POST #6: Bridges

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:

• 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".
  

"IF THERE IS A BRIDGE, CROSS IT"

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

POST #5: DISCLAIMER ADDENDUM

This should have been placed between Post 1 and Post 2, or perhaps even before Post 1. However, what is done is done, so bear in mind that this is not a CONCEPT or TEACHING post but a DISCLAIMER post.

Chinese Martial Arts has a rather deeply ingrained mystical component. You would be hard pressed to find true and diligent practitioners of the art who deny this component entirely. It is deeply involved in the culture as a whole, predominantly within Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and religious mystical practices. Small wonder that the martial arts developed would also place a heavy emphasis on this metaphysical force. I am, of course, talking about the concept of Qi (Mandarin), Hei (Cantonese), Ki (Japanese), Gi (Korean) and Khi (Vietnamese). The concept is distinctly Chinese but obviously evolved as it spread throughout East Asia, adapting and evolving accordingly throughout the times.

Let me first give you a brief run through as to what Qi is supposed to be. Qi is supposed to be the life breath, the inner energy that flows in all living things. The concept itself is immediately simply enough to grasp in order to gain a conversational level of familiarity. However, there are entire volumes devoted to the study of this presence. The complicated nature of this supposed energy is almost boundless. There is Heaven Qi and Earth Qi as well as Pre-Heaven Qi. Qi can be focused in certain points of the body, compressed, fostered, and guided for the purposes of health and longevity. There are movements which help regular the flow of this power to cure illnesses and to strengthen the physical durability of the human body, making it impervious to pain and injury. It can empower a practitioner to stand firmly planted in the face of a great weight charging against them, and this same force ben be applied to launch larger foes through the air. It is said that you can transfer this power into others to aid in their healing process, or to cause injury and havoc to the internal organs. Some are said to be able to project this power at inanimate objects, causing them to fly away as if thrown a great distance, or to shatter as if struck by a mighty blow. This force is governed by the foods we eat, the exercises we do, specific breathing patterns, the sounds make, the thoughts we think, the position of the planets and the stars along with an assortment of other variables which we must either gain control or or work compromises with. All things rely on this Qi to subsist, and it is through specific sounds, breaths, movements dietary habits that we are able to better channel and strengthen this invisible power within us for all sorts of semi-astounding feats of passive/aggressive interaction.

I want to make it very...VERY clear that I am DENYING the presence of this energy.

I am a sceptic at heart, but very open minded to having my opinions changed. In my years of training and traveling, I have personally seen and played participant to numerous demonstrations of remarkable feats attributed to Qi. I have seen people break bricks, concrete slabs, wooden poles and bend steel pipes with their hands, finger tips, head, feet, shoulder, arm, shin, back, stomach etc.

(I myself have broken no few bricks and concrete slabs in my earlier days but have since stopped training in that particular skill).

I have seen people throw needles through glass and frail balsa wood chopsticks (those cheap splintery ones in restaurants) into hard wooden boards. I have been physical struck (voluntarily mind you. Don't get the idea that I was assaulted) in ways which made me feel severely odd painful sensations; not the mundane pain of a bruise or a break, but sometimes a traveling pain, a distinct shock sensation or other such unpleasant sensations. I have also seen the more esoteric practices where people can sustain great blows to their testicles with ZERO effect. These same people demonstrate this ability by either tying massive weights, several hundred pounds worth, to their testicles via a piece of cloth, or tying their testicles to the cloth, and having it attached to a car/van/truck/etc and pulling said vehicle forward. I have also been privy to a more esoteric meditational exercise where a practitioner is able to RETRACT their testicles back into their abdomen, taking them out of harm's way entirely. These feats of martial ability range from the mundane to the ridiculous. However, though remarkable in appearance, they are very measurable and natural to explain without resorting to accusations of witchcraft, voodoo, magic potions, or the inclusion of a "Qi" premise (hint... lots and lots of training and hard work!!) And please don't give me the whole "Qi is a completely non-supernatural force" spiel. There is no established science to measure, gauge, or mark the pure effects of Qi.

