Learning to stand… and sit, and lie still…. and more

Technical instruction in Chinese martial arts (I am tempted to say ALL martial arts) begins with stationary practice. In Chinese martial arts, we literally begin by teaching the student how to stand. There is a slow bending of the knees and finding a comfortable distance for the feet, and that sinking into a comfortable posture.

“Raise the hands, inhaling. Gather the arms into the chest.
There is a slight bend in your knees.
Drop the hands, exhaling,
and stepping with either foot out to shoulder’s width”

In Indian Yoga, it has been said that the two most difficult Asana (positions) to master are the corpse (lying on the floor) and the mountain (standing). Renowned yoga teacher B.K.S. Iyengar wrote “It is…essential to master the art of standing correctly.”

It is easy to understand how the practice of martial arts also leads to an interest in things like movement, and the absence of movement. Perfect stillness is probably neither possible nor desirable, but standing is an opportunity for total body awareness. This awareness, and the learning to remain as still as possible, has strong connections to sitting to meditate.

The martial can give us tools and understanding for movement and health. And there is no question that martial practice can improve health. I am a living example of this, diagnosed with Leukemia at age six and having built my health with martial arts. But when we use martial practice to promote awareness and health, we must not forget the original martial intent, or we risk losing Truth and the real benefit.

At this point, in my method, we introduce actual movement in the form of the side stance (横弓步). We introduce movement while stressing the importance of retaining awareness. Turning the body (車身) teaches us how to coordinate and integrate our entire body. It is an opportunity to learn the “three external harmonies” (三外合法).

The three external harmonies (三外合法)
1. Your hips coordinate with your shoulders.
2. Your knees coordinate with your elbows.
3. Your feet coordinate with your hands.

I would argue that this “internal hydraulics” is the defining characteristic of not just “internal martial arts” but all CORRECT martial arts.

Traditional martial arts begin with the presumption of “self-defense.” Chan Tai-San’s method utilized a side stance (横弓步) because it allows for the use of the hips and shoulders to generate power and conforms to the strategic idea of “stretch the arms out while keeping the body away” (手去身離).

Earlier, I mentioned that in Indian Yoga, it has been said that the two most difficult Asana (positions) to master are the corpse (lying on the floor) and the mountain (standing). Now, let us return to the corpse position.

“Savasana” or the corpse posture

The corpse position, to lie on the floor, appears so simple. It is an excellent example of how hard “stillness” is, how true stillness is probably impossible and probably not even what we really want. If you have done “Savasana” (usually at the end of a Yoga class) then you probably realized that you didn’t really stay perfectly still. Your body “settles,” readjusting which is probably an ideal thing for it to do. As long as you stay “in the moment” and focus on that settling, you should feel your entire body. You should learn awareness of the entire body.

In this asana, the object is to imitate a corpse. Once life has departed, the body remains still and no movements are possible. By remaining motionless for some time and keeping the mind still while you are fully conscious, you learn to relax. This conscious relaxation invigorates and refreshes both body and mind. But – it is much harder to keep the mind than the body still. Therefore, this apparently easy posture is one of the most difficult to master.
– The Illustrated Light on Yoga, B. K. S. Iyengar

Again, we have both martial application to this awareness, and the use of this awareness in movement and health preservation. They exist simultaneously. There is no contradiction. Chinese martial arts do not have to be about fighting. Many people who will never fight indeed benefit from the practice. But to deny its origins as fighting method is dishonest, and ultimately detrimental to achieving benefit.

Lion’s Roar Martial Arts, an examination of my complete method, now available at Amazon.com

Martial Movement and Awareness (MMA)

Perhaps no story related to Chinese martial arts is more famous than that of Bodhidharma, also known as Da Mo (達磨), at the Shaolin monastery. Traditionally credited as the transmitter of Chan Buddhism to China, there are many, often conflicting, accounts of his life. According to Tánlín (曇林), Bodhidharma was a South Indian prince and the favorite son of the king. However, he was not interested in a life of politics and instead chose to study with the famous Buddhist master Prajnatara and become a Buddhist monk.

In the Chinese martial arts community, it is said that upon his arrival at Shaolin, Bodhidharma was disturbed by the poor physical condition of the monks, and thus instructed them in techniques to maintain their physical condition. He is said to have taught a series of external exercises called the “Eighteen Lo Han” and an internal practice called the Sinew Metamorphosis Classic (“Yi Jin Jing”). According to this legend, this training ultimately led to the creation of Shaolin Kung Fu.

