Wednesday, September 24, 2008

The Offensive Mind Set Direct Action

( Disclaimer: This article was given to me by a friend of mine, with the same interest in the martial arts, via e-mail. I don't know where he acquired it. The ideas written here are not my own but all of it belong solely to the author. I posted this article because the ideas written here coincide with the ideas that I advocate as a teacher of the martial arts.)


Definition:

The Offensive Mind-Set is a learned, proactive thought process, devoid of fear, that leads to demonstrable physical increases in performance. A person possess of the Offensive Mind-Set will act rather than react, lead rather than follow. Attack rather than defend. Such a person thinks positively, offensively, and affirmatively by taking continuous absolute action. This thought process is applicable and useful in all human endeavors from sport to business to warfare.



Fear is the Mind-Killer:

The goal of training in Offensive Mind-Set is the total elimination of fear. Fear is the basis of defensive, reactive thinking. It makes you hesitate, it makes you incapable of committing to an action, it makes you freeze up. Without fear --- with an Offensive Mind-Set --- you are free to act immediately and directly. There is no internal debate, indecision, or worry about possible outcomes. You make things happen when need to happen.


Offense vs. Defense: Cause vs. Effect

The difference between offensive and defensive thinking is as simple to understand as action vs. reaction, cause vs. effect. Defensive thought is concerned with reacting to actions that have already taken place. The defensive thinker will take in external stimuli and turn inward, concerned with the effect on the self (worrying). The offensive thinker is the cause of effects -- creating strategies within the mind and moving them outward into the physical world as action. They will take the same external stimuli and make decisions, which are executed as actions, to effect the source of the stimuli in the manner most appropriate and advantageous to the situation.


Training Methodology.

Offensive Mind-Set is thought through two processes: Neutral Offensive Linguistics and the physical modeling of offensive structure. We take people from fearful to fearless by using proactive linguistics to change thought patterns, and then anchor those thought patterns through physical action.


Neural Offensive Linguistics: The Power of Words

Neural Offensive Linguistics is the use of proactive terminology to replace fearful, defensive terminology. In a way, it's analogous to the glass is half full or empty' test for optimism or pessimism -- words have emotional weight to them, dependent on the situation in which we learned those words, and their associated ideas. The words we use to describe things affect the wayway we feel about those things -- for better or worse. If a word has a connection to a mental picture whose emotional content is fearful, then we must replace it with a fearless word in order to achieve an Offensive Mind-Set.





For example, if a person has been told to block a punch thrown at their face, they are immediately dropped into a fear-state. The very idea of blocking (which is linked in the mind to the word) is inherently defensive and based on fear -- the only reason a person would block the punch is because they are afraid of getting hit. Now, if we take the same person and instead tell them to strike the arm of an attacker throwing a punch, to cripple the arm, no fear-state is induced. In fact, we have done the opposite and induced a positive, take-charge attitude. This person has the source of their fear (the idea of blocking) replaced with a proactive, take-charge word (strike) with radically different connotations -- the fighter will injure the attacker. They will be incontrol of the situations, imposing their own will and strategy on the situation.




The use of Neural Offensive Linguistics is not restricted to combat training -- Offensive Mind-Set can be taught to anyone, for any purpose, to increase performance. The key is in isolating words associated with reactive thinking and replacing them with proactive word:


DEFENSIVE: OFFENSIVE:


Block Strike

Evade Penetrate

Defender Fighter

Self-Defense Hostile Control

Try Do



Offensive Posture: First Strike

The new terminology is then reinforced through the modeling of offensive physical structure. If we take the above example and convert it from a thought problem to the real, physical world, we can anchor in the changes in the thought process. The person who has been told to block tries to block a real punch thrown at their face. Afraid or what might happen if they get hit, they move backward, away from the punch, and give ground to the attacker. The person fliches in indecision and throws up their arm to block, ducking their head and curving their spine to evade. By being driven back and modeling the fearful posture a deeper fear is induced, and failure is assured. Their fear has become a self-realized prophecy.


Now, the person is told to strike the arm -- to cripple the attacker. The attacker throws the punch at the fighter's face. In order to strike the arm, the fighter must step in, aggressively, with their spine straight and vertical to really hammer it. The attacker cries out in pain as he is jerked off balance and falls to the floor. The fighter sees success and will always remember how it felt (kinesthetically) to drop the attacker before them. The proactive thought has been realized as direct, potent action. We now have a demonstrable increase in performance.


Fear: The Shattered Foundation of Defense

The most basic, underlying concept of defense is fear. Whether it is defensive tactics, defensive techniques, for defensive thinking -- they are all based on fear. The very idea of 'self-defense' is fearful; you are more concerned with defending yourself than with taking out the attacker. You are worried about what the attacker will do to you, rather than what you will do to the attacker.


If you have been trained to block, you have been trained to fear the attacker. The idea of 'block' implies that you wait and see what the attacker throws at you, and then attempt to defend yourself by nullifying his attack. What does a block accomplish? It keeps you from getting hit -- maybe. But a block does nothing to change the situation in your favor; you have done nothing to take out the attacker. He is free to keep coming at you.


