The Ranking System

I have personally never been interested in the ranking systems associated with Martial Arts, I appreciate that many are and there is no problem with that. I think that it stems more from the martial culture than the actual practice. The Korean and Japanese arts are more belt driven and to that end I see a greater emphasis placed on the Black Belted students. In Chinese arts, which I predominantly train, it is less ingrained.  Nothing wrong with fostering respect; it is after all a tenet of Martial Arts, I am of the mind that respect must be earned and not assumed.

It gets right into the philosophy of Martial Arts, the very idea that we strive and we aim for a goal is ultimately very commendable. That's one of the things that appeals to many about learning a style. I only argue that the goal should not be a black piece of cloth, or a red one or any other colour. The goal should be to understand the teachings. A black belt does not necessarily epitomise that. I have learned many lessons from many people in life and in Combat Arts not every one of them came from a black belt student. Some lessons I have learned from black belt students weren't worth remembering.
The unscrupulous teachers have exploited people over these sought after bits of cloth. "fast track" courses and other bullshit marketing ploys. These are the things that destroy the combat sports by reducing them down to single factors. You train hard, you put the effort in to make it work, you listen to the right people. That is also the reward.YOU do these things. I don't know what the going rate for a grading is your style but when I look around I see the "awards for 2nd 3rd 5th 9th degrees" all go up in price on the scale.
People still ask, what grade are you? This assumes the capability and depth of understanding of a student which I would like to see us all move away from. It more likely illustrates how much a student has paid for.

As I've said in this blog before, the more important thing to look for in an instructor is "are you insured to teach". Things are certainly improving but be aware that a black belt does not make a person a qualified fitness trainer, it also doesn't assume that they are not, but I would be more inclined to ask your local gym staff for fitness advice over your martial arts instructor.

For me personally what holds more value and parity to my actual knowledge, is not my black belts but the burst noses, the fat lips and all the times I've been dumped on my arse along the way. Never be afraid to ask a white belt to a multicoloured 15th degree "Go'n show me how you fucking did that?"

A Referee can only ever be 50% right....

...that's what my Instructor used to say, and he was always right! Well except when he was refereeing my fights and scoring the other way. Wait! That was his point entirely of course. On Saturday passed we witnessed one of the best Boxing matches I have seen in a long while between Nick Blackwell and Chris Eubank Jnr. After the 10 rounds of magnificent sporting combat things took a turn for the worst and young Nick Blackwell collapsed in the ring. It lead to consternation and condemnation across the board. Detractors of Boxing and Combat sports alike became more vocal, aligned behind seemingly reoccurring events. Ultimately though; the place were most of us receive our daily dose of abuse, hatred and ill informed opinion, trumped all  those reasonable concerns and firmly splattered into the realms of "Talking Shite". I of course refer to Facebook, the platform none of us wanted, the apogee of the electronic soap-box. "Talking Shite" and imprudent status update its mainstay and constant talking point.

"Blackwell's corner are responsible for it", "The referee should've stopped it sooner", "Boxing proves we aren't as civilised as we claim to be" amongst the things written. Combat Sports are constantly maligned along with the people involved in them too. It is good to talk about issues raised but we should try our very best to remain informed and be less quick to jump to conclusions especially if we don't hold the authority to make such claims. What happened on Saturday is a tragedy but it is not as common as you may be lead to believe. I was reading The Observer on Sunday keen to find out any news on Blackwell's condition. I flicked to the "Sport" section. Football-Football-Football, Cricket, Rugby league......nothing. On the Saturday Luke Campbell (M.B.E by the way) claimed the Lightweight Commonwealth title, Eubank Jnr beyond the incident took the British Title, Kell Brook demolished a mandatory challenger for the IBF World Welterweight and the British Heavyweight Champion of the world's cousin was fighting. There was literally nothing in the paper, not even news of Blackwell's accident. On the front page however was news of Mo Farah placing third in an Olympic Warm up in Cardiff?! Soon though the papers would be running the story of the Boxer who collapsed in the ring. In the month of March there were 45 shows that passed without incident, 12 apparently since the Friday night! Yes it is important to report on Blackwell's collapse but there is without a doubt a subtle demonising of the sport when it comes to mainstream reporting, that is of course when they bother to report on it at all.

