9.1 Research
I will introduce my approach for research. It is not the ideal way but a way that is good for me.
Strategy tactics technic form move essence force development technic tactics strategy
What do I mean by this? In order to improve our combat skills, we must do research. Each of us has his\her own approach for the research. The research is to find applications, understand them, improve them and apply them. Another goal for the research is to improve the combat skills without any connection to applications. The layers of the research are:
Strategy, this is the answer to the "what" question. What do we want to achieve (takedown, grip, knockout, etc.).
Tactics, this is the answer to the "how" question. How can we do what we have decided on the strategy stage.
Technic, after deciding what and how we want to do, we need to choose our tools, this is the technic.
Form, after finding the technic, we need to find it in the form in its traditional state.
Move, certain move can be found in several forms, but each form has its own character for the move. We need to understand those different modes for the move and analyze them.
Essence, in the research of the move we need to understand the essence of the move and motion, the spirit of the move, the universal technics that contain all the possibilities, the applications, the move modes, etc.
Force development, every essence has drills that supposed to help and develop the force of the essence, to refine it and enhance it. This training allows the "one inch punch". Although the force development drills are basic, they have an individual nature, a drill that is good for one person, is not necessary good for another.
The force development is the end of the reverse engineering process. The rest of the chain is going backwards, after finding the essence and the force is developed, the questions "what can be done with that, how and when" are awaken. The answers for those questions are the technics that are developed from the force developing and finding situations (tactics) where we can use them in order to achieve a goal (strategy).
Eventually my main point of view nowadays (2024) is the universal body language.
9.2 Application Learning Modes and Combat Principles in Applications
Applications are courses of actions. They are not necessary combat drills that can be done as they are in a real situation, but a combat interpretation for moves of the forms, or of ideas not from the forms. Applications are a tool for learning combining moves, learning flow and handling situations, a tool that checks what is possible and what is not possible. In fact, every idea rather from a form or not, that we want to check how it is applied on another human, is turned into application.
Combat principles in applications
While teaching or learning application, in my opinion, it is not as important to notice the moves as it is important to notice the principles. For example, in throws, it is important to notice the centers of gravity of the thrower and the thrown, legs positions, locations in space, touch points, etc. the main issue are the principles that can be learned and applied in countless ways and not the moves' sequence.
For emphasize, I will put it in different words. The principles are the most important thing we can learn from applications, since it is impossible to remember countless moves' sequences, that are only limited by the imagination and situation, any way there is no need to remember them all, since the reality will surprise us anyway.
The applications can be categorized like this:
9.2.1 Classic Application
The situation is mostly static, the strike is long and staying (we do not pull the hand or the leg back as in reality), we cooperate with the application performer and try not to interrupt. The movement does not have to be fast, but accurate. This is a situation with no degrees of freedom.
These applications teach us posture, principles, ranges, balance and stability, kozushi and combat ideas.
This is the way applications are usually learned, two practitioners drills are also in this category. In martial arts such as Ninjutsu, the katas are in fact two practitioners drills, which are classic applications.
This type of applications is the way to begin the study. Beginner student who do not know how to move need the well-defined frame of the classic application and only via lot of combat applications and free fights they shall learn to combine the basics and learn to move.
9.2.2 Quasi-Classic Application
In the quasi-classic application we take the classic application, but we release some constrains and add degrees of freedom and realistic elements. Releasing constrains and adding degrees of freedom allows both sides to practice in a more realistic way, it which every side can surprise the opponent, to invent and to innovate reactions. In this type of practice we try to implement the principles we have learned with the classic application, we try to sharpen our tools and understanding and we try the tools in a less sterile situation. The original classic application frame is being conserved, thus we can practice the principles without going wild and losing the goal of the lesson.
It is important to emphasize that it is possible to create a standalone quasi-classic application, with no classic form, an application that simulates better a combat situation.
Here are several examples for different elements and their influence (of course it is possible to combine several elements, and the influences are not singular for the element):
Resisting manipulation, the side who the manipulation (the application) is performed on, is resisting to the manipulation, thus makes the manipulator to understand the limits of the technic, the ways to overcome the difficulties or different ways to continue the application.
Evasion tryouts, in this degree of freedom, there are tries to escape joint locks and manipulations that the manipulator is trying to impose.
Counter action tryouts, in this case, the side that the manipulation is imposed on, is not only resisting, but also tries to perform counter operations, such as counter strikes and counter joint locks.
Realistic attack, a realistic attack will mostly performed in non-classic based applications, since the attack will similar to a reality attack, this means that the attacker will pull the striking limb back, the attack will be faster, the strike will have surprising destinations or a diversion can be performed (such as a hand to cover the field of view). Mostly, this degree of freedom will make the drill closer to a full flow and free fight levels, but still remains the work frame of attacker and defender.
