SEEKING SHELLS AND COSMETICS

 by Phillip Starr

In most contemporary martial disciplines, there's a lot of emphasis placed on exactly, precisely how a given technique is to be performed. To be sure, this is necessary when first learning a technique or movement but oftentimes, practitioners get stuck in this particular rut. Their minds focus on whether or not they (or someone else) do the movement exactly so. This stunts their growth and becomes a bad habit that can be very difficult to break. They begin to think of their techniques and movements in terms of exactly how the foot should be placed, and so on. Without necessarily being consciously aware of it, they're focusing on learning and practicing the “outer shell” of their particular martial art. Many of them never progress beyond this stage...like an egg that never hatches.

This isn't to say that students should be free to perform the various techniques and movements however they wish...I call that the “general idea” approach. Executing a particular punch or kick must necessarily be done in a very specific way. But once that stage has been reached, students must move beyond it. Many never do (and some go on to become instructors). This anal retentiveness is very common within the neijia (internal Chinese martial arts) community. A great many of them focus their attention almost entirely on exactly how the feet (and even the toes) are to be placed, and so on. Very nitpicky. Very. Nitpicky. Too nitpicky.

What should be focused on after the student is able to perform the technique properly is/are the principle(s) involved. Without this understanding, he/she may well be doing the technique or movement incorrectly although it may have the outward appearance of exactitude. Unfortunately, many of those who teach aren't altogether certain themselves of just what or which principle(s) are involved. They got stuck themselves in the rut of “technique.”

Others concern themselves with how they LOOK when they perform the technique/movement. To them, it's about cosmetics. They're concerned with “looking good.” This path leads to nowhere. I laugh when I tell people that the southern kung-fu systems are actually rather homely unless you know what to look for...there are no jumps, twirls, flying kicks, or any of that. No make-up. No “styled hair.” Real martial arts are oftentimes rather plain or even homely...

Then there are those who, after learning how a technique or movement is performed, get all tangled up in combat application and self-defense. This becomes their new polestar. Certainly, understanding application and being able to practically use the technique is very important, but it's not the end point. Not yet.

They miss the importance of “feeling.” That is, how the technique/movement “feels” inside their bodies and how it affects (different areas of) their bodies. To do this requires a good deal of patience (which many aspiring martial arts “masters” seem to lack) and perseverance. One must “listen” and “taste” the technique/movement. Oftentimes, the flavor is rather subtle, so it's important to pay attention.

The technique/movement may LOOK right – it may even look really cool – but it's nothing more than a doughnut. Nothing inside. Kind of like a politician. Practice it SLOWLY and FEEL how it affects different parts of your body. If you know the principle(s) involved in its execution, you should be able to feel them easily. You might be surprised to discover that they're just not there! You might discover certain parts of your body being involved in the technique when they shouldn't be. If you listen carefully and savor the movement, you may be surprised at what you find.

THE SECRETS

 by Phillip Starr

When I was a young martial arts student, I was absolutely convinced that there were “secret techniques” which, once learned, would bestow great fighting prowess upon me. I searched and searched for them but was unable to find such special techniques. My teacher would just chuckle and tell me to keep practicing the basics and that only convinced me further that he was simply concealing the truth. In time, however, I came to realize that there are no “silver bullets.” There are just (basic) techniques polished to a very high degree and executed with absolute precision.

However...

I DID discover that within the basics are certain principles that can be considered “secret.” Most of them are principles that had once been practiced openly but which, with the passage of time and for one reason or another, had been tossed by the wayside and forgotten. Thus, they had become “secret.” These forgotten principles are the real “silver bullets” that, once thoroughly learned and applied correctly, actually DO bestow great martial ability.

I've always thought that “hiding” such things from students is a poor idea and rather selfish. Admittedly, I don't teach many of these principles until the student is physically and/or emotionally prepared the handle them. But once they're ready, I teach them openly. Too many treasures have been taken to the grave by those who were keeping them too close to the chest. Although they were certainly skilled martial artists and many were also fine teachers, they actually strangled their art.