Back to Facebook, and the nonsense being offered up by the "Fans". Victor Loughlin, the ill-fated referee, has become the principle player in this tale of evil and exploitation of a young man coerced and seduced by the world of boxing. I did, unlike many who offered wisdom, watch the fight. I listened to the "horribly biased" commentary. I saw the fighters go into the 5th round, 2 rounds a piece on the official score card. I saw Eubank Jnr begin to pull away. I also saw Blackwell take some big punches (especially that uppercut). I  noted how he sat back on the ropes in double guard much like Muhammed Ali did against George Foreman, I saw him take a huge percentage of Eubank's strikes on the gloves and arms and I saw him smile, goad and throw back his own shots every time. I saw him rise from his stool and bound to the centre of the ring first, at the start of every round. I saw a young lad, backed by a great corner who had come from a darker past of unlicensed matches, a troubled tearaway saved by boxing relish every moment of his title defense. HIS TITLE. I did not see a negligent official. I saw Victor Loughlin defer to the ringside doctor in the 10th round and act upon his advice to halt the fight.

The press seem to be running with the story of how Eubank Snr. may have saved Blackwell's life, the quote
"If the referee doesn't stop it, then I don't know what to tell you, but I will tell you this: one, if he doesn't stop it and we keep on beating him like this, he is getting hurt; two if it goes to the decision, why didn't the referee stop the fight. I don't get why?" People are keen to link this with compassion displayed by the champ, or to put it down to guilt he may hold after Michael Watson (ask the "fans" about him) I don't doubt for a second that Eubank Snr. is a gentleman or that he was concerned about his son's opponent on a purely human level. However I believe this to be tactical chat from a seasoned veteran. Like I said I watched the fight, what does not seem to be reported is that in this same quote Eubank went on to say something along the lines of. "You only fell a tree by hacking at it's trunk" to which Eubank Jr. replied "ENOUGH!" To me this would seem that Eubank Snr had noted how much fortitude of the chin Blackwell had and had been telling his son to work the body for some time. Something that the Son had grown tired of hearing as in "Yes Dad, I know you were a legend but this is my fight and I fight my fight my way"

Think what you think of course, but the way I see it if anyone is to held accountable for saving Blackwell it is not Eubank but the very people some are keen to discredit. Namely the referee, the Doctors and the Cornerman. Many will play a part in Blackwell's recovery, the medical staff where he is now, his friends and family and ultimately himself. If he fights with even a quarter of what he displayed on fight night he will be back stronger than ever and I wish him all the best. The latest reports say that he may be taken out from his induced coma within 24 hours and we all hope to hear good news on his condition.

Why Tai Chi

Tai Chi has a long and mysterious past. It’s history and characters make for a good read for those so inclined. However, perhaps the esoteric nature of it has frightened people away? Thankfully not! There has been a great movement in the west to seek out the answers posed by the questions that arise from Tai Chi practise. Western science has even been drafted in to analyse what the majority of the world’s population already hold to be true. Tai Chi has been part of the Chinese culture for centuries and luckily for us has been documented for the past five or so. Recent developments have seen some of the finest minds of Western Medicinal Science turn their attentions to old documents, with the goal of finding out exactly what is expressed in the teachings of Past Masters. One of the fundamentals inherent in all styles of Tai Chi is the idea of the  energy system at work within the human body. The Meridian system; known as Jingluo in Chinese Medicine, plays a vital part in both the regenerative and destructive methods of Tai Chi. In the west it’s most commonly associated with the mysterious “Death Touch” portrayed in numerous bad kung fu movies but also  many people are aware of the benefits of acupuncture, acupressure and traditional massage (Tui Na). What perhaps they don’t recognise is that these two things are one and the same. Western Science has taken bold steps and spent lots of money to prove something that was already being experienced in the eastern cultures. I quote just one of many studies:

“A CT (computerized tomography) scan is a series of X-rays used to create cross-sectional images. In this study published in the Journal of Electron Spectroscopy and Related Phenomena, researchers used in-line phase contrast CT imaging with synchrotron radiation on both non-acupuncture points and acupuncture points. The CT scans revealed clear distinctions between the non-acupuncture point and acupuncture point anatomical structures.”

What they conclude was this :

“Acupuncture points have a higher density of microvessels and contain a large amount of involuted microvascular structures. The non-acupuncture points did not exhibit these properties.”

What does it mean?

