bushido_man96

I'm not sure it would make the fights any better if they did come back. Nor do I think the majority of the fighters out there now would agree to bring them back.

I don't think hand retraction is necessary to get hip into a move. I like to punch from more of a Boxing stance, but still involve my hips. I also feel that the lunge punch is a difficult technique to apply in a useful manner, aa it telegraphs big time, and takes considerable time and space to use.

This post was originally published as an article in a dedicated KarateForums.com Articles section, which is no longer online. After the section was closed, this article was most to the most appropriate forum in our community. The thought process of this article sprang from reading Teri Tom's "Jeet Kune Do Source" column in the May, 2009 issue of Black Belt Magazine, titled "The Stage of Art." Whereas Tom's article focuses on one of the Three Stages of Cultivation that are listed in Bruce Lee's "The Tao of Gung Fu," I am attempting to expand my understanding of all three stages, along with a few of Bruce Lee's quotes that seem to fit in with these stages. Bruce Lee discusses the Three Stages of Cultivation in "The Tao of Gung Fu" on page 25. Prior to this, on page 22, he discusses the Three Stages of Development in the art of Gung Fu, which seems to echo the Three Stages of Cultivation. The discussion of these stages of cultivation leads to Lee's summation of this developmental process with this quote: The Three Stages of Cultivation Lee mentions are: 1. The Primitive Stage 2. The Stage of Art 3. The Stage of Artlessness 1. The Primitive Stage Teri Tom states that in the first stage, one knows nothing of a particular art (for the sake of this article, the art of combat). One will attack and defend instinctively. To me, this melds with the first part of Lee's quote: "Before I studied the art, a punch to me was just like a punch, a kick just like a kick." It appears to be just kicking and punching, in a sense. Perhaps I am oversimplifying a bit, but if you have ever seen an untrained victim defend themselves, or seen an injury report of such incidents, it clarifies things a bit. One doesn't know enough of how to put things together to make them work coherently and efficiently. One will just react in an instinctive manner. This corresponds to what Lee refers to as the first of the Three Stages of Development of Gung Fu. He describes it as a natural, primitive, no-holds-barred type of fighting (pg. 22). It was not scientific, he claims, but natural and free, without inhibition. "Primitive," perhaps? 2. The Stage of Art In the second stage, The Stage of Art, one is learning all the system has to offer. The techniques are new, Tom explains, and in this phase one does not yet have the mastery of them to allow for the true flow and expression. Lee points out that although a scientific knowledge is gained, the original "self" and sense of freedom are lost. Here, it appears that "After I learned the art, a punch was no longer a punch, a kick no longer a kick." Perhaps at this stage, we are so caught up in learning and working with the techniques, that they seem to become more to us than they are. We may tend to over-think things when using our techniques, which Lee wrote causes our minds to "stop at various movements for intellectual analysis and calculations," (pp. 25). Teri Tom calls this a dangerous stage in which "the proverbial brain fart can cost you valuable time in a real fight," (pp. 34). Referring back to Lee's Three Stages of Development of Gung Fu, he describes its second stage as "finite and not as free and natural," (pp. 22). The primitive techniques were "intellectually" improved upon, but in becoming too scientific and philosophical, Lee claimed that the hidden recesses of the mind could not be reached. Many techniques contained "fancy motions" and "unnecessary steps;" it became a "complicated mess." I interpret these circumstances in a few ways. The first is as the frustrated student who tries to make things happen instead of flowing with what happens, like in sparring. Secondly, it makes me think of the "talking fights" of some anime; "I'll obliterate your Iron-Toe-Boot-To-The-Head technique with my Inverted-Knuckle-Duster-From-Hell technique!" I don't know why, but this kind of scenario comes to mind. It's the choosing of a technique, rather than letting "it" hit. 3. The Stage of Artlessness The last of the Three Stages of Cultivation is the one that is strived for: The Stage of Artlessness (not alertness…). This is the stage in which one has trained during The Stage of Art to the extent that one no longer has to think, according to Teri Tom. She quotes that this is the stage in which "it hits all by itself!" (pp. 34). Lee says that now techniques are performed on an almost unconscious level without interference from the mind (pp. 25). Now things have come full circle, and "Now that I've understood the art, a punch is just like a punch, a kick just like a kick." Likewise, in the Third Stage of Development of Gung Fu, a "simplified" way of self-defense had emerged after "endless exhaustive experiments and profound thought on the original highly complicated method of combat" (pp. 22). Lee states that the techniques were stripped of wasted, unnecessary motions, down to their essential purpose, to a stage of simplicity. It was interesting for me to read about what I think are parallel developments that Lee describes, in how he claims Gung Fu developed through what I interpret as the Three Stages of Cultivation that an individual practitioner would progress through in his/her own martial arts journey. Doing this research has also helped me to see where Lee's "a punch is just like a punch" quote comes from and it gives me a more accurate interpretation of what it means. I hope that my musing here has created some sense of meaning in working toward "Artlessness." References Lee, Bruce, Ed. John Little "The Tao of Gung Fu: A Study in the Way of Chinese Martial Art" pp. 22, 25 Tom, Teri, "The Stage of Art," Black Belt Magazine, V. 47, n. 5, pp. 34, 36

I do agree that each individual needs to make adjustments based on physical abilities particular to them to maximize a style. "Creating" is always has kind of a taboo connotation in MA circles. What would be wrong with doing and teaching TKD and BJJ and just calling them that, instead of coming up with a new name?