The old notion of keeping things from those who are unworthy or who have not yet proven their loyalty is, I think, rather silly. Anyone who has put in the hard work in training to reach the levels where he/she is capable of handling the appropriate “secrets” is most likely not a bad person who plans to misuse the knowledge and skill; people like that are usually in a hurry to learn a few “tricks” and they won't stick around for very long and endure the screaming muscles, bumps, bruises, strawberries, and all the rest...

ROW, ROW, ROW!

 By Phillip Starr

In many ways, life and following the martial path is much like being cast into the sea (of life) in a rowboat. The sea is vast and you cannot possibly imagine everything that it contains. Many of us are perfectly content to lay back in the boat and let the water take us where it will. Tossed about by the waves, we hope for the best and keep our heads down.

But if we do that, we'll likely never arrive at our destination. “Going with the flow” is, in my opinion, a very foolish saying much of the time. We need to set a course for a particular objective (harbor) and work diligently towards it.

It's essential that we periodically peer over the gunwales (pronounced “gun'ls” and meaning the sides of the boat/ship for you rednecks) to see just where we're going. And periodically, maybe for extended lengths of time (depending on the wind and water) we're going to have to paddle and sweat. A lot.

I once asked a lovely Chinese lady what she planned to do with her life. “I just go with the flow” she shrugged. She was currently employed working in the back warehouse of a local Wal-Mart. I told her that unless she had a specific goal AND a plan to reach it, she may well be stuck working in that warehouse for a very long time. She just shrugged again. Sad. That was many years ago and unless she's changed her attitude, I'm fairly sure she's still there...

So it is with martial arts training and life. Don't train just to be doing it or to engage with your classmates. Train for yourself with a goal in mind. Otherwise, you're just drifting in a small boat, letting the wind and waves take you where they will. You need to look at where you are and where you want to go, then grab the oars.

If you agree with this, please be sure to apply it to your training...and your life.

THE QUEST

 by Phillip Starr

In the many years that I have been involved in the study of martial arts, I have been most fortunate in having trained with several excellent instructors. I still do. I started off in judo, which I regarded (at my young age) to be THE finest method of self-defense in existence. In a short time I changed over to gong-fu and I was convinced that THIS was the best martial discipline. I was wrong. Again. As the years passed I would train in two forms of Japanese karate, and more forms of gong-fu (baixingquan, taijiquan, xingyiquan, and baguazhang).

After a time, I came to realize that there is NO ULTIMATE martial art; each one has something special to offer. I had more experience in gong-fu with karate running a close second but I understood that just because gong-fu was my foundation there was no need to toss out everything I'd learned from karate. On the contrary, even my gong-fu teacher (Master W. C. Chen) liked some of the things that I had gleaned from my years in karate.

I would go on to train in arnis (aka. kali or escrima), jeet kune do, and I even dabbled a bit in European fencing and muay thai. Actually, I did more than dabble in them; I was certified as an instructor in both Pekiti-Tersia arnis and JKD. I say this not to blow my own horn, but to show that I studied them very seriously.

Many years ago I gave up looking for “silver bullets”; techniques or martial disciplines that would turn me into an invincible fighter and/or an all-knowing sage. Such things simply don't exist except in the imagination. I wanted to LEARN from each art. Kung-fu was my foundation but I wanted to taste what else was out there and see if I could learn anything useful from them. And I did!

Gong-fu remains my foundation to this day but I'm still on my quest for knowledge. I had always wanted to study the art of the Japanese sword, so I took up iaido. Has this helped me improve my gong-fu? You bet it has! I was very fortunate to have been able to train with Master Hidetaka Nishiyama (Shotokan), who was undoubtedly one of the finest karate masters of the last century. What I learned from him is immeasurable. And Master Seiyu Oyata of Ryukyu (Okinawan) karate taught me a great deal as well. We would become good friends and as I did with Master Chen; I would learn as much from him at a kitchen table as I would on the dojo floor.

The most valuable things that I learned from these fine men weren't special “silver bullet” techniques; they were PRINCIPLES that could be applied to various individual techniques or body movements. And these principles didn't always have to do with physical actions.

Certainly, I haven't necessarily gleaned special techniques that can be directly applied to my gong-fu from European fencing and iaido but what I learned from fencing and continue to learn from iaido are readily applicable to my martial art. All my life, I have been on a quest to learn and I have taken water from numerous wells in doing so. No one source has all the answers.