Microvessels are the smallest blood vessels in the body that allow and promote the circulation of blood around the body. We know that without this process there can be no life. What we refer to as Qi (or Chi) in Tai Chi is, in simple terms life or vitality. Effectively what western science has achieved through CT and MRI scans is the mapping of the meridian system. Further Studies of the Fasciae (the connective tissue structure around the muscle) is under way and the awaiting results are equally interesting to both the Tai Chi community and the scientific community.

There has been a huge increase in numbers seeking alternative treatments throughout Europe and America and some are even lucky enough to be prescribed Tai Chi by the NHS!  It does make me ask what do we mean by “alternative treatment?” Bearing in mind that it was Western Medical Science that came second to the methods practised in the East for hundreds of years. Slowly we are realising the connection between energy cultivation and balanced living. The published documentation of health benefits from Tai Chi is vast and easily accessed. I’m not really one for reading about things though! If in fact you wish to learn something the best thing to do is to put the book down and begin training. We can believe anything, but the moment we experience something it no longer needs to be a belief. It becomes a truth. Tai Chi is a truth that I will happily share with anyone. I will let you experience what it feels like to have your energy system temporarily disabled and I will let you feel what it’s like to have your energy system work overtime. Both experiences are distinct and unquestionably real, not only that they are easily achieved through practise and that for me is what it is all about!

The First Rule of Qigong Club....

......Is you ALWAYS talk about Qigong Club. Couple of weeks ago I organised some special events that were taking place in my hometown for the first time ever. With the assistance and support of my Tai Chi Master and a colleague in Edinburgh we were bringing three Masters from the Chinese Health Qigong Association, based in Beijing, to the capital. It was for me a very big deal which I wished plenty of people to share in. So I spent a large chunk of time promoting the events. Thankfully the events were a great success but the only reason you know this is that either you were there or you have just read that line in my blog. I tried to arrange press coverage in the form of the local TV channel and the local press. All mail and phone calls fell on deaf ears to the TV channel and a cursory two line reply from the newspaper was all I received. "Please take some photos and write a short paragraph about the event and send it to us".
I fully understand that in the grand scheme of things these events were not front page stuff, but surely media outlets specifically designed to report on community events would show more interest than a metaphorical grunt of vague acknowledgement! So you want me to organise,facilitate, participate, promote and then write a report about it?- no it's not too much to ask, I'll self fund and publish it too if you give me another few minutes! To further shame the local media, here is a link from people who did decide to cover the event. The Chinese Press!! A reporter from the Shanghai Daily was in attendance, I guarantee they travelled further to report on this than the local press would have, if they had bothered.  http://www.shanghaidaily.com/article/article_xinhua.aspx?id=279180

Now although it may sound that way, I'm not bitter. It just got me to thinking about the profile of Martial Arts in general. A completely unverifiable "fact" that I heard once which seems to ring true, there are somewhere in the region of 20 thousand and 30 thousand people practising martial arts in the UK. You can search online directories of nearly 4000 clubs but of course there will be plenty more that aren't on there. At first glance you would think that the profile is quite high. The thing is that it's quite bias toward one end of the Martial Arts. Most coverage focuses on the sport/combat side. That's great of course as we definitely need all the support that we can muster but there are plenty other great things going on in the Martial World. As I've said before the sport side is one facet of this wonderful lifestyle. The coverage is usually from the same point of view. A press guy or girl goes along to give it a try and fails but has a laugh anyway, furthering the idea that Martial Arts is only done by people with special powers and thus proving that not everyone is cut out to do it. I can assure you that that bollocks! Perhaps if coverage was a bit more complete, we could highlight martial arts as a great alternative to team sports, (which most folk are forced to do at school even if it isn't for them) we could truly show people what they are capable of achieving with their own effort. In the case of Qigong, and this is where the lack of coverage saddens me, we could've shown people that your health is easily maintained and costs nothing but some time out of your day. No equipment needed, only knowledge which can be given to you once and then practised regularly. With diligence and some time that is all that is required to access the special powers of the Martial Arts. More than often the access to that knowledge is right on your doorstep-seriously search the online database and have a look. Beyond the necessary marketing to survive there are real people teaching real skills to folk like you and me. Sifu Steven Burton graciously allowed me to use him as an example. His profile is huge, he is soon to be teaching in North Carolina, New Jersey, China and as far afield as Sydney. His seminars are attended by hundreds of people and his youtube channel has over 1 million views. He has worked hard but he has been teaching exactly what he teaches now for many years. He candidly told me, that many years ago when he taught out of his gym in Accrington it proved much more difficult to get folk in the door. He was right there all along, a short distance away. Now the people of Accrington will travel to America, Australia and main land Europe to access his knowledge. So beyond the marketing and beyond the press coverage it falls to you. In the days past disciples would wander mountain ranges and go deep into the wilderness to find the true Masters. You don't have to do that. There is so much going on in your area, if you want it come and get it. Do me a favour? Tell someone what I do. Tell one person that you know about a guy that teaches Chinese Martial Arts in Edinburgh. Tell them that I'm here to help them if they want to help themselves. I'm not a master but I can assist. The first rule of Qigong Club is you should ALWAYS talk about Qigong Club.