Even if you have been trained to 'block and strike' simultaneously, you are still operating fearfully. The defensive block and offensive strike work at cross-purposes -- they intefere with one another. The fear you feel at seeing the attacker move for you will cause you to hesitate, resulting in a strike that does not have 100 percent offensive commitment. Everyone has seen streetfights in which the participants hold their hands up in a defensive stance and feint toward each other, then jump back away from each other. They perform this strange dance repeatedly. Sometimes they lash out at each other, but always out of fear -- half-heartedly. This is because both of them are operating in a fear-state. They would really like to get the other guy, but they're just too afraid to commit to anything. They are preoccupied with defending themselves.

Monday, September 15, 2008

The Conceptual Martial Artist

(Disclaimer: This article was taken from "Rapid Journal Vol. 7 No. 4" written by Perry Gil S. Mallari. One of the few articles of this magazine that I found enlightening. The written ideas are not my own but belongs to the author. I want to post this article and share to everyone its content. Enjoy reading!)



The great japanese swordsman Miyamoto Musashi was said to have fought undefeated for seventeen years (he killed his first opponent at the age of thirteen) without really knowing exactly the secret of his success. One of his recorded contemplations say: "I reflected on my experiences, I realized that I had not been victorious because of consummate attainment of the martial arts. Perhaps it was because I had an inherent skill for the science and had not deviated from natural principles. It may also have been due to the shortcomings in the martial arts of other schools. In any case, I subsequently practiced day and night in order to attain an even deeper principle, and spontaneously came upon the science of martial arts". Musashi's investigation of the truth in combat was recorded in his treatise entitled Go Rin No Sho or The Book Of Five Rings. Go Rin No Sho is not a technical manual but rather a concept book. So universal is its conceptual content that until today men and women outside the realm of the martial arts are using it in their quest for success.

It's always easier to absorb and actualize the technical rather than conceptual aspects of the martial arts. In the former, more often than not, all you have to do is follow the instructor's commands to the letter and you'll get there (keep your hands on the centerline... distribute your weight eually on both feet... etc.) . The latter calls for a deeper degree of internalization and creativity. To make my point clear, let's use the concept of timing as an example. Even if an instructor has a perfect grasp of the concept, it doesn't necessarily mean that his student can meet him at that level and digest what's been taught. The abstract nature of the conceptual approach to training and teaching is perhaps the method's greatest strength and at the same time its greatest weakness. This is the reason why despite of its power and potency, Bruce Lee's Jeet Kune Do was still an enigma to the majority.

The proper way of doing things is absolutely important; hence there were techniques. But to transcend technique and go beyod technical proficiency, the martial artist must traverse the realm of conceptual training. Bruce had become a phenomenal martial artist because he realized this truth. According to Danny Inosanto, Bruce felt that the highest art was body feel and body mechanics not technique. I clearly saw this concept through the teaching method of one of my teachers, an 86 year old Visayan escrimador whose incredible strength and vitality despite his old age astounded me. I'm not quite sure whether because he knew of my my previous martial arts training, language barrier or lack of verbal communication skill, but he didn't teach me wih the usual "this is angle one... this is angle two..." but rather by demonstrating combative concepte. This single thing that really sank in me during my training sessions with him is the use of explosive forward pressure through multiple hits. Each contact of the weapon on the surfaces serves as a springboard to launch an attack on another plane. This is a universal concept and is the same principle behind Wing Chun's straight blast or Jik Chung Choie.

In the last two decades there is a sudden upsurge of the popularity of knife fighting not only as an art by itself but also as a training tool to develop key attribute. Practitioners, from kickboxer to devotees of esoteric fighting systems are reading benefits from poicking up the blade. Why is that so? Because knife training teaches key combative concepts like reflex, sensitivity, killer instinct, and more by combining the elements of weaponry and empty hands in a singular training environment.

Entering the conceptual path will also prod you to search combative truths beyond the ring and the mat. Not all martial arts wisdom can be attained with your bare knuckles, sticks, and blades. The Samurai warriors can explain the finer points of their martial arts through calligraphy. "Become acquainted with every art," admonishes Miyamoto Musashi. Coming from the great Japanese swordsman himself, it is comforting to know that pusuing other avenues of learning will not make a martial artist a lesser warrior but instead refine his martial growth more. Musashi Miyamoto later in his life pursued the life of a painter and writer. His works display a subtle sense of sensitivity and humility. You can hardly trace the shadow of a warrior who once a thirteen year old in his first duel, beat his opponent repeatedly with a bo until he vomited blood and die.

Friday, September 12, 2008

Martial Artist: Movement As Art (Ninpo Taijutsu)

(Disclaimer: This excerpt was taken from the Stephen K. Hayes' book entitled "Lore of the Shinobi Warrior Vol. 5". All the ideas in here are not my own. They all belong to Mr. Hayes. I posted this excerpt and share the ideas written in here to anyone who are willing to listen. These are one of the martial arts literature that I have read, enjoyed and learned in my path in the martial arts. Enjoy reading!)