Interrupting kozushi and stabilizing, allowing this degree of freedom will cause great difficulties to those who try to perform throws and takedowns, since there will be resistance for the kozushi, and without kozushi, it is almost impossible to throw or takedown.
9.2.3 Situation, Reality Simulation Application
Practicing situations demands us to acknowledge reality, that there are people that want to engage in combat with no real reason at all, such as walking and hitting shoulder to shoulder and a rapid surprising strike right after that, brutal and relentless.
This is about directing situations that simulates real engagement in combat, situations and responses (military language) and simulating street mentality. The emphasize here is that we must not adopt this mentality, but to acknowledge its existence and be prepared.
There are martial arts and fighting systems that adopt this way of practicing vastly, such as Israeli "Krav Maga".
This way of practicing has a very negative side; it is very easy to develop a neurotic and frightened way of thinking, in which all we can see around us are enemies. We must avoid that. True, there are situations in which it is better to be alerted and ready to think like a hunter (12.8), I can even say that it is always better to have certain degree of awareness to the surroundings, however, mostly there is no need in more than just awareness.
Remember: staying in the "hunter" mentality without need can harm your soul (psychological soul, not a religious soul) and make you into a stressed, violent, bully, dangerous, anti-social and lonely person.
9.3 Multi-Purpose Universal Technics and Force Development
Multi-purpose technics are also called universal technics, since they are naturally possible movement for humans.
Those technics are the basic physiologic human's body movement, thus they are also the basic of all the combat technics.
When we are to perform a combat application, the application is usually composed of combinations of several universal technics. The continuous transition between the universal technics is done via an interface points (definition by sifu Eldan Friedman), that allows the warrior to change and flow during the combat application (ways to change > ways to flow). The transition between the universal technics works the same way in training and in real combat situation, only in a combat the transition is improvised (or calculated in a very short period of time).
Beside the strike itself, most of the movement is a short or a long variation of the universal technic.
Flowing is actually a smooth transition between universal technics, and combining them without pre-thinking. It is important that those technics are not stand alone and must be combined with the basic tools from chapter 8.
In reality, everything is combined (hands technics, leg technics, body movement, basic strikes, forces and images (7.6, 7.8)) in order to make the technics effective and applicable in combat.
During the practice, try to work with different images and forces for each universal technic, different practice will cause different understanding and development.
9.3.1 Legs Technics
The multi-purpose technics of the legs are the transitions, general stances and particularly the lau-ma with all its transitions and ways of use, swing-lifts 7, 3, 6, the kicks (including knee strikes) and running (especially sprints and accelerations).
9.3.2 Hands Technics Principles
Principle of the eight\infinity (8.3), symbol of infinity or eight 8 is the principle of continuous motion, a movement that does not stop.
Stan in shizen tai (8.2.9) and lift your hand freely, so that the weight is at the end of the hand (the palm), now swing it in a way that forms the symbol of infinity in the air. Try to add the second hand and see when the changing of hands fits.
This is a basic movement that can be used to operate many tools, such as punches, open hands, grips, pulls, force development, etc. it is possible to do the eight figure in "Gongbu on the side" and in a more combat stances, in which the rear leg moves closer to the front leg, of course there is direction switching via the pelvis, in the not shizen tai cases. Pay attention that all the strikes that are 45 degrees from up down or down up are variations of the eight.
Chasing hand principle, this is a motion principle in which both hands performs similar movement, sometimes the same movement and sometimes an opposite movement. The movement can be different but completing, such as hammer punch (one hand grips, the second hits).
This principle works together with the principle of the eight.
Simultaneous action principle, according to this principle all movement is performed simultaneously, even if it has the same direction or counter direction. The simultaneous action makes stability and force production more correct, whole the entire body is behind the movement.
9.3.3 Hands Technics
Arms rotation forwards (vertical circle perpendicular to the body plane), simply rotate your arms forwards, both arms together, arm chasing arm, hand-blade leading, open hand, closed punch.
Arms rotation backwards (vertical circle perpendicular to the body plane), simply rotate the arms backwards, both arms together, arm chasing arm, hand-blade leading, open hand, closed punch.
Of course, it is more than recommended to perform one arm rotates forwards and the second arm rotates backwards.
Shoulder rotation with elbows forwards, the arm is folded into elbow strike formation. Rotation of the shoulder, the shoulder strap, legs and the pelvis (all body together actually) forwards. To elbows together or hand chasing hand.
Shoulder rotation with elbows backwards, same as the forward rotation, only backwards.
