We will be taking a break from the series "Of MMA and TCMA" to discuss an extremely important concept in the utilization of TCMA. Those of you reading who have been taught by me should be at least familiar with the concept of "BRIDGING". Though integral in many of the traditional styles, there seems to be particularly heavy emphasis placed on this concept in Southern Chinese Martial Arts (SCMA), most likely due to the geographical influences that underlay the major developments of this particular sub-system of TCMA. The influences for regional specifications will be discussed in a different piece. This piece is all about BRIDGING.
BRIDGING is exactly as it sounds; a connection from one point to another. In a fight, this refers to connections made between opponents. I do not know if the following is a common adage in TCMA, but I will iterate something imparted do me during my earlier years. If you don't finish reading this piece, though I suggest that you finish everything of all my pieces, let the following statement be the take home message above all else:
"IF THERE IS NO BRIDGE, BUILD IT. WHEN THERE IS A BRIDGE, CROSS IT. IF YOUR OPPONENT MAKES A BRIDGE, DESTROY IT."
Further explanation of the above adage toward the bottom. For now, some background information as to what a BRIDGE must constitute.
BRIDGES are created by limbs. Thus contact with the arm, and sometimes the legs, are your very typical bridges. In SCMA, we even have certain exercises exclusively for "training the BRIDGE ARMS" or "Lien Kiu Sao". The training emphasizes three equally important components. In no particular order, they are HARDNESS, DYNAMIC FORCE, and STATIC FORCE. If you miss one, then you are incomplete. If you miss two, then you better fight smart. If you have none of the above, take a different art or don't fight at all.
HARDNESS: This refers to the durability of the bridge to withstand punishment. If you ever see Gung Fu people banging their arms against tree trunks, poles, other arms etc, they are developing physiological hardness (none of this qi/ki bullcrap remember?). These exercises are intended to toughen the skin and stregnthen the bones. Skin becomes tougher and more durable due to constant rubbing contact with hard, rough surfaces. Rhythmic dynamic pounding applied to a boney area creates what are called microfractures. These fractures are, as the name implies, far too tiny to feel like anything at all. They do appear though and, when they heal, the area becomes slightly denser. Conditioning over the course of many years makes that particular area of the bone harder and stronger. The purpose of this is to fully utilize any part of your body as a striking or blocking implement (rather than JUST the hands) without being slowed down by injury or shock.
(it is a common misconception that conditioning deadens the nerves. Proper and safe conditioning does not deaden nerves. It is typically advised that if anything more than a faint bruise develops that liniments and rest be employed to reduce swelling/bruising before conditioning resumes)
Why do people claim that it deadens nerves?
This is entirely due to improper conditioning. Gung Fu refers to merits gained through hard work over time. PROPER conditioning takes a long time. IMPROPER conditioning takes a relatively shorter amount of time, and the benefits arrive that much quicker.......but you also keep them for a far shorter period of time in your life. Karate has a reputation for very hard hands. Muay Thai has a reputation for very strong shins. Many Karateka develop arthritis later in life because they pound incessantly at wood/stone etc with very little regard. Thai Kickboxers are the same with their aggressive kicking of trees with their shins. The hands and shins will harden far quicker. But the chance of age related discomforts is also increased many fold. Likewise many Gung Fu people suffer from the same circumstances. Perhaps in their later years they realize that time is also an essential component to training, but most people who start their training at a very young age fall under two categories......
THE FIRST quit early due to pain, and sometimes pick it back up after age wises them up. They typically go about things the right way, though sometimes external pressures still lead them to rush the process.
THE SECOND, and possibly more common group, are zealous because they are young and do not appreciate the concept of time. They think hitting harder, faster and more frequently will make them stronger quicker. This group develops the growing issue of joint paints, muscle trauma and possibly nerve damage.
The human body is an amazing piece of machinery which has the ability to recover from almost anything, given the time. The emphasis I wish to point out is on the word 'almost' and the phrase 'given the time'. Though resilient, the body is slow at recovery. It only stands to reason that when you condition, you also condition slowly to allow the body to adjust accordingly.