As with most such stories in the Chinese martial arts community, the legend of Bodhidharma cannot be taken at face value. Academic martial arts historians have shown the legend stems from a 17th-century qigong manual known as the “Yi Jin Jing” and its authenticity has been discredited by the likes of Tang Hao, Xu Zhen and Matsuda Ryuchi. According to modern historian Lin Boyuan in “Zhong Guo Wu Shu Shi” (中國武術史):

As for the “Yi Jin Jing”, a spurious text attributed to Bodhidharma and included in the legend of his transmitting martial arts at the temple, it was written in the Ming dynasty, in 1624 … and falsely attributed to Bodhidharma. Forged prefaces, attributed to the Tang general Li Jing and the Southern Song general Niu Gao were written … This manuscript is full of errors, absurdities and fantastic claims; it cannot be taken as a legitimate source

The legend of Bodhidharma cannot be accepted as literal history. That does NOT mean it is neither significant nor instructive in many ways. Most stories in the Chinese martial arts are better understood as allegorical; creating single figures to represent larger issues. The legend of Bodhidharma once again presents us with a classic “chicken or the egg” question; in the Chinese martial arts, what is the exact relationship between practical combat training and movement training for awareness, health and fitness? And perhaps even, spiritual practices?

Bodhidharma arrives at Shaolin and finds the monks in poor physical condition, too physically weak to properly engage in their monastic duties such as meditation. He thus instructs them in both “external” and “internal” (two terms, distinctly Chinese, of which of course much more can be said) exercises to improve their health. In the eight path structure of Indian yoga, physical conditioning (Asana) and breathing (Pranayama) are in fact seen as proper preparation for meditation (Dhyana). It is not unreasonable to assume that Bodhidharma, an Indian, brought with him an Indian understanding of the relationship between physical conditioning and meditation and taught it to his Chinese disciples.

So, as the legend instructs us, the conditioning / health / spiritual came first and THEN the martial arts developed later, right? Perhaps not! From the “Shaolin Disciples Union” own website;

Perhaps drawing on the martial arts training he would have received as an Indian aristocrat, Damo devised 49 exercises to develop strength, flexibility, balance and mental focus.

Was the training the Shaolin monks received based upon Indian martial arts (combat) traditions?
Once only whispered about but seldom seen, the Indian martial art of Kalaripayattu should raise a lot of questions for students of the Chinese martial arts. In Kalaripayattu, we see elements of both “external” and “internal” yet the tradition maintains no such division. We also see movement which we may have initially identified as “yogic” as not only conditioning for combat, but as actual applicable combat technique. Finally, in attempting to define “yogic” we must be aware that the British actively attempted to suppress Kalaripayattu as it was a martial (combat) art. The art survived in some part by affiliating itself with and passing itself off as Indian health and/or spiritual practices.

In the earliest times known in history, the object of athletic exercise was the destruction of life. The hunter and the warrior were the ideal athletes of those days. But it so happened that these men, in pursing their hardy, outdoor life, now in vigorous exercise, anon in lazy repose, found themselves in the enjoying the same splendid health of body and activity that belongs to the wild animal … While they lasted, the exercises of chivalry produced two effects, physical and mental. Physically, they produced graceful and vigorous bodies; mentally, they tended to courage, generosity, and truth.

These are the words of Colonel Thomas Hoyer Monstery, a figure largely forgotten but recently resurrected by a republication of his “Self Defense for Gentlemen” by Ben Miller. Monstery clearly understood and actually engaged in the practical use of martial (combat) techniques. He was a master swordsman that had fought under twelve different flags and had engaged in more than fifty duels with a variety of weapons. Yet he also understood and embraced their application for fitness and health. Nor should this come as a surprise considering he was educated at least in part at the Central Institute of Physical Culture, located in Stockholm, Sweden. The institute was founded by Dr. Pehr Henrik Ling. Dr. Ling was not only a master fencer, he pioneered the teaching of physical education in Sweden and was a founding father of Swedish gymnastics.

If we return our attention to China and the Shaolin monastery, we note that upon the founding of the monastery, some thirty years before Bodhidharma arrived, two of the original Chinese monks, Huiguang (慧光) and Sengchou (僧稠), both had exceptional martial skills. For example, Sengchou’s skill with the staff is even documented in the Chinese Buddhist canon. We then note that Bodhidarma ‘s own Chinese disciple, Huike (慧可), was also a highly trained martial arts expert. There are clear implications that these three Chinese Shaolin monks, Huiguang, Sengchou, and Huike, had been military men before entering the monastic life. Perhaps this explains not only the presence of martial arts at Shaolin, but suggests that exercises used to condition military men may have been adopted for monastic life.

