Breakthrough China Blog

This one should actually be titled, when did the irrelevant become relevant? If you haven't had the chance to visit China, go, I implore you to find a way. China makes no sense whatsoever, yet it is a society that has functioned for thousands of years long before we (the west) figured it out what to do with ourselves. How it functions is actually unfathomable but looking from the outside it seems to be based around filtering bullshit.It is truly a wonderful place that I cannot do justice to in a simple blog. I promise to write more about it in the near future. In basic terms China changes you. I am a very lucky guy to have experienced it a few times now but I remain jealous of people doing it for the first time. It's not so much an assault on the senses, it's more like being asked a question in a quiz you don't know the answer to nor the rules of the game you are engaged in: ie you may fluke the correct answer but still not win the point! A good 85 to 95% of the time you do not know what is going on, the culture is so far removed from what's normal in the west that it is preposterous to even try to get a handle on it. If you try to achieve something it fails for a number of intangible but perfectly reasonable reasons. You may try again but eventually you give up and appreciate that whatever you were trying to achieve really wasn't that important in the first place. If you don't have this ability to say "fuck it" then perhaps you are not felicitous for life in the east, that is not the fault of China more a character flaw within yourself. A minor anecdote if you will indulge me. We were asked to demo our skills after a meal with various Masters which included much drinking of Chinese white spirit called Baijiu. So we moved next door to a theatre owned by a local film star where we were added to the bill of an ongoing show. We then demonstrated our martial arts to sound effects provided by one of our top instructors who had been introduced previously as a professional singer from England, who had just completed a stint singing "You are my Sunshine" From this Demo a job was offered to teach the entire Hunan Police force arresting techniques to one of my Sifus!! I Swear you can't make it up. some say truth is stranger than fiction. I say China is weirder than a bottle of crisps. I loved every second of the trip and there were many more stories to spring from it which I will put down in this blog.
Truth is I really struggled this time to readjust to life over in my homeland. My outlook has changed and I see the irrelevance of many things over here. So much so I had to disappear for a couple of days to Buddhist community on a secluded island just off the west coast of Scotland. For real check out the great work going on on the Holy Isle.http://www.holyisland.org/ Life in the west has lost it's focus on what is important. We have put too much time and effort into pointless ventures that hold no bearing on what is needed in society. Not just at this point in our development as a Human race but in general, we have strayed very far from the path that most matters. Until today I was sure there were only two ways to knock someone out, either Neurological means or vascular methods. Then I sat through some IT training, to be fair it was a bit of a combination of both. Neurological from boredom and vascular from lack of air in the dryness of the delivery. I have shifted in my consciousness and see the world in the bigger picture, much of the credit goes to Grandmaster Li Zhiyi and to China. There is a man who has it right. Again a blog shall follow about this unique man (pic)
I need to sum it all up, what is today's message? I wish I lived in China? Yes maybe. But relevance still exists in Martial Arts. It is one thing that will always be relevant in a world full of inconsequential training schemes, jobsworths and enhanced advertisements (seriously that's a thing now-check out http://www.adweek.com/news/advertising-branding/shazam-introduces-engagement-metric-tv-ads-150450 also fuck me there is a website called adweek.com)
All Martial techniques are valid, sure we can learn locking, chokes and Chi Na even though in reality we'll just slug someone. Even though we know punching someone in the street is not as valid as using an open hand, you know what? we'll still feed them a haymaker against all our training, it's life it's who we are. But we need to maintain those techniques- if we engage in a debate with someone who has all the facts we will lose. If we engage in a scrap with someone who has more physical answers we will lose . Keep your martial arts relevant but above all keep your life relevant.

