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FAQs
Bruce Lee
Jun Fan
Gung-Fu & Jeet Kune Do
BRUCE LEE (1940-1973) is considered the greatest martial artist of the 20th century. A true renaissance man, Lee was a talented artist, poet, philosopher, writer and actor, apart from being a formidable fighter. His insights into philosophy, physical fitness, self-defense, and movie making, have been enjoyed and lauded by millions of people around the world for well over two decades. He is the founder of Jeet Kune Do, the first martial art to ever be predicated on total freedom for the individual practitioner. A learned man, Lee attended the University of Washington where he majored in philosophy. His personal library contains over 2500 books on topics ranging from Eastern Yoga to Western Psychoanalysis. His philosophy and example continue to inspire athletes and artists from around the world.
Liberate
Yourself from Classical Karate
by Bruce Lee
He
teaches and explains what is Jeet Kune Do
I am the first to admit that any attempt to
crystalize Jeet Kune Do into a written article is no easy task.
Perhaps to avoid making a 'thing' out of a 'process'. I have not
until now personally written an article on JKD. Indeed, it is
difficult to explain what Jeet Kune Do is, although it may be
easier to explain what it is not.
Let me begin with a Zen story. The story might be familiar to
some, but I repeat it for it's appropriateness. Look upon this
story as a means of limbering up one's senses, one's attitude and
one's mind to make them pliable and receptive. You need that to
understand this article, otherwise you might as well forget
reading any further. A learned man once went to a Zen teacher to
inquire about Zen. As the Zen teacher explained, the learned man
would frequently interrupt him with remarks like, "Oh, yes,
we have that too...." and so on.
Finally the Zen teacher stopped talking and began to serve tea to
the learned man. He poured the cup full, and then kept pouring
until the cup overflowed. "Enough!" the learned man once
more interrupted. "No more can go into the cup!"
"Indeed, I see," answered the Zen teacher. "If you
do not first empty the cup, how can you taste my cup of tea?"
I hope my comrades in the martial arts will read the following
paragraphs with open-mindedness leaving all the burdens of
preconceived opinions and conclusions behind. This act, by the
way, has in itself liberating power. After all, the usefulness of
the cup is in it's emptiness. Make this article relate to
yourself, because though it is on JKD, it is primarily concerned
with the blossoming of a martial artist not a "Chinese"
martial artist, a "Japanese" martial artist, etc. A
martial artist is a human being first. Just as nationalities have
nothing to do with one's humanity, so they have nothing to do with
martial arts. Leave your protective shell of isolation and relate
'directly' to what is being said. Return to your senses by ceasing
all the intervening intellectual mumbo jumbo. Remember that life
is a constant process of relating. Remember too, that I seek
neither your approval nor to influence you towards my way of
thinking. I will be more than satisfied if, as a result of this
article, you begin to investigate everything for yourself and
cease to uncritically accept prescribed formulas that dictate
"this is this" and "that is that".
On
choiceless observation
Suppose several persons who are trained in
different styles of combative arts witness an all out street
fight. I am sure that we would hear different versions from each
of these stylists. This is quite understandable for one cannot see
a fight (or anything else) "as is" as long as he is
blinded by his chosen point of view, i.e. style, and he will view
the fight through the lens of his particular conditioning.
Fighting, "as is," is simple and total. It is not
limited to your perspective conditioning as a Chinese martial
artist. True observation begins when one sheds set patterns and
true freedom of expression occurs when one is beyond systems.
Before we examine Jeet Kune Do, let's consider exactly what a
"classical" martial art style really is. To begin with,
we must recognize the incontrovertible fact that regardless of
their many colorful origins (by a wise, mysterious monk, by a
special messenger in a dream, in a holy revelation, etc.) styles
are created by men. A style should never be considered gospel
truth, the laws and principles of which can never be violated.