Temple Rebuild

I have just returned from Zhangjiajie in the Hunan Provence in China. It was here I spent the week with Master Li Zhiyi. I have studied the Taoist teachings of this man for about five years, they have altered the shape of my life. They have given me a different perspective on living and engaged in me a drive to fully understand my place on this planet. It sounds all very serious but a week spent in his presence is wonderful and packed with humour. He leads a simple life of honesty and compassion. Master Li is a quiet man of deep spiritual intelligence, he has a warm heart and quick smile which he shares often. Not so long ago he asked one of his senior disciples,Steven Burton to help raise funds to rebuild the ancestral temple located in a not so well known or visited area on Tianmen Shan (Heaven's Gate Mountain pic)

As a group we undertook some fundraising activities, from workshops and seminars to sponsored events as well as donations gratefully we received, we aimed to raise £10,000. Many of you who are reading this played a part in that. So it is from the very bottom of my heart that I thank you. It was a great honour to be in Master Li's house when we presented him with the funds and therefore the opportunity to rebuild this important place. The significance of the temple is lost to many but in the face of Master Li on that day I was privileged to get a glance at how a simple selfless act can change someones' world. This was made further apparent when Master Li took us to the mountain the day after, to perform a simple ceremony that bound our group even more tightly. The burning of incense within the ruined temple on the alter that is very much still in use. This is a sacred sight so I could not take pictures within the walls, but I can assure you that the alter is both beautiful and crackling with energy. After we made our offerings we were very happy to meet Mr. Yen. He is the ground-keeper at the temple. He is so devoted to the temple that he has moved away from the city and up the mountain to be close to it at all times. Around the temple is more ruined buildings in which the forestry workers used to live. They are dilapidated and without power, yet Mr Yen leads a happy peaceful life doing exactly what he needs to be doing. maintaining the grounds and praying at the alter everyday. When Master Li told him about the funds we had raised Mr. Yen was so moved he began to cry. Which had the affect of setting us all of. Several grown men in tears will be a moment I remember all my life.

Work begins on the Temple in October, the plan is to focus on the shrine room at the top. To rebuild the roof and steady the foundations. The money will be used to sort out the path and the stairs that lead up to it and to fix the damaged pagoda. (pic)

Pictured above you can also see the Guan Yin Temple which sits at the bottom of the slope. There are plans to see this rebuilt in time. So the efforts continue, I will return to China next year and will keep you up to speed with developments. If you wish to help you may donate or get involved in anyway. I would be happy to hear from you. Master Li's teachings will stay with me all my life and I shall pass them on where appropriate. What he has given me cannot be resigned to history nor can this temple. I expect it to stand for another 10,000 years.

Mr. Yen at the Temple

A Martial Journeyman

It is, as always, a busy time for Breakthrough Combat Arts. It's not that I don't get time to sit down and be in my own thoughts but it gets more and more difficult to find time to put my thoughts into words. Sometimes my thought just aren't really worth putting down on "the record". But this particular thought is actually on the subject of "the record".

A Journeyman is defined as a sports person who is reliable but not outstanding. A person who is expected to take fights at short notice, provide a show but realistically never expected to win. Any practitioner worth their salt must spend time in this wilderness. It's good for you. In many ways it defines you. Not how you handle victory but how you handle defeat. As a race, humans are often judged more by our failures rather than our successes. Perhaps I'm wrong, and this is in fact only embedded in the Scottish National psyche? The world likes Scotland mostly because it has always given it a go but unfortunately failed, often at the last hurdle. The world respects the effort but perhaps respects more that the order of things has not changed. Life can continue safe in the knowledge that failure is inevitable and therefore it is justified for us all to sit on our backsides and continue as before for fear of making a fool of ourselves. Yes, people are more comfortable with failure than with success. Maybe because of this we reflect more on our failures and our shortcomings than that of our achievements.

