SHOWING THE TRUTH

 by Phillip Starr

I believe that it is through the assiduous practice of martial arts that we see our true selves as we really are; martial arts act like a mirror, which reflects our egos, fears, and shortcomings. This is, I think, why many people give up training. Not only do they see their image and deficiencies...so does everyone else. Our flaws are laid bare for all (our classmates and instructors) to see. And for many people, that's simply unbearable.

Training tests us in many ways. Sometimes, breaking through one particular barrier isn't terribly difficult but others appear larger and stronger. We grit our teeth and give it all we think we've got but sometimes, that just doesn't seem to be enough. So we endure and it's all we can do to hang by by our fingernails until the storm passes. These “storms” expose our “shadow side”; that part(s) of us that we normally hide from everyone else as well as ourselves.

We may try to keep them under wraps (which we normally do), but any attempt to do so only reveals what we're trying to do! Weaknesses such as poor attitudes, envy, self-pity, criticism (of self or others), insecurities, and anger bubble to the surface where they're readily seen.

The fact is that we've lived with these "shadows" for so long that we've developed our own personal ways of handling them.  They've become a part of us - habits, if you will - and we've become so accustomed to carrying them around that we don't even notice them until we get involved in martial arts training, which is really very different from most other physical activities because we're dealing with the basest form of human relationships...a punch in the mouth.  We have to learn to respond appropriately to physical attack while we must simultaneously "be with ourselves" under gradually increasing levels of physical and emotional pressure.

Before long we must face the ways in which we typically handle this and other forms of stress; how we armor ourselves against them, how we withdraw (into ourselves) or attack aggressively and what we see may not be pleasant.  We're exposed not only to ourselves but to all of our classmates as well.  The way we defend ourselves under great pressure (as when a partner tries to punch us in the face) shows us how we work to survive in daily life.

As Wilhelm Reich said, your body acts as a "prison" that holds "you" (or what you perceive as "you") in place.  Although you can see an open door before you, you are held back in your "prison" by your limiting beliefs, attitudes, and so forth.

     A skilled and caring instructor will see immediately what you see but he cannot present you with an instant "cure."  All he can do is encourage and guide you and you must listen. He's been where you are.  Your chosen martial art can be used as a vehicle to explore those things that you find undesirable in yourself - your fears, what threatens you, feelings of inadequacy and inferiority, and so on.

You face your opponent (your training partner) and he becomes you.  You project your fears, your weaknesses, and even your strengths onto him and confront them as you practice fighting.  And as you strive to "not lose", it isn't really your opponent who you are trying to defeat.  It's your "shadow side."  This is why practice fighting is so very important because in actual combat it's the same thing.  Your opponent, whether he's just a training partner or a real assailant, is a mirror.

     I believe that the willingness to face our "dark side" and striving to understand and eventually overcome our weaknesses, fears, and the many things about ourselves that we would rather keep stashed away is what makes a true warrior.  You must begin by being bold enough to admit the truth of what you see about yourself.  Then you must be strong enough to resolve those aspects of yourself that you find undesirable.  This can be accomplished through correct martial arts training but it isn't easy and many students will quit training in order to avoid having to face themselves although many of them, perhaps even the majority of them, are unaware that this is the reason they're quitting.

Facing your shadow side is a necessary part of martial arts training and progress. It isn't easy to do but don't shrink from it...break through!

SECRETS SEEM VERY SMALL

 by Phillip Starr

When I first undertook the study of baguazhang under my teacher, Master Chen, he would walk past me and slap the backs of my hands and growl, “Dead hands! You must have LIFE in your hands!” I didn't understand. OF COURSE my hands were alive; I was alive, wasn't I? So, I asked just what he meant.

He showed me that what he called a “dead hand” was a normal, relaxed hand. In baguazhang, as well as xingyiquan, taijiquan, and other martial forms, the hand had to be held just so; the fingers had to be stretched and placed in the proper position(s). Otherwise, he said, qi cannot be properly expressed through the hands or arms.

He held up one hand as if to show me that he ha all five fingers. “This kind of hand is dead”, he said. “No life. No power.” Then he adjusted his fingers into what he called a “willow-leaf palm” with the forefinger stretched back and said, “This hand has life.” The fingers were to be stretched forward, as if extending them away from the palm. They should not be tensed, he said. Tension in the fingers would cause tension in the arm, making it too wooden and block the flow of qi. Sure enough, the tendons in the fingers do, in fact, run into muscles in the forearm that connect to the elbow.

Sometimes a tiny, seemingly insignificant and barely perceptible adjustment makes all the difference in the world. For instance, in iaido (the art of drawing and cutting with the Japanese sword), when the sword is initially drawn with the right hand, there are several seemingly minor things that one absolutely must master if one is to have any hope of acquiring genuine skill. For one, the right hand does not grasp the handle of the weapon (tsuka) by wrapping the fingers around it as doing so restricts the movement of the wrist. Instead, the hand is kept “soft” and open. As the right arm moves, slight pressure from the thumb and forefinger allow you to control the sword.

