Serendipity in the Way of the Sword

Two people I’ve met through the coincidence of a shared interest, swordmanship or kenjutsu, comes to my mind recently. While practicing, a person named M drove by and started talking to me. I believe I’ve mentioned him before. This time, however, a little girl, J, started mimicking some of my moves with a plastic cane. She was shy at first, running away when I approach her, but eventually I was able to talk to her about learning how to have fun with these sticks in a way that wouldn’t hurt. Especially since she was trying to learn by sparring with her brother. Not a good idea at any age, if you ask me. I have no idea how much, if at all, I’ve helped them out with their problems or objectives in life. They are both free to come visit me again, although many lack the initiative. A couple of working teenagers, pushing a lawnmover on saturday/sunday visited my neighborhood. They wanted me to draw my sword, shinken at the time. So I did a basic iai draw and a few practice cuts, keeping far away from anyone, then sheathed the sword using touch sensitivity. I then talked to them about kenjutsu and how to buy iaitos and shinken online, what to look for, and the safety concerns. They’ll go far in life if they keep to that work ethic they’ve shown. Especially in this economy. So long as they remembered my instructions on buying blunt edged training tools first, and don’t cut off their ear, arm, or legs, that is.

I do not believe I was ever interested in teaching others as a primary goal in life, though helping them felt beneficial overall. I seem to recall a common saying that the beginning martial artist has too much on his plate to be much interested in teaching. Bruce Lee’s first generation students were more accurately his training partners that he taught Wing Chun trapping to, because it was Lee’s way to promote stronger opponents, which in turn forced Lee to evolve his personal art. The focus I’ve spent on improving myself, improving the efficiency at the rate I train via my independent study time and with various different open handed or weapon arts, coincidentally results in me having great fun at teaching or instructing others on how to have fun with this stuff. And having fun, makes life easier to live. It also requires me to gain a complete understanding of martial arts, to the point where I can instruct kids or complete beginners. I tend to use the touch sensitivity method of many Chinese gong fu instructors, combined with the martial theory present in various Taiji Chuan courses. I do not care to place a label on my own abilities, but it seems to jibe with the level where a student in the H2H fields begins to be interested in explaining, showing, and teaching others. And perhaps I’ve gained a greater than average level at teaching precisely because my original training was never a “hold their hands” kind of thing. A lot of importance was placed on individual initiative, responsibility, and independent study. If you didn’t want it bad enough, if you didn’t put in the work to come up with your own training regimen, you weren’t going to get anywhere. Certainly nobody was going to tell you to train or tell you how to do certain things a certain way.

Relieving Stress and Recovering Energy

These are some basic guidelines from my study and practice of chi gong. The body produces a fixed amount of oxygen and sugar, that can be used for mental concentration or physical exertion. Eventually the brain cells decrease in efficiency due to fatigue toxins and overuse: same for muscles.

The basic breathing method is Buddhist breathing, where upon inhaling, the belly gets big as the lungs expand from the bottom up. By controlling how long and how much air you inhale vs exhale, you can modify the rate at which your body replenishes oxygen to your cells. Considering that the brain cells use 10 or 12X more than other cells, thinking and creative use can often expend copious amounts of oxygen and nutrients. While you can control how much nutrients you can intake and digest, controlled breathing is a method not often taught or known in the West. By inhaling and exhaling quickly, you are able to energize the body with fresh oxygen, allowing it to do more work and apply more strength, for a brief burst.

Here are some natural examples of breathing that people may not have ever thought about. Laughter, longer exhalation joined with short inhalation, produces heightened emotions, tension, and energy. The opposite, deep inhalation with short exhalation, produces a decrease in energy and is the normal way people who are sad breath. Neither one is 100% good to do all the time. Eventually as you keep laughing you will find that you will run out of oxygen and the cells in your body will start emitting pain as a result. Often a consequence of people who can’t stop laughing. If you are sad for a long time, you can get into a major depression where your body starts malfunctioning.