Ground fighting Chinese martial arts style….

Set aside fanciful stories about Buddhist and Daoist monks, spiritual alchemy, achieving enlightenment and later history of cultural appropriation and examine Chinese martial arts for what they originally were intended, combat. The sooner we accept these origins, the sooner we can examine a correct history and appreciate its consequences. The sooner we can realize that the evolution from battlefield combat method to personal combat method is not all that different from the same evolutionary path that took place in Japan, and even took place in Europe. With the proper context we can understand the proper application.

As a battlefield combat art, there is very little place for ground fighting. On a battlefield, a man who falls or is taken to the ground is likely to be stabbed, speared, crushed or trampled to death. When we talk about battlefield combat, casualties are both unavoidable and accepted, a price of doing business. The single man is NOT a consideration, so the man who finds himself on the ground is NOT a concern.

As these methods trickle down to the general population and become methods of personal defense, the frame of reference changes. The man training to defend himself is not a general willing to sacrifice troops to achieve victory, he is the very individual the general would sacrifice to achieve larger aims. The man training for personal combat wants potential solutions should he find himself on the ground. He may known that his chances are reduced in combat with weapons, against multiple attackers, etc, but he won’t abandon all hope and resign to his fate. That is not human nature.

The first ground fighting skill is learning to stand back up. If you can’t get off the ground quickly enough, the next tier of defense is defending against the standing attacker. The most common Chinese martial arts ground fighting tactic is indeed kicks from the ground.

A lot of people who identify themselves as traditional Chinese martial artists are highly critical of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Unfortunately, most are not that educated regarding the actual art. The original Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, as developed by the Gracie family (as opposed to sport jiujitsu which has come up rather recently by comparison) was a self defense art. It was also designed for “Vale Tudo” or no-holds-barred fighting. The original Gracie family jiujitsu contained a lot of kicks from the ground upwards at an attacker, techniques that would seem familiar to Chinese martial artists. Also, those who really are familiar with the diversity of Chinese martial arts might find techniques similar to Gracie jiujitsu.

Most Chinese martial artists have learned the scissors legs (“Gaau Jin Geuk”) that appears universally in all traditions’ ground fighting teachings. It is often seen as simply a way to get up. But it is an extremely complicated movement for simply a method of returning to a standing position? Many students of Chinese martial arts have seen it used as simple leg sweeps, but what if it also could be used for the guard sweeps so common in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu? Or perhaps even the arm bars and triangle chokes used from the guard?

If we consider that originally Chinese martial arts, as a battlefield combat method, had no ground fighting techniques, only developing them later, can we not ask why we can’t continue to develop our ground fighting methods? When Chinese martial arts were adopted for personal combat, ground techniques were developed, but within the context of that period. Today, we are in another period. Should we not continue to develop?

A theory for counter attacks

The “five elements” (五行) is essentially a universal concept within Chinese martial arts. Its cycles of “creation” and “destruction” are often explained as methods of technique linkage or as methods of counter attack. Students are often told that one technique is followed by another. Or, they are given formulas of counter attack; a “metal” technique overcomes or destroys a “wood” technique, just as an ax cuts down a tree.

Upon closer examination, systems like Hung Ga have five element techniques, but they do not follow the order of either the creation or destruction cycles? In fighting, believing the answer to an attack is as simplistic as a universal counter measure is both illogical and dangerous. Thus, if the entire scheme appears questionable to you, I agree fully. In fact, I have found others, notable Chinese boxers who also shared this view.

“One should know that the original ‘Xingyi’ …. It did not have the theory of the mutual promotion and restraint of the five elements, there were just the five elements representing five kinds of forces… This is the syncretism of the five elements. It has nothing to do with one technique overcoming another technique as the modern people claim”.

The above quote is Wang Xiangzhai, Xingyi teacher, noted fighter and founder of Yi Quan. Sifu Wang further noted;

I remember well the words of my late teacher about the five elements: Metal means the strength contained in the bones and the muscles, the mind being firm like iron or stone, being able to cut gold and steel. Wood has the meaning of the bending but rooted posture of a tree. Water means force like the waves of the vast sea, lively like a dragon or a snake, when used, it is able to pervade everything. Fire means strength being like gunpowder, fists being like bullets shot out, having the strength to burn the opponent’s body by the first touch. Earth means exerting strength heavy, deep, solid, and perfectly round, the qi being strong, having the force of oneness with heaven and earth.