(Note that I am saying PURE effects... like supposed projection and manipulation of Qi... not the PHYSICAL FEATS attributed to Qi)

The methods of measurements shift from discipline to discipline, and the results obtained are often times proven to be placebo effects. The few times things have come up inconclusive is because the rubric for judging was so vague that the results could not possibly be properly tabulated and explained.

All the amazing feats of strength, endurance and health attributed to the mystical energy is the by-product of regular, disciplined, rigorous, bloody, sweaty, painful training.

There is no magic.

Gung Fu, merit gained through hard work, is not simply an EMPTY TITLE for a set of activities. It is a description for HOW TO obtain the skills.

I will grant this much for Qi. It is a good visualization technique. The concept gives a certain illustrative element to explanations, and a point of focus for ruminations. When I give pointers or am asked to teach, depending on the circumstances, I sometimes sparingly use the term. I am always careful to say that I myself am not a proponent of the concept. I only use it to guide during certain exercises. TCMA, being such a culturally specific thing, sometimes requires culturally specific explanations as a short cut explanation. If it so happens that people DO believe the concept, then by all means go ahead. My purpose for spreading and teaching TCMA is as much to keep the culture alive as it is to open the eyes of people to the martial ability of TCMA.

There is no proper way to end this DISCLAIMER, so I will say this: As mentioned earlier, I am open to the possibility of being shown wrong. If science one day comes out conclusively

(by conclusive,I understand that there will always be individuals contrary to scientific facts i.e. moon landing disbelievers, creation 'scientists' etc)

saying that they have managed to markedly demonstrated the presence of Qi, then I of course will study the materials for myself and re-draw my conclusion then. But until that time,

I stand a firm and ardent sceptic of this culturally rich, but scientifically indefensible, phenomenon.

Train Hard. Talk Less.
~Thunder Palms

POST #4: Of MMA and TCMA Part 2

Part 1 was dedicated to a critique of the notion “Mixed Martial Arts” and all things modern which fall in that category. In order to show that I am not biased and above “brand loyalty”, this post will be a critique of certain elements prevalent among many Traditional Chinese Martial Artists. This applies to classical arts in general, but as my focus is TCMA, just substitute, at your discretion, whatever ‘X’ art you think relevant.

There are many issues I have with the contemporary practice and dissemination of TCMA (don’t think it’s just the one I will be mentioning in this post), but for the sake of maintaining a theme, I will only be tackling one at a time.

This post will be directed at those who train in TCMA, but misrepresent the art form. Misrepresentation includes such statements as “my art is too deadly to use in competition”, “it is a secret that I cannot show people”, “our art is meant to kill so we cannot demonstrate it practically” and other such related nonsense phrases. Misrepresentation also includes the claiming of knowledge and training in TCMA, but come show time, absolute horseshit.

(Look! A bad word. Clearly no bias on my part!)

Allow me to briefly clarify something. Depending on the goals set by the individual learning TCMA, there will obviously be different categories and levels of judgment. For instance, a person who wishes to learn TCMA primarily for health reasons is not expected to become an expert fighter; that individual will instead be judged on health improvements. If they learn to fight on the side, kudos to them. Likewise a person who wishes to study TCMA in order to gather cultural information will not be expected to become an expert fighter; that individual will be judged on the amount of relevant cultural material learned and understood. This post, and the subsequent criticisms, is aimed at the individuals who claim to learn TCMA for the purpose of fighting; individuals who SHOULD be judged on their ability to engage in physical contests.

For this particular category, there are, in my opinion, essentially five different types of TCMA fighters. I will list them in (my personal) decreasing order of respect. They are:

• The Traditionalist Fighter
• The Hybrid Fighter
• The Self Defense Fighter
• The “Kick Boxer” (notice how it’s in quotes. More on that soon enough)
• The Internet Warrior

The TRADITIONALIST FIGHTER is something of a myth, wrapped in a fairy tale, placed in a dream. TFs are those that can utilize the skills in a textbook fashion with little to no deviance in structure or general shape, despite the modern variables involved in fights. If the form he learned requires a 45 degree bend and two hands held parallel while swiveling on a center, then in a fight he will do exactly that, PERFECTLY and EFFECTIVELY, in any given context which the movement would be deemed appropriate. Essentially, watch a 70s/80s Hong Kong Gung Fu movie and watch how they fight. Excellent choreography. Spectacular fight scenes. Natural grace. Mind boggling speed and precision. Authentic patterns and movements abound. That is the Traditionalist Fighter (obviously a movie is dramatized skill, but I hope you get the picture). I’m sure there are a few out there; emphasis on the word FEW

(I've never seen one. However, since I'm not a fan of absolutes, I always leave a 1% margin of error. Hence FEW).