These two types are generally what you can use to relieve your stress and recover your energy. The longer you exhale, the more energy you send to your muscles and the surface of your skin, causing an increase in physical and mental energy. The second type is the long inhalation: the more you inhale, the more oxygen is stored in your lungs, allowing you to concentrate energy but not release it. Inhalation relaxes the body and calms the mind, while at the same time supplying the body with a reserve of oxygen to use for many things. Since people should be relaxed when inhaling, this energy goes to their brain and removes the toxins, rather than goes to the muscles via breathing out.

First, learn how to breathe in, by making sure that your belly expands first, and then your chest. Then relax and let the air out, or if you are focusing on doing some physical activity (try this with opening a jar lid), harden the abdominal muscles and force the air out like whistle or funnel as you apply power to the muscles. For mental energy balancing, the process is relatively the same except in reverse: breath in more and exhale softly and quietly.

If you feel yourself too stressed, breath in long and breath out short. Stress is unused energy and a result of too much thinking. Re-balance yourself providing additional oxygen to the brain and supplying oxygen to the tense body. If you are coming home after a day of hard work, mental or physical, it can pay great dividends to breath in and breathe out, longer on the out than in. By taking in extra oxygen, you are giving your body more resources to achieve harmony, and can speed up your recovery. When you are given an opportunity to fix the problem causing your stress, then you can heighten your energy levels and exhale faster, to produce more energy for your body and your mind. More oxygen to the brain means clearer thinking and better focus. More oxygen to your muscles means greater endurance and strength.

Try it out and see for yourself. You may just realize that it’s a more affordable and more efficient method than taking external supplements like caffeine or energy drinks. Even better if you have both resources at your command.

P.S. If you feel uncomfortable during your practice, simply breath in and then release the air in your lungs as you breath out. This allows equal in and equal out, so you don’t have to worry about complexities. It’s not much different from telling people to inhale deeply as a way to calm down. But there are great depths to this, which are only unlocked with diligent practice and study. Relaxation is the best way for beginners to feel the full benefits. Tension will usually interrupt things. It’s not enough to do this for a few seconds or a few breathing cycles. Breath work or chi gong, is done for 30 minutes or even 60 minutes. A beginner, however, can usually see benefits almost immediately because they probably have never utilized such breathing methods and will see a remarkable difference. The large rewards, however, only come through diligent practice. Which is why chi gong is often associated with gong fu or martial arts.

EDIT: Some corrections have been made to clarify the distinction between breathing in vs breathing out. For more information on this, I recommend people buy Dr. Yang’s book or DVD set at YMAA. There’s no way I can cover the subject in detail on a blog. I can only provide you some tips that beginners can use.

Gurren Lagann: Drill through the Heavens!

My explanation of spiral energy is simply a combination of linear movement, such as in xingyi, with circular movement, such as the tangents in Bagua.

Something that showed the extents of spiral power would be the anime series, Gurren Lagann.

As funny as that may seem, it is true.

These are some things that may help people conceptualize spiral energy: DNA helix; Tornados; Black holes; Planetary rotation and seasons; Thunderstorm and hurricane cells; Electromagnetic fields of magnets and electro magnets. These arescientific counter parts to spiral energy. For physical skills, it’s a combination of linear movements in xingyi and rotation movements in baghua. Tangents are part of circles and rotation. That’s the “mental concept” people need to grasp for this part of Taiji Chuan.

EDIT: For those looking for a more entertaining and interesting interview, go here. The articulation of the concepts here from Chen Zhonghua and two students which took a full time 3 month course from him in China, is very good. Especially for those of you reading this that wish to do Taiji Chuan or have practiced it.

Bring out the Volt meter

An interesting thing someone else linked and I found very entertaining and enlightening.

I’ve written about Chi before. That and a few other things are still works in progress.

Merry Christmas

Now if this was true, the world would be a little bit more interesting. I’m always a skeptic. Not because I disbelieve the benefits of Qi Qong healing, but because I don’t believe anything until I have my own independent confirmation and explanation of it. If it doesn’t come from me, if I am not the one figuring it out, then I’m always relying on others and that is a great way to get fooled. Against yourself, you’re only up against your own ability to self deceive, not everyone else’s combined.