It is somewhat extraordinary, and somewhat disconcerting, to know that for generations most students have been given false interpretations of such a fundamental theory! In my own tradition, I was rather lucky to have never believed that combat was a simple as “A beat B, B beat C, and C beats A”. I always saw the five elements as a metaphor for possibilities; creation cycles showing how one type of technique can set up another, destruction cycles as potential counters.

As I have often stated, looking through different lineages and traditions can provide us with valuable insights. We can see how the SAME techniques can counter each other; a kick counters another kick.

In reality, our methods are often contradictory. We punch against a kick…. then we kick against a punch….

We use knee strikes against throws, but we also use throws against knees.

The cycles of “creation” and “destruction,” can suggest metaphorically how techniques create opportunities or can be used to counter, but we cannot take it literally.

Preparing the body for war 練功

Chinese martial arts are war arts, arts of combat. That is how they originally developed and how they were primarily used for most of China’s history. In fact, the fusion of what were originally military methods with Buddhist and Daoist concepts and practices arrived only in the Ming dynasty, comparatively late. However, I think for many, the existence within Chinese martial arts of yogic like practices is a major reason for the frequent confusion that these traditions were rather health, meditative or spiritual in nature.

There is no question that Chinese martial arts promote health. Nor is there anything wrong with those who practice them strictly for health or recreation. But the original purpose of these yoga like practices was directly related to their combat utility. The body must be prepared for war. IN an earlier blog I already touched upon this. In “making pain a friend” I focused more upon the hardening of the body and the acceptance of pain. This time around, I am going to discuss flexibility, particularly in the waist, back and shoulders.

Circular, long arm striking is a feature of many systems, both “northern” and “southern” and both “external” and “internal” (despite the fact I hate these terms, they are in fact artificial and of very limited use). The Lama Pai I learned from the late Chan Tai-San is particularly noted for its long arm strikes. They can be extremely powerful, but all to frequently I see people throw these techniques with limited power. Ironically, in trying to develop power, they are usually stiff and the end result is limited power. The true power of long arm strikes comes from relaxed power and flexibility in the waist, back, and sholders.

Shoulder exercises, the “arm wheels” that contemporary wushu has become noted for, are so common to Chinese martial arts they can be found in every manual. As with most things, begin with the basic and advance to the complex. Stretch up, feel the shoulders release, and alternate in dropping each arm in a arcing manner. As you become more comfortable, only then begin to include the martial intention of a chopping (劈) strike / palm.

Circle the arms forward, both in unison. People almost immediately appreciate the calisthenic nature of these exercises, but often fail to understand their martial aspect.

Alternate the arm, but keep the motion continuous (連還). Begin with relaxation, then introduce the martial intent.

Martial artists usually recognize the value of strength, and so push ups, cat push ups, bridges, etc are all common drills. As in “yin and yang” all practice must be balanced, so we must realize that strength often compromises flexibility. Since we realize we need BOTH, we must engage in a careful balancing act.

From the waist and back flexibility, we return to shoulder flexibility done in stance to teach the INTEGRATION of the whole body. Now it is essential to maintain martial intent. This is not just calisthenics, this is preparation for striking.

I suspect people have seen variations of the double arm wheel in contemporary wushu and thought it was there only for aesthetic value. The movement does originate in traditional Chinese martial arts and is used not only for striking but also for wrestling, throwing and joint locks. However, that is another blog.

“The people should be very ashamed”

(Chinese martial arts) … are in a chaotic state, thus the people cannot know what course to take. Summed up, they have abandoned the quintessence and kept only the scum, nothing more. Although the martial arts of Japan and the boxing of Western Europe are one-sided, they all have their original points. In comparison to an ordinary boxer of our nation, they are countless miles ahead. The people should be very ashamed of this.

Criticism of Chinese martial arts is nothing new. I’d actually say it has become even more prevalent in recent years. Usually, the most common response to these criticisms is to state that the critic has never seen “real” Chinese martial arts. If the critic were to meet a “real master” and experience their skills, they’d realize just how wrong they are! However, the above quote comes from none other than Wang Xiangzhai (王薌齋)

Wang Xiangzhai (王薌齋) was a Chinese xingyiquan master, responsible for founding the martial art of Yiquan. He he went all around China, studying martial arts with many famous masters including monk Heng Lin, Xinyiquan master Xie Tiefu, southern white crane style masters Fang Yizhuang and Jin Shaofeng, Liuhebafa master Wu Yi Hui, etc. He was also quite famous as a fighter and actually claimed “I have traveled across the country in research, engaging over a thousand people in martial combat, there have been only 2 people I could not defeat”.

