UNDER THE MICROSCOPE

 by Phillip Starr

There is much more to your traditional forms than what you see. Much more. Many of you already know this to be true. But oftentimes, it's very informative to place your form “under the microscope, so to speak and examine it in minute detail. By doing so, we can become aware of numerous small elements that might otherwise go unnoticed. You must proceed very slowly, movement by movement. Hurrying will result in your missing key points.

For instance, take the first movement and examine it very closely. If it's a defensive technique of some kind, some naysayers (those who disdain the practice of forms and regard them as useless and unrealistic) will argue that, “In a real fight, you don't have time to chamber your arm like that before you do such-and-such technique...” Fine. But what makes them (or you) think that that preliminary chamber is what it seems...a preparatory movement for the execution of a particular technique? Very often, it isn't what it appears to be. A dear friend of mine who teaches traditional Okinawan karate, can demonstrate (rather painfully) just what that alleged “chamber” really is.

At times, the microscope has to be even more finely adjusted. In that singular movement or just before it, is there a subtle shift of the weight? How, exactly, do the hips move? Where should the eyes be directed? Do you turn your head before moving or do you initially catch the enemy's movement with your peripheral vision? When you make that step, do you step heel first, slide your foot, or what? Yes, it matters...sliding the foot along the floor is next to impossible to do outdoors and it's bloody well impossible on uneven, rocky, or muddy ground. If the foot slides, it would be an indication to me that this set was intended for use indoors...

There are some forms (especially Chinese sets that were developed by Buddhist monks) that sometimes contain what seem to be numerous nonsensical movements...until you're told that these monks were known to conceal small weapons under their billowy sleeves, on the lower legs or ankles, or even sewn into the hems of their sleeves! The seemingly silly, pointless movements are actually techniques for retrieving a concealed weapon! Movement(s) following this retrieval sometimes represent actual use of the weapon (which may involve throwing it at the enemy).

Some ostensibly infinitesimal, inconsequential movements may even be blows or seizing techniques directed at specific vital points, which are subtly delineated in the set. The “follow-up” techniques may be based on the opponent's reaction to the aforementioned strike or seizing technique (many of these reactions are involuntary; the opponent cannot help but react in a very explicit way). However, you must be able to “decode” such movements (which occasionally appear in traditional Okinawan and Chinese forms) and to learn to do that, you'll need to train under a qualified teacher. I'll go out on a limb and say that most current instructors are wholly unaware that these techniques even exist.

So...adjust your microscope and get to work. You may be very surprised at what you find!