If quantum mechanics is really the reason why the human mind can affect matter, then that’ll be an interesting way to view religious miracles. Everything won’t be explained, but the ideas will be very new and applicable.

Chinese Martial Arts History

The never ending martial arts posts continues uninterrupted by the holidays.

Today we have something I read months ago, but provides a very different view of China than the current government of China has shown to the world.

The material is in research format and requires effort, time, and patience. Three qualities you will not find much on the internet, or in the current American socio-political climate. But for those who seek the truth as well as knowledge about many facets of human existence, they should take a look here.

Some specific sections I found worthy of note:

Sun Wu was from Qi (Shantung province), his original name was Tien Hun Tien. He escaped some political intrigue against his family in Qi by defecting to Wu, where he promised the Wu King that he could help him to overcome all of his neighboring enemies. Sun Wu`s military strategies were highly effective and the Wu troops totally baffled the Zhu and Yueh states with heretofore unorthodox assaults that caught them off guard, avoiding the Wu much bloodshed. Sun Wu`s strategy involved much yielding, segmenting, combining, changing, and transforming maneuvers as necessary (making much use of the Five Elements theory). To avoid headlong confrontation with the very powerful Chu, Sun Wu worked the Wu troops so as to use the terrain to its tactical advantage, to spread the energy out, to choose objectives carefully, and to suddenly concentrate its forces when and where it was unexpected. Many people studied Sun Wu`s ideas and his book became highly influential to the art of fighting, both in battle and later as people applied his ideas on a lesser scale, to hand-to-hand combat. Much use was made of the Five Elements idea of antagonistic and protagonistic forces, changing and transforming in mutual promotion and restraint.

Another great army general, Woo Zhi Shung, defected to Wu from the Zhou kingdom, because his father had been betrayed and killed. Both generals Woo and Sun advised King Wu Kwang (20th generation) and taught the king and his sons fighting skills. The 18th generation King, Wu Sou-Wan`s military advisor was General Seng Woo, who also defected from Chu and changed his family name to Wu. Sometime during the 500s BC, King Wu Sou Wan`s son, Wu Ji Zhe, achieved much renown for his sword fighting skills.

During the Spring and Autumn period, the Chu discovered the making of steel and soon after longer swords were able to be crafted. These longer swords were widely adopted in warfare. Many people became sword experts, especially in the Wu and Yue kingdoms. King Wu Kwang himself practiced sword fighting and many huge contests were given. He owned a pair of specially forged swords that are legendary to this day: a male sword called the Kan Jian and a female sword called the Muo Xie.

Around 496 BC, one of ancient China`s best sword fighters was a woman named Yue Nu. She practiced developing her idea and methods for years in her land. Her fighting theories and techniques became another major influence on Wu-Shu theory.

For King Gou Jian of Yue, she wrote her theories:

1) Combining position, breathing, and consciousness;
2) Balancing the internal and external states of the body in harmony;
3) Simultaneous offense and defense;
4) Using both static and moving states.

She also wrote much about: being calm and unassuming in appearance, but fighting as vicious as a tiger; reacting fast enough to reach the opponent first with a strike, even though the opponent started first; uniting spirit, form, and intent. She was acclaimed for her skills all over ancient China and much respected by all.

Learned people and military fighters soon saw that the concept of `Wu-Wei` – doing nothing out of harmony with the flow of things was at the heart of many skills. It was found as an idea in common to many ideas that were then currently developing: Taoism, Yue Nu`s sword fighting, the Five Elements battle strategy of Sun Wu, and the Dao Yin qi-gung practitioners. In their explorations on the ways of or the nature of the universe (`The Tao`), Taoists began uniting all these different expressions of Wu-Wei. The circular movements of sword fighting were seen as putting man in tune with the natural cycles of the universe (stars, seasons, water, birth, death, etc.). The effect was seen as even more pronounced if the actions were combined with qi-gung breathing exercises and the mental exercises of military strategy. Taoists of the war-torn time saw warfare as an element of all life, against mortal and immortal enemies both outside and within the human body. People who were learned in all these concepts were soon in high demand in all the Chinese courts of the various kingdoms, as they were sought as advisors to the kings and nobles (princes, lords, etc.).

