RELAX!

 By Phillip Starr

You probably hear your instructor say it repeatedly...”Relax! You've got to relax!” What exactly does he/she mean and WHY is it so important? Isn't a little tension normal? Or maybe even a good thing? Let's take a look at the subject because if you're ever to have any hope of acquiring a high level of skill, you're going to have to understand and consequently, be able to do it!

First off, the correct word for this condition in Chinese is “song” (松), which translates roughly as “loose.” It doesn't imply that one should become “wet rag” relaxed or flaccid; rather, one should be loose, flexible, and elastic, and use no more muscular effort (to accomplish a given task) than is absolutely necessary. There is no residual tension stored anywhere.

Of course, it also applies to your mind. Remember that your body is but an outward expression of your mind; if your mind is tense, so your body will also be tense. The mind is relaxed because it isn't attached to anything. Deep, rhythmical abdominal breathing helps foster a relaxed mind.

Tensed muscles don't move very fast. In fact, they're an impediment to quick, smooth movement. This is one reason why, in punching for instance, the fist is NOT squeezed tightly at all. To do so creates unnecessary tension in the hand, wrist, forearm, and even the shoulder. In so far as handling various weapons is concerned, it's the same; the weapon shouldn't be gripped tightly at all. The hand(s) should maintain a proper grip (all of the fingers grip the weapon, none of them hang loose) at all times but prior to delivery of a strike/cut, the grip isn't tightened because that impedes proper handling of the weapon and hence, correct, precise technique. If the grip or any part of the body is tense, too many unnecessary muscles become involved. This results in flawed technique (although it may LOOK good, it's wrong) as well as fatigue.

Coaches and instructors in all activities – from baseball to combat shooting – constantly remind players and participants to RELAX...both body and mind. Relaxed (song...remember song?) muscles REACT FASTER than tensed muscles. If you watch (a video) of an experienced, well-trained group of special forces operators or SeALS clear a “shooting house”, you'll notice that they're not tensed up at all...in fact, they're very relaxed. That's one of the reasons why they can respond so efficiently to threats. If your reaction time is giving you problems, unnecessary tension may very well be the culprit.

Learning to relax when standing still, performing basic techniques, and performing your set is one thing...but doing it under pressure is another. By “pressure”, I mean the very real possibility that you might catch a punch in your mouth... It's more a mental exercise than physical. If your body tightens up under pressure, it's because your mind is fearful and has caused it. This is where two-person routines are most helpful but they should be practiced only AFTER you have learned:

1. To stay relaxed in a static pocture. Completely relaxed.

2. To perform basic techniques while maintaining a relaxed condition.

3. To perform your forms while being relaxed. NO tension!

And that's going to take a while...maybe 2-3 years at least.

Once you can do those things and maintain a relaxed condition throughout, ONLY THEN should you attempt the tw-person routines. Each one should be practiced regularly until you can do it and stay relaxed at all times:

1. 3-Step Fight

2. 1-Step Fight

3. Freestyle 1-Step Fight

You're looking at several years of practice... especially if your training partner attacks powerfully, doing his best to strike you! Then the threat is REAL and your mind darned well knows it. Teaching it (and consequently, your body) to remain relaxed under this very real pressure is going to take some time. Don't try to hurry it. Ever. This is one reason why SeALS and other special operators train constantly, regardless of how much experience they have.

This is the key to understanding what the famous lawman of the Old West, Wyatt Earp, meant when he explained how to survive a gunfight...

“You have to take your time...in a hurry.”

THE REALITIES OF SELF-DEFENSE

 by Phillip Starr

Real-life self-defense scenarios are usually considerably different from those that are presented in our martial arts classes as well as self-defense courses. You may need to adjust your self-defense training:

*Nowadays, people don't “square off” in fighting stances before the fight ensues. Fights generally begin at very close range...

*Punches (from your opponent) come in flurries. No one throws a single punch and then just stands there, looking at you like a lost dog. And grabs are ALWAYS followed or combined with a strike of some kind. Nobody is going to simply come up, grab your wrist or lapel, and then just look longingly into your eyes...

*Don't rely on a single blow to end the fight. We may train for that skill, but there are too many variables involved to rely totally on it. See Murphy's Law*...

