To Share or not to Share Martial Art Principles

[Tempest]

Principles, yes but which ones? Movements that are fundamental to one art are anathema to another.

Teach principles, but always in context. Techniques and drills are the snapshots in time through which we view principles in context.

[Alan Armstrong]

A principle is a way to learn (a fundamental truth) or to remember one thousand things with one simple idea.

All wise military leaders (no matter the country of the army) teach their troops to "out flank the enemy" A great principle that has alot of merit to it, which is not limited in it's idea, but is actually unlimited in it's practical applications to win a fight or battle.

If a martial artist, can constantly out flank his/her opponent, it will more often than not help to beat their adversarys.

Many battles have bee lost to the excuse of being out flanked and out numbered.

If you have ever been 'sucker punched' it was more likely than not a 'flanked punch' and you never seen it coming from either side of you. This is why the coach or ma teacher is constantly shouting to his student "KEEP YOUR HANDS UP"

[Tempest]

A principle is a way to learn (a fundamental truth) or to remember one thousand things with one simple idea.

All wise military leaders (no matter the country of the army) teach their troops to "out flank the enemy" A great principle that has alot of merit to it, which is not limited in it's idea, but is actually unlimited in it's practical applications to win a fight or battle.

If a martial artist, can constantly out flank his/her opponent, it will more often than not help to beat their adversarys.

Many battles have bee lost to the excuse of being out flanked and out numbered.

If you have ever been 'sucker punched' it was more likely than not a 'flanked punch' and you never seen it coming from either side of you. This is why the coach or ma teacher is constantly shouting to his student "KEEP YOUR HANDS UP"

See, this is exactly what I am talking about. Nobody tells people to keep their hands up to avoid the sucker punch. They tell them to keep their hands up to be ready to defend the punches that are in front of them. Sucker punches, or other ambush and flank attacks, are best defended by keeping your EYES up and your EARS open so you know what is going on around you. These sorts of attacks are effective precisely because you do not know they are coming. Flanking is a universal strategy, but flanking is just attacking an enemy from a side, that is taking an angle on them. Ambushes and sucker punches often come from a flank, but sometimes from behind as well. Sometimes, they just come from the front but you were not paying attention. The proper thing to shout at people to get them to avoid sucker punches is PAY ATTENTION.

See what I mean about context?

[Alan Armstrong]

I understand that 'pay attention' is to listen and 'keep your hands up' is to stay focused to defend and counter attack and also means exactly what it is (keep your hands up)

To keep the hands up, reason (could be) is that the attacker is faster than the defender with the hands down, countering and defending could be more difficult or dangerous.

With the hands up it is easier to defend against if being out flanked.

Keeping oneself balanced at all times is a principle that is not monopolized by one style or another. Rather it is a truth that all styles need to be successful. Also to unbalance opponents is the Yin/Yang balance that all martial artists can benefit from.

Stay balanced and unbalance opponent; simple. Your ma style will differ or have similarities to other styles from this point on.

Edited September 23, 2016 by Alan Armstrong

[Tempest]

Pay attention, sometimes means to listen. Sometimes it means to see. Mostly it means to use your senses and your brain to take in information without needing to hesitate or ask for additional context than what is offered freely. It allows you to absorb information without necessarily being voluntarily given said information. People who intend to ambush you often do not schedule it with you in advance. You need to pay attention to the tiny details that give you a clue something is wrong.

Keep your hands up is not a very good defense against, for example, a single leg take down.

I will keep spamming this word till it is engraved with fire in the minds of MA practitioners everywhere, but CONTEXT.

Principles are great, but it is through specific techniques, repetition of drills, and then application of those drills to a non-cooperative partner that we are given CONTEXT in which a principle applies and without that context, you might just as well say that the greatest martial artist in the world is Bobby Fischer.

[Alan Armstrong]

Of course context is important, one expression has a totally different meaning depending on where and who is saying it.

Expressions taken out of context can lead to all kinds of misunderstandings and problems.

[MatsuShinshii]

Sharing martial art principles (to martial art students) is my way of transmitting the most amount of information (efficiently) in the shortest amout of time available.

I believe that martial art principles will improve a student's progress more rapidly and profoundly than just constant physical repetition.

To challenge the student's strategic intellectual mind and combine it with new physical martial art abilities.

Also exploring and practincing with some of the similarities and differences of the most popular known or major MA styles.

For a martial artist in this day and age to be fixated on just one style could have disastrous consequences for that individual.

One principle I like to use more often than not is body mechanics.

Also how to use (leverage) the human body as a crowbar.

There are plenty (hundreds) of martial art principles to be learned, some of my martial art instructors neglected to share this aspect with students.

Perhapse instructors due to there own 'none' willingness to share principles is a way to keep students coming back for longer! Or as a way to continue to dominate and keep a student on a lower level for a longer amount of time.

Most of the martial art principles that I have been fortunate to learn have been of Chinese origin. The Japanese and Koren MA styles that I have been equally exposed to have fallen short in this topic of learning principles.

Ironically 'The Karate Kid' movies/films were full of wisdom and principles... did the owners of dojos forget this aspect... the principles learned from these movies is the reason many parents sent their children to learn karate!

Many parents have sent their children to dojos for many reasons, most likely to help them become better people and eventually benefiting from the experience.

Kicking and punching while screaming without principles equals in my mind a kicking and punching screaming kid.

Not all Karate style/schools have forgotten these principles. Fine a good traditional (old school) instructor and you will see this being taught.

[Alan Armstrong]

Thank you for your opinions and advice MatsuShinshii.

Fortunately I don't need to find a good traditional (old school) instructor; because I am one.

[MatsuShinshii]

Thank you for your opinions and advice MatsuShinshii.

Fortunately I don't need to find a good traditional (old school) instructor; because I am one.

No offense intended Alan. I am pretty new to the forums and do not presume to know everyones or anyones back ground. I was merely pointing out that these principles are still alive and thriving in traditional "old school" dojo's.

[Alan Armstrong]

No offence taken MatsuShinsii.

This forum is a great place to be; welcome!

Keeping focused, polite and comments in context, we will have a (Do) in which we can all share and benefit from, includinging helping each other with constructive opinions and a multitude of martial art experiences.