Reflecting on the good things

Well another week is upon us and those Monday Blues might be getting you down but we have much to celebrate in the world of Combat sports. I was at a Kung Fu grading this morning watching the new students progress and then we got stuck into some of our own syllabus, more on that later!
A couple of things to celebrate in the meantime...
How about the very sensible decision by the IOC (International Olympic Committee) to re-instate Wrestling into the games, the less said about their decision to remove it in the firstplace the better!!
It's wrestling folks, one of the pillars on which the games and all Combat sports were built. Added to the games in 684BC how on earth could the games continue without it? Heracles and Theseus would be furious if they caught wind of the plot to remove it. Handy fighting tip: never incur the wrath of Gods especially ones that invented Combat Sports mmmkay? However a sense and a respect for history prevailed and Jacques Rogge made a wise choice. For wrestling some major overhaul was required but all for the better. A change of rules (they hadn't really changed since Heracles and Theseus wrote them) and a more inclusive policy with regard to female medal categories.
Talking of women in the Combat sphere here is a great cause to celebrate. A woman I was introduced to this week whilst having some down time. Guru Besar Rita Suwanda! Not only one of a few female Masters in the world but one from Indonesia too. How is that special? Well Indonesia's religion is predominantly Islam with the largest Muslim population in the world. Practicing Martial Arts and being a woman is tough enough let alone being a Master. Guru Rita is an exponent of Penkat Silat, check out the "Fight Quest" show on youtube for an insight.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m2py-S8tcng&list=TL3jTAZzWwjtk
Another great female fighter pulling apart the perceptions of what a Martial Artist is, is Rosi Sexton. Or rather Dr. Rosi Sexton who holds a Phd in theoretical computer science, a degree in Osteopathy as well as a first class honours degree in Mathematics (from Cambridge no less) Not only does she scrap with the other 12 pro females in the UFC she balances it all whilst looking after an 8 year old son. She is in the news today as she makes her UK debut for the UFC next month. Good Luck.
What else can we celebrate? How about the positive impact that the Combat Sports are having on the favelas of Rio de Janeiro? I salute British founder of Luta Pela Paz (fight for peace) Luke Dowdney. Who has brought boxing to the gang war happening in the slums. Engaging the kids and would be gangsters and guiding them onto a different path away from the violence and drugs that they are so conditioned to. He says "Boxing was a way of opening a dialogue with kids not engaging in conventional programmes. It makes a young person strong, teaches you discipline and about never giving up"
Anyway lots of positive vibes going around but back to todays training to morn a small but significant loss! The Lau Gar syllabus is changing- this too will be a positive especially if the knife "defence" is re-examined! But I'm shocked to hear that something has been removed. The Double kick (cern-tak) I agree that it is not in keeping with the low kicks of the traditional aspect. The double kick is however a belter on the tournament circuit, which I understand fully is the reason why it is being removed from the traditional syllabus. But it still functions and it functions better than the "Machine gun kick" becoming more synonymous with point fighting (not that there is an intention to replace it). The thing about true Lau is that it has always been associated with tournament fighting indeed it is a functional fighting art which makes it a rare breed. So I think this one is a bad choice. I for one will still be teaching it. It may even squeeze the advantage my way so by all means let it go if you choose. My advice, step away from syllabus it should never be set in stone. "The art lives where freedom is" Thats what Bruce said and thats a good thing to reflect upon. I'm sure Rita, Rosi and Luke would agree.
I'll write soon I'm off to China next week!

The Self Defense conundrum

It's always there on the flyer for the new Martial Arts Club, but what is it? Despite the very obvious kinship between Martial Arts and self defense I have to be honest and say that there are a whole bunch of clubs which fail to grasp or teach the subject. I admit that no club is beyond this, because self defense is a very difficult thing to define. We would be at fault to suggest that because a student practices a Martial style they would instantly be able to defend themselves. To know something and to do something does not go hand in hand. The style (whatever it is) has to be adaptive by nature for it to function as self defense. It's has to be capable of instant evolution. As I have stated in previous blogs, stuff never goes down how you want it to. The very nature of teaching self defense is incongruous. Affecting a self contained scenario to promote a technique is almost a waste of time! I use "almost" to avoid sweeping statements, there is always  place to promote understanding and build a repertoire of moves
Incredible things happen to human physiology during times of stress and all fairly instantaneously. Do you want a brief biology lesson about fear response? Probably not but whatever it's my blog :) Our reaction to fear response goes two ways, the high road and the low road. The high road is thoughtful and considers the stimulus carefully in the Hippocampus. This is the memory part of your brain and cross references whats going on at that moment with what you already know and makes decisions based on that. The low road swings by the Amygdalae which is associated with emotional responses. If something is happening you don't like the signals move to the Hypothalamus which floods your bloodstream with approx 30 stress hormones turning you into either The Flash or The Hulk. Neural activity combines with the hormones to create the famous fight or flight response, it's pretty awesome stuff, but it comes at the price of degraded small motor functions like accuracy or complex motions. In general technique goes out the window, don't believe me google any kind of street fight and cringe at what you see. However I've been there, seen it, done it and unfortunately that is how it looks. Certain styles get criticised more than others when it comes to self defense. BJJ and MMA, you must of heard it yourself "The last place you want to be in a fight is on the ground" True, whilst you're fumbling with your failing complex motor functions to put a choke on, someone else gets stuck in! Yes it happens but what BJJ and MMA have as their weakness they also have as their biggest advantage. They weren't designed for self defense they were designed as sport. What do combat sports have in abundance?  A competitive edge, a striving will to succeed and better the other person! What do you need more in a situation of surmounting odds? The tenacity to fight like a caged tiger regardless of technical ability. This is what some clubs lack, never ever underestimate tenacity training when it comes to self defense, it should be a war not a battle. Self defense is about avoidance and de-escalation, valuable skills but arguably not a tenant of the true Martial Arts.  Martial after all is taken from the Roman God of war. So it's down to how you actually teach self defense, it's about what you promote as the fundamentals. Is an encyclopedia of moves enough or do you have to get students a bit hungry... A famous fable to finish sure you've heard it before. A Grandfather and a child watch a fox chase a rabbit. The child asks "Who do you think will come out on top Grandad?" Grandad says" The rabbit will escape" The kid asks how he can be so sure? Grandad replies "The fox is running for his dinner, the rabbit is running for his life".... That's how the fable ends but in my version the child concludes by questioning "how hungry do you think the fox was?"