Everyone who started learning Gung Fu at some point wanted to reach this level of fantastical skill. Most people realize soon that unless you have absolutely nothing else to do other than learn Gung Fu, this vision is harder to hold than water in a broken bottle.

(the video clip came from a 1981 movie choreographed by Lau Kar Leung, an absolute Legend in martial arts choreography and a real life master of enviable renown. He's the old man in the brown who fights the villain in white.)

The Hybrid Fighter is the classification those who train for combat should aim. The HF MAY not readily adopt classical ready stances I.e. very erect side horse stance, Ji Ng Ma, Diu Ma etc. There are exceptions obviously, but usually in non-demonstration/uncontrolled environments, the HF would probably opt to stand like any kick boxer or disciplined combatant in the modern era: erect, slight curvature of the back, hands up to protect head and upper body, or perhaps head and a lower guard for the middle, possibly a side stance to decrease exposed surface area blah blah blah. From here, he seems like any other fighter in a ring. Even the initial punch/kick might seem indistinguishable from the modern kick boxer. However, that is where the similarity ends. Once the initial attack is given/received, the HF will pressure, maneuver, and fight primarily with the techniques he trained so hard i.e. claws into joint cavities, tripping with horse stance, double fists, finger strikes, swinging forearms, retreat and attack using Tau Ma stance. He only falls back onto the simple jab-kick phase when the distance is too great and the caution too high. The HF is, at most, 10% ‘kick boxing’, with the other 90% being the classical patterns and skills of his chosen discipline.

(the video clip used portrays the Buk Sing Choy Li Fut group, a sub set of the Choy Li Fut system. The Lacey's are very well known and of excellent martial pedigree due to their intensive training, with actual tangible results, and admirable devotion to the art)

The Self Defense fighter is in the middle of my range of acceptability. I will talk about those who engage in TCMA for the purpose of self defense IN A DIFFERENT POST as this is another issue I have with TCMA . However, as I said, one criticism at a time. Suffice to say that I am OFFICIALLY neutral, but UNofficially leaning toward discouragement regarding learning TCMA for self defense purposes (as a primary aim TCMA training).

Now we get into the real thick and murky business of wading through the sludge and scum which abounds within the world of people who train in TCMA (I used moderately distinct imagery to create a sense of disgust while distancing myself from actual profanity. Just as effective no?)

I have very little respect for “Kickboxers” (note the quotation marks). I do not mean those who practice the myriad of disciplines that fall under the purview of kickboxing I.e. Muay Thai, Sanda, Savate, American Kickboxing, Shoot Boxing etc. Individuals who practice those disciplines are good athletes and usually a credit to their discipline simply due to the fact that those who practice it use it. “Kickboxers” refer to, and hence the quotes, those that spend the time to train in TCMA… but fall back onto what could only be described as a pale shadow of an imitation of kickboxing. Let me paint you a picture:

Everyday, for several years, you train yourself hours at a time. You plant yourself in stances to strengthen your standing and rooting power. You kick 1000 times the many different types of kicks you know. You practice an assortment of punches and hand strikes coming from every conceivable angle. You slap sand, gravel and metal beads to toughen your hands. You condition the tips of your fingers the same way, spending hours jabbing them into sand, gravel and metal beads. You spend hours using nothing but the tips to grip onto jugs of water. You now possess fingers that can easily slide in between joints and damage soft tissue and muscle. You learn how to properly angle yourself so that with minimal force, you can topple people larger than yourself. You strike trees with your forearms to harden the bone in the wrist, forearm, and toughen the skin and flesh of your muscles so that they, on top of your fists, may be used as effective bludgeoning tools. You learn how to lead with a simple jab, but rush in close to seal off the opponents arms while being able to position your elbow right at his plexus, effectively being able to knock your opponent down in one strike ad nauseum… … … …

You now get into a fight (either for competition, self defense, or because you‘re an undisciplined asshole), and the first thing you do is throw a jab. So far so good. You throw a sloppy kick… maybe you simply lost balance. Then you lose your head and everything goes out the window. You are reduced to flailing. No stance. No root. No calculated maneuvering. No legs-hip-torso-arm union. Just erratic shiftings along an imaginary line, hopping in imperfect circles, jumping and swinging your arms in hopes of an opening. THAT, my friends, is PURE embarrassment.

