What exactly is “combat gong-fu”, what do I teach?
Is there a non-combat gong-fu?
Gong-fu means getting a skill via hard work.
In a fact, every skill is gained by hard work, and only by doing. Not by watching or reading.
Chinese martial arts borrowed the name “Gong-Fu” from the general term, and yes, there are more than one sort of Chinese martial arts.
The simplest sorting is “internal” and “external” martial arts. The “external” emphasis the external movement, while the “internal” emphasis the sensation inside the body, the inner motion.
Reality follows the middle way. In order to be good, one needs to know how to move externally, while having a good sense of the inner motion.
Frankly, it rather difficult to teach only “internal” or “external”, it feels… lacking.
Let me start by saying that I teach movement - smart movement.
“Movement” includes coordination, posture, unifying different parts of the body, etc.
That requires a lot of attention, any single moment. It is mindfulness, just without calling it that way.
This way of training also strengthening the brain, keeps it running at old age, but that is not important at all…
What is “smart movement”?
It is more complicated to explain that to demonstrate, however, it is about paying attention while practicing to things such as force generating by unification, force transmission, etc.
For teaching movement, I combine natural body movement (based on human anatomy), ane more “classic” drills of the Chinese martial arts, forms from different styles, etc.
The different styles not only add diversity, but they have different movement characters, internal and external alike.
Shortly, while the external gong-fu characterized by chain motion, the Tai-Chi works with softness and opposite forces, the Xing-Yi is unifying the body as a battering ram, and the Ba-Gua works with twists that require simultaneously unifying and separating of the body (that is not a paradox).
My teaching includes other things I practice, such as using objects as weapons, etc.
So far, we have touched the “Gong-Fu” part.
What about the “Combat” part?
Combat is a part of warfare. Combat gong-fu is same as saying “Krav Maga” (contact combat).
Warfare is a combination of principles, include:
Movement principles
Practicing principles
Psychologic principles
Strategic and tactical principles
Moral principles
Practicing the different principles with the practice of force generation, weapons, contact drills, etc. happens all the time during the learning process and the teaching.
What for? Is it a necessity?
To be honest, it is really difficult to teach martial arts for self-cultivation only, without contact drills that feedback our force generation, and it is really hard not to use combat related examples, in order to demonstrate the movement and its character.
It is possible to teach in a more refine way, using examples, but excluding the combat mentality.
I said “weapons” at least twice, so yes, I teach also weapons’ wielding. Basically, I teach how you can take any object and weaponize it.
It is hard to teach it without regarding the combative part (how can you explain how a cup becomes a weapon, without talking about combat, and why should we even weaponize a cup in this case?!
Using objects, not mastery in weapons - but general understanding of objects, is bult of several principles, that can be transferred from object to object.
All this unification helps enhancing life in several aspects:
1. Physical health and preservation
2. Mental health and mindfulness
3. Preservation and strengthening of the brain (movement is good for the brain)
4. Self confidence to know when to engage in hostile situation, and when not to. Hot to get away, what to do and what not to do
5. Self confidence that is NOT violence related (very important)
6. Martial arts is an awesome hobby, can be practices solo or with others, finding friends and express emotions.
And important last subject – a few words about violence:
Practicing martial arts is related to violence, to the dark part. Touching this dark part is not making one blunt, on the contrary – it refines.
We practice many ways to cause pain and damage. We imagine describe, and practice very grotesque scenarios, however, this is merely a stage of developing mental strength dealing with combat.
The other side of the violence coin, is developing responsibility and finesse. We develop the choice of not using unnecessary violence, and the choice of what to do and what not to do. We develop the lack of will to harm, and instead of repulsion from violence – the unenjoyment of using it (I hate hating).
Violence is not a subject that suits everybody. It a hard word with a problematic emotional load behind it.
It is crucial to understand that violence is just a tool. You can use it for positive actions, such as breaching doors while the house on fire, and for defending others, or use it for negative actions, such as bulling and harming others.
Violence is just the intention to cause damage, but this intension is not for everybody.
Self defense requires the use of violence, without this intention, no self defense action can be taken, but running away.
One can lie about it, but this will remain a lie. Violence is an important part of self-defense.
It is better avoiding unnecessary violence and fighting, and of course better live in harmony, kindness, and care-bares (even the one that represents anger).
However, sometimes the reality might force itself upon us. In those cases, it is better to be prepared physically, mentally, with skills and thoughts.
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