"Not everyone has the right to be a Champion.......

........but everyone has the right to be a contender" This is what I quoted this morning at Fight Club but still can't remember who it was that said it! Anyway I'm sure you get the point. The way things are today it could not be easier to find yourself a Martial habit. Spare a thought for the men and women of decades past who originally brought the mysteries of the orient to the shores of the UK. Grandmaster Sken of Muay Thai, Master Yau of the BKFA, Yukio Tani of Judo to name but a few. What of the more recent trailblazers Ticky Donovan, Rick Young and our very own Steven Burton. The list goes on. There are of course lesser knowns who have dilligently plugged away often behind the scenes George Kerr, Vadim Kolganov both very active in Scotland. When many of these guys were younger there wasn't so much to choose from and even the ones they could choose from were not necessarily the best choice. I came along a generation later and even for me there was nowhere near the saturation of the market as there is now. So have Combat Arts become in some way less special because of ubiquity? I certainly don't think so but marketing and the reducing of Styles to "products" has taken its toll. Styles/systems have had to change to find a place in a much more cut throat market place. The flashier ones have proven more successful in the short term, but the Martial Giants (Karate, Judo, Boxing, Kung Fu) although not in vogue sustain.
I was in a very privileged position this morning, sitting with four individuals who have not lost sight of that. People the world don't know but gents who have worked tirelessly to provide others a place to train and a class to train in. I've been around for a while I've travelled Europe as a fighter and I have travelled to the orient as a student with a thirst. I've done this partly for me and partly for the next generation. Of course you should too if the opportunity arises but today you don't have to. The resources are available to you right now and right here. I am so proud to say that I have access to our own gym, a dream that many Martial Artists have. It is imperative that it sustains through tough times. People take it for granted that the Instructors and the class will always be there when they are ready. Well the Instructors and the classes are always ready even when you are not. Too tired to train? Not really in the mood? Maybe still a bit sore from last week? Maybe you don't even have the right to be a contender?
You don't owe me anything, you owe yourself. Likewise, I don't owe you anything but I (like many) will give it. It is a brotherhood forged in pain, sweat, effort and laughter. Be a part of it.

Conception over perfection.