According to our research during the past few years, many techniques in the traditional systems are not practical. It is important not to be preoccupied with arguments of traditional versus modern techniques. It is also not a good idea to ‘protect’ traditional systems by tailoring the rules to exclude, for example, foreign styles.

Another “ignorant critic”? Another “mixed martial arts muscle head” perhaps? This quote is from Professor Xia Bai-hua, who was president of the Chinese Wushu Association at the time. Professor Xia was also head of the Technical Institute in Beijing, and was sanshou chief referee at the 1993 Second world Wushu Championship in Malaysia.

In recent years, the central government has begun to promote traditional martial arts, and every province has established martial arts training halls. Besides Chinese wrestling, the most popular arts are the Shaolin and Wudang styles of kung fu, both of which have methods of solo practice. Yet the practical applications of these arts is a subject that is never breached. Those who have practiced these arts twenty or thirty years have never defeated anyone who has practiced Western boxing or judo. Why is this? It is because the practitioners of Shaolin and Wudang styles only pay attention to the beauty of their forms — they lack practical methods and spirit and have lost the true transmissions of their ancestors.

By now, I suspect you realize that these quotes are NOT from those who are “ignorant” or lack exposure to real Chinese martial arts. This third quote is from Liu Jinsheng, the author of the 1935 “Chin Na Fa” manual. If you have been very observant, you might also have noticed that all three quotes compared Chinese martial arts to “foreign methods” such as Japanese Judo and western boxing. Despite the fact these foreign methods are supposed to be “primitive”, less effective and beneath the “developed” Chinese martial arts, these concerns seemed rather important to these three men. Were these three masters less informed than the “internet expert” such as the one below?

I suppose for some, ignorance is bliss. Much better to isolate yourself from the rest of the world and pretend that doing your method makes you “special” and better than the whole rest of the world. Certainly, you wouldn’t want to know that Wang Xiangzhai said;

Combat science cannot be divided into schools, and the boxing theory does not have the distinction of Chinese or foreign, and new or old.

But mostly, I confess, I just put that up that facebook quote just for fun. Returning to Liu Jinsheng’s quote, note how he criticizes the misapplication forms and the absence of other practical training methods. In a recent blog, “practical approaches to Chinese martial arts training” I outlined the traditional training curriculum for Chinese martial arts and noted that forms training is only a part, perhaps even a small part, of a proper training program. But compared to Wang Xiangzhai, I almost feel as if I am an apologist;

Studying boxing routines, forms of movements, fixed techniques, and training hits and beats, all fall into the category of superficial, and although the boxing routines and forms of movements have been popular already for a long time, they are, indeed, extremely harmful to the people…. At large, the numerous schools of our society, generally take the approach of forms and techniques to learn boxing. One must know that this kind practice is just forgery conducted by the later generations, it is not the original essence of combat science.

Shihfu Wang didn’t feel the need to mince his words apparently. Perhaps this was because anyone who has spent time in the Chinese martial arts community becomes aware of the dangers of believing in secrets, training only in forms and avoiding the hard work (sweat, and blood) of application drills and training. Perhaps because something (I am not sure what) makes Chinese martial arts prone to these deficiencies, more so than the “foreign methods”. In 1928, Zhao Daoxin was only 20 years old and at the beginning of his martial arts career, yet managed to achieve 13th place in the Lei Tai tournament. Zhao was a disciple of Zhang Zhaodong, and would become famous in Tianjin’s martial arts community. Of the Lei Tai tournament, Zhao noted;

“Those ‘orthodox inheritors’ of traditional martial arts, regardless of whether they were lofty monks or local grandmasters, were either knocked out or scared out of the competition”

Liu Jinsheng establishes in his comments just how pervasive and long standing these issues were in teh Chinese martial arts community;

In the Ming dynasty, men such as Qi Jiguang and Yu Dayou advocated this type of realistic practice and opposed any empty practice done for the sake of appearance. This is why these men have proud reputations in history.