*DO NOT attempt kicking to the head (unless the opponent is on the ground), NEVER try some kind of cute jumping kick...these will get you killed. Anyone who says different has never been in a real fight. Joint-twisting techniques MAY work, but only if they're preceded by an effective strike. The same is true for throws. And once he's down, don't let up on your attack! This isn't a schoolyard fistfight; there are no rules and nobody is coming to help you.

*Be prepared to get hit – because you very likely will, and you've got to understand that a punch in the face isn't the end of the world. You must be able to take a blow and keep going.

*Always assume that the enemy has a weapon that he may use...because there's almost a 100% chance that he does. You must train to defend yourself against weapons such as knives, handguns, and the like.

When it comes to self-defense, I have only two modes. If the opponent isn't threatening my life, he'll just spend some quality time in a local hospital for some time. If he threatens my life, I will take his life without a second thought. Period. I don't believe in landing a punch and then calling it good and having a beer with the guy. Saturday night fights for fun are out.

*Murphy's Law: If anything can go wrong, it will..and at the worst possible moment.

PAYING YOUR BILLS

 by Phillip Starr

You know the story; you get your paycheck and before you can feel all cozy with your wallet adequately stuffed, you have to pay the bills... so much for electricity, water, and so on. And by the time the smoke clears, you barely have enough money left over to buy yourself a couple of beers. Well, that's kind of what happens when you hit your target with your best punch or kick...

Basic Newtonian physics confirms that it's simply not possible to unload 100% of your striking power on any given target (this is discussed in my book, MARTIAL MECHANICS). Even if your technique is letter-perfect, you're going to lose chunks of power. Through constant training, you strive to make those chunks as small as possible (no, you'll never eliminate them completely). You don't want to pay out any more than you have to...after all, you'll only be able to strike your target with whatever is left over.

Energy (power) is naturally lost due to Newton's 3^rd law; this is unavoidable. However, just as you strive to avoid paying too much on your bills and wasting money, so you must do your best to prevent – as best you can – to avoid unnecessarily losing energy (power). Most of the loss of energy occurs at the joints, which act something like links in a chain. If they're not precisely aligned at the moment of impact, it's going to cost you...a lot.

Incorrect breathing, lack of spirit and yi (your will) will also negatively affect your technique. Flawed timing, loss of balance or an unstable base (stance) at the moment of impact will result in loss of power and effectiveness; so will failure to utilize adequate body mass or a reduction in velocity.

And of course, there's proper alignment of the body; your structure (as outlined in my book, MARTIAL STRUCTURE). If your structure is flawed, your technique's power will be seriously affected.

I hope you can see the importance of every small detail in performing proper technique. Not only must you first be made aware of them; you have to practice incessantly until they become unconscious habits (if you have to “think” about how to perform correctly, you're likely going to foul it up). That's going to take time. And (correct) repetition. Lots of it.

THAT OLD-TIME TRAINING

 by Yang Shuangxing

Many aspiring black belts express a desire for “real, old-time” training. Although most of them really have no idea what this involves, it does show that they (think that they) have a strong will and spirit. Training in the “old days” was considerably different from what we often see nowadays... Most contemporary martial arts practitioners couldn't or wouldn't stand it.

To begin, those who go to the training hall as a kind of social interaction with friends wouldn't last for more than one or two classes. Training in the old days was very rugged; there was no time or even interest in “having fun with friends.” At all.

You would arrive early for class and your uniform would be clean and sharp. There was no playing around...you used the time to get warmed up and maybe review what you'd learned in the last class. In those days, the “training hall” was often in the teacher's garage or basement, or even outside. There was no ventilation and the lighting was often rather poor. We always prayed for good weather...

You learned by rote...by imitating your classmates or the teacher. Detailed instruction was all but non-existant. You might get corrected if you made a very obvious error. Or maybe not. Or your instructor might suddenly swat you with a stick (or his hand or foot) on the offending arm or leg as he bellowed at you. And you would repeat the same fundamental techniques and movements over and over. I recall beginning class with 500 punches and 100 front kicks...and that was just to get warmed up. God help the student who just “lobbed” the punches into the air; they were to be deliberate, focused techniques...crisp and strong! Always.