Man, the living, creating individual, is always more important
than any established style. It is conceivable that a long time ago
a certain martial artist discovered some partial truth. During his
lifetime, the man resisted the temptation to organize this partial
truth, although this is a common tendency in a man's search for
security and certainty in life. After his death, his students took
"his" hypotheses, "his" postulates,
"his" method and turned them into law. Impressive creeds
were then invented, solemn reinforcing ceremonies prescribed,
rigid philosophy and patterns formulated, and son on, until
finally an institution was erected. So, what originated as one
man's intuition of some sort of personal fluidity has been
transformed into solidified, fixed knowledge, complete with
organized classified responses presented in a logical order. In so
doing, the well-meaning, loyal followers have not only made this
knowledge a holy shrine, but also a tomb in which they have buried
the founder's wisdom. But distortion does not necessarily end
here. In reaction to "the other truth," another martial
artist, or possible a dissatisfied disciple, organizes an opposite
approach--such as the "soft" style versus the
"hard" style, the "internal" school versus the
"external" school, and all these separate nonsense's.
Soon this opposite faction also becomes a large organization, with
its own laws and patterns. A rivalry begins, with each style
claiming to possess the "truth" to the exclusions of all
others. At best, styles are merely parts dissected from a unitary
whole. All styles require adjustment, partiality, denials,
condemnation and a lot of self-justification. The solutions they
purport to provide are the very cause of the problem, because they
limit and interfere with our natural growth and obstruct the way
to genuine understanding. Divisive by nature, styles keep men
'apart' from each other rather than 'unite' them.
Truth
cannot be structured or defined
One cannot express himself fully when imprisoned
by a confining style. Combat "as is" is total, and it
includes all the "is" as well as "is not,"
without favorite lines or angles. Lacking boundaries, combat is
always fresh, alive and constantly changing. Your particular
style, your personal inclinations and your physical makeup are all
'parts' of combat, but they do not constitute the 'whole' of
combat. Should your responses become dependent upon any single
part, you will react in terms of what "should be" rather
than to the reality of the
ever changing "what is." Remember that while the whole
is evidenced in all its parts, an isolated part, efficient or not,
does not constitute the whole. Prolonged repetitious drillings
will certainly yield mechanical precision and security of that
kind comes from any routine. However, it is exactly this kind of
"selective" security or "crutch" which limits
or blocks the total growth of a martial artist. In fact, quite a
few practitioners develop such a liking for and dependence on
their "crutch" that they can no longer walk without it.
Thus, anyone special technique, however cleverly designed is
actually a hindrance. Let it be understood once and for all that I
have NOT invented a new style, composite, or modification. I have
in no way set Jeet Kune Do within a distinct form governed by laws
that distinguish it from "this" style or
"that" method. On the contrary, I hope to free my
comrades from bondage to styles, patterns and doctrines. What,
then, is Jeet Kune Do? Literally, "jeet" means to
intercept or to stop; "kune" is the fist; and
"do" is the way, the ultimate reality---the way of the
intercepting fist. Do remember, however, that "Jeet Kune
Do" is merely a convenient name. I am not interested with the
term itself; I am interested in its effect of liberation when JKD
is used as a mirror for self-examination. Unlike a
"classical" martial art, there is no series of rules or
classification of technique that constitutes a distinct "Jeet
Kune Do" method of fighting. JKD is not a form of special
conditioning with its own rigid philosophy. It looks at combat not
from a single angle, but from all possible angles. While JKD
utilizes all the ways and means to serve its end (after all,
efficiency is anything that scores), it is bound by none and is
therefore free. In other words, JKD possesses everything, but is
in itself possessed by nothing. Therefore, to try and define JKD
in terms of a distinct style be it gung-fu, karate, street
fighting, Bruce Lee's martial art, etc. is to completely miss its
meaning. Its teaching simply cannot be confined with a system.
