Long Term Strategy, Short Term Strategy

By Anthony Court

If we intend to develop the martial side of Taiji, it is as well to have some sort of basic plan or programme. In other words, a strategy.

Over many years of training, study and practice, I have found that it is impossible to teach the martial self defence aspect to anyone who has not practiced the 'form' for any length of time. Based solely on observation, I came to realize, that, although it is not difficult to teach fighting techniques, cannon fist forms etc., to students, it is virtually impossible for those same students to develop speed, flow and power, without first having spent many hours practising 'form'.

Spending hours 'working out' in a gym, or having a high grade in other martial arts counts for very little. In fact many so called 'fit' people (in the Western sense) are at a distinct disadvantage because of in-built tension, stiffness and an inability to relax.

So our first strategy should be in the practice of 'form. The 'form' is the key to our foundation without which higher attainment is not possible. From day one of your training, may I humbly suggest you learn the following quote by heart... The quote is from Zen Master Shunryu Suzuki Roshi

" In the beginners mind are infinite possibilities, in the experts mind very few."

Without the correct attitude to training nothing of any significance will be achieved. Why is our attitude important? Well, it depends what you wish to attain. It's very easy to play the martial art game.... Chasing grades, titles, recognition, reputation etc., all this nonsense can lead us away from the true understanding of the 'internal arts'. So I would in a light hearted way suggest you throw all those certificates, sashes/belts titles (Sifu etc.) fancy outfits and photos in the bin. Or better still give it all away to an animal charity.

If our motivation and approach is not open and honest from day one we will soon come up against our first negative obstacle... and that is self delusion and just behind comes self importance. As Carlos Casteneda quotes in one of his many books 'Self importance is the monster with five thousand heads'.

By retaining the 'beginners mind' and developing awareness our training has a good chance to progress in the correct manner. If we are not aware of the true nature of our minds, then we can practice Taiji all our lives and miss the target by as little as an inch. It's not just a matter of being aware of the teachings, instruction, fellow students or the environment, the most important thing is to be aware of ourselves. Our likes, dislikes, attachments and any negative attitudes that we harbour. In fact any time that self-importance raises its head ... cut it off, there and then.

By continuing to watch the mind you will slowly come to be able to control it, otherwise however much you think you have learned, the moment there is a real challenge (not necessarily a physical attack) you could find yourself in deep trouble. Only by remaining in a state of natural stillness will you retain the edge in any situation. This is a very serious point. Building up self-importance, self image, status and appearance is a big mistake. Because you are presenting to the world something' that 'can' be attacked. Furthermore 'ego' will always keep you in a state of anxiety, even at a very subtle level that you may not even notice.

Higher levels of attainment require a relaxed and spontaneous movement of mind, body, energy and spirit. A mind full of self concern, is restricted in many ways.

As we are considering the Martial Aspect here, then after 'form' the next thing to consider is 'power'. In other words the mastery of Fa-jing. Why? Because Fa-jing is itself an awesome and devastating technique. Without the mastery of Fa-jing all 'internal' arts are not only incomplete, they are not even a fighting system. So here is the 'short' term strategy of our training. Find an instructor and learn this most essential of techniques. Also keep in mind that not all instructors can express this 'internal' power - and others are only half-way there themselves.

We have found in our classes that three criterion must be met regarding Fa-jing... It must be heard, it must be felt, it must be seen.

It must be heard: Strikes on a focus milt produces a sound, of course - very simple. The sound of a Fa-jing strike however has a certain quality - depending on the shape of the hand - open palm, frog palm, tiger paw etc. We should train ourselves to recognize this 'sound' and reproduce it time and time again.

lt must be felt: Probably the easiest to understand and get in 'tune' with. A correctly executed Fa-jing strike will send a shock wave from the focus mitt into the body via the hand/arm. Once again we should aim to be able to reproduce this effect repeatedly.

It must be seen: Here, this is a skill that should really be developed by instructors. By continual observation we come to appreciate the subtleties of movement, stance, flow, explosive power, and this comes down to small adjustments, and refinement. Through simple observation and experience we can learn to squeeze the maximum available from ourselves and others.

I'm asked many times as to what Fa-jing is. This is of course extremely difficult to describe. Of course we can say it's an explosion of concentrated energy, but the only way to give an idea of its effect is maybe to compare it with ordinary household fireworks (strange as it seems).

For example, if we compare a rocket to an 'external punch, and if that rocket is heading your way, with training you may be able to block it, 'ward' it off, or even grab it. But if someone throws a "banger" (internal punch) what can you do? It just blows up in your face. Fa-jing is the "unstoppable technique". I was once overheard discussing Fa-jing with a student by a high degree Black Belt Aikido instructor who assured me that he could lead the Ki/chi of my punch around his body and follow it up with a disabling technique to myself. When I told him that Fa-jing striking is unlike other punching methods he continued to challenge me to strike him. Well to cut a long story short, he simply could not react quickly enough. I even got to the stage of counting myself in slowly one-two-three strike. To be honest his only reaction was to blink, as my fist was in his face before he could react.

Having owned a Martial Art shop for five years I had many an opportunity to 'compare notes' and train (in the back of the shop when it was quiet) with instructors from all the major arts. This in itself gave me a good insight. I also came to realize that the word 'internal' has become very fashionable. Over a period of time I had two Wing Chun instructors and a third degree Black Belt, Tae Kwan Do (believe it or not) claiming that they taught their respective Martial Arts 'internally'. After five minutes with the focus mitts they changed their minds. It turned out that they were simply practising in a more 'relaxed' manner. So there is a great deal of misunderstanding and ignorance about 'internal' methods.

Finally the third part of our approach to fighting....... 'Dim Mak'. This is of course a long term strategy. No one being on the face of this Earth is going to master all the complexities of the points, directions, effects, recovery etc. in a short time. So simply start with a good acupressure/acupuncture book. Start slowly by teaching yourself the main meridians and their functions and related organs. Set a goal of learning the location of one point a week and build up your knowledge slowly. Dim Mak is both effective and sophisticated and used in conjunction with Fa-jing is devastating.

I was recently asked by a Tibetan Lama what I thought was wrong with the way Dzogchen was being presented in the West? (Dzogchen or Great completion sometimes called Great Perfection Teachings is recognized has the highest and most sophisticated of the enlightened systems of Tibetan Buddhism and the Bon Tradition which has become very "fashionable" in the West). I replied, I did not know. His reply was very simple, "It's not being taught step by step". He continued, 'If the teachings are presented correctly and in sequence, you will get there. It makes no difference whether you're a Tibetan or a Westerner."

Sometimes it is this 'step by step' approach that we cannot handle ... we are in a rush. Maybe we want the status of an instructor or a teacher, or even to 'talk' a great deal about our knowledge. All this takes us away from being true students of the 'Way'. At some stage we must begin to integrate our practice into daily life - to refine it. So then our whole practice is reflected in our compassion, conduct, our speech, our work, diet and so on. The dissolving of our limited, and brittle self importance must come about. For otherwise our practice will resemble a train covering more and more ground but remaining on the track. Refining our practice (which requires less and less accruing of status, reputation and image) teaches us to fly ... first class in Concorde.

At some stage the integrating of our training and our life will present itself. Sometimes dramatically, sometimes not. It will be here that our practice can enter a new dimension. We can then choose our path. The hardest thing to do, of course, is to recognise it when it comes.