Forearms rotation in and out, the elbows are the pivot points of the rotation. Open hands and punches.
Wrists rotation in and out, this is a basic movement for griping and manipulating.
Breast stroke movement, stand in shizen tai and perform breast stroke movement. Both hands are extended forwards, straight and the palms are facing each other, open the hands until they are 90 degrees from the starting position and inside the body plane, palms are facing out, closing the hands to the body and sending them forwards again.
Closing movements\ compressing, imagine you have a piston or a spring between the hands and you are compressing it between the palms. The piston or the spring (depends on the compressing method) are parallel to the ground with the diaphragm level in a short punch distance.
Triangle, shizen tai, open hands by the hips. The hands are being raised up rapidly. When they are up they form a triangle with the fingers at face level or crossing with the forearms. Rapid movement of the hands back down by the hips.
Up and down hand counter hand, shizen tai, one hand is stretched down, palm facing the ground, second hand is stretched up, palm facing the ground. We start compressing the upper hand down vertically and same time we take our weight image down by banding the knees (up to 110 degrees), when the hand reaches eye level, the lower hand begins to rise, back of the hand faces up and the wrist lead the way. Same time the knees are started to straighten up. The final state is a straighten body and the hands are opposite to the beginning state.
Up and down two hands, shizen tai, the body is straighten, hands are up high and palms are facing to the ground. Taking the hands down simultaneously while all the weight is in the palms, taken down and the knees are bend. The downing can be done by compressing vertically down or by round motion. The hands are down until they reach the knee level, palms facing the ground all the way. This can be done fast or slow, the main thing is to lower the weight.
Horizontal circle one hand in and out (including the pelvis), shizen tai. We draw a horizontal circle (parallel to the ground) with one hand in diaphragm level, palm is facing the ground or the sky (two different moves). The circle is from inside to the outside or from outside to inside and includes round pelvis movement.
This movement has also an option of two hand together, hand chasing hand formation (one is internal the second is external. Palms are facing sky or ground in any combination. Each combination teaches a different movement).
45 degrees circle one hand in and out (including the pelvis), just like the horizontal circle, but this circle is on a 45 degrees tilted plane. 45 degrees to the ground and to the vertical plane.
45 degrees circle two hands, two hands in hand chasing hand formation, with opposite movement.
Horizontal circle two hands in and out, just like the one hand horizontal circle, but both hands perform a mirror movement of each other. Both perform circle from inside out or from outside in. palms facing the sky or the ground. In this move the pelvis does not move since it is balanced by the symmetrical movements.
Vertical circle parallel to the body plane one hand down-up and up-down (including the pelvis), a plane parallel to the body plane and distanced close to the belly and the chest. Simply perform circles from up down and from bottom up. This includes the S block. When it is done with one hand, the pelvis circulates for balance.
Hands stretching sidewise and closing, shizen tai, hands at chest level, palms are facing the chest. We just stretch the hands sidewise up until they are completely parallel to the body (completely inside the body plane). From this state it is also important to practice the returning of the hands to the starting position. This can be done one hand each time with using of the pelvis or two hands together without the pelvis. Different speeds, weights and images can be practiced.
Swing-lift 11 (the part of the hand – linking the vertical circle and the horizontal circle) (8.5.11), the hand movement in swing-lift 11 is linking between the vertical plane and the horizontal plane. This movement includes many technics of joint locks, avoiding and manipulations.
Closing crossing opening, closing the arms by crossing the forearms (palms in face level) and opening them by separating the hands with opposite movement.
The bowl of soup, this can be practiced for one hand alone, hand chasing hand or two hands together. The drill requires an all body movement, the shoulders, the elbows and the hands. This can be done in the direction detailed below, or in reverse.
Stand in shizen tai and imagine you have a bowl of soup in your hand. Now, while performing a circular movement (in fact drawing a deformed eight) you need to take the bowl above your head and continue the movement until you back to starting position. It is very important not to spill the soup (palm facing the sky all the time).
Vertical circle at the center of the body, this is all about movement in the plane that is perpendicular to the body plane and goes right through the sternum.
Drill 1) bicycle movement like in wing chun punches, in which the hands move as if they are cycling bicycles pedals, hand counters hand. Elbows are down, almost perpendicular to the ground. Many technics can use this movement, such as tiger grips, open hand, etc.
Drill 2) similar to drill 1, but the elbows are sidewise, parallel to the ground.
Drill 3) stand in san ti. move the weight to the rear leg while imaging a large ball in your hands. In the image, your hands are striking the ball from the top, towards you and down. In this stage the weight is starting to shift forwards and a transition into Gongbu takes place while stroking the ball from the bottom far from you and up again (this is an important drill for pulls).