The scabbard (saya) is actually REMOVED from the sword by pulling it back with the left hand (which should be positioned just so). The right arm does NOT unsheathe the sword. The initial horizontal cut demonstrated in the first basic kata (Mae) is NOT made with the right arm.

Nor does it begin from the mouth of the scabbard (once the scabbard has been removed from the blade); instead, the little finger of the open, “soft” right hand puts pressure on the grip to bring the sword into a perfectly horizontal position BEFORE cutting. The cut is then made by closing the fingers around the grip, starting with the little finger.  And all this is really a gross oversimplification...

All such teeny details, but they make a huge difference! In the movement of “push” in taijiquan, we see many practitioners (some of them very senior) starting the push with the palm pointed directly at the target. To do it correctly, the (pushing) hands should travel towards the target palms down (as if to strike with your fingertips). Only at the last second are the fingers raised so that the push is made with the palm(s). This “wrist snap” at the very last inch of the technique maximizes its velocity so that the blow is made with maximum power. To do otherwise results in a “shove.”

In making a side thrust kick, I was told that the toes (especially the big toe) of the kicking foot should be pulled back so as to create adequate tension and strength in the ankle so that the ankle won't “buckle under” upon impact. Initially, I had trouble doing this but I was very young and a few nasty experiences with a heavy bag convinced me that this was a tiny but vital principle that had to be mastered.

There are countless minuscule, ostensibly negligible or seemingly meaningless movements (and even non-movements) liberally sprinkled throughout all of the various martial ways. You can easily spend a lifetime seeking to find them, but the rewards are more than worth it!

THE REALITY OF FIGHTING

 by Phillip Starr

Many modern martial arts afficionados have convinced themselves that freestyle sparring and engaging in a real fight are pretty much the same thing. Never being one to hold my tongue very successfully, I'm afraid that I must burst that bubble and refute their beliefs. While the practice of freestyle one-step, freestyle sparring, and form serve as invaluable aids in increasing combative skills, they're not the same animal at all. Consider miltary basic training; during the Vietnam war, replacements quickly learned that although training at the firing range taught them how to use their rifles, it didn't prepare them at all for using the weapon in actual combat. Some were fortunate in being taken under the wings of those who'd been in the bush for awhile and who showed them the realities of action in that particular theater and how to use their weapons effectively.

Forms and freestyle sparring are performed under ideal conditions. In an real skirmish, the surface that you're standing on is often less than sterling and may well be slippery, spotted with chunks of gravel or other detritus, or even muddy...and it may be sloped or uneven rather than flat. Top that off with the fact that you're probably going to be wearing shoes...maybe boots or, God forbid, ladies may be wearing heels! This is going to impact your footwork, believe me. And your balance. And regardless of what some contemporary “experts” espouse, you DO NOT want to go to the ground!

Your clothing may be a bit restrictive and the clothing of your opponent can even present you with some problems. Your surroundings are usually not as open and clean as the training hall floor and certainly nothing like the competition ring. There may well be a variety of obstacles all around you, which can create unexpected problems (this includes other people as well). And the odds are good that your antagonist will be armed.

Then comes the reality of the fight itself. You're wired and excited. Your enemy probably feels the same way. You have no time for fear; you must focus fully on the moment and determine that you will NOT LOSE! A real fight is usually messy and extremely exhausting (even if it there doesn't seem to be any real reasons for it to be physically draining, it will be). Real fights don't normally last very long, regardless of what Hollywood would have you believe but you'll feel so debilitated that it seemed as though it lasted all afternoon. It's up close and personal; you can smell the stink of your opponent's sweat, smell and feel his hot breath, feel the shock and warmth of the blood... and regardless of what you'd like to believe, you're very likely going to get scuffed up. How badly you get scuffed up depends on how much and how thoroughly you've trained for this moment.

THIS is what the forms and practice routines (such as one-step, freestyle one-step, and freestyle sparring) have prepared you for...but like learning to shoot on a clean firing range, they're still a considerable distance from the real thing.

POOR BUT PIOUS

 By Phillip Starr

I looked carefully at the young man who had walked into my office and inquired about leaning kung-fu. I invited him to sit down as I explained the program and answered a few of his questions. He nodded his head and then said, “Well, I don t have a job right now and I don t have any money but I really want to learn kung-fu. I ll be your best student!”

“That will be a little difficult if you can't pay the tuition” , I explained.

“I was hoping you would let me do some kind of work in the school to pay for my tuition” , he replied. “You know... I could clean the floor and dust every day!”

I noticed the pack of cigarettes in his breast pocket. “How about if you quit smoking?”, I asked. “You could easily pay the tuition with that money.”

He was obviously offended at my suggestion and left shortly thereafter. I never saw him again.

On another occasion, a martial arts teacher proudly told me that he taught for free. “Why would you do that?”, I asked.

“Well, in the old days the teacher didn't charge money to train students. You can't put a price on something like that.”

