JUST THE RIGHT TONE

 by Phillip Starr

One of the anecdotes featured in my book, THE MAKING OF A BUTTERFLY, talks about how my sifu, Master W.C. Chen, chided one of my classmates about spending too much time training himself for, and playing, (flag) football. The young fellow was confused; how could “getting in shape” adversely affect his gong-fu training? Sifu explained that there's “getting in shape” and then there's “getting in shape” for a given activity. This very principle would be presented many years later in a book entitled Maximum Performance, authored by Laurence Morehouse and Leonard Gross.

Sifu Chen (and the book) explained how different exercises that may get you “in better shape” (especially for a particular sport) can be counter-productive to getting in shape for a different sport/activity. He used the analogy of stringed musical instruments... for instance, a guitar is tuned in the key of E. Not so with a violin or other stringed instruments. And so it is with our bodies; the muscles (and the nerves that control them) must be “tuned” or “toned” in the proper key...that is, for our primary sport/activity.

Many moons ago, I had a prospective student who had been the state powerlifting champion for two consecutive years. Of course, he was very powerfully built and enormously strong...in so far as lifting very heavy weights is concerned. But he couldn't stand in a horse-riding stance for more than 20 seconds without falling over! It certainly wasn't because his legs and hips were weak; they simply weren't “toned” for that kind of exercise. His attempts at learning to punch were even worse. I finally told him that he'd have to make a choice; lifting heavy weights for competition or martial arts. He did what was best for him and continued with what he was accustomed to doing. This isn't to say that weight lifting is contraindicated for martial arts. On the contrary, it is used, in one form or another, in most martial disciplines...but the weights aren't extremely heavy and emphasis is on repetitions rather than just one or two reps of lifting extremely heavy weights.

Enjoying a rousing game of basketball or football or any other activity won't impact martial arts training...but regular, repeated practice of exercises for another activity can. This is why the old teachers of the neijia (internal martial forms of China, such as taijiquan, xingyiquan, and baguazhang) frowned on students who engaged in training in “external” systems such as shaolinquan. It ruins the type of “muscle tone” that's required for the development of skill in the neijia.

All martial arts require the development of certain “toning” of various muscles and even tendons. They're not at all the same. A devoted karate practitioner might think he's “in shape” for kendo but if he jumps into a traditional kendo class, he'll quickly change his mind! Kyudo, taijiquan, taekwondo, judo...they all require the body and the muscles to be toned “just so.” This is true of all sports as well. A baseball pitcher needs a different tone to his body than a tennis player.

Just something to consider...