Drill 4) same as drill 3, but in the reverse direction.
Butterfly wings, stand in shizen tai. Bend down, shift the weight to the hills and cross the arms (just like central S block with fingers down. Two hands together until they are crossing with the forearms), from this closed position stretch the body backwards, shift the weight to the tows and lift the hills slightly off ground, while the hands perform flip in the movement and opening to the sides (now the back of the hand is leading the movement, until the arms are to the sides of the body, like strikes to the waist level, elbows are bend in a dark angle).
This drill teaches us the flip off the hand, basically it is like drawing an eight figure with the hand.
9.3.4 Force Development
Force development for technics from forms, my teacher has developed force development drills for technics from forms. Those technics enhances the applications and the moves from the forms.
Those "power developments" (as my teacher calls them), also improves the understanding.
Force development for universal technics, the force development for the universal technics are the technics themselves, but in order to learn hot do produce the force correctly, we must apply the rules learned in chapter 7, study and research all the different ways for each of the universal technics.
Only personal research can teach us about the technics and how they are suit us, how to integrate it with other technics and what image should we have in mind each practice. There are technics that do not fit the spring image but do fit for the pendulum, etc.
It is important to understand that the technics combinations is endless, but it is most important to practice, even randomly on the combining of technics, for examples how to combine hands technics with lau-ma, etc. those random combinations will develop the flow in combat and study the force development practicing will enhance their efficiency.
9.4 Combat Principles
Combat principles are the most important essence we should learn from the applications and the free fights. Here are some principles and ideas that expressed during applications and fights and we should think about all the time. Of course this is not a closed list and each of us should have as much lessons and ideas. These are just the main ones:
9.4.1 Inner and Outer Circles
Stand in shizen tai, raise the hands to shoulder-chest level, attach the fingers so that the palms are facing the body and fold the elbows, so a kind of circle is created. This is your inner circle. When it is said to go inside, the meaning is to go inside that circle.
From the previous position, just spread the hands to the side and backwards until they are almost touch each other behind the upper back, stretched. This is the outer circle.
Our inner circle is where we can perform manipulations on the opponent. Our outer circle is where we prefer to hit long and open strikes and not let the enemy stay in. in a combat with more than one opponent, many chances to strike toward the outer circle.
In counter to what is said above, we will not always prefer to stay in the opponent's outer circle, there are many things that can be done from the inner circle, such as quick knock outs, however it is harder to gain control from the inner side without too much damage to the opponent. In order to have full control with better damage control it is better to be in the outer circle.
The best position is:
Behind the opponent and a little to the side, thus the back side of the center of his pelvis (his tail) is touches our waist, thus we are protected from heads strikes backwards, throws and center of gravity games. Same time we have a complete control over the opponent, he is in our inner circle and we are in the most unreachable position for the opponent, in his outer circle.
9.4.2 Danger Zones According to Sensei Su Dong Chen
Beside the inner-outer circle, the space around us can be divided into four zones. The dividing is done in regard to the opponent and we should impose this to ourselves:
Figure 4: danger zones according to master Su Dong Chen.
Zone 1, degrees, this is the zone where the opponents strikes straight forward. We would not like to stay in this zone, since this is a collision zone. Both sides strikes and get hit equally. The idea is not to get hit too much. We must stay in this zone as minimum as possible.
Zone 2, in this zone the opponent has a lot of control of what is done, thus this is also a danger zone to stay in. In fact the transition between zones 1 and 2 is immediate. Those two zones are similar to the inner circle.
Zone 3, 46 – 135 degrees, in this zone the opponent has little control and that is why we want to get there. This zone is in the outer circle of the opponent, in which we have a better control.
Zone 4, behind the opponent. Of course, in this position the fight is in our favor, unless we do something really stupid or the opponent does something really brilliant.
9.4.3 Direct \ Indirect Punch
Direct and indirect punches are concepts that relate to the approach to the opponent.
Direct punch, this is about direct approach to the opponent. It does not matter if it is about a strike or manipulation but the fighter approach. A fighter that goes straight to the point is using a direct punch. Shuto Kan karate is a direct punch style. A regular punch to the face is a direct punch strike. Mostly this goes together with the first danger zone.
Indirect punch, in this approach the fighter makes deceptions, hidings and infiltrations toward the opponent. There are styles that based on this principle, such as the Ba Gwa. Short 8th punch (8.27.17) is a n example for indirect strike.
Mostly, for those who are not familiar with the indirect punch, it is very difficult to deal with this kind of fighting, manipulative on the edge of cheating. The indirect punch goes with the third danger zone.