Since JKD is at once "this" and "not this", it
neither opposes nor adheres to any style. To understand this
fully, one must transcend from the duality of "for" and
"against" into one organic unity, which is without
distinctions. Understanding of JKD is direct intuition of this
unity. There are no prearranged sets or "kata" in the
teaching of JKD, nor are they necessary. Consider the subtle
difference between "having no form" and having "no
form"; the first is ignorance, the second is transcendence.
Through instinctive body feeling, each of us 'knows' our own most
efficient and dynamic manner of achieving effective leverage,
balance in motion, economical use of energy, etc. Patterns,
techniques or forms touch only the fringe of genuine
understanding. The core of understanding lies in the individual
mind, and until that is touched, everything is uncertain and
superficial. Truth cannot be perceived until we come to fully
understand ourselves and our potentials. After all, 'knowledge in
the martial arts ultimately means self-knowledge.' At this point
you may ask, "How do I gain this knowledge?" That you
will have to find out all by yourself. You must accept the fact
that there is in help but self-help. For the same reason I cannot
tell you how to "gain" freedom, since freedom exists
within you. I cannot tell you what 'not' to do, I cannot tell you
what you 'should' do, since that would be confining you to a
particular approach. Formulas can only inhibit freedom, externally
dictated prescriptions only squelch creativity and assure
mediocrity. Bear in mind that the freedom that accrues from
self-knowledge cannot be acquired through strict adherence to a
formula; we do not suddenly "become" free, we simply
"are" free.
Learning is definitely not mere imitation, nor is it the ability
to accumulate and regurgitate fixed knowledge. Learning is a
constant process of discovery, a process without end. In JKD we
begin not by accumulation but by discovering the cause of our
ignorance, a discovery that involves a shedding process.
Unfortunately, most students in the martial arts are conformists.
Instead of learning to depend on themselves for expression, they
blindly follow their instructors, no longer feeling alone, and
finding security in mass imitation.
The product of this imitation is a dependent mind. Independent
inquiry, which is essential to genuine understanding, is
sacrificed. Look around the martial arts and witness the
assortment of routine performers, trick artists, desensitized
robots, glorifiers of the past and so on all followers or
exponents of organized despair. How often are we told by different
"sensei" of "masters" that the martial arts
are life itself? But how many of them truly understand what they
are saying? Life is a constant movement rhythmic as well as
random; life is a constant change and not stagnation. Instead of
choicelessly flowing with this process of change, many of these
"masters", past and present, have built an illusion of
fixed forms, rigidly subscribing to traditional concepts and
techniques of the rt, solidifying the ever-flowing, dissecting the
totality. The most pitiful sight is to see sincere students
earnestly repeating those imitative drills, listening to their own
screams and spiritual yells. In most cases, the means these
"sensei" offer their students are so elaborate that the
student must give tremendous attention to them, until gradually he
loses sight of the end. The students end up performing their
methodical routines as a mere conditioned response, rather than
'responding to' "what is." They no longer
"listen" to circumstances; they "recite" their
circumstances. These pour souls have unwittingly become trapped in
the miasma of classical martial arts training.
A teacher, a really good sensei, is never a 'giver' of
"truth"; he is a guide, a 'pointer' to the truth that
the student must discover for himself. A good teacher, therefore,
studies each student individually and encourages the student to
explore himself, both internally and externally, until,
ultimately, the student is integrated with his being. For example,
a skillful teacher might spur his student's growth by confronting
him with certain frustrations. A good teacher is a catalyst.
Besides possessing a deep understanding, he must also have a
responsive mind with great flexibility and sensitivity.
A
finger pointing to the moon
There is no standard in total combat, and
expression must be free. This liberating truth is a reality only
in so far as it is 'experienced and lived' by the individual
himself; it is a truth that transcends styles or disciplines.
Remember, too, that Jeet Kune Do is merely a term, a label to be
used as a boat to get one across; once across, it is to be
discarded and not carried on one's back.
These few paragraphs are, at best, a "finger pointing to the
moon." Please do not take the finger to be the moon or fix
your gaze so intently on the finger as to miss all the beautiful
sights of heaven. After all, the usefulness of the finger is in
pointing away from itself to the light, which illumines finger and
all.