I have met many instructors who forbid their students to train in any martial discipline other than what they teach and I have met countless students of such instructors. This is always a disappointment. Such instructors are often insecure about what they teach or their ability to teach it and they fear that allowing students to step outside of their direct grasp will result in students leaving the dojo. I will always be thankful to my teachers for encouraging me to learn from whatever sources I could find. They weren't worried that I might become “tainted”, learn something they didn't already know, or realize that they didn't have all the answers. In keeping with their trust in me, I encourage my students to experience other martial forms.

And so I continue with my quest. My foundation is gong-fu and I would never consider thinking something like, “I study such-and-such martial art and I dare not taint myself or show disrespect to my teachers by learning something from another source.” Each form and the culture from which it comes has something to offer those who are willing to drink from their cups, to don a new white belt with a “beginner's mind”, and learn.

PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER

 by Phillip Starr

“There is no magic in punching like this”, my teacher told us as he performed a crisp corkscrew punch. I didn't altogether understand what he was trying to say because I was simply too young and all wrapped up in learning various movements (techniques) that I thought would bestow great power upon me. As the years passed and I continued my training – and most importantly, as I began teaching – I finally realized what his words really meant. I have since often repeated them to my own students.

The key to any given martial art isn't so much in the technique; the real secret(s) lie in the proper body structure. This is one of the reasons I wrote MARTIAL MECHANICS. But I later wrote a sequel to it that delves deeper into the subject (MARTIAL STRUCTURE).

There's much more to martial art than simply standing in a certain manner and executing a particular technique. Much. More. Body structure is what gives the technique real power. There's no need for what I call “oomph strength” in a given technique. Just precision and correct structure. If those two things are added to the mix, the technique suddenly becomes enormously powerful and devastating with minimal physical effort.

Proper structure is one of the main reasons for the regular practice of zhan-zhuang (stake standing). Many practitioners of Chinese martial arts believe that the main reason for their use (mainly in the internal arts) is for the cultivation of qi but I believe they are mistaken; the main reason for their regular practice is to teach correct structure and alignment (which will naturally lend itself – once it is thoroughly learned – to the cultivation of intrinsic energy).

Internal martial forms such as taijiquan, baguazhang, and xingyiquan, are all about proper structure. It's one thing to get it when you're standing in a static posture (and even that takes some time!), but it's quite another to maintain proper structure when you move...hence, the reason taiji is practiced mostly in slow motion and why all three of the neijia emphasize the importance of “holding” certain postures.

The study of proper body structure must necessarily involve more than an understanding of the various laws of physics. It must also involve a good understanding of kinesiology (how the human body works). Sometimes the two seem to be at odds with each other and in those cases, kinesiology wins out.

For instance, physics will tell us that the greater the size of the base (your stance) relative to the height of the object (how tall you are), the more stable it is. But this isn't necessarily true when we're dealing with a human body. According to strict physical laws, your horse-riding stance should be very stable if you widen your base by spreading your feet as far apart as possible...and we all know how that's going to work out! So we must figure in the principles of kinesiology...

Did all of the martial arts masters of times past know about this? I don't think so. Many clearly did, as seen by the emphasis placed on structure in the methods that have been passed down to us. However, quite a number didn't know about this as evidenced by the same thing. Many of these principles were regarded as secret and not taught openly and/or were taught only to trusted worthies. So the secrets remained secret and are still secret (for the most part) to this day.

One highly respected Japanese master, sensei Akira Hino, “re-discovered” many of these principles by studying ancient texts and training as they directed him. He began training in Goju-ryu karate and had been told that the kata of Sanchin was really the heart of that art. He would practice this kata for several hours every day and eventually realized that its value lay in what it teaches in terms of structure. Sensei Hino began carefully studying and analyzing ancient texts on the various ancient arts. He subsequently developed a special method of training that focuses on correct structure and currently teaches in Japan and offers seminars worldwide.

So the secrets remain safely obscure to this day...unless you know where and how to look and you have the willingness to cast aside your pride and be as a blank slate.

THE PREMISE

 by Phillip Starr

Ask most martial artists what the basic premise of their art is, and you'll likely get the well-known “deer in the headlight” look or an answer that may well be fairly laughable. I have often encountered this when speaking with practitioners of the internal Chinese martial arts but it is equally applicable to virtually any style or art...