9.4.4 Crossing, Two On One, Breaking Contact, Defense Offence, Sliding Inside (According to Master Du Dong Chen)
Crossing, crossing is a term used by master Su Dong Chen, as well as interception. The idea is that in the mid-range, the range of the martial arts, we aspire to make a crossing of the opponent's attack with our defense. The crossing is the only real defense since it is not just blocking the attack. The crossing is the key for the continue of our attack.
Two on one, the idea that we will always aspire to have an advantage of number of tools upon the opponent, for example, if one hand is attacking, we use two hands in defense (of course we will close the opponent and preventing him from striking again). The idea is to get control on the opponent and prevent him from taking action before our counter strike. This is of course a result of crossing.
Breaking contact, we should not break contact. Once a contact has been made, we should keep it all the way. Once crossing has been made we should keep contact and continue the attack with no pulling back the striking limbs and of course no taking the intention back. This is an application of the continuity of action principle.
Defense offence, according to master Su Dong Chen, there is no point in starting an attack and it is better to response. The entire defense method (crossing and interception) is based on waiting for the opponent's attack. If we strike first, we are to be in the long range and this is the direct punch range, and obviously the indirect punch has the advantage.
Sliding inside, after a contact has been made, we should continue the movement and the attack by sliding inside towards the opponent without breaking contact.
This sub-chapter (9.9.4) is an outcome of ideas that are learned from master Su Dong Chen. Those ideas are proven in numerous street fights. Those ideas are should be adapted for each situation and we should not be stuck to them in all cost.
9.4.5 Staring
In fight it is not recommended to try and follow the opponent's movement with the eyes, if we focus on a certain point in the field of view, the hit will come from an unfocused area and the body will react faster with no pre-planning (void). In order to get this state, we should stare in the opponent general direction, not focusing our vision but staring, in this state the brain reacts faster to motion in the field of view and after sufficient practice the body will know how to react correctly by itself, without us forcing it to a certain reaction.
9.4.6 Movement of a Water Current
Whenever water hit an obstacle, they are not stopping from movement, they bypass the obstacle and continue in the original direction, or eddy currents are formed, in which the closest layer to the obstacle turns back and hit the obstacle from behind (depends on the obstacle's geometry).
If we are to move and fight like water does, we will in fact never stop and know to choose our movement direction in respect to the opponent.
The stepping in combat called, well, stepping. As closer the stepping in combat is resembles natural walking, it will be performed better and more efficiently.
It is important to understand that water do not break contact with the obstacle, same as we should not break contact with the opponent.
9.4.7 Shortening the Range
It is very nice not to get hurt, but in order to finish the fight, we must close the range with the opponent. Moreover, if we wish to protect someone, we must pull the fire towards us and shorten the range and not wait until the enemy attacks and just react.
Shortening the range is the most difficult part in understanding of how to attack. Usually in applications it is all about how to react and what to do when we are being attacked, and the part of how to attack is neglected. For my understanding the most important part of how to attack is the range shortening. There are three major ways of how to shorten the range:
First way – deception, we must perform some sort of diversion or deception in order to prevent the opponent getting far or stop our closing in. here are several ideas for deceptions:
· A kick to the knee or the shin
· Hitting the opponent's punches – as a bonus it can cause him losing a tool
· Throwing an object
· Strike to the air in eye level
· Blocking the field of view
· Diversion strike to the bottom and hitting up high and vice versa diversion strike up high and hitting down (for example a knee strike to the air and jumping with a punch to the face)
· Sudden noise or light (don’t tell me you do not carry stun grenades with you on a regular basis) such as a shout or a flashlight light.
· Throwing a lasso on the opponent (oh, you do not carry a lasso also???)
Second way – sucking in, this idea was learned on a seminar, given by Master Luo De Xiu. This idea is taken from Tai Chi. The idea is letting the opponent to attack, give him space to advance into our circles, to accept the movement by integrating with it softly, to suck the opponent in. This comes along with the idea that in "sticky hands" the opponent wants to stick to us and not we are who try to stick to him.
Third way – aggression, this is a fast entering with all the body, being ready to absorb certain damage and protecting the vital areas.
Of course, that the first and second ways are much smarter, however, sometimes simplicity and stupidity work great.
9.4.8 A Point of Contact to Stop the Opponent
Many times you will find yourself and your opponent in a fight, turning in circles around each other, mostly after a certain contact has been bade. One side tries to initiate and the other interrupts just by walking in circles. In order to do something in this situation, we must stop the opponent's movement. This is done by creating another point of contact, mostly by the legs (stepping on or a simple touch). This stopping allows us to break the symmetry and be efficient.