Originally from Black Belt Magazine, September 1971
Thai Boxing
Muay Thai (pronounced as "moo-ee-tie"), is an art of kickboxing that comes from Thailand.
Thai boxing is one of the oldest martial arts in existence. Its origins date back to 250 B.C.,
when Thai clans migrated from central China
to Thailand.
Faced with enemies anxious to throw them from their new homeland, the Thai began a
military training regimen for their young men called "Churparsart", which delt mainly
with the use of swords, spears and crossbows. In peace time, legs and arms replaced
weaponry. These movements became the basis of modern Thai boxing.
Some of the things you'll learn in our Muay thai training are conditioning,
boxing with the use of elbows and kicking with the use of knees.
For conditioning, basic exercises practiced are shadow boxing, rope skipping,
stomach conditioning with the use of
the medicine ball, neck conditioning, footwork and other exercises.
As far as Thai boxers' mental attitude in fighting is concerned, "He is trained
to withstand the hardest blows, but is expected to give more than he takes by
maintaining a continuous offense".
The hands in Thai boxing can be trained in several ways, using equipment including the
heavy bag, the double end ball and hand and elbow drills done on the focus gloves in
various combinations.
But there is one Muay Thai technique, the round kick, That may be the single most
telling weapon in the fighter's arsenal. A frighteningly forceful blow, a fully
committed round kick thrown by a well trained Thai boxer is perhaps one of the
most devastating offensive techniques in all the martial arts. The fighter may use
either the instep or shin as the striking surface, depending on his proximity to
the opponent.
What type of training can produce this sort of powerful kick, and how is it used? And
how in the world does one attempt to defend himself against it? Actually, the answers are
not so complex as they may seem.
Thai boxers do more bag work than most any traditional martial artist, even
including American full contact fighters.
Every trainer has their own tricks to use the bags most effectively to develop fighters.
Thai boxers may throw hundreds of kicks during a workout, with each kick
delivered at full force. Running, shadow
boxing, jumping rope, bag work, and freestyle sparring are the other elements
of their training regimen. It's not exactly
casual training, Thai boxers are professional fighters who fight for a living.
Anyone who thinks it would be easy has
another thing coming.
You have to push yourself in Thai boxing, it doesn't matter if you feel tired, you
have to do it. Sometimes we see American fighters stop and rest, in Thailand, no,
they cannot do that. You have to keep going and keep going, you have to push
yourself. In Thai boxing, it's who is the strongest, and also, who can keep going
longest.
Kali -
Eskrima - Arnis
These are the names of the ancient martial
arts of the Philippines, Born in the 9th century, there are probably
over 100 styles of "eskrima", but they can be divided into
three main groups according to their characteristics: the northern
style; the southern style; and the central styles of the
Philippines. Unlike martial arts from other asian countries,
"kali" starts the student off with a weapon. A common
misconception is that "kali" is only a stick art.
"Kali" is a complete self-defense system including empty
hands, sticks, daggers, swords, clubs, staffs, lances, long knives
and projectile weapons. It includes the newspaper art, cane art,
shoe art, rope and chain art, the fan art and various other
hand weapons. It can be safely said that the
Filipino martial arts contain the largest variety of weapons of all
martial arts styles. It also can be said that if you can hold an
object in your hand, then "kali" can show you how to use
it for a weapon.
A variety of skills must be developed before the trainee becomes an expert.
These skills
are similar to those used over a thousand years ago---striking, parrying, offense and
defense with a dagger ("balaraw"), use of the leg or leg-hip fulcrum over which to break
the opponent's balance and throw him, and using the stick or a free hand to apply
leverage in disarming a foe.
Some modern "arnis" centers concentrate more on stick use and hand movements rather than the
complex body maneuvers vital to the ancestral "kali" forms. The early "kali" forms
used the "sayaw" and the "sinulog" dances are used in modern "arnis" and are preserved
in three (3) traditional training methods:
1) "muestrasion" or "pandalag" teaches the artistic
execution of the swinging movement
and stroking for offense and defense in repetitive drills.