General Qi Jiguang (1528-1587) was the author of two books, “New Book of Effective Discipline” (1561) and “Actual Record of Training” (1571). While the modern martial arts student probably has never heard of General Qi or either of these books, they are pretty important because they reveal that even well before Qi’s time, the martial arts practiced in the villages as part of militia training had gradually evolved into a form of recreation as well, and had become characterized by the “flowery” movements.

殺人的勾當，豈是好看的?” “除此複有所謂單舞者，皆是花法，不可學也””凡比較武藝，務要俱照示學習實敵本事，直可對搏打者，不許仍學習花槍等法，徒支虛架，以圖人前美觀”

“practical is not pretty, pretty is not practical”

Clearly, there are tendencies within Chinese martial arts that lead to inordinate concentration on forms practice and the loss of practical training. Clearly, those who warn against this are not “ignorant” nor failed to have seen the “real stuff”. Quite the contrary, some of the most esteemed men in the Wu Lin saw the dangers. Now ponder that for a bit 🙂

Practical approaches to Chinese martial arts training

While there are always some variations based upon tradition, lineage or teacher, the following outline indeed has a commonality in the Chinese martial arts world. I’d argue that this commonality extends to both “northern” and “southern”, and both “external” and “internal”. As I have stated before, I am not a big fan of these attributions. They create misunderstandings and serve to divide us. At this juncture, the last thing Chinese martial arts needs is more division.

Legends tell us that the preparation of the body originally came before even technical training. While there is perhaps something romantic about this notion, the dedication and devotion that disciples of old had, as a practical matter it is unrealistic. Preparation of the body comes simultaneously with the introduction of technical material, indeed at times fundamental training COMBINES both aspects. Here, often, terminology creates artificial distinctions; whether it is called Chi Kung, Nei Kung, Lihn Gung, Pai Da Gung, etc…. foundation training all aims to

1) Strengthen the muscles and connective tissues
2) Increase flexibility
3) Teach tolerance of pain
4) Harden the tools of both attack and defense
5) Teach stability
6) Teach balance
7) Teach coordination of the body parts
8) Increase total body awareness

Technical instruction begins with stationary practice. In Chinese martial arts, we literally begin by teaching the student how to stand. Stationary technical practice gives us opportunities for stillness and stillness gives us opportunities for total body awareness. This awareness allows us to understand how the whole body works, and when then combined with the motion of technique teaches us how to coordinate and integrate our entire body. I would argue that this “internal hydraulics” is the defining characteristic of not just “internal martial arts” but all CORRECT martial arts. “Chi” is a metaphor, perhaps even an anachronistic holdover; there is no “magic” in martial arts.

Stepping, movement and the execution of technique in motion begins the real instruction in martial arts. Stillness teaches us awareness, but application is about motion. From technique in motion, from combinations that each tradition deems essential or most efficient we have developed hand sets. The practice of hand sets teaches us awareness, teaches us the seamless integration of one method into another, it teaches us even to mimic and learn new movement. But look at this outlines in its wholeness and ask what percentage hand set practice really constitutes?

It continues to amaze and confuse me that so called “Chinese martial artists” are opposed to training with equipment. Traditional Chinese martial arts have always had hanging sand bags, wall bags, post training, wooden dummies, etc. Frankly it is absurd not to take advantage of modern heavy bags, focus mitts, Muay Thai pads, etc… And for those seeking practical, applicable skill, there really is no way around such training.. and, AGAIN, it is completely traditional!

In combat training, there is no black and white, there are just many shades of gray. The set repetition of single or short sequences is essential not only to teach application but drill muscle memory. The only danger is if the training ends here. There are “training wheels”, eventually they must come off and the student must learn to ride for themselves.

Chi Sau, Tui Shou, Rou Shou, the terminology seems to divide us, but I’d argue instead that regardless of the name, in reality, the student must progress to increasingly free practices to develop functional skill. The drills may initially have a singular technical or tactical aim. They may then evolve into free practice within certain boundaries and/or restrictions. They may be bound to develop certain skills, “clinching” to develop throws and takedowns as opposed to free sparring with mostly striking. Personally, I think the more “games” you play, the more skills you develop.

Finally, you get to free sparring. As I have often said, NOTHING replicates a real life and death encounter. Nor would a responsible teacher want to expose his students so randomly to danger. We can only reasonably approach conditions of combat, but we must test skills free form and with resistance. Again, today we have the advantage a lot of our teachers in China did not, access to well developed safety equipment that allows us to spar more realistically but with greater safety. In my estimation, we shouldn’t shy away from this any more than we should shy away from indoor plumbing just because our grandmaster used and out house!