“Upon what premise is this style/art based?”, I ask. The answers vary as much as do the hairstyles of the people I encounter, but it shouldn't be that way. The problem is that most of us have never considered the question.

First you must scrutinize the “hallmark” or “signature” of your style/art. Many martial arts devotees honestly don't know. It's the MAIN THING that sets your style/art apart from the others. You must identify what that is. The premise is the basis for that hallmark. It's the “why” of it.

For instance the style of baguazhang's hallmark is an exercise known as “walking the circle.” Okay...I've asked numerous bagua zealots about the reason (premise) for such a bizarre exercise and I've received various different answers such as:

• It confuses the opponent and may make him dizzy.

• It makes you a moving (and therefore, difficult to hit) target. Wishful thinking...

• It's a form of qigong (an important part of a neijia style).

• It develops balance, agility, and tones/strengthens the legs and hips.

• All or several of the above.

  

I remind them that the premise can only be one thing. So they choose one of the singular answers...which is, of course, incorrect. To date, I've never met a bagua devotee – not a single one - who could answer this question correctly (including Chinese “masters”, some of whom are/were very well known or even revered).

Very frustrating.

Oftentimes, it is necessary to do some detective work to find the answer. It's going to take some research and time. You may have to dig into the history of the style/art's founder and the country in which he lived. It's the same kind of work that you should do if you want to truly understand why your forms/techniques are done in a certain way...

• What kind of person was the founder? Short-tempered, serene, or what? Was he large and strong, small and thin? What did he do for a living? How would he have dressed on a day to day basis? All of these factors could (and likely did) impact his fighting style.

• Did he have any prior experience in a form of martial art?

• Was he well-educated or not? If he came from a well-to-do family, he likely was. If not, it is much less likely. He may well have been illiterate. This could impact how effectively he could transmit his teachings.

• What was the weather like in that part of the country? Cold in the winter or tropical? And what about the topography? Flat and smooth, rocky, mountainous...?

• What was the political climate like? Civil unrest or peaceful? High violent crime rate or not? Was there a war going on?

And so on...try to take into account everything that might have impacted the development of a fighting art.

For instance, in southern China squabbles were often settled in VERY narrow alleys. To engage in a fight on the street would quickly attract the police (who didn't and still don't care who started it...) and a huge number of witnesses. Their styles had to be suitable for very close-quarters combat.

If your founder served in the military at the time, he would likely dress in rather heavy clothing and wear very heavy cotton-soled boots (the soles of these boots are VERY thick) and these factors would inhibit certain types of movements. If violent crime was common or there was warfare, the forms may contain various methods of dealing with armed adversaries...and so on. It may also contain techniques for use against an armed adversary when one has lost one's weapon and is dressed in armor.

There are many factors that would have had a strong influence on the development of a given style/art. They must all be carefully considered.

Determining the premise of your style/art can strongly influence how you understand and perform it. Believe me, it's worth the effort.

PRACTICALITY; WASTE NOT, WANT NOT

 by Phillip Starr

It was Master Seiyu Oyata (dec., 10^th dan of Okinawan karate) who told me, “Karate is very practical. In the kata, nothing is wasted. Every movement has a special meaning (application).” And he proceeded to demonstrate exactly what he meant. I recall working on a portion (actually, just the first two movements) of the kata known as Naihanchi Shodan (in Japanese karate, it is often called “Tekki”) for four hours one afternoon! Although I'm a kung-fu stylist, I'm familiar with several karate katas and I would never have suspected how much information was concealed within this simple form.

The people of all Asian cultures are very pragmatic. They try not to waste anything (this is especially true of food, especially meat of an kind). This is particularly true of their martial arts. In arts such as karate and kung-fu, EVERY movement following the bow or salute has a special application. There are no “empty” movements that lack practical application. In some cases involving forms that feature various movements prior to the bow/salute, the movements BEFORE the bow have special applications. Nothing is empty or wasted.

And so it should be in the practice of jyu-kumite (freestyle sparring). No movements are wasted. One moves only when it is necessary or to one's advantage. There is no hopping up and down like a kangaroo on methamphetamine..