You learned forms by rote. You did not ask questions. Ever. And God help you if you forgot part of the form you'd been shown in the last class. Form practice was gruelling. It was common to practice a given set for nearly an hour, over and over...until the teacher was satisfied with the group's performance (which was something I never witnessed) or he told the group to stop (probably because he was afraid one or two students might die from the exertion).

You DID NOT sit down to rest or grab a quick drink of water. Ever. If you did, you'd be told never to return and shown to the door. If you felt faint, you gutted it out and tried to keep up. If you fainted, fine. Maybe the teacher would notice your distress and tell you to sit down. But you'd never do so on your own or ask for a rest.

When practicing with a partner, injuries were common and expected. Just as in training for or playing football, injuries are expected and accepted – everyone accepts the fact that they're going to get “scuffed up” a bit – so it was for us. But football is just a game; we were training to survive combat.

Bruises, strawberries, bloody noses, split lips...were all expected and considered normal. If there was free-flowing blood or an obvious broken bone, the teacher would probably have you sit down while he administered first-aid or allowed you to leave to seek medical attention. There were no pads of any kind. Learning to control one's technique was of paramount importance and many hours were spent punching and kicking at a brick wall to develop that unique skill.

Sometimes, I could barely lift my arms after practice and I imagine my parents wondered what I kept bumping into...considering the constant bruises I bore. I'm pretty sure my Father knew, but he never spoke of it; his wayward son certainly needed the discipline!

Practice of standing postures was akin to entering the gates of hell. Our legs and shoulders would burn while sweat streamed down our necks. But nobody dared shift around or even look anywhere but straight ahead.

In time, our bodies (and minds and spirits) became tougher and stronger. And as we gained more confidence and endurance, so our training escalated. But we could bear it more easily. We were getting tougher and we knew it. So, our teacher would find ways to keep us from becoming overly proud; as the old saying goes, “If a nail sticks up, pound it down!” Thus, we learned humility and didn't become arrogant.

Training in those days wasn't easy at all but then, instructors didn't make a living by teaching martial arts. They didn't care if they had many students at all. When instructors began teaching professionally, the training became much gentler and accomodating. In some respects, it has been improved (for instance, more detailed instruction is usually provided nowadays) but in some ways, it has deteriorated.

Now we have better facilities, better equipment, and overall, better instruction (no more learning by imitation). But...students aren't “pushed” physically or mentally anymore, there's no emphasis on “toughening” their bodies and spirits. There's too much importance placed on everyone “having fun” rather than on developing real technique and understanding what they're doing and why. The use of “protective” pads led almost immediately to lack of control; it isn't taught anymore and more injuries are suffered as a result (WITH pads).

Because students are anxious to do it, fresstyle sparring is introduced much too early. I remember that we didn't engage in it for the first year! Instead, we spent a lot of time developing a fine sense of distance and timing as well as technique. These are things that even most contemporary instructors don't understand. As a result, their students don't understand them, either. This is one of the reasons that I began writing books on different aspects of the traditional martial arts.

OFFENSE OR DEFENSE?

 By Phillip Starr

Let's face it; the vast majority of martial arts instructors have never been in an old-fashioned, no-holds-barred, knock down-drag out street fight or bar brawl. Although I can't and don't encourage anyone to deliberately seek out such a thing, it is well to listen to those who have been there – whether they're martial arts enthusiasts or not.

At the present time, street fights often happen unexpectedly and occur at close quarters. The attack is usually preceded by a grab of some kind or a push, and attack never consists of a single blow; punches are fired off in a flurry, with the head and face being the primary targets.

This is not to infer that we should discontinue basic 3 and 1 step fight routines. In fact, they're more important than ever but the reason(s) for practicing them absolutely must be understood. They are NOT intended to teach us how to fight; they're practiced to teach you how to apply various techniques. Actual fighting in self-defense is another matter.

The first thing to consider is mindset. Many, perhaps most, martial arts followers feel that they should adopt a kind of “defensive” mindset. I think this is a serious error. In Vietnam, the Marines found that the old way of responding to an ambush just didn't work – they'd either hunker down and return fire, and/or work to flank the enemy. The cost was just too high. The answer? Charge straight at the aggressors and cut them down! And it worked...with much fewer casualties than they'd have had otherwise. Self-defense works the same way; maintain an “offensive” mindset. Attack the attack.