(In case you people are wondering, I was part of the "young boy that gave up early due to pain" group because I played the piano for many years in my youth. Playing well was hard when hands were throbbing. I more recently picked it back up and spent about 2 years developing Iron Palm. After having my fill of breaking bricks, I gave that up since I saw no continued purpose. Arm conditioning continues, but at a far slowly pace. People get very scared and raise lots of questions when they see patterns of bruises on arms)
DYNAMIC FORCE: Dynamic refers to something explosive, sudden, a burst. You have a tough and ready arm to use. You need to develop the power and balance to throw that arm properly in a fight in order to gain the benefits of having such a weapon. This requires training the many types of types and skills of strikes i.e. accuracy, speed, vertical swings, forward thrusts, underhand, overhand, diagonal etc. No point in having a weapon of any type unless you know how to use it. You could be given the most durable, perfectly balanced and sharpest sword in the history of ever, but if you lack the proper swing and technique, it becomes a wasted piece of metal...lucky shots notwithstanding. This becomes palpably apparent with the BRIDGE ARM as they are not only used to attack, but to fend off an attack. When I say 'fend off', I do not mean block or parry. I mean attacking the attacker's weapon. So if you have a hard arm and hand, and your opponent is swinging in or making a grab, and you do not feel safe getting in close to attack the person, you can opt to use your arms and hand to strike his incoming hand/arm, to break or numb your opponents weapon. Phoenix eye fists are excellent for this, as are Monkey paw... but these are technical disputes which will be saved for later occassions. Suffice to say that this is very different from a simple block or parry.
STATIC FORCE: To be static is to be still, unmoving, perhaps even unyielding. If you want to apply a more electrical theme, static is interference from another source. YOU are that other source. YOU ARE THE INTERFERENCE: You are interfering with his fist traveling to your face. BRIDGE ARM training for static force is geared primarily toward control. If a person punches or swings their arm, but you have good reflexes and excellent static power, you can block that arm, and keep it wherever you want, at any given angle, due to your superior control and unyielding force. If contact is made, you can shift and pin their arms against their body. You can apply and maintain a lock or grab. If you are the aggressor, a mix of good DYNAMIC and good STATIC power will ensure that your fist/arm will fly true to the target despite a block or parry. Static force training gives you both the ability to block effectively, and the ability to hold and subdue, to apply a slow and steady stream of pressure onto, your opponent.
The three elements of HARDNESS, DYNAMIC, and STATIC FORCE are crucial attributes in the BRIDGING techniques and strategies. Lack of hardness will lead to a damages and useless arm in a fight. Lack of dynamic power will lead to an inefficient fighting scheme as you will lack the strength to do any real damage. Unless you land a few lucky shots, you will end up spending most of the time ducking, weaving, parrying and bouncing away. To relate it to a boxing match, the only way you would win is by points... never by TKO or KO. Lack of static power creates a huge hole in your defense and leads to a waste of energy as, since you cannot maintain centred and firm, you have a need to always be lashing out. They say that the best defense is a good offense, but in some cases that simply leads to so much wasted energy.
As I said earlier, miss one of these and you become incomplete. If you miss two, you better make sure you can fight smart. But if you miss three, pick a different discipline or simply keep away from anything to do with fighting.
We will close this piece with a break-down of the adage mentioned above.
"IF THERE IS NO BRIDGE, BUILD IT"
Sometimes fights start with some distance. There's circling. There's bobbing and weaving. There are light steps and bouncy footwork. There are feints and false lunges. You can't seem to make the other person stand still and, being no fool, you refuse to stand still yourself.
HOW DO YOU GET TO THE PERSON?
There are two ways:
This is important. Once you build a bridge, it is important that you not only gain and maintain control, called 'sticking', but you must also cross the bridge, completing the attack by closing the distance and dealing pain. Visualize with me if you will, the building and crossing of this bridge......
Two individuals circle each other, throwing feints and false lunges. The Gung Fu guy is sick of the bobbing and weaving and wants the person to stand still. He throws a very heavy hanging back fist (attack comes from the top down with the back of the fist). Enough power is put into the attack such that if it makes contact, at the very least the nose would be broken. But he is fully aware that the attack probably won't make it through since his Opponent has very good reflexes. The Opponent proves him right and promptly raises his arm just enough to block the attack, his forearm meeting the Gung Fu guy's forearm/wrist. A bridge has been made. As with real life bridges, there are two possible ways to cross:
"IF YOUR OPPONENT MAKES A BRIDGE, DESTROY IT"
Obviously the best case scenario would be make a bridge, cross it, and end the fight. However, bridges are two way streets. The Opponent can either manipulate the bridge you made, or he can create one. Thus if there is ever any doubt about any bridge... disengage. Usually if you are the builder, than you would have the advantage as the bridge was built on your ters and, therefore, you are the most ready to utilize said bridge. However, the same can be said of the Opponent. If you Opponent creates the bridge, chances are that he will have the advantage, no matter how slight. It therefore becomes a judgment call on your part as to whether you think you can take the bridge from him (keep the connection but work the angles to your favour) and cross it first, or if perhaps you should forcibly destroy the connection and retreat a bit to start round 2. We will be using the same situation as described before. The time we will take the perspective of the Opponent.