(2) in "sangga at patama" or "sombra tabak", the student practices striking, thrusting, and
parrying in a pre-arranged manner which permits excellent control conditions.
(3) "Larga muton" or "labanang totohanan" (translation: actual fight), the ultimate phase
of "arnis" training, is a free practice in which two trainees try to outmaneuver each other
using all of their skills.
Kali"/"Escrima"/"Arnis" have been influenced by martial arts from almost every Asian country,
including: Chinese kung-fu, japanese karate, indonesian pencak silat, malaysian
beasilat, spanish fencing and indian martial arts. The
filipino people were forced to adapt and assimilate the martial arts of invading countries
in order to survive. The influences of these other martial arts can be clearly seen in
"kali"/"eskrima"/"arnis" and it also can be seen that "arnis" can easily be used to counter
these other styles.
The "arnis" expert is trained to concentrate his gaze on his opponent's forehead.
A stare
is developed which seems to penetrate through the opponent and creates an
attitude of dominance over him. The expert is trained to stare for extended periods
without winking---a wink in combat might prove fatal. The prime target of the stick is the armed
assailant's weapon bearing hand or wrist. Any vital spot is considered a secondary target,
for a head blow or a body blow, even though wounding the assailant might not stop him
from his continuing his armed attack against unarmed assailants, however, the more vital
areas are attacked.
Like its ancestral forms, the best "arnis" styles were secret.
Training sessions were
announced only to the initiated and carried out secretly in remote places.
Students
were sworn, under threat of death, never to reveal their knowledge.
Wing Chun Gung-Fu
Unlike most other styles of traditional martial arts, Wing Chun is quite simple
in appearance with a distinct lack of
acrobatic leaps and extreme looping motions. It is a system built on
scientific concepts and based on the natural motion of the human body,
not the motions of animals.
The system of Wing Chun was developed strictly as a fighting system and not as a form of self
defense as many other styles, and was designed to fight an opponent who was also skilled in martial arts.
Thanks to the efforts of Grand Master Yip Man and his senior students in
the 1950's, Wing Chun gained a reputation as being a system which gained quick results with a no
non-sense approach to fighting.
This reputation caught the interest of the late Bruce Lee who quickly
submitted himself as a student to Grand Master Yip Man. It should be
noted that Yip Man was the only instructor that Bruce Lee ever formally studied with.
Even after Bruce Lee developed his own "Jeet Kuen Do", he always gave
credit to Yip Man for his guidance.
Wing Chun contains three empty forms, Siu nim tau, Chum kiu, and Biu tze which the student is expected
to learn within their first two years of training.
After the empty hand sets are completed the student is then taught the Wooden Dummy set and its
application. There are an additional two weapon sets, Double short swords
and the long pole.
The wooden Dummy techniques are the most superior techniques of Wing
Chun. A knowledge of the secrets
of the application of these techniques will enable a contestant to react
much more swiftly than his fellow
student who applies only the fundamental techniques of the other forms. A contestant who applies
complicated movements to deal with an attacking movement of his
opponent will usually find that the wooden dummy techniques will simplify the movements of his counter
attacks, if he uses them.
That is why there are movements in the Wooden Dummy techniques, which
are set deliberately to cope with certain
basic techniques of other forms. A trainee, who reacts more slowly and is
weaker than his fellow student, will very often defeat stronger students than
himself, if he has experienced the wooden dummy techniques.
The most important course of training in Wing Chun is the Chi-sau exercise.
These techniques are practiced in twos
and aim primarily at developing the trainees' quickest reflex
action, so
that this may be applied in a set of
sophisticated fighting techniques. The reflex action is in fact a subconscious reaction of the body,
arising as a result of a sudden and unexpected external stimulus. For
example, if someone is unexpectedly pricked by a sharp object, he will
probably cry out or make a quick movement, to get away from the source of pain. In another occasion, if
an assailant suddenly launches a punch at him, he would surely retreat
in surprise to avoid it. These reactions are typical examples of subconscious
reflex actions. They are not planned
beforehand, nor are they made as a result of conscious thought.