Many streetfights begin at very close quarters and are often initiated with a grab or a push. Trying to apply classical -step routines to such situations is like trying to play chess using the rules of checkers (with your opponent actually playing chess). We have to adapt our classical routines to fit the new circumstances. This is what martial arts are about and how they have always been intended to work. However, the principles upon which the techniques don't change; they're what make the techniques work properly.

Karate and gong-fu are not arts that are made of static, fixed postures; actual fighting is dynamic and constantly changing and we must be able to adapt to any changes that occur. Otherwise, we're confining ourselves to functioning within the confines of a rather small box...we have to break out of the box!

NO SECRETS, NO SILVER BULLETS

 by Phillip Starr

If I just had a nickel for every poor soul who wasted time searching for a “martial arts silver bullet”; secret techniques or styles that could defeat all other forms...I'd be a very wealthy man. Although such fantasies don't exist and never have, there are plenty of hucksters out there who are more than willing to lay claim to possessing some “secret” knowledge and attract as many wannabe masters as possible so that they can separate them from their hard-earned money.

Certainly, there are principles that have long been forgotten or ignored and that's why I have written several books on them – so they won't be lost – but there are no “secrets”, per se. There are only basics that have been practiced and polished to an extremely fine degree.

Be very wary of anyone claiming to possess secret knowledge or skill with secret techniques or style of martial art. If they offer to teach you such things for a fee, you must run (do not walk) to the nearest exit! I have heard of “masters” (some who are quite well-known) who, for an extra fee, will happily teach students special forms or techniques that they allegedly learned as “closed door” disciples of their teachers (this is especially true of gong-fu stylists). Some of these “teachers” even offer to make you a special “closed door” disciple... if you can afford it.

Enter the world of internal Chinese styles and qigong... Let me begin by saying that simply standing in a particular position and waving your hands and arms around WILL NOT turn you into an invincible gong-fu master, help you learn to “master” the movement of your qi, or improve your health one whit. Learning from someone who promises such things will, however, assist you in losing weight (from your wallet). Qigong and learning how to emit qi (whether it is for healing or martial purposes) doesn't involve any kind of “magic” whatsoever.

NO MATTER WHAT STYLE OR ART

 by Yang Shuangxing

In a previous article, I stated that any given martial art is divided into two fundamental parts; development of the weapon(s), and the delivery system. Development of the weapons refers to learning the various techniques of your chosen art, acquiring a high level of skill with them (that is, learning how to use them), and making them strong. This is obviously a very important subject, but many martial arts devotees get stuck in it.

I call this the “stage of technique.” Sooo many martial arts practitioners, students and instructors alike, become so engrossed in learning new techniques that they forget about developing skill in the second fundamental aspect of their art...the delivery system. You may have a thunderbolt kick and a bone-crushing punch, but it's worthless if you're unable to strike the enemy with it.

It's essential to study and eventually master what I call the “Three Jewels” of combat; distance, timing, and rhythm. Those who don't do this are just using their martial discipline as a form of calisthenics because it is simply not usable.

I remember a young lady who competed in the Top Ten Tournament in St. Louis many years ago. The matches were such that whoever could score 3 points first would win the match...or whoever had the highest score at the end of 3 minutes. She was a well-seasoned competitor as was her worthy opponent. Relying solely on a textbook-perfect reverse punch, she scored 3 points within 90 seconds, and the match ended.

She had one fine weapon – a reverse punch – and her sense of distance was exceptional, enabling her to successfully deliver her weapon with razor-sharp timing. Every. time.

The problem with many of the schools of neijia (internal Chinese martial arts) as well as a great many other Chinese styles as well as some schools of taekwondo, and karate is that, although they assiduously practice and polish their forms and train with their applications, they completely lose sight of critical elements such as distance and timing. These are what make an effective fighter what he/she is. Without them, he/she is just dancing and waving his/her arms pointlessly.

These crucial elements and training routines for them are illustrated and discussed in my book, MARTIAL MANEUVERS. There's no magic to any given martial discipline; developing and tempering strong technique and strenuously practicing and refining one's sense of distance and timing are what's needed...