Seek not to follow in the footsteps of men of old; seek what they sought.
~ Matsu Basho
Kungfu – To See or Not to See
One of the most difficult part of combat is to learn how to read an attack when squaring off with an opponent. It is the point in which all combat starts off at, the first strike to the second and so on. Let’s face it, if we knew an opponent’s attack, we could easily create (with proper training) a counter attack to give us the edge to defeat our adversaries. There are many different telegraphing points an opponent can show, but which ones should we look for?
- Image by AkumAPRIME via Flickr
Now there are certain schools that would tell us that it is the shoulders that one should look for because it moves just before the arms do signifying an attack, while others might say that it is the eyes that give away the practitioners intentions because he will look to what he wants to hit, yet others will say to look at the elbows because the placement of that joint will tell us if it is a swing or a jab, while yet, some may even say to look at one’s stance because it shows his strong side versus his weak side. There are many ways one learns to read when and how one strikes, but the one question remains is, “Who is right and who is wrong?”
The answer to that question is that they are all right and all wrong at the same time. If one were to telegraph what you are looking for, then it would work. But what if he shows another part different from what you are looking for? That would then work against you. There is always a sign in which one can see, but not every practitioner attacks the same way or in the same manner. Every practitioner attacks differently therefore showing different signs. Since there are many different ways one can telegraph attacks, what do we look for when we don’t know what the opponent will show?
The answer to this would be NOTHING. What do we mean by that? When one looks at a specific thing, then it is all he sees. He creates a tunnel vision in which he loses site of other signs that could be seen but cannot because he is too busy looking for the one specific thing. By looking at nothing, one can see everything. By this we mean that one can pick up any movement occurred because he is not focused on a certain motion, but rather picking up anything that is initiated without thought allowing the practitioner to act without distraction.
When looking for a specific target, an opponent that knows what the practitioner is looking for can use that against the practitioner by feigning a strike. The practitioner can also lose sight of his surroundings as he becomes focused on an opponent allowing others to attackers to sneak in strikes unaware. When one looks at nothing, he not only picks up any movements better, he is also able to recover from any feigning attacks because he does not “jump the gun” to intercepting the strike but rather moves subconsciously as opposed to emotionally.
This technique is achieved by using our peripherals not only giving us the ability to see a wider range, but also allows us to see without looking thereby cutting off the thought process which delays action. While we are taught as young children to always look at someone when talking to them, we have become accustomed to focusing through our “frontal view” and lost our peripherals. We get into the habit of looking before acting while our peripheral allows us to act without looking or thinking. Your eyes have a natural tendency to focus on movements.
The saying “the hands are quicker than the eyes” holds true. Our eyes can become blurred when there are too quick or too many movements. Strikers who create flurries of hits can cause us to lose sight when trying to look too hard. With the peripherals, this doesn’t’ happen because your side view doesn’t have the ability to focus, but it does have the ability to sense motion which gives us the chance to respond to actions a lot faster because we do not need to ” look before we act.”
One technique I tell my student to develop a good habit is to look off to the sides to pick up things like your keys or a pencil, or anything of that sort. Look at the object then turn away from it and use your peripherals to pick up that object. In this manner, one will develop and widen your sight from both your sides. By looking away with what you see, you develop what you don’t normally see with.
So remember, in order to see, try NOT TO SEE.
Thank you and God bless
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Learn More about Sifu at: EnterTaichi.com
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Developing The Wraist
In addition to building muscles and tendons for developing faster and stronger movements, it is through the joints that one must utilize to properly execute techniques. As the body becomes faster and stronger, how does one optimize this ability? It is through developing the Wraist that one can achieve this skill.
- Image by ken seghers via Flickr
Our body bends and moves through the joints. There are basically 6 body points that one uses to combine the force in our body; ANKLES for the feet, KNEES for the legs, WAIST for the torso, SHOULDERS for the upper body, ELBOWS for the arms, and WRIST for the hands. Among these six, there lie two points that hold priority from among the others; the wrist and the waist, in what we call the WRAIST. It is these two points in which energy can be optimized with the least amount of effort required to achieve maximum energy in the least amount of time.
Force can only be sent to either of two places in the arms; shoulder or wrist. When the applying the force on the shoulder, it will ultimately create a holding or resistant force, however, it is the ability of the wrist that can redirect incoming force with minimal effort. This wrist control gives us the ability to steer force off the body so as not to be under direct pressure which can cause the body to resist the attack making the strength become the deciding factor. By utilizing the wrist, the practitioner gains two benefits; the ability to thwart off the attack at the same time return the force of the assailant to him/her coupled that with the practitioners.
This utilization of the wrist allows the practitioner to handle force not only from long range, but also close range. When arms are in close range, it loses power to hold an incoming force. Only through the turning of the wrist can force be redirected off at the same time directed back to the opponent. Like the head of a snake that leads the direction for the body to move, the wrist too leads the forearms to move energy from the arms and shoulders.
Although the waist is not as necessary to use in long range, it becomes just as vital when combat draws itself from mid range to close quarters combat. Our waist is not just the core of our power, but it is the center of our balance. At long range, using the waist is optional, but as the distance draws closer, it becomes more required for the waist to be used. From the long range, the wrist is capable of directing the force due to the space it has from the body. However, as the energy draws closer to the body, the lack of distance is gained from the turning of the waist.
Like in most physical activities, our motion and control stems basically from the waist and the wrist, i.e. golfing, dancing, tennis. It is the waist that allows the legs to move quickly and fluidly for the lower half, while the wrist keeps the speed and flow for the upper body. From the combination of both the wrist and the waist, one can control the most committed strike from the longest to the closest ranges. When these two forces are combined effectively, one can unite the other forces from our body as a single unit to achieve maximum power, speed, and control with minimum effort.
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Learn More about Sifu at: EnterTaichi.com
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