Once again, consider the place of empty hand forms practice within this larger structure. Ask if today we have placed too much emphasis on forms, and how much we’ve lost or downplayed other training methods. Then ask yourself, how different is this very traditional approach from modern combat sports training really? Have we unnecessarily divided and isolated ourselves? Is there any reason that a student, if they really did this training outline correctly, would not have functional skills?

My love affair with the clinch

Ever since I saw mixed martial arts in 1993, I’ve been fascinated with the clinch. While it has been largely ignored in traditional martial arts in recent memory, it is in many regards the deciding factor in a real engagement. The striker who wants to remain mobile and deliver kicks and punches must know how to use the clinch to stop the takedown and how to break out of it. The grappler who wants to take an opponent to the ground much master the clinch and the throws and takedowns from it. Finally, there are those who fight in the clinch. In retrospect, while I was not conscious of it and had a wildly undeveloped game, for much of my “career” I had used the clinch for defense and to set up my attacks.

In Chinese martial arts, we have push hands (Tui Shou), sticking hands (Chi Sau) and pulling hands (Rou Shou); all designed to control, redirect, unbalance and create opportunities. Yet misconceptions, and outright conceit, prevents many from every equating these things with grappling, the clinch or wrestling. Those things are beneath them.

Under the umbrella of jacket wrestling, we have Judo, Sambo and Shuai-Jiao. Russian Sambo derives not just from Judo influences, but hundreds of ethnic jacket wrestling styles that existed within the regions that made up the former Soviet Union. Wrestling, with and without jackets, is without question the universal human activity. Chinese Shuai-Jiao, with its short sleeves, also has much of the hand fighting and pummeling tactics of the non jacket style.

Most people in the world are familiar with the two most popular non jacket wrestling styles, free style and Greco-Roman wrestling. We can throw into the mix “catch-as-catch-can” which is just wrestling with submissions. If the world ever had doubts that wrestling was an efficient martial arts, decades of mixed martial arts competitions should have put that to rest.

Finally, we have the wrestling or clinching used for striking. Western Boxing’s clinch is relatively limited by the current rules of the game, though if we look back in history to the bare knuckle days we find more wrestling applications. A favorite of the bare knuckle boxer was the “cross buttocks”, a hip throw every Judoka, Sambo player, Shuai Jiao student or wrestler would know. For clinching with striking, Thailand’s Muay Thai offers a well developed and deep resource.

I’ve spent about two decades now researching the various traditions and their methods. I’ve developed over time a clinch method that combines striking with throws and takedowns; applicable to San Da, Mixed Martial Arts and self defense. The task was made easier by an early realization; despite all the different source traditions, they all shared the same principles at their core.

Pummel the head

You need to learn to control three areas; the head, the arms and the chest / body.

Pummel the arms

Pummel the body

My background in Chinese martial arts never hurt my studies, in fact it enriched them. Having been taught the idea of “gates” and “indoor” vs “outdoor” areas, I understood the need to control the inside.

I understood ideas like pushing, pulling, rising, pressing, etc…

Lifting

Pressing

Pushing

As you might have already guess, YES, these things will be the topic of my third book!

In the meantime, my second book “Lion’s Roar San Da”, covering the striking, kicking and blocking system is available at https://www.createspace.com/5461916

Dreaming in the clouds…

I found out last week that Stephen Laurette, the man who introduced me to Chan Tai-San, had passed away. I haven’t spoken to Stephen in twenty years, but I know he was a remarkable, intelligent man, dedicated to education, and loved both Chinese culture and Chinese martial arts. Also, I remain the official representative of Chan Tai-San’s organization, even a decade after he has passed away. So down to Chinatown I went, to arrange for the flowers.

By now, I should be used to the drills. As soon as I began writing the Chinese to go on the flowers, everyone in the shop began talking to me. Of course, they also told me how famous Chan Tai-San was, how everyone in the south, particularly Toi-San knows him. I’ve heard it all a thousand times before.

There was a time when I lived in Chinatown. Today I rarely find myself there. Yet speaking Guangdonghua, writing out the characters, talking about Chan Tai-San and, of course, thinking about Laurette, all drew my mind back to another time. How strange that a completely white person still feels so comfortable among Chinese, speaking a peculiar sub dialect of not even the mainstream Chinese language?