The Gung Fu guy throws a hanging back fist and his Opponent immediately angles his own arm to block the shot. Sensing that the bridge has been made on the terms of the Gung Fu guy, but still confident in himself, the Opponent angles his blocking arm to maintain contact (stick), while having it slide off at an angle, simultaneously swinging his other arm to counter attack. The Gung Fu guy reacts by stepping forward, thus closing the gap slightly, and blocking the arm. Effectively, both have an inside arm and an outside arm. However, the Opponent decides that the stepping in act by the other party has put him in an unfavourable position. He therefore musters up additional power to force the connection apart, quickly flinging both arms away with a burst and returning to a guarded position several steps back. Now begins round 2.
The situation I described is obviously somewhat stylized. however, I hope it was simply enough, as well as vivid enough, to create a visual image. Bridging is at the heart of many Southern Chinese Martial Arts styles. It is therefore an extremely important concept to grasp, as well as a very extensive topic of debate and constant tweaking. What I have provided in this piece is a comprehensive, but still nutshell, account of why Bridging is important, and the basic components on what Bridging entails.
Train Hard. Talk Less.
~Thunder Palms
BRIDGING is exactly as it sounds; a connection from one point to another. In a fight, this refers to connections made between opponents. I do not know if the following is a common adage in TCMA, but I will iterate something imparted do me during my earlier years. If you don't finish reading this piece, though I suggest that you finish everything of all my pieces, let the following statement be the take home message above all else:
"IF THERE IS NO BRIDGE, BUILD IT. WHEN THERE IS A BRIDGE, CROSS IT. IF YOUR OPPONENT MAKES A BRIDGE, DESTROY IT."
Further explanation of the above adage toward the bottom. For now, some background information as to what a BRIDGE must constitute.
BRIDGES are created by limbs. Thus contact with the arm, and sometimes the legs, are your very typical bridges. In SCMA, we even have certain exercises exclusively for "training the BRIDGE ARMS" or "Lien Kiu Sao". The training emphasizes three equally important components. In no particular order, they are HARDNESS, DYNAMIC FORCE, and STATIC FORCE. If you miss one, then you are incomplete. If you miss two, then you better fight smart. If you have none of the above, take a different art or don't fight at all.
HARDNESS: This refers to the durability of the bridge to withstand punishment. If you ever see Gung Fu people banging their arms against tree trunks, poles, other arms etc, they are developing physiological hardness (none of this qi/ki bullcrap remember?). These exercises are intended to toughen the skin and stregnthen the bones. Skin becomes tougher and more durable due to constant rubbing contact with hard, rough surfaces. Rhythmic dynamic pounding applied to a boney area creates what are called microfractures. These fractures are, as the name implies, far too tiny to feel like anything at all. They do appear though and, when they heal, the area becomes slightly denser. Conditioning over the course of many years makes that particular area of the bone harder and stronger. The purpose of this is to fully utilize any part of your body as a striking or blocking implement (rather than JUST the hands) without being slowed down by injury or shock.
(it is a common misconception that conditioning deadens the nerves. Proper and safe conditioning does not deaden nerves. It is typically advised that if anything more than a faint bruise develops that liniments and rest be employed to reduce swelling/bruising before conditioning resumes)
Why do people claim that it deadens nerves?
This is entirely due to improper conditioning. Gung Fu refers to merits gained through hard work over time. PROPER conditioning takes a long time. IMPROPER conditioning takes a relatively shorter amount of time, and the benefits arrive that much quicker.......but you also keep them for a far shorter period of time in your life. Karate has a reputation for very hard hands. Muay Thai has a reputation for very strong shins. Many Karateka develop arthritis later in life because they pound incessantly at wood/stone etc with very little regard. Thai Kickboxers are the same with their aggressive kicking of trees with their shins. The hands and shins will harden far quicker. But the chance of age related discomforts is also increased many fold. Likewise many Gung Fu people suffer from the same circumstances. Perhaps in their later years they realize that time is also an essential component to training, but most people who start their training at a very young age fall under two categories......
THE FIRST quit early due to pain, and sometimes pick it back up after age wises them up. They typically go about things the right way, though sometimes external pressures still lead them to rush the process.