The term "martial artist" is an interesting example of a commonly accepted usage of words that somehow does not accurately live up to the truth of the concept that it attempts to express. Contrary to the common usage of the term "martial artist," as used to describe a person training in the Oriental combat disciplines, true martial artists do not become artists until they have perfected the usage of their tools and have gone on to the level of pure spontaneous creativity. Therefore, the use of the word "artist" is in the vast majority of cases applied far too prematurely.

People accumulate skills that lead to the ability to generate works of art; artistic abilities are not merely acquired as a product of taking a course of instruction. A musician first learns how to make sounds mechanically and how to read music so that he can explore all possibilities. Eventually, pure creativity in an improvisation session earns him the reputation of being a musical artist. A painter first learns to pencil in perspective and shade colors mechanically so that he can eventually create works of art. Once he has transcended the mechanics, he can then enter the realm of pure self-expression through the medium of the graphic image.

Martial arts are no different. We accumulate experiences in technique and split-second decision-making that eventually lead to a level of ability that can be described by others as artistic. We cannot simply acquire martial artistry by enrolling in a course of study at the local martial arts school.

In its ultimate form as a guide to a way of living, the warrior path to enlightenment is a process of cultivating capabilities based on personally experienced insights, while at the same time letting go of negative limiting factors that hinder the openness and freedom that are required for advancement. Our martial arts is our method of approaching this process of transformation. We work and study and progress in the direction of becoming artists; we do not presuppose ourselves to be already worthy of the title by the mere fact that we are in a martial training suit.

Monday, September 1, 2008

Martial Wisdom (part 2)


I have include in here the many martial wisdom (quotes and saying) that I have collected throughout the years in my martial art training. I wish to impart these very same wisdom to those who are willling to open one's mind. Read to your hearts content.


- An instructor's first task is to help the beginner to dream. By believing in the dreamer, he helps him to realize his dream. Then the dream can be made real. (Mon Rivera)


- A positive mental attitude is about what you want, rather than on what you don't want. (Jose Silva)


- Give credit to where it is due. Even the enemy.


- If we realize the spirit, then our movements will naturally be light and nimble. The postures are no more than full and empty, opening and closing. What we mean by opening is not limited to just the hands or feet, but we must have the idea of opening in the mind as well. What we mean by closing, too, is not limited to just the hands or feet, but we must also have the idea of closing in the mind.


- If the weight of the whole body rests on the right leg, then the right leg is full and the left leg is empty. If the weight of the whole body rests on the left leg, then the left leg is full and the right leg is empty. Only after distinguishing full and empty will our turning movements be light, nimble and effortless. If we are not able to make this distinction, then our steps will be heavy and stiff. Our stance will be unsteady and will be easily pulled off balance.


- A tactician fighter will have a lot more tools at his disposal because he sees the overall given condition. He can therefore be proactive rather than simply reactive, which is the true mark of mastery of both military and martial arts. (Abyz D. Carreon)


- Restriction retards thought, restriction of thought is void of self, without self there is no "I". (Dennis M. Blue)


- Survival by whatever means is necessary to assure that you live and they do not. If you do not have the heart for that then you must at least be able to neutralize the situation. (Dennis M. Blue)


- Totality always works better than partiality. (Perry Gil S. Mallari)


- Animals use their front paws to control their gait. The pattern in the forelimbs generates patterns in the hind limbs. It's the same with people. When their strong enough, something goes awry in their legs. (E. C. Frederick, Physiologist)


- Out of suffering emerge the strongest souls.


- What you resist, persist.


- A close second is not a desirable place to finish in a battle to the death.


- The surest trap is the one you set in the path of a man running to avoid a trip.


- Wisdom is always useful. If he paid attention to the coming and going of the sun, the worm wouldn't be eaten by the bird.


- To destroy suggests a certain degree of brutality on the part of the practitioner, it is actually describing a state of determined effort in combat.... Once the situation is determined to be potentially dangerous to others or to oneself then the principle of destroy must be applied.


- Take advantage of any "weakness", that is the lax side or unfocused attention of his opponent's defense, then initiate a strike from an unexpected direction to an unexpected target. This principle takes full advantage of an opponent's sloppy defense in order to launch an attack that not only confuses the aggressor but overcomes him as well.


- There are two methods of intercept, one is soft the other is hard. Hard interception involves a strike that breaks the adversary's defenses just before he launches an attack. A soft interception applies pressure in the same direction of the attack. Thus when an opponent rushes forward, blocks and grabs can be utilized, but when he retreats the stylist follows through putting pressure on the opponent again and again.

- Common people breathe at the throat; a true person breathes from the heels.

- Evil is all men's lot, but yet we must keep courage. (Homer, Achilles, Troy)

- A wise man treats all strangers with respect for he could be facing the face of an enemy.

- I belong to the warrior,
who have joined
the old ways with the new. (Haiku)

- The lay of the land may tilt the battle but heaven decides who will win.