Then gradually I was drawn out of my dreaming. I walked up to a dim sum place where I had frequently met Chan Tai San over the years. Frequently I met him as early as 8 in the morning. I’d walk in and he’d already be sitting there with friends of his, such as my “uncle” the Choy Lay Fut teacher and the ON Leong representative I had gotten to know. I pulled on the door, and it was locked! They don’t even open until 11 am these days…. 11 am?

So I walked half a block to the small place that sits beneath the Chan Family Association building where I first trained with Chan Tai-San. Back then it was a dingy (I use that word with AFFECTION!) old place staffed by old, grumpy but efficient Toi San men. I walked in to find it had been remodeled. It was bright and clean, and… boring.. and staffed now by giggly young women…..

Ha Jeung? You can’t get that on a Monday. Now they only make it on weekends. Polei Cha? You really want that? When I was studying those early years with Chan Tai-San, my classmates and I were the only non Chinese eating dim sum. Now the place is packed with tourists?

You can never really go home, never really…..

Meet the new disciple, same as the old disciple (don’t get fooled again)

I am one of the senior disciples of the late Chan Tai-San. I spent 16 years training with him, was adopted in the formal “baai si” ceremony, taught his “public classes” for the first four years and was his main translator when he traveled the country. I met Chan Tai-San in 1986. If you don’t believe me, you could look at what Chan Tai San wrote in his own handwriting.

You can also see my Baai Si “red book”. Anyone who claims they were adopted in Baai Si should be able to show you a copy of one of these. They should also tell you who their witnesses were. One of my witnesses was the well known Hung Ga master Frank Yee (Yee Chi Wai).

Maybe hand written letters and/or foreign languages isn’t your style. Maybe you can’t read Chinese. The other thing I have going for me is the instructor’s certificate that the North American Chinese Martial Arts Federation (NACMAF) gave me after they asked Chan Tai-San to verify I was in fact what I said I was. It was issued in 1994 and says I had eight years of training with Chan Tai-San.

Anyone who trained with Chan Tai-San prior to 1990 trained either on Henry Street or at the Chan Family Association. The Henry street location burned down.

Above is a picture of the Chan Family Association which had a Mo Gwoon on the top floor.

Above is a picture of Chan Tai-San with Stephan Laurette (who introduced me to Chan Tai San), “Gil” who was a student at Hong Luck in Toronto and was there to visit, Steve Ventura and myself. The last guy is named Juan. If anyone ever tells you they trained with Chan Tai San prior to 1990, ask them to show you pictures of the Chan Family Association.

In the October 1989 issue of Inside Kung Fu Magazine, Laurette and I co-authored an article on Chan Tai-San and his lineage of Lama Pai. This is just a time frame issue, but you’ll notice that only Vetura, Laurette and myself are listed. People like Michael Parella, Stephen Innocenzi and Chris Jurak of course appeared in later articles and are legitimate Chan Tai San disciples. But as a matter of fact, they all joined the group after 1989.

In order to write the 1989 article, Laurrette and I had to ask Chan Tai-San all sorts of things. We wanted to know WHERE he had studied. So he wrote the name of the monastery in the dirt with a stick. Chinese isn’t easy, especially for foreigners teaching themselves! We mis-read the character as “green” but it was a mistake and we figured it out later looking at the MANY things Chan Tai San later wrote like the writing above. There never was any “green cloud” it was always “clear cloud” and we have hundreds of examples of Chan Tai San’s writing as evidence of this.

Chan Tai San did NOT teach beginners. This is what the public classes were for. The public classes were held on Lafayette street and there are a large number of photos taken at that location. I was the chief instructor of the public classes so people who wanted to train with Chan Tai-San first became my student and if they passed muster then were accepted by Chan Tai-San.

In the 1990’s there were over 50 articles about Chan Tai-San and Lama Pai published in various martial arts magazines. Almost all of them were written by me and I appear in them. However, you will note that when Chan Tai San was given the “cover story” for Inside Kung Fu, Stephen Innocenzi co-wrote that piece with me.

I can tell you who studied with Chan Tai-San directly, and who didn’t. I can tell you what they learned and how well they learned it. One obvious point is that Chan Tai San SPOKE NO ENGLISH. So anyone who starts telling you Chan Tai San stories had better have a pretty good conversational Cantonese.

For a very long time, I have been interested only in my version of Chan Tai San’s teachings and in teaching the way I wanted to. However, with the growing amount of crap and lies being put out there, it was time to correct all this.

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