Chi sau teaches the student to make use of his opponents actions and
reactions in order to apply his own techniques and counters..
Today Wing Chun Kung Fu is one of most sought after styles in the world.
Known for its effective close range
tactics and techniques, while still being one of the simplest styles to
learn, it has quickly become a favorite among martial artists who wish to add close range punching,
kicking and trapping to their arsenal.
The Chi's Martial Arts Training Center is proud to offer one of the most comprehensive Wing Chun training
programs in the world today. To make sure of that statement all instructors are
required to attend yearly seminars with top and acclaimed instructors to insure quality
and high standards.
Pencak Silat Mande
Muda
Indonesian martial art systems show their early beginnings by the 8th
century A.D. by art objects and artifacts recovered during this time
period. It is believed that the Indonesian martial arts began reaching their
technical perfection during the 13th to 16th centuries.
Although the fighting arts at first were reserved for the nobility, they gradually
filtered down to the common person
which was probably the reason the combative arts developed to such a
high degree.
Specific Indonesian martial arts systems became to be known as Pencak Silat.
Because there was no system of
standardization, many individual pencak silat systems evolved through the centuries.
It is estimated by the experts in the field, that there are over 800
different pencak silat systems in Indonesia today.
Mande Muda is an Indonesian martial art developed by Pendekar Herman Suwanda's father Uyun
Suwanda back in 1951. The style is based on the Cimande style of fighting which is where the word
"Mande" comes from which literally
means village in Indonesian. The word "Muda" means new in
Indonesian, so when the words are put together, the style reflects a meaning
of the new Cimande style. Although Mande Muda utilizes many movements of the Cimande style,
Mande Muda also took the best fighting movements of 17 other pencak silat disciplines and
combined it to become a practical, versatile and dynamic martial art.
The root of the style is based on the Cimande system which is a very
dangerous form of pencak silat. In this system the cimande expert will
"hunt for the arm", which means that
they will attack the opponents arm first and thus try to disable the opponent
so that he loses his will to fight. An attack to the arm means to break anywhere
from his fingers to his shoulders.
Other styles of pencak silat included in the Mande Muda include, Cikalon,
Harimau, Syahbandar, Kari, Madi, Cipecut,
Timbangan, Nampon, Sera, Rikesan, Tanjakan, Ulinapas, Paleredan, Ulin Baduy,
Galih Pakuan, Pamonet, and Pamacan.
Many of the Mande Muda techniques are so simple yet effective that SWAT
teams and law enforcement personal
are incorporating many Mande Muda hand techniques into their advanced
training programs.
So as you can see, the founder of this Silat system, put a lot of time and
thought into creating a well rounded fighting system. From punches and
kicks, takedowns, arm locks, weaponry, ground fighting pressure point control,
to breath and mind control. It seems that this system has all the elements
of a truly dynamic fighting art, a JKD of Silat.
The Chi's Martial Arts Training Center is pleased and honored to present
Pendekar Herman Suwanda's
Mande Muda Pencak Silat as a complete training course.
Competing With Your Instructor
by
Diana Rathborne
Martial artists develop in an infinite number of ways. Our
instructors are there to inspire, motivate and give us information.
After that, our work begins. There are a few students who, because
of their physical and mental gifts and their life circumstances,
have gained a high level of skill in a short period of time.