I don't disagree with you, but van you be more specific as to which basics? Do you mean a punch and a shell defense, or the standard basics of a traditional style?

You will find that many weapons styles have some crossover, even across cultural boundaries. With that said, I would go with the kali class, and after gaining experience there, use that experience to experiment with the Irish stick art. I think you will find this works better for you.

But in the original, they were teenagers.

My wife and I are pretty much that way. We try to know what all is going on, and get involved.

Ok, I'll go with that.

Since we are talking about trying to nullify a size/strength advantage, do you guys think that taking a bigger person to the ground helps to take away a size/strength advantage better than a knowledge of stand-up skills levels out size/strength advantages? If this is confusing, let me know and I'll try to explain better.

I don't think that could have been said much better.

I can see what you are getting at here, but I'd have to disagree at keeping them apart that much. When it comes down to having to defend yourself, you don't get to choose who you are going to fight with. Therefore, its important for the practitioners to expose themselves to as many different body types as possible, and that includes crossing genders. In the end, it is important for the instructors to keep a close eye on what is going on when the opposite sexes are rolling together, so that the training stays focused, and doesn't become a session of snickers and whatnot because they have no self-control.

Cool. At least that way, all those anniversaries will be easy to remember.

I do think MMA is about as close you can get to real fighting without having a real fight, with friends to jump in and all that. BJJ used to be done with the gi on, but it has adapted to use without a gi. Perhaps Judokas who are serious about taking on MMA competition should look for ways to do the same.

Well, your style likely has a curriculum, so go with that for your class formats, and work in some sparring classes for competition and the like. Check with other area schools to see if they host tournaments and things like that.

Nice signing for the Phills.

Left handed and right handed should use the same concepts. Lefties will see things differently, and have different targets open to them against righties.

Good luck!

Good job!

I disagree. This is a good way to get hurt really bad. Waiting to counter is a bad idea, as you are basing your defense off their action. Action is faster than reaction. There are some people out there that seem like they can always anticipate what someone is going to do, but they are the exception rather than the rule, and probably have many, many more years of training than the average Martial Artist out there. Telling someone they have to wait for an attack before defending is a good way to get a lot of students hurt. Giving someone the opportunity to attack first is like letting them hit first. You may not always be fast enough to counter that first blow, and then you spend the rest of the fight trying to play catch-up, that is, if you haven't fallen down and fallen asleep.

It sounds like with the changing situations, that it will be necessary for changes to come to your by-laws. Its easy to understand why there has only ever been one Hombu, with only schools in the US. But in moving to Okinawa, it appears now necessary to ensure streamline business practices to make ammendments to establish some form of control and representation in the US as well as the Hombu being in Okinawa. Hopefully, those on the board see this.

Seeing as this thread is taking on an all-encompassing nature of instructor introduction, I have decided to move it to Instructor Central. Thanks.

This may be the case. But do we really want to see? A street fight, or a competition where these guys can come away and compete again in 3 to 6 months? For real. We could take away the Dog Brothers' headgear and kempo gloves and replace their sissy shock knives with butcher knives, too. Everyone involved dies, but it's real. Yep, good points. I was also thinking that Judo competitors don't compete on concrete, so why would MMAers need to compete on concrete to make Judo more viable in the UFC?

12-13-2010 Afternoon DT club: 2:00 - 3:30pm. Reviewed some Academy cuffing techniques, and also played around with some rigid cuffs and quick cuffing techniques for them. Very nice, and I need to talk to the Sheriff about using some of them. We also did some grappling for just a short while, reviewing getting into a Kimura, I believe, from the bottom. Some of the newer police officers in one of the smaller towns in our county also showed up, and demonstrated a bit of what they called Koga (??). It was, different, I guess, and wasn't too sure what to think of it. Some of the guys pointed out, and I noticed as well, that if you are going to be searching someone like that, then its probably just as well to have them in cuffs first, and forget the chances you'd have to take doing it the way they showed. Any other LEO's have experience with Koga? Evening TKD class: 6:00 - 7:00pm. Good class, basics still kicking my butt. Got to do some forms review, which is what Monday's are slated for, and its helping me out quite a bit. Its also building my leg strength back up. I need to start doing some bag drills, too. 12-14-2010 Weights: pull day: Lat pull-down: 130x10, 140x8, 150x6 Seated row: 120x10, 130x8, 140x7 Iso pull-down: 45x8, 55x10, 65x10 Lat pull-over: 70x10, 80x10, 90x8 Bent-over rows: 45x10, 70x10, 80x8 Upright rows: 70x10, 75x8, 80x6 One-arm dumbell rows: 45x10, 50x8, 55x6 Abs Dumbell side bends: 30x10, 35x10, 40x10 Ab coaster: 20x10, 10, 10[/b]

I agree. Check the rules of the tournaments and see if they have certain gear requirements. Check the tournament list if you can, and buy gear that will get you into the most tournaments.