To envisage is to contemplate or devise something. We aim for perfection but invariably fall short. Thats okay though. The real talent lies in coming up with the plan, everybody knows that stuff never goes right in the execution of that plan. That should not be a reason to avoid something. We can train in a way that promotes fluidity of the mind, if a chosen course of action or technique fails we can reorganise or restructure to begin again. During times of stress we don't always get the luxury of throwing the optimal strike from the optimal stance. Anyone who has taken part in any combat scenario can appreciate that, but we deal with it. Sometimes even in times of great calm, during meditation for example, a spanner gets thrown in the works. A strange sensation, or a glimpse of something or a full on moment of complete understanding. One of the strangest things that has happened to me whilst I was meditating was that I disappeared! Hard to describe really but I became so aware of the things around me that I lost any perspective of myself. How did I deal with it? I think I decided it was the coolest thing that had ever happened to me and without panic reorganised and restructured and began again. If you wish to really practice Martial Arts you cannot slack in the cultivation of the internal systems of the body. Strengthen all parts of your physical body but if you neglect the energy systems at work within yourself you have only half trained and you will only ever half train. The energy systems relate much more closely to your health and well being. In my experience of Martial Artists I have noticed a strange dichotomy of many. On the one hand an acceptant, tolerant and of flexible mind bunch, on the other hand an unbending judgemental even borderline spiteful bunch. The latter is often brought to the fore when the internal arts are brought up. This is very evident in my "mother tounge martial art", there is a clear divide of camps. Really it is coming from people who should know better and conduct themselves more appropriately but their collective fear and lack of respect seems to be debilitating them. The previous Master of the style was a practitioner of the internal arts and discussion with the current Master would indicate that he was a practioner of some advance skill. This seems to be lost on some, their scoffing and pseudo-sapient attitude is offensive to the style that has brought me much pleasure in the many years I have been practicing. There are very few true Masters out there but there is one to which we should always defer, our own selves. Spend even a few minutes with that guy everday and you will see an improvement in many things. That is the very basic beginnings of internal training, is it really that hard to conceive?

Choose your weapon

Weaponry is a huge part of any traditional style. It is a huge selling point for many but is often reserved for the more advanced students. The reasoning behind that train of thought: you should have a fairly advanced understanding of the styles empty hand rudiments before you get anywhere near a wepon so you can fully operate it. Also there are health and safety issues of having untrained individuals swinging poles and blades around. Ironic when you think that the entire point of a weapon is to cause harm to someone! Traditionally of course the weapon was used to gain an advantage on an opponent especially if you happen to not be so adroit. So we seem to have lost our connection to the classic weaponry. Most weapons sprang from the use they had in the fields as farming tools. They evolved from apparatus that served man to apparatus that could sever a man. They function as a gruesome reminder to ages past and to the martial heritage of our chosen art. Times have changed and we have more efficient weapons but training the classic weapons should remain, we truly benefit from the inclusion of such things in the styles. The appreciation grows, we see how devastating the techniques can be and most normal folk accept that they do not want to see that weapon in action. In this way we see the way of peace in the paraphernalia of war. The combative merit should be taught above all, through that ferociousness and the control that the practitioner displays we find the hidden beauty whilst recognising the ugliness of it. This is why I am againt the musical kata and musical weaponry forms that many people enjoy! Not only is there next to no combative merit to the techniques they distance themselves from the function of a weapon to the point of irresponsible. The showboating and the way in which the weaponry is treated so lightly troubles me. Perhaps I over analyse, but when it comes to leverage over someone perhaps you should think more carefully before employing it?

Sometimes it gets tough

Well it's been a busy month for Breakthrough so apologies for neglecting the blog. Like many Martial Artists out there I also work a full time job and the month of June is the biggest challenge for me in my "Other Life". Breakthough most recently has put San Shou into focus, the tough contact sport which is the basis of many Wu Shu tournaments. It is so much fun, but is at the end of the day a contact sport. Thats right, I choose to engage in fight sports it makes me happy despite my senescent body! I teach a lot of good students and a lot of good people. One of whom recently and sadly passed away in very tragic circumstances. Big D or Tenacious D will be missed but never forgotten. He had the ability to inject fun into proceedings and his presence in a room, and the efforts that he made,served as a shining example to all who took their ensuing steps into the Martial World. Big D's driven nature happily continues on within some of the other students. Yes they are all progressing and getting tougher and tougher to handle on the mats. A good instructor should spar with his students, surely a great instructor should get beaten by them? Then it means he has nothing more to give? I managed to get a good couple of black eyes from the last big fight sesh that we did. My father with excellent comic timing (and a pinch of salt) asked when next I saw him "So have you finally met your match?". One of my newest and youngest students asked how it had happened at the next class, when I told him he still failed to comprehend and incredulously blurted "how?"

We engage in life and in sport for various reasons. Nowhere near the top of the list is the "to get hurt" option but it does happen due to the nature of the respective beasts. I am surprised at peoples surprise in seeing bruises or scars. Pursue it and try it out, sometimes things don't go according to plan. I can continue pointing the way from my understanding none the less. As for Big D he will too. His role has changed but he is right there, in our hearts and in our laughter as he always was. Wherever he is now he still has something to teach us, his understanding however will be far more vast than mine. Take it easy till next time Derek. I'm sure you still owe me a scrap!!