Unfortunately, some of these talented students have missed the
attributes of character that every martial artist should develop:
humility, respect and gratitude to name just three. As they approach
the level of their instructor, (perhaps gaining instructor status
themselves) they believe their instructor has nothing left to teach
them. The physical ability, time and availability to train with your
instructor, and the personal closeness that comes from that time,
can lead to destructive ideas, including: you are no longer a
student of your instructor, you are both a better martial artist and
a better person. I think it is arrogance, a lack of respect and
delusion that lead a student to the belief that his instructor is a
competitor against whom he is on a level to compete. Not only does
this seem to limit time in the art, but it is also damaging to the
student, the school, and by extension, the instructor. It seems,
however, to be a phenomenon that every school owner experiences.
I have seen many people transform their lives through the lessons
that training in the martial arts can bring. A student who gets
started on the path of development, only to detour onto this false
path of comparing himself to, and competing with, his instructor, is
wasting his talent when he could be doing much, much more for
himself, his art and his fellow students. Luckily, I am not burdened
with the kind of talent that would enable me to physically compete
with any of my instructors, so for me as a student, the point is
moot. As an instructor, however, I do run into it from time to time.
In my opinion, all things being equal, if an athletic student who’s
put in some training time can’t outperform me (a short female on the
wrong side of 35) in a training drill, there’s something wrong. It
has absolutely nothing to do with my capability, or my ability to
instruct, guide, motivate or add technical information to his base.
Over the years, I have had the benefit of watching my instructors
handle many weird situations, questions and possible challenges.
They have always done it with grace and amazing variety of the
most “appropriate” responses imaginable. I am lucky to now have
their answers in my arsenal to pull from. The new guy walking in the
door, giving the instructor the once over and all but saying, “I
could kick your butt,” the student who “fights” a technique in a
demo, and the student who interrupts a class or seminar to
say, “That wouldn’t work,” or “What would you do If I….” are a few
examples of scenarios I’ve had the opportunity to watch. Had those
situations been mine to solve, they certainly would not have been
handled so well.
My primary instructor, Sifu Rick Faye of the Minnesota Kali Group in
Minneapolis, has a humorous perspective on the dynamic of students
competing with him. He finds the fact that some of his students have
seen fit to compete with him both sad and annoying. “If they want to
compete with me, they can compete with me at 7:00 on a Saturday
morning when I’m mopping the weight room,” he comments. Those who
enter the martial arts and end up in the role of an instructor, do
so to impart many of the personal qualities that martial arts bring
to others: humility, respect, honesty, loyalty, dedication,
kindness, etc. These are people who have chosen their profession
because of their passion for it, their belief that it can improve
the lives of those involved, and as a way to support their families.
They have put in an enormous amount of time and energy into their
students’ development as martial artists and as decent human beings.
I don’t see where the desire or ability to kick your instructor’s
butt falls into this equation. Sifu Pete Hetrick’s staple answer to
a student who challenges him and says that he could kick his butt
always is, “Yes, but I can teach you to kick my butt faster and more
efficiently.”
Each and every instructor I have learned from is excited by the acco-
mplishments of his students. Each one has handed us his art and as a
result, we are already starting ahead of where he started. I believe
that the number of times Guro Dan Inosanto was hit on the head by
his instructors to bring us his art (without the contact) should
speak for itself. I was recently reading a book on an aspect of the
Filipino martial arts, and the author took the time in the first two
pages to put down one of the greatest instructors in the Filipino
martial arts. Why? Because he got his ego in a bind. Big deal. Isn’t
there room for more than one authority on the art? What is your
purpose for training in the martial arts? To be the biggest bad ass?
To be a killer? Enlist—they’re hiring. You can go see what it is to
fight “for real.” In fact, now is probably a great time for that.
For the rest of us, martial arts are a self-development vehicle. For
your instructor, it is also his livelihood and that of his family.
The “my instructor can beat up your instructor” mindset has no place
outside of kindergarten. I’m sure most boxers could beat the tar outof their trainers, but you don’t see most of them wasting their
training time and mental energies on that focus.
