There has been an interesting development in the martial
arts in the late 20th Century and into the 21st. Martial
arts have evolved and become much more true to life than
ever. There was a time when the karate man was looked upon
with respect and feared. A time when, if someone said they
were a black belt, it caused others to be impressed. You
can say that karate has become outdated. But what has
really happened is that karate has become exposed.
If you are one of those people who like to question things
then maybe this thought has gone through your mind. Why are
there so many different martial arts systems in the world.
We all have two arms and two legs don't we? So why all the
different systems of self defense? I know that systems were
usually born out of a need such as one group of people
having to fight another group who were better armed. So
they developed systems to fight those men who used certain
weapons a certain way. But then these same people showed
others their incomplete system and sold it as unabridged.
So let's look at what we have in the world without going
into a deep history lesson. You basically have karate and
ju-jitsu from Okinawa and Japan. You have a multitude of
kung fu systems from China. You have Tae Kwon Do and a few
others like Tang Soo Do from Korea; boxing and wrestling
from Europe of course. Of these there is every variation
under the sun. You name it and someone has tried to develop
it into a fighting system. But what do we really have.
Remember that all we really have is three men out there. It
all boils down to those three. You have boxers or people
who fight predominantly with their hands, kickers who like
to use kicks as their main weapon and grapplers who like to
take people to the ground and finish them there. That's
really it. Just those three. Now there are people who are
good at one, two or even three of those methods. Those guys
are now known as mixed martial artists.
Someone once asked, what is truth? I think we can ask that
same question here. I mean how can the average guy deal
with someone who is skilled in one or even three of the
main fighting methods? You know, the boxer, the kicker and
the grappler. If the guy is good at all three methods then
do I have to be good at all three methods, too? Do I have
to fight in the same manner? I know karate won't do the
job. Definitely Tae Kwon Do will not do. How about adding a
self defense class or two. Will that help? I don't think
so. What about kung fu and all the various animal styles?
No. You can pretend to be an animal but that won't beat the
skilled boxer, kicker, grappler. So how do we deal with
this guy. It can't be using his own methods. You can't box
a boxer and expect to win if he's really good at what he
does. Let's just assume this guy is a really good mixed
martial artist who happens to be a thug and wants to rob
and maybe even kill you. What's the answer if you don't
have a weapon at hand?
The answer is simple yet complex. In order to effectively
deal with a skilled thug you must first put away all your
preconceived ideas about what real combat is. Forget the
ring. Forget what you see on TV. How can an older man; say
in his forties, deal with one or more, younger, stronger
and faster opponents. It will not be by speed and power. If
he is to win; and he must, he has to do something all
together different. Yes the older man is a master of
self-defense. But his method is extremely sophisticated. He
relies on a core group of concepts rather than techniques.
Not that he doesn't use techniques but everything he does
is founded in his core concepts. He also has the amazing
ability to fight in a very apropos manner because he is
guided by highly developed contact reflexes. In other
words, if he is touched by an aggressor, the older man
instantly knows all about him and deals with him in proper
time with super preparatory application. That means he
stops the first attack and all future attacks immediately.
He also uses skeletal alignment to enhance his power. He is
able to hit much harder than his younger counterparts who
use muscle to deliver their blows. The skilled older man
delivers his strikes with his bones which feels like being
hit with the end of an iron rod.
The answer is to become one with the opponent. No
struggling or resisting but moving according to "the now".
To be able to discharge a highly potent "motion martial
art". Not static or choppy, muscular movements but relaxed
yet aligned motions that can deal with an attack as if it
were just a crude language. Yes, the answer is to have a
highly developed and fluent martial language as a complete
and elaborate communication. Yes, self defense can be like
this. The only martial art I know that achieves this
elevated dexterity is Wing Chun.
If a person truly dedicates him or herself to only doing
and developing a system that is fit for the 21st Century
real world self defense, then he must use external defenses
guided by internal faculty. A system that encompasses the
most effective techniques a person can deliver with the
most advanced internal concepts one can make manifest. Now
I mentioned Wing Chun earlier but not every Wing Chun
teacher has developed in this manner or to this level. It
is rare to find people who have this high level skill. But
they are out there.
If you really want to get involved with a martial art and
want to find verity, then take a few steps back. Get back
far enough away from what is traditionally known and
taught. Take an honest look around and see if the martial
art before you justifies itself intellectually. Ask the
hard questions. Is it good against the three fighters in
the world? Can it be done effortlessly? What makes the most
sense? Study and do research before you join a school. I
can tell you right now, forget karate and Tae Kwon Do
unless you just want to do a sport. Don't be too reverent
with any martial art system. Be honest with yourself and
hopefully you'll find a good teacher.
----------------------------------------------------
Armando Sainz has been involved in martial arts since 1979.
His school is highly recognized in the industry as being
one of the top Wing Chun schools in the country.
http://www.centerlineacademy.com/
Armando is also owner of Sainz Personal Defense Systems. A
company dedicated to helping others stay safer through the
use of self-defense products http://www.sainzpds.com/ and
surveillance equipment. http://www.sainz-pds.com/
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