Wait, there’s more.

As the chaos of the times increased, the countryside became full of groups of criminal gangs, robbers, thieves, and outlaws. Interstate trade was greatly increasing and the need for good bodyguards was great. Being able to fight in close quarters, small scale, combat became a necessity and bodyguards on long journeys with trade caravans occasionally exchanged ideas and techniques with other traveling bodyguards. They looked for the best techniques for attack, attack-defense, countering, controlling, feinting, evading, and more. Hand fighting skills became highly developed and the best fighters were known for their main technique of striking, kicking, joint-locking, throwing, and hitting vital points. People tried to distill what they knew and consolidate the various techniques into one or a few main moves that they could always count on and each great fighter was known for their main technique. People sought to develop their fighting into an art that transcended all that they know into a highly effective small set of moves, if not one main move.

According to Ssu Man Chen`s book `Records of the Great Historian`, a new class of roving people emerged during these times, called the `Knights Errant` (Yu Hsieh). These were professional ex-soldiers that roamed the countryside offering their services as mercenaries. They were skilled in the military arts, especially sword fighting. They had a code of conduct and tried to be honest and fair, helping even ordinary people in distress. The Knights helped to establish the idea of using martial arts for self defense and helping those who were weaker and in need. This idea was also a great influence on Wu-Shu theory and many people embraced the idea of using martial arts for good and only for fighting against wrong doers.

By the end of the Warring States period, all the groundwork had been laid for the theoretical aspects of Wu-Shu. People used self defense to stop a fight, improve their health and physique, and test their skills, rather than just for killing in war. As people combined these ideas and concepts with the most efficient and effective hand to hand combat techniques, Shaui Jiao (grappling and throwing) techniques, and sword fighting techniques, the practical side of Wu-Shu developed as well into an all encompassing way of life. Once these areas became further united with Taoist spirituality and health (Dao Yin/Qi Gung) theories, Wu Shu was turning into a complete martial arts system, covering all aspects of the martial arts that we see today, as early as 3000 – 2500 years ago.

Thus, in order of their appearance, during the entire Zhou dynasty era (covering about 800 years!), these concepts influenced the development of Wu-Shu and were combined to transform Wu-Shu into a self defense and health enhancing art:

Xiang Wu (war dances)
Wu Xing (5 Elements) theory
Jiao Ti (Shuai Jiao)
Sun Wu`s Battle Strategy
Quan Pu (hand combat)
Yue Nu`s Sword theory
Yin/ Yang theory
Sun Pin`s Battle Strategy
Ba Qua (8 Diagrams) theory
Zhung Zi`s Ingenuity theory
Dao Yin (Qi Gung) theory
Qi`s Chi Chi Boxing
Taoism & Wu Wei theory Knights Errants
code of conduct

EDIT1: I am currently studying some Japanese Sword Arts, known in Japan as kenjutsu or iaido. I can definitely see how someone could adopt moves from a sword perspective to an open hand format. After all, the aikibujutsu I train in is technically just the kenjutsu lines without the sword. The Japanese banned the samurai class and the sword during the Meiji Restoration so all the kenjutsu schools either had to close down or convert to open hand format only: aikijutsu.

Basically, JSA is swinging a wooden stick around until your forearm becomes as big as Popeyes. Absent that, at least as strong and 10 times faster. I have also picked up an idea, from myself who else, that aikido’s tendency to grab the enemy’s encroaching hand is based off the depth perception, hand to eye coordination, and hand speed of a sword user. A person trained in the sword would find it relatively easy to see and grab someone else’s hands, a necessary component in several aikido exercises.

One of the primary unification principles in Chinese martial arts, entering an opponent’s space and taking control of their momentum, is the same as “blending” in aikido, except the Chinese material explained it better.

Motivation: If you want something, what are you willing to do to get it?