In the above described situation, it would be BETTER to LOSE attempting to use real TCMA techniques.

Some might question why.

Why would you rather lose attempting to use techniques you might not be prepared to utilize?

It would be better because, though defeated, people will simply say that HIS Gung Fu was no good. He would simply need to train harder, smarter, and educate himself better regarding the ins and outs of different fight strategies. He would need to spar more and study different styles to become better versed and tailoring his chosen skill sets to best others.

However, in the above situation, his Gung Fu isn’t simply no good. It’s not present at all. So you claim to know TCMA and they challenge you. Instead of attempting to show TCMA in combat, you fall back on something you never really learned and therefore cannot even properly imitate.

What does that say?

That says that even though you spent the time, suffered the bruises, cuts and breaks, dripped the blood and sweat and tears… you have no confidence in what you train.

There is no pride.

Not only is your Gung Fu absent. Your fighting spirit is absent. It is no longer ‘HIS Gung Fu is no good’. It becomes ‘Gung Fu IN GENERAL is no good’. A chef that does not eat his own recipes cannot be trusted. Corporate leaders hesitant to invest in their own company cannot expect the public to believe in the company either. Such is the case with TCMA practitioners, who train for combat, but fall back on something entirely different. “Kickboxers” (note the quotes) are detrimental to the fighting pride and heritage of TCMA.

(I would like to make a note that the above description and criticisms are leveled at TCMA people that train to fight in competitions or for general scuffling purposes. In the event of surprise attacks in dark alleys, I don't think it matters what you do so long as you come out alive. If it turns out that flailing saved your life, then gosh darn it who am I/you to complain in that situation? The anger and resentment is not aimed at those attempting to get home safe to their families, but at those who parade the fact they learn TCMA... but have squat to show. THOSE people are my intended targets).

The final category of TCMA fighters are those whom are dubbed as Internet Warriors. In the truest sense, I believe most of them are not fighters, but that is merely an assumption on my part based on the colloquial label assigned to them. As the title implies, I.W. do not frequently voice themselves in a true public forum but rather hide behind their cyber walls and interact on forum boards. They are inflammatory speakers who watch competitions and demonstrations and have little to no useful critique of the happenings. They come in two varieties:

• Those critical of TCMA practitioners as being shit

• Those that defend TCMA practitioners with an assortment of excuses, much like those made in the beginning of this post.

The latter group is usually composed of TCMA practitioners or, even more depressing, starry-eyed NON-EXPONENTS who have been pulled into the world of classical gung fu movies and wonderful displays of martial strength via demos etc WITHOUT EVER HAVING EXPERIENCED the bitter training and the ‘eating of the late night congee’.

(the latter statement is a Chinese colloquialism translated into English. It is equivalent to ‘burning the midnight oil‘. Back in the day, you stayed late to train late with fellow older martial brothers to help flesh out what you have learned over a period. In the end, you had a light snack/meal of congee.)

Regarding the first group, they will be addressed in a different post. The reason is that they fall under a more specific topic which will be later addressed and TAGGED as “GAMES”. Suffice to say that the first group either criticizes groundlessly, due to having no skills themselves, or criticizes on faulty premises, which is what that future post will address.

The second group is the real danger to TCMA. Regarding the defense statements, I have this to say:

Why join a competition if you did not prepare to fight according to their rules?