9.4.9 Combining Hands Legs Body
It is most important to remember that the entire body is taking part in combat. Defending and attacking. It is suggested to attack using hands and legs together, thus the opponent will not even know where to concentrate on defense and will not understand the manipulation being imposed upon him until it is too late. When the opponent is being attacked on all the fronts simultaneously, there are better chances for his spirit to break and him entering defensive mode.
There is no way out from a defensive mode on the street.
9.4.10 Flipping Directions and Shaking
Shaking, shake is a situation in which one swings the opponent from side to side without any possibility to resist. The sudden changes in accelerations and directions effects the neck and the brainstem and can cause serious damage, however the immediate and the desired effect in combat is disorientation in space.
When one wares a harness (and a backpack is a harness), it is better to use the harness for the shaking. The harness harnesses the main mass as a single unit (usually also the center of gravity) and makes it easier for us to shake that parson.
Shake can be caused easily by small circle or by breaking the circle with a sudden string.
Flipping direction of the opponent, Flipping direction of the opponent is a sort of shaking with a round movement, there is a need of using a certain direction of movement and divert it so it will be seemed as if the opponent changed direction suddenly. For example, we have caused the opponent to move roundly forwards and down, a direction flip will be to take him backwards and down in the middle of the movement.
The idea is not to stop the movement, but to understand that it is a large eight movement.
The idea of direction flipping via eight movement is exists also in defenses in short range, for example, against a knife, kick and punch, we divert the attacking limb to one direction and without stopping it we divert it to the other side, Diverting using lower external S block and immediately performing lower internal s block with the other hand.
Ourselves direction flipping, in order to manipulate the opponent and cause him to flip direction or be shaken, we will have to change direction of movement ourselves, usually it is done same as in basketball, via a pivot foot or lau-ma.
9.4.11 Integration with the Opponent's Movement
Integration with movement is a motional principle. Instead of blocking, diverting, etc. we just need to enter inside the opponent's movement, for example, picking the hand during a punch and instead of diverting it, we are sticking to it and continuing the original movement direction. Similar to direction flipping, this is a subject that it is hard to explain on writing, however this is a very important subject against knifes. Knifes are situations where we want to stick to the snakes body and catch the poisonous head (the arm and the hand with the blade in forward holding of the blade 10.8).
9.4.12 Reminding of EOE
This belongs to Master Su Dong Chen's Essence of Evolution (EOE), this is why I will not detail any farther. This is only a reminder to me and those who know it already.
· strength speed density capacity
· point (dot) line cross (one point, two points, three points) crossing spiral
9.5 Ground Work
Knowing how to fight on the ground, rather you have been taken down or you have taken down the opponent, is important. However, it is very important to distinguish between sport ground fighting with rules, thing that are allowed and disallowed, and street fight with no rules and all is allowed. In sport fighting, the fighting zone is sterile and clean of hazards such as stones, glasses, etc. there are disallowed strikes such as elbows to the brainstem. In counter to the sport fighting, in a real combat, everything is allowed and the fighting zone is far from sterile, oh and probably the enemy is not alone.
According to the above, in my personal agenda, I do not believe in ground fighting and do not have vast knowledge at the technical aspects of it. I do not do sports, thus I put emphasize on the preparations for the undesired scenario of ground street combat.
In case of a ground combat, try to get out of this situation as soon as possible, anyway protect your face and try to hit the enemy at his face or his diaphragm, strangling is also a good mean for the ground. Joint locks are very pretty technics, but very not applicable and not effective in real ground combat, you do not wish to win by points, you wish to break the spirit and the body of your enemy and avoid being broken yourselves.
9.6 Tearing and Pulling
9.6.1 Tearing
The force of tearing is coming from the outside to the inside. The method to feel it and to develop the force is:
1) Shizen tai
2) Perform the universal technic of horizontal circle with two hands from the outside to the inside.
3) When the hands are in the most faraway point from you, make a gripping move with the fingers
4) Move the back of the hands closer to your chest while the hands enhance the gripping
5) Near the chest start to separate the hands into opposite directions
6) Finally perform a movement as if you strike an elbow strike to each side
Hold the image of you gripping and tearing something apart (a sack for example). This is the force of tearing. Tearing is always performed with opposing movement. The strangling with tearing (8.16.4) is a movement in oppose to the enemy's movement.
9.6.2 Pulling
The force of pulling is coming from the inside to the outside. Many moves can develop the force of pulling. Here some of them and some emphasized issues:
1) Pull with all the body, and not just with the hands.
2) The pulling movement comes from the pelvis.
3) Entering hoibu and lau-ma stances is an all body movement.
