BEYOND TECHNIQUE

 by Yang Shuangxing (Phillip Starr)

Yes, I'm using my Chinese name this time – just for fun. It was given to me by my family in China and I'm proud of it...

I am often rather surprised at the number of martial arts practitioners who don't know that there is a dimension to their art that lies beyond technique and it is even more discouraging to hear them say that there is nothing beyond the punches and kicks and forms that they claim to practice every day. They insist that they KNOW this is true. Unfortunately, theirs will always be a shallow art.

The Yagyu Shinkage-ryu is an old, traditional style of Japanese swordsmanship. Yagyu Muneyoshi is accepted as the founder of this remarkable school. After many years of striving for techical perfection with the sword, he realized that technique would take him only so far. There was more to it than that...the secret was simple but extremely profound. It took him beyond technique and made his form of swordsmanship so effective that it was rumored that the warriors of this clan actually received special instruction from the “tengu” (spiritual goblins that were thought to inhabit various forests in Japan) and other supernatural beings.

To achieve genuine high skill, it is necessary to supersede physical technique. There's much more to the art than just learning how to punch and memorization of forms. It has to do with training the mind and spirit. I have been most fortunate in having met and trained with masters who realized this truth. On the other hand, I've met a good number of “masters” who not only had no clue about this feature of martial skill; they didn't even suspect.

How is this level of skill to be reached? First, one must be certain that there is a realm of skill that lies beyond technique; technical proficiency will only take us so far. Then it is most helpful if one has a teacher who has himself realized this truth and gone beyond. There are many who sense that going beyond technique is not only possible, but essential for those wishing to truly master the art. However, many such believers lack the gumption to train hard enough to attain physical perfection or anything close to it. Muneyoshi trained single-mindedly every day for years; he was obsessed with perfecting his skill. Most modern martial arts aficionados don't do this or anything close to it. It was only after his physical abilities had a reached an extremely high level that he was able to go beyond technique.

YOUR IAIDO SUCKS!

 by Phillip Starr

The iaidoka (iaido practitioner), a full 7^th dan and the foremost authority of the art in the U.S. began his kata again, for the umpteenth time. His teacher, the foremost authority on the art in the world, was visiting from Japan. But there was a problem; the performing iaidoka was nisei (2^nd generation Japanese, born in America) and spoke very little Japanese. His teacher, very old school, spoke no English and he was berating his student about something or other. The senior student tried to argue, but to no avail; his English words fell on Japanese ears. He was frustrated. At long last, his wife, a Japanese with a full command of the language and a skilled martial artist herself, stepped up to him. He looked at her with inquiring eyes.

“He says your iaido sucks!”, she said. “Do it again!” And so he started the kata over.

True story. I won't mention names because the senior iaido student is my iaido grandfather. But the phrase that his wife repeated for him stuck...”Your iaido sucks!” My teacher was present when this incident occurred. His teacher (my grandfather) is not known for handing out compliments (on one's performance), regardless of how well one has demonstrated his skill. When my teacher took his last examination, he anxiously awaited the posting on who'd passed the test. I knew my teacher would pass the testing; his technique is very, very good and his kata performance is equally excellent. When the posting was put on the wall, his name was on the list! His teacher was standing behind him and scowled.

“I passed you”, he said. “Barely.....”

These seemingly harsh admonitions aren't intended to be caustic at all. Rather, they are intended to keep the practitioner “honest”, aware that his skills can and should be polished further. Praise is extremely rare; the closest phrases to indicate approval might be something like, “That's better”, or something like that. In this way, the aspiring practitioner understands that he is slowly improving but still needs more polish. He is never allowed to be content with his performance. Those who look for, expect, or need accolades are in the wrong place.

WHERE'S THE MEAT?

 By Phillip Starr

I often tell people that I regard the “posture” known in taijiquan, baguazhang, and xingyiquan as “wuji” (aka., “quiet standing”) as the single most important movement – or non-movement, depending on how you look at it- of the entire set. It holds true for the position of “yoi” in karate and taekwondo, which occurs prior to any defensive or offensive movements. And as you might well imagine, I'm often asked why this is so.

Most practitioners hurry through this beginning position because they don't understand what it is and what it's for... This initial posture sets the “tone” for the rest of the set. In forms of neijia, it should be relaxed and qi/breath should sink to the dantien (tanden) while the spirit calms and the mind becomes focused and sharp. It is much the same in arts such as taekwondo and karate.

If the body or mind is tense, the form will be too tense and wooden. If the breath is shallow and high (in the chest), there is no “root”; balance is easily lost, and the spirit is in disarray. If the mind is not focused on the (imaginary) battle that is about to ensue, it becomes scattered and the movements will lack real power and focus.

Therefore, I encourage students to take a few seconds to relax (drop the shoulders naturally), sink the qi/breath, and focus the mind before beginning the actual form.