As instructors, we need to remember two things. First, that we are
still students of our instructors, and second, that a student’s urge
to compete with us is completely immaterial to our own art. It is a
pain in the rear end, but it is also an opportunity to try to find
and utilize the most appropriate response to a challenging
situation. Etched in my mind is a class where Sifu Rick Faye told
all of us that his personal martial arts ability was none of our
business. That it was between him and the mirror. At that time, I
was shocked by the statement. On further digestion, I realized he
was right. My personal capabilities have absolutely no bearing on my
ability to teach others or to help others.
Each of us has to take a hard look at why we are in the martial
arts, and where our personal defensive abilities lie. Look around
your class and ask yourself the question, “If Big John Doe flipped a
gasket and came after me, would I be able to survive it?” Gauge
where you are and where you might need to be to answer “yes” to that
question. Assess the areas you need to develop: mobility, strength,
speed, power, technical base, impact and functionality of your
techniques, etc. Then get to work. Then put it aside. There is so
much more to develop as a martial artist, and to bring longevity to
your art than looking at everyone as either a threat or a possible
attacker.
To the fighters, if your passion is training to fight and getting in
the ring, ask yourself these four questions: 1) Do I still pay my
dues? 2) Do I put away my wraps, pads and gear each and every time I
train? 3) Do I own the equipment I train with? 4) Are the other
students afraid of me? If you answered yes to any of these
questions, your instructor takes a financial loss to train you. You
are not so good that you “deserve” to follow different rules from
the other students. In fact, just having you in the school costs
your instructor money. Appreciate the fact and change our behavior!
Martial arts competitions can offer a great experience for those who
want to participate in them. Bear in mind that a martial arts
competition is just that – a competition. It offers the contact of
sparring in a more intense venue with more adrenalin. Competitions
have rules, time limits, referees, judges and a specific competition
arena. A competition is not self-defense, and it is not “for real.”
It also has absolutely no bearing on the ability of those who don’t
wish to participate in it. To mentally put our instructor in the
ring with you as your opponent is ridiculous and disrespectful. If
your instructor does get in the ring with you, depending on who youhave as an instructor, the experience may not be as pleasant, or as
successful, as you have imagined it. However, it probably will
impact you and shift your perspective significantly.
I’m certainly not saying that you don’t need to assess the
functionality of the techniques you are taught. You do. As martial
artists, we need to look at techniques and training methods with a
critical eye. We are not learning chess, and should have the ability
to fight if need be. I am saying that respect for your instructor’s
time in the art, time teaching and time with you, are essential for
your growth as a student, a person, and a martial artist. I am also
saying that your instructor has provided you with a place to train.
This fact deserves your respect and gratitude as well. Your
instructor has put in 5, 10, 20 years before you started, and just
may have something to offer because of that time. How each martial
artist develops is unique. However, there are common threads,
principles and development cycles. Our instructors have the benefit
of having worked with hundreds of students in varying stages of
development to use as a base to help our growth. He/she is not
competing with you. If you are competing with him/her, ask
yourself, “Why?” What is this going to do for me as a martial artist
and as a person? We have been given a mix of arts into which many
people have put in a great deal of time and development. We have
been given it in a comfortable, well-lit gym with protective
equipment and the benefit of our instructor’s insight. If you
honestly feel that you have nothing to learn from your instructor,
then move on. Make the effort and take the time to be polite,
respectful, courteous, kind and adult in your conversations to
others about your decision to move on.
If your physical skills have surpassed your instructor’s in an area
of the art, he/she will be happy for you, if you are respectful and
give credit where credit is due. Once you have reached this level,
unless you quit the art, you’re not done. Enhance the art by being a
part of it. The creation of divisiveness and pettiness isn’t
enhancing anyone. If you have a different approach, great. Share it,
but don’t put down every else’s approach. You may have a new twist,
or maybe you just didn’t recognize something that’s been there all
along. Either way, your instructor has guided you to where you are.
Be humble, respectful, and do something creative rather than
destructive. From time to time it may be necessary to either remind
yourself, or a fellow martial artist, that in the martial arts, even
if you do surpass your instructor, you are still his/her junior in
the art.
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