Here’s one example

A pretty good choice in my view, since it shows the “gan batte” philosophy of Japan as well. Most English speakers translate it as “good luck”. It actually means “do your best”.

The things that happen when people try to adopt Americanization without the soul

While releasing Sengoku Basara, Capcom attempted to appeal to the western audience, by removing all Sengoku references in favor of a generic fantasy story vaguely connected with Capcom’s hit franchise Devil May Cry (a DMC-type font was even used for the cover title of Devil Kings).

An extract from IGN interview with the game’s producer Hiroyuki Kobayashi:^[1]

Kobayashi: In Japan, Devil Kings is called Sengoku Basara, and it focuses on Japanese history in the same sense that Dynasty Warriors focuses on Chinese history. So it’s similar in that sense, but with a Capcom style, a Capcom flair to it. We took the concept, and said, “What can we do to differentiate this to make this different from the Dynasty Warriors games?” And we decided the secret maybe lay in some other games Capcom has done. We said, “Let’s give the characters a kind of Devil May Cry flair — some really cool moves, like the kind of things you might see in Devil May Cry. Let’s the characters and make them all vastly and distinctly different from one another, like Street Fighter II.” That’s the Japanese version. Then, we said, “Okay, let’s release it in North America — what can we do to make it different again?” So we said, “Okay, we’ll make it dark.” Call it Devil Kings. The main character sold his soul to the devil. We’ll darken up the background, give more moves, more ability to power your character up, and things like that for the American market.

IGN: Plus it’s not historically accurate?

Kobayashi: The Japanese version of the game is based on Japanese history. There are some fantasy elements that didn’t actually happen, of course, but enough of it is there. With the U.S. version, we’ve taken that element out entirely. Some of the backgrounds may retain that eastern flair. Many of them don’t and are brand new; many of the enemies are brand new; and it’s no longer based around the idea of feudal Japan at all. That part of the game has now been changed to be darker, devilish.

Well, did you think that was a good idea?

These alterations were regarded as unpopular, as the Devil Kings version was a critical and commercial failure, and no more Sengoku Basara games were brought to North America and Europe until the release of Sengoku Basara: Samurai Heroes in the fall of 2010.

It’s usually not a good idea to take the soul out of something. The Japanese had this tendency to believe Americans love power and powerups, but in fact Americans like history and context as much as anyone else, the Japanese included. While the American military does forever seek more powerful weapons and the American government seeks more and more power, that’s not the same as what the commercial free market of America desires. It wasn’t true back then in the US and it certainly isn’t true now.

This is what happens when you don’t understand cultural differences and try to make economic gambles in ignorance. A lot of times changes are made due to economic restrictions, but here you saw that Capcom intentionally went out of their way to “add features” which in reality detracted from the draw of Sengoku Basara. Generic fantasy will always lose out over specific, historically real, heroes. Hollywood could not have created the Spartans or the Battle of Thermopylae if you gave them a million typing monkeys and a million years to work with. Truth is often stranger than fiction.

The Japanese of earlier times were rather xenophobic. They had an intense pride in their own nation and culture, but expected other cultures to be like themselves: wary of foreigners. But the United States is something foreign to the Japanese senses. The US is a culture with a strong tradition and love of country, yet at the same time this love comes from embracing, not rejecting or fearing, other cultures. Thus the primary reason why Americans like anime, especially amongst the younger generation, is that it is different. It is quite obvious that the show came from a different culture with different expectations and aesthetics.

Persevering while working hard vs Natural Geniuses

Which wins out?

 

I think you’ll find the links and answers here very thought provoking.

 

 

Tai Chi Quan: Martial history

Tai Chi Article

I first came across videos explaining certain Tai Chi movements, which I assessd as true and as correctly taught.

The instructor also has a website and provides an interesting backdrop on Tai Chi and why such a lineage changed over time.

For those that conduct themselves as students of martial arts, this is worth a look. For those that are practicing Tai Chi Quan itself, it would be even more useful.

Btw, I thought the Rapture was today, but I was informed it was half a week ago, so it seemed I missed out.