This type of negative thought process serves no purpose in the world right now. Society and the establishment as it is, is already a shambles and is not moving forward. As our leaders becomes increasingly more aware of their obsolescence and decline in power, they move to make us all feel that we are "done" and that we too can do nothing to change our course. The truth is; this is of course bollocks! Everyday we have a chance to make a difference. Small or large, minor or definitive. The truth is "you can be the change you want to see in the world".

I have been involved with Martial Arts for almost 20 years now and I have spent my time being the journeyman, but come this Sunday I leave for China with some of my best friends and peers from the Martial world. We will travel to Zhangjiajie for intensive training with Master Li of the Shen Wu Lin Chuan Taoist internal arts. I fully expect my mind to be blown and I fully expect to return a different person.

Collectively we will present Master Li with funds raised by our students from around the UK to rebuild the ancestral temple of Master Li's masters. This act will see us become an indelible part of history. This small effort will see us all add to "the record" for generations to come. As a group of Martial Artists we all have doubters and people who disapprove of our teaching methods, our skills, our take on certain techniques and pretty much everything else! We are all quite familiar if not tired of it. I would by no means suggest that those doubts and criticisms are unfounded or without merit but more than anything I am aware of my own shortcomings and grey areas. However I choose to continue moving forward to learn and to build, and I choose to do it by thinking positively and hopefully. By engaging and actively seeking out solutions and new ideas. Never in my wildest dreams did I think that my Martial Arts would see me travel the world, compete, meet such awesome people. Earn respect and give respect to so many incredible practitioners many of whom are unsung.  Never did I think I would move from learning the basic mechanics of punching and kicking to understanding the traditional methods of healing. Then from this gain insight into the spiritual teachings that permeate all styles to then have my very life shaped by the Masters of the past. 

In this I can say I am finally winning! In this I can say, although my journey isn't over, my time as a journeyman is.

Goldilocks and the Third Planet from the Sun

Obviously I am not a professor but that can't stop me from teaching and thinking! Within my Martial Arts I try to express to students how each thing is connected and nothing is more or less important than the next. I've been on a mission for many years now to discover as much as I can about the energy system at work within the human body. How it relates to health and well being and how it can be interrupted and reconfigured to gain a strategic advantage. Our energy system is made up of the same things that flow and permeate throughout the universe.The astrophysicist and cosmologist Carl Sagan has always thought on a grander scale than the rest of us, and it was he who famously said:

“The nitrogen in our DNA, the calcium in our teeth, the iron in our blood, the carbon in our apple pies were made in the interiors of collapsing stars. We are made of starstuff.”

Ideas this big can put people off, but when someone closer to home speaks of the same thing (a certain Tai Chi Master) you have to engage with it. To understand our place in the universe we have looked to the fields of Chemistry and Physics. I prefer to look towards Biology. It's defined as the "study of natural science: relating to living organisms. Including their structure, growth, function and evolution" it seems to me the most obvious choice to find the answers to my questions. I have read the books, I've studied the anatomy and I have experienced the pain required to fit it all together. Like Schrodinger's Cat when the box gets opened a certain reality collapses and we see it for what it truly is. Martial Arts opened the box for me many years ago. It changed my universal view. Quantum Mechanics has begun to describe what the Master's of the past understood hundreds of years ago. The key to life is energy. The universe exists so that life can exist. If these two things are interdependent and give rise to one another (as the Yin Yang symbol expresses) then also life exists so that the universe can exist. On a universal scale we can witness that balance needed to function right here on Earth. Where it's not too hot, not too cold. Not covered in desert, not drowning in vast oceans. Where we can breathe, which is the most important bridge between everything inside and everything outside of ourselves. Conditions here on Earth are "just right" like the third bowl of porridge or the third bed in the Bear's house Goldilocks visited. Balance is right here all around us. It has to be maintained or we may pay a price we haven't fully grasped yet. On a less galactic level, our bodies, our own microcosm must be maintained too. This is why we train. If you are interested and in the area (Edinburgh/Earth) I'll be teaching a workshop about energy cultivation and its importance. My ideas fall somewhere between Carl Sagan and David Ike and are no more/no less valid than any of theirs. :)