4) Pulling can be done in a linear line or in a circular motion, as a sea wave that pulls down and backwards in a circular motion and then it is raises up and forwards, in order to release the energy that is stored in the wave. The sea wave image is important and helps improving the pulling skills.
5) When you perform a linear pull, try to insert vibration (7.6.4), an intervallic pulling, in which every pull is continuing from the position that the previous has stopped.
6) The universal technic of the vertical plane that is perpendicular to the body plane.
Another example is with the Hoibu – lau-ma transition (8.6.6).
9.7 Pushing Hands
Many books have been written about this subject as well as an entire research of master Su Dong Chen, hence I will not detail.
In this drill the practitioners stand statically or dynamically, and push with one or two hands (there are essential different between the two) and the goal is to outbalance the opponent.
9.8 Sticky Hands
This drill can be performed in a static mode or dynamic mode. The goal of this drill is to teach us flowing with the hands and bypass obstacles.
In this drill the opponents are standing while their forearms are touching. The goal is to attack without breaking contact. In this drill we do not perform direct linear strikes, but we perform indirect punch strikes, we use the elbows as pivot points and manipulating in the close range.
9.9 Speed and Intention in Application
If we wish to be fast, besides endless practicing we also have to have full intention in the doing. In order to perform an application and feel effective and fast, we must put our intention into the movement. The intention and focusing are improving the speed and might of every single move.
Usually the focusing on the return is making the throwing faster.
Pay attention for the fact that in spite of the intention and the focusing, this is a friendly drill after all and we must not hurt our friends.
9.10 Free Fights
Free fights for practice purposes are exactly what they are. They are not combats. Fights have rules and regulations. Combat is an all-out war with no rules, just enemies and survival.
There are several levels of practice fighting:
1) Full boxing gloves, teaches range and introducing contact (good for beginners). The gloves are large and interrupt performing realistic tactics and most of technics.
2) Open gloves (MMA), are good for mutual protection and allow the use of most technics and tactics. This is desired equipment if you wish to work in a high intensity.
3) Bare (or bear… if you dare) hands, allow performing everything you wish; however, a full control is required for mutual protection. Recommended for advanced practitioners only or in a low intensity.
4) Only hands, for close range practicing and hands-work of course.
5) Hands and legs for total practice.
6) With or without takedowns.
7) With or without ground work.
8) Only stances, no strikes. The goal is to get a better position and be more dominant only via stepping.
9) Flow fight, in which one is trying to integrate with the opponent's movement.
10) 1 on 1, all Vs. all, two on two or more (back to back and cooperation).
About protection gear, the only truly critical equipment is the mouth guard, that keeps our teeth and jaws safe and provide some protection against cerebral concussion. During the fight one must keep his mouth closed and byte the mouth guard at all time.
The desired state of mind in this form of practicing is ego-less and joyful, you must forget of winners and losers, the goal is that everybody goes home healthy and in one piece and hopefully with good spirit.
It is better to see the fights as a game, do not fear of getting hurt (accept it as obvious fact if you wish to do something efficient in fight), smile, laugh when you are being taken down and get up from the ground lively in a springy way. The preparation is for combat, the thinking is a total combat thinking, but the spirit is friendly and free.
9.10.1 Sport Fights
Sport fights have rules, allowed and disallowed things. Those fights do not practice combat thinking and might habituate the practitioner for wrong or missing action patterns.
As you probably understand, I am not a big fan of sportive practice for combat usage.
9.10.2 Friendly Non-Sportive Fights
In non-sportive fights, everything is allowed, besides biting, hair pulling and hitting the testicles, while it is cleared that in reality those things are allowed. Another restriction can be put on certain strikes, depending on the level of the practitioners. You must be asking yourselves what is the different from sportive fight than? The difference is in the emphasize that here the disallowed strikes are allowed in reality, unlike in the sportive mode.
In a non-sportive practice, the practitioner is allowed to symbolize disallowed strikes and thinking of them tactically, even if he disallowed to perform them. The main issue is to practice the mind.
For those who train sportively for rings, it is very hard to get out of the pattern of allowed and disallowed, and their mind is not practiced in "dirty" street fighting thinking. For example, they might completely ignore fingers to the eyes and "illegal" elbows strikes, since they got a "better technic" of a fancy joint lock that is good for the ring, but totally ineffective on the street.
I do not mean to underestimate the sportsmen and sportswomen, I got a tremendous respect for them, and those of them who practice with combat mentality are very talented, skilled and dangerous in combats.
However, those of them who do not practice with combat mentality are hurting themselves, since they have rules and fixations that will not be respected on the street.