THE SECOND, and possibly more common group, are zealous because they are young and do not appreciate the concept of time. They think hitting harder, faster and more frequently will make them stronger quicker. This group develops the growing issue of joint paints, muscle trauma and possibly nerve damage.
The human body is an amazing piece of machinery which has the ability to recover from almost anything, given the time. The emphasis I wish to point out is on the word 'almost' and the phrase 'given the time'. Though resilient, the body is slow at recovery. It only stands to reason that when you condition, you also condition slowly to allow the body to adjust accordingly.
(In case you people are wondering, I was part of the "young boy that gave up early due to pain" group because I played the piano for many years in my youth. Playing well was hard when hands were throbbing. I more recently picked it back up and spent about 2 years developing Iron Palm. After having my fill of breaking bricks, I gave that up since I saw no continued purpose. Arm conditioning continues, but at a far slowly pace. People get very scared and raise lots of questions when they see patterns of bruises on arms)
DYNAMIC FORCE: Dynamic refers to something explosive, sudden, a burst. You have a tough and ready arm to use. You need to develop the power and balance to throw that arm properly in a fight in order to gain the benefits of having such a weapon. This requires training the many types of types and skills of strikes i.e. accuracy, speed, vertical swings, forward thrusts, underhand, overhand, diagonal etc. No point in having a weapon of any type unless you know how to use it. You could be given the most durable, perfectly balanced and sharpest sword in the history of ever, but if you lack the proper swing and technique, it becomes a wasted piece of metal...lucky shots notwithstanding. This becomes palpably apparent with the BRIDGE ARM as they are not only used to attack, but to fend off an attack. When I say 'fend off', I do not mean block or parry. I mean attacking the attacker's weapon. So if you have a hard arm and hand, and your opponent is swinging in or making a grab, and you do not feel safe getting in close to attack the person, you can opt to use your arms and hand to strike his incoming hand/arm, to break or numb your opponents weapon. Phoenix eye fists are excellent for this, as are Monkey paw... but these are technical disputes which will be saved for later occassions. Suffice to say that this is very different from a simple block or parry.
STATIC FORCE: To be static is to be still, unmoving, perhaps even unyielding. If you want to apply a more electrical theme, static is interference from another source. YOU are that other source. YOU ARE THE INTERFERENCE: You are interfering with his fist traveling to your face. BRIDGE ARM training for static force is geared primarily toward control. If a person punches or swings their arm, but you have good reflexes and excellent static power, you can block that arm, and keep it wherever you want, at any given angle, due to your superior control and unyielding force. If contact is made, you can shift and pin their arms against their body. You can apply and maintain a lock or grab. If you are the aggressor, a mix of good DYNAMIC and good STATIC power will ensure that your fist/arm will fly true to the target despite a block or parry. Static force training gives you both the ability to block effectively, and the ability to hold and subdue, to apply a slow and steady stream of pressure onto, your opponent.
The three elements of HARDNESS, DYNAMIC, and STATIC FORCE are crucial attributes in the BRIDGING techniques and strategies. Lack of hardness will lead to a damages and useless arm in a fight. Lack of dynamic power will lead to an inefficient fighting scheme as you will lack the strength to do any real damage. Unless you land a few lucky shots, you will end up spending most of the time ducking, weaving, parrying and bouncing away. To relate it to a boxing match, the only way you would win is by points... never by TKO or KO. Lack of static power creates a huge hole in your defense and leads to a waste of energy as, since you cannot maintain centred and firm, you have a need to always be lashing out. They say that the best defense is a good offense, but in some cases that simply leads to so much wasted energy.
As I said earlier, miss one of these and you become incomplete. If you miss two, you better make sure you can fight smart. But if you miss three, pick a different discipline or simply keep away from anything to do with fighting.
We will close this piece with a break-down of the adage mentioned above.
"IF THERE IS NO BRIDGE, BUILD IT"
Sometimes fights start with some distance. There's circling. There's bobbing and weaving. There are light steps and bouncy footwork. There are feints and false lunges. You can't seem to make the other person stand still and, being no fool, you refuse to stand still yourself.
HOW DO YOU GET TO THE PERSON?
There are two ways:
- Most people might feint a kick or a punch in order to force a reaction from their opponent. The goal is to make the other person react with a block for the non-existent attack. This will then create an opening elsewhere which might be targeted. For example, a person may fake a punch to the head. This makes the other party raise their guard to block... exposing the lower body/sides.