I've heard these kinds of arguments many, many times and I still disagree. Somehow, Westerners have the notion that the martial arts teachers of days gone by never asked for compensation for their instruction. And this is altogether incorrect. Many teachers were hired by families to instruct their children. They were provided free room and board AND a monthly stipend. Not too many parents nowadays would agree to this kind of arrangement, I suspect. If the teacher taught from his home, it was common to compensate him by bringing food, tobacco (if he used it), or money to every class! I suspect most contemporary students wouldn't care to do this, nor would most teachers. God knows I've taught a lot of bachelors and I could've ended up knee-deep in macaroni and cheese! Some teachers simply set up a monthly tuition fee and this is the model that most teachers continue to follow to this day.

My feeling is that if a student is unwilling to commit to some kind of a (financial) investment, he or she probably isn't too serious about training. If the student is truly serious, he/she will find a way to pay the tuition. When you enroll in a college class, there's no haggling over prices! And you, as a martial arts teacher, have probably spent as much or more time learning and perfecting your art than most college instructors, right?

There's certainly nothing morally or ethically wrong with a martial arts teacher charging tuition for his instruction. Of course, problems arise when instructors become more driven by the almighty buck than their desire to teach but that s another can of worms. I don t advocate gouging students by charging extremely high prices. That's just me. I want to make it reasonably affordable. But I want the student to have an investment in his training. That's important to both of us.

Many, many moons ago I received two great pieces of advice that I' ve always kept in mind regarding this subject. The first came from the lead singer of a small rock 'n roll band. You see, I must confess that I once played in a rock band (rhythm guitar!) and we were just starting out. The head of another band (which was very popular) sat down with me and we discussed the ins and outs of the business side of the industry. One thing to remember, he said, is that you must never become a “five dollar band.”

Bear in mind that this was back in the '60 s and small, local bands weren't necessarily paid much for a gig but five bucks was pretty extreme. I asked him what he meant. “First, you guys put in a lot of time and sweat practicing, don't you?”, he asked. I nodded. “Well, that's worth more than a few dollars,” he said. “And people really believe that they get what they pay for. If they don't have to pay you very much, they won't like your music.”

There s a lot of truth in that statement. People really do believe that they get what they pay for. They figure if it's inexpensive, it probably isn't worth much and this is usually true.

The other piece of advice came from the lips of one of my taijiquan teachers, Mr. Hu. “The student must have an investment”, he said. “Otherwise, they won't come to class. If they miss a class, it doesn't matter to them. So they have to make a (financial) commitment.” There's a lot of truth there, too. If the student isn't willing to make much of a (financial) commitment, he/she probably isn't too serious about training. If the student is truly serious, he'll find a way to properly compensate the teacher.

NO MAGIC!

 By Phillip Starr

How often have I had beginning taijiquan students come to me and want to alleviate various ailments through the practice of that art! And how many people, having read or heard stories about the arts of xingyiquan, baguazhang, and/or taijiquan have come to me, knowing in their hearts that if they learned said art, they could defeat an army of aggressors? The same is true for teachers of shaolinquan, and karate as well...

There is NO MAGIC in the various postures of any given martial art (especially the neijia of taijiquan, xingyiquan, and baguazhang). Learning them will not automatically bestow you with supreme fighting skill at all. Developing genuine combative skill requires a great deal more than memorizing a bunch of nice looking postures. Even learning their many applications is of minimal use. And developing the required coordination to perform certain movements will probably not impact you health at all...

UNLESS YOU PRACTICE! Not just once a week or twice a month...that isn't nearly enough. These arts demand daily practice. Daily. Practice. Doing taiji once a week for a couple of months results in nothing. If you are determined to improve your health, you've got to learn not just the postures, but many other facets of the art as well (such as correct breathing, which is much more involved that you'd think). Practice religiously every day. Don't expect results overnight, because it just doesn't happen that way. It takes time. One of the most valuable lessons you'll learn is...patience.

If you wish the develop great fighting skills, you have to go much further in your studies than just learning the movements and proper breathing (both of which will require considerable time). The same principles of combat apply to all martial disciplines, regardless of art or style. These are thoroughly covered in my book, MARTIAL MANEUVERS. The “Three Jewels” of combat are Distance, Timing, and Rhythm. And there are numerous other concepts and principles that must also be studied thoroughly and mastered (some of which are mental/psychological).

Practice routines such as push-hands are fine sensitivity exercises but they do not foster the development of combative skill, nor should they be used to appraise one's actual fighting skill. At all.

Imagine a boxer who learns how to execute the various punches but doesn't put in any time learning about or practicing footwork, breathing, or the Three Jewels. He wouldn't make it past the first round! He'd spend most of his time meditating on the insides of his eyelids. And so it is with many neijia practitioners; they learn the postures and that's it...and believe that they are now invincible fighters...! Not hardly.

Or an individual who is suffering from some kind of malady but takes the medicine for it only once a week... the medicine isn't magic, either.

The benefits of practicing martial arts aren't so shallow that they can be realize very quickly. It takes time, like brewing a fine cup of tea. The ingredients must be of the best quality but that isn't enough. The water, when added, must be at just the right temperature. Then...how long after the water is poured onto the tea leaves should one wait before serving it? If you want a superior result, you must spend the time and effort to acquire it.