9.11 Neutralizing Weapons
It is not always required to aim for the center of mass or the head in order to neutralize or harm the opponent\enemy. Sometimes it is enough to harm the weapons, such as breaking the arms or legs, peg-leg for neutralizing muscles, breaking fingers, etc. this is true for armed combat as well as for an unarmed combat.
9.12 Gripping, Cloth gripping and Skin Gripping
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9.13 A Personal Perspective of Forms and Kung-fu
For me, the form is mainly a motoric tool, I learn through principles, so for me the emphasis is on the universal technics, the universal technic's force development, the combat principles that are learned from applications, the forces images and fights. This, of course, is derived from the fact that I begin from the strategy and not from the form (9.1). I find it difficult to memorize countless applications and it is much easier to deal with improvisation that is based on movement principles and combining them.
This is not a contradiction to the importance of study the form in all the methods that are mentioned in chapter 7. In fact I do study a lot of motion principles from the forms and the applications of the forms. I study principles and apply them in additional ways. The form has tremendous importance. The form is the heart of Kung-Fu.
Why is the heart of Kung-Fu?
Well hare a short explanation:
The previous generation of teachers had to invest tremendous efforts in gathering rumors about teachers, go far away to find the teachers with nothing but hope to be accepted as a student. They had to work long hours with boring practices or hard up to insanity, they had to sacrifice heath, both physical and mental for their studies.
Gathering the knowledge from many sources only made the job harder, thus only those who really had the flame for it, could have become martial artists.
Today, everything is easy coming and instant. People watch YouTube, "study from the internet" without movement, without sacrificing anything.
There is total disrespect for what the teacher had gone through and total misunderstanding of the knowledge path. A simple ignorance, this is equal to misunderstanding of a soldier that all his military knowledge was bought by blood and lives lost.
In a combat perspective there is no need in many forms, but it is much more than just about combat. It is about respecting the path of the teachers, a path that connects the student to the teacher, it is about history and the path of knowledge.
This is why the form is the heart of Kung-Fu – that history is the tradition.
The form used as a mean of communication in an illiterate world and tactics was a secret. That knowledge was encrypted in the form.
The strategic knowledge, knowledge of tactics, forces, etc. was encrypted, thus research is required for combat understanding and application and meditative application.
The history of the path of knowledge is what bond us to the roots.
I belong to the school of those who love to study many forms. This does not mean that the understanding is superficial. We love the forms just because they are fun. The bigger variety allows to practice in a way that will not become boring. Few repeats of many elements for long time are equivalent for many repeats of few elements for long time. Persistence is the important.
What special with Kung-Fu are the world of images and the analysis of the force production. After all the human body can do only certain moves. So why kung-fu and not mui-tai, for example? Well, the images and the forces allow us deeper understanding and more versatility.
Another issue is the question of what cause you to come and study?
If the comparing of martial arts is on fighting basis and how fast you can improve and protect others and self, then the entire road is the important and not just the style you chose to study, but also the teacher and the guidance you get. Without study combat thinking, at any style, you will never know how to fight properly in combat.
So, it is true that mostly, a mui-tai practitioner will be better than a kung-fu practitioner after a short while; this is because their style is a fighting style, with fewer tools.
As you can see with your own eyes, this book is focused on fighting. Study kung-fu using this book, with combat point of view, will allow you to be better fighters than those of the fighting styles, this is due to the fact that in kung-fu we are improving the tools and the principles (force development, universal technics, etc.) and teach for thinking flexibility.
9.14 Of Forms and Styles (addition)
This part is written now and not at the chapter about the forms, in order to not interrupt the understanding. There is no contradiction between the explanations, but the connection requires addition thinking.
The forms are as sort of a trademark, a brand of the teachers. There were a thousand of teachers, competing for students and each one had to be unique. The little differences are brands, trademarks. There will always things to fix with the form, since only this way is possible to make the brand live longer, thus making a living.
True, this is a bit of cynical point of view about the different forms, however it has much true in it.
Beside a cynical point of view about the vast verity of forms, there is also a point of view about the different styles.
Different styles have different character of forms (even if there are many forms). This character is linked with the force production, for example, a broken chain movement of the external kung-fu styles and the one body movement of the inner styles. The inner styles has differences between themselves, for example the difference can be by the image (water, air, etc.). One more important thing is that the different styles contain different strategies that are expressed in the forms.
In combat it is important to know as much strategies as possible and as much movement's characters as possible. It is wrong to be locked within a style and fight with it alone.
It is important not to try flying before walking, first thing to study is basics. The basics are the platform for the principles. So, beginners, please be patient, it will pay you off. Listen to your teachers, do your homework and the combat skills will improve rapidly.
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