted spot, you are inadvertently directing qi to it. Now, go back and re-read the first principle I mentioned in this article and you'll see how you're violating it. This doesn't mean that your illness or injury – and the accompanying discomfort – won't heal; it likely will...but it'll take longer than it would if you'd starve it of energy.

There are forms of qigong that are used as types of medical therapy and they may involve directing qi to the affected site...but the mental focus isn't on the injury/illness itself. Rather, the yi is focused on the energy itself and manipulating it in a certain way so as to have an effect on the problem area. It's a delicate matter since the energy is being directed to the affliction, but the mental focus is on what is being done with the energy itself...not on the discomfort itself. Such methods must be learned from a qualified teacher and they ARE effective. I know this firsthand; it's the reason I never get a sore throat...

WHAT ARE YOU IMPLYING??

 By Yang Shuangxing

Heian (aka., Pinan or Ping-An) Yondan. First posture. Looks like an overhead block and knife-hand block done simultaneously. Then, seemingly without countering, we turn and do the same thing in the opposite direction! When I asked my instructor about it he said, “That's just how it's done.” Period. So I shrugged it off. But there were other things I wondered about...

The so-called “augmented block.” The enemy's attack is so strong that a normal forearm block can't stop it? And what about the so-called “X blocks”, high and low? If you do it low, the upper half of your body is left wide open to attack. If you do it high, your lower body is defenseless. Kind of stupid, I thought. But I didn't dare ask my sensei. And there were numerous other postures in various kata that just didn't seem right...

It would be quite a while before I'd find the answers to my questions. Sensei Oyata Seiyu laughed when I asked about the movements in Heian Yondan. “No, it is not a block!”, he said. Then demonstrating with a student, he showed me how it is actually a joint technique and takedown, akin to aikido's “ikkyo” technique. “This join technique and takedown are implied”, he said. “In many places within the kata are implied techniques. They are not shown openly.”

The others; the augmented block and the “X blocks” were also hidden joint techniques. Only the entry to each technique was demonstrated in the kata. Inscrutable! But WHY didn't the authors of these forms openly show the complete technique? That question had been answered by my gong-fu teacher, W. C. Chen. He would instruct us to practice a particular movement at home and then return to demonstrate it's true application. Of course, as often as not, we all got it wrong. This was especially true of the arcane art of baguazhang. But it was also to be found in taijiquan, and to a lesser extent, in xingyiquan and shaolinquan.

Jumping up from the chair in which he often sat and observed practice, sifu Chen would perform the movement(s) as they were shown in the form. “It looks like this”, he said. “But it is really this...”, and he'd continue through with a hidden joint technique, throw, or strike (or a combination thereof). “The real application is hidden”, he said. The main reason for constructing forms in this way was to prevent unwanted observer from learning them, Chen told me. In China, training was almost always conducted outdoors (the same was true of Okinawa) and people could watch from positions of concealment. So the true technique was often hidden or camouflaged with an outer layer of movements.

The odd duck in the bunch was baguazhang. Styles such as taijiquan, xingyiquan, and shaolinquan (from which modern day karate emerged) often concealed techniques, openly revealing only the entries. Bagua, according to sifu Chen, was often very different. “You can only punch this way and this way and this way”, he said as he demonstrated various thrusts. What he meant was that there are only so many ways in which a human body can move and execute certain techniques. “Bagua is an art of principles”, he told me. “You learn them and you can apply them to your techniques. Then they become different.” It would be many years before I fully understood what he was saying.

This is what led me to write HIDDEN HANDS, my fourth book. Within the traditional forms is a great wealth of knowledge. They are, in a very real sense, books. But before we can discover their secrets, we must learn to read.