If you have the intent to join a specific competition that has specific rules I.e. no eye gouges, no groin kicks, no punching the back of the head, then it is the responsibility of the fighter to train according to those rules and attempt to excel according to those rules. If you want to test your skills based on a different rubric, perhaps one which allows eye gouging and groin kicking, then join that type of competition. It is simply ridiculous how many comments there are online saying things like

“oh if he didn’t have gloves on he’d kick his ass”

or

“this is bullshit. That Shaolin monk/Gung Fu fighter/karate kid would whoop that jiu jitsu guy/mma guy etc if they didn’t have gloves/allowed him to use his deadly techniques”.

All of these points are POTENTIALLY valid. However, the success of those two points hinge on two important factors:

• that they didn’t have gloves

• that they were not in THAT particular type of competition with THOSE explicit rules.

The jist of this is that you entered a competition unprepared. Don't cry about losing at something you knew the rules for but refused to prepare accordingly.

We move onto the second subgroup of the Internet Warriors: The individuals who have had little to no training the martial arts and have their sources of references as movies, books, hearsay stories (My friend knew a guy who heard a story from his brother who trains with a man that was in the Army/Special Forces/Shaolin Temple/Taoist Sage............ you get the picture I'm sure)

These people are idiots. Plain and simple. It is a shame to consider them part of the martial community but, like any other type of community, there are elements that the majority would rather not acknowledge or deal with. These people, by popular opinion, should not belong, but they belong nonetheless because they are insistent in stepping foot into territories that would rather them not be present. This can be somewhat equated to ethnic minorities in a somewhat hostile country; the major ethnic group in charge of the country would rather they just move on out, but they have to let them stay or else the majority will be accused of racial prejudices.

(For the record, I am NOT endorsing ethnic cleansing. Just the first example I could think of. Ethnic minorities enrich an area they reside in by simply bringing variety and distinctness. I am not a racist. Please don't accuse me of being one. Like I said, first moderately well fitted example for the situation I could think of. Remember, Me=NOT A RACIST.)

These individuals, these Internet Warriors, just shit all over the place and leave nothing but bitterness and embarrassment. Their great disservice is injecting themselves in conversations that they know nothing about and, therefore, force people who might sincerely want to learn something, to muck their way through the garbage. Most people just throw up their hands and surrender, coming to premature conclusions that, more often than not, cast a negative light on TCMA. This is the great disservice these starry-eyed Internet Warriors engage… they take up room and valuable time and distract people from the genuine knowledge attempting to be disseminated. Sure they might even have read a few books on martial theory and combat philosophy. They might even have seen a few videos and listened in on a few demos and martial seminars/conventions. This all amounts to about less than a thimbles worth of experience and they, as individuals who perpetuate the nonsense and illusion of experience, amount to even less because of their intentional misleading of others and general irresponsible and assholish behaviours.

...In the above section I realize that I come off sounding rather belligerent. Under normal circumstances I am a very passive and nice guy... pussy cat like in fact. And I know writing in blog format seems to, at least superficially, point a shy trembling finger in my direction in accusation of being an Internet Warrior myself.

You know what I have to say to that?

I've already acknowledged that the internet is not the way to teach... and text only formats are not the way to go when learning something that is so definitely physical. I mentioned this in... my first post I believe. However, as I also mentioned in that post, and perhaps the second post, I would be remiss to the promise I made if I did not utilize a little bit of everything in order to fulfill my charge. So, in the words often ATTRIBUTED to Voltaire (though incorrectly so) "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it." You are perfectly free to draw your own conclusions based on what little bit/moderate amount/all you have read. If I end up doing a bad job, that's why I made an open invitation for constructive criticism, questions and debate.

So what is the take home message of this rather lengthy post?

TCMA practitioners are abundant. However, the bad reputation TCMA has recently received is justified by the nonsense that seems to be prevalent in most circles. Misrepresentation is a major issue within the community and, sadly enough, there might be an equal number of genuine as well as disingenuous representatives. Those who do dish out judgment must bear in mind that not all people learn TCMA for the purpose of combat as it is rich in cultural information as well as an all around good work out. Thus before an individual decides to judge, it must be first made abundantly clear that you are judging according to the right mind set and utilizing the proper rubric i.e. don't judge the historian by the standards of a fighter. Judgment must be reserved for the appropriate categories.

Train Hard. Talk Less
~Thunder Palms