- But what happens if the person you are fighting isn't prone to these reflexive mistakes? What if they keep a rather neutral guard that seems to cover all sides equally well, and refuses to budge for feints. EASY. BUILD A BRIDGE. Unlike a feint, which is really just a half-assed light pretend hit to scare a person, BRIDGE-BUILDING strikes are actual attacks. The idea is that if you actually land the strike, the fight would either be over or, at the very least, be in your favour from then on out. However, you psychologically prepare yourself to not succeed as this strike is telegraphed from a mile away and quite foreseeable. The goal is to make the person block. Once they block, their arm making contact with your arm, you have successfully made the bridge. You are now free to apply static and dynamic forces to press the attack, to "CROSS THE BRIDGE".
This is important. Once you build a bridge, it is important that you not only gain and maintain control, called 'sticking', but you must also cross the bridge, completing the attack by closing the distance and dealing pain. Visualize with me if you will, the building and crossing of this bridge......
Two individuals circle each other, throwing feints and false lunges. The Gung Fu guy is sick of the bobbing and weaving and wants the person to stand still. He throws a very heavy hanging back fist (attack comes from the top down with the back of the fist). Enough power is put into the attack such that if it makes contact, at the very least the nose would be broken. But he is fully aware that the attack probably won't make it through since his Opponent has very good reflexes. The Opponent proves him right and promptly raises his arm just enough to block the attack, his forearm meeting the Gung Fu guy's forearm/wrist. A bridge has been made. As with real life bridges, there are two possible ways to cross:
- OVER: Crossing over the bridge simply means a direct line of attack. If you feel that you can overpower the individual, then that back fist which was just blocked can be used to quickly apply pressure, forcing the blocking arm down, thereby subduing the defense and creating an opening for an immediate crossing, in this case to the plexus or perhaps upward to the throat/chin/nose.
- UNDER: Crossing under comes about when you feel that you cannot overpower the individual. In the above situation, the Gung Fu guy is applying a downward force with his hanging back fist while his Opponent is applying an upward force with the block. If upon contact the Gung Fu guy feels he cannot press down or even statically hold the other person's arm in place, another option is to go under. Since the blocking arm is already expending energy upwards, the Gung Fu guy moves in quickly, maintaining his connection just long enough to lift the person's arm higher, thereby bypassing and creating an opening for a strike. In some cases, even lifting may not be an option as the Opponent's arm may be heavy, or perhaps the Opponent has very good static force. In this case, the Gung Fu guy must compromise by having his arm continuously stick, roll, and finally slide under, all in a split second. UNDER CROSSINGS are obviously more technical to employ.
"IF YOUR OPPONENT MAKES A BRIDGE, DESTROY IT"
Obviously the best case scenario would be make a bridge, cross it, and end the fight. However, bridges are two way streets. The Opponent can either manipulate the bridge you made, or he can create one. Thus if there is ever any doubt about any bridge... disengage. Usually if you are the builder, than you would have the advantage as the bridge was built on your ters and, therefore, you are the most ready to utilize said bridge. However, the same can be said of the Opponent. If you Opponent creates the bridge, chances are that he will have the advantage, no matter how slight. It therefore becomes a judgment call on your part as to whether you think you can take the bridge from him (keep the connection but work the angles to your favour) and cross it first, or if perhaps you should forcibly destroy the connection and retreat a bit to start round 2. We will be using the same situation as described before. The time we will take the perspective of the Opponent.
The Gung Fu guy throws a hanging back fist and his Opponent immediately angles his own arm to block the shot. Sensing that the bridge has been made on the terms of the Gung Fu guy, but still confident in himself, the Opponent angles his blocking arm to maintain contact (stick), while having it slide off at an angle, simultaneously swinging his other arm to counter attack. The Gung Fu guy reacts by stepping forward, thus closing the gap slightly, and blocking the arm. Effectively, both have an inside arm and an outside arm. However, the Opponent decides that the stepping in act by the other party has put him in an unfavourable position. He therefore musters up additional power to force the connection apart, quickly flinging both arms away with a burst and returning to a guarded position several steps back. Now begins round 2.
The situation I described is obviously somewhat stylized. however, I hope it was simply enough, as well as vivid enough, to create a visual image. Bridging is at the heart of many Southern Chinese Martial Arts styles. It is therefore an extremely important concept to grasp, as well as a very extensive topic of debate and constant tweaking. What I have provided in this piece is a comprehensive, but still nutshell, account of why Bridging is important, and the basic components on what Bridging entails.
Train Hard. Talk Less.
~Thunder Palms
No comments:
Post a Comment