I touched it, at least for a moment
on Sunday. Ha, don’t get cute with that.
I touched the magic I have been chasing.
What is that “magic” you might
ask. Best way to describe it is to share
a conversation I had with Dillon about it.
Me - Do you know of a Japanese term
meaning effortlessness?
Dillon - What's the context?
Me - That's the rub, hard to put
into words in any language
The feeling is when you are just doing
the motion as if you are doing kata or just in the air.
Then when you use that same amount
of effort with a person, especially a resistive opponent and they go flying
through the air like Hong Kong wire work
Dillon - I mean, in martial arts my
go to for that would be Kano's Seiryoku Zenyo.
The "maximum effect/ minimum
effort" from Judo.
But I don't know of a term for
"effortless" in the same sense as we'd use it.
That is close, probably as close to
what I’m trying to express as I’m going to get.
As far as I know there is no succinct
term or phrase meaning:
Real time, practical use of martial arts nerd stuff that seems like bullshit
until someone half your size tosses you get across a room, or hits you so hard it
feels like you crapped out a sizable portion of your skeleton and you just want
to lay in the fetal position for a few minutes.
These things have happened to me. The magic I seek is the ability to reliably
and consistently do that to bigger, stronger resisting opponents.
I have written about training geared
to get from 0 to proficiency as quickly as possible. The magic is going from proficient to
mastery, to effortlessness
I think I am on the trail. I touched it on Sunday. On Sunday we had a VPPG (Violence Prone Play
Group) meeting. The idea of VPPG is
there isn’t a student / teacher relationship.
Everybody that attends is tasked with bringing a problem they want to bang
out, or a general idea they want to work on.
When it is their turn everyone else helps to solve the problem with
insight / experience from their unique perspective. Then there is some form of sparring / dynamic
resistance to test out the potential solutions.
Everybody works on that idea for themselves. Then we move on to the next guy
It started with Greg’s request
Me - Anything in particular you want
to work on?
Greg - Yes, basic trips if getting
to the dead side isn't an option. Some of the old timey ones from some of your
videos you've posted.
I thought he wanted to work on
attacking the legs from 0. That is cool
because that is part of the Katamedo Jujitsu curriculum anyway.
Effort and prep time are what allow
Batman to fight against super powered demi gods
So, following that example I put
work in to prep for the VPPG. Working
ashi waza (leg techniques) no Gi, from striking (in offense and defense).
I reviewed The 65 throws of Kodokan
Judo DVD’s from the USMAA.
I took mental notes as Phil Porter
Sensei, an American pioneer in martial arts who has coached Judo at the highest
level explained how Ko Uchi Gari (minor inside reap)works. I won’t get into too much detail, but I
mention it because his ability to translate esoteric martial arts ideas into
physics, kinesiology, biology that I can understand is outstanding.
If the “magic” can be understood
through science, then it is obtainable.
Side note as I was writing this blog
I contacted Mike Makoid. I told him that
I would be referencing the DVD’s and asked if there is a link readers could
click to purchase them.
To paraphrase Makoid Sensei, access
to those DVD’s is benefit of attending the USMAA National Training camp.
I have never endorsed a product on the blog before. I don’t see a penny from sales. So when I encourage anyone who enjoys a throwing art to get these DVD’s I hope that attests to the quality of the information they hold. Clearly no book or video can replace a good instructor and training buddies to roll with. However, these DVD’s are an excellent supplement to your training.
Click the link below, register for
National Training Camp, spend a weekend training with some of the best
Instructors in the Country, take the DVD’s home with you.
Easy - Peasy -
Japanesey
Now as Paul Harvey would say and now
for the rest of the story.
If the “magic” can be understood
through science, then it is obtainable.
It is real, it is not just demonstration
side show sleight of hand nonsense.
The idea of maximizing positives and
minimizing negatives is a part of it
I’m sure I’ve written it here as well, but many
times when I am teaching I talk about how you can’t make yourself instantly
stronger. If you could you would turn
into to the Hulk, or you would flood your blood stream with Venom like Bane in
times of need and training would be unnecessary.
You can’t make yourself instantly
stronger, but you can remove everything that makes you weak, bleeds off your
power.
You can also maximize the strength
that you do have. I talk about the “tyrannosaur
triangle”, bringing the threat to where you are the strongest, as opposed to
breaking your structure in an attempt to deliver force into the threat.
Another aspect of maximizing the
strength that you have is sometimes described as
- Old man strength
Here is an entire article on the
subject
The Urban Dictionary defines it
as - The crazy insane strength you gain
when you become an old man
In context:
Did you see grandpa pick up that keg
of beer?
Yeah he has sick old man strength
Although ligament strength developed
over a youth of rigorous labor pays off later in life, I feel a more significant
factor is experience using strength.
An example that comes to mind is training
with Steve Jimerfield. Steve is very
strong. However, we will be working on
something and he will show me some sort of bone alignment, or tightening of ligaments,
or finger extension. When he does it in
that way, it isn’t just a little stronger, it is exponentially stronger, scary
stronger. No bullshit practical
applications of the “unbendable arm”
I know the magic is real. It can be explained, it can be obtained. I have found it from time to time. I have felt it with Jimerfield.
I have also felt it with Marc MacYoung.
Just as removing anything that
bleeds power from you, and maximizing your strength is part of it, minimizing
their strength another part of it.
Putting weakness into them, for lack
of a more elegant term.
One of the first times I played with
Marc he brought me down to where he is strongest, twisted me up in such a way
that all my advantages in size and strength meant nothing, stepped in such a
way that all my avenues of escape were blocked, then chucked me across the
room.
That was very cool!
Here is a picture from after that
seminar from when Lise tossed a dude twice her size through a wall.
A concept I use to help explain this
is unlocking gates. If I can unlock the gates
(break the framework) you need to use force against me, then clearly it becomes
much more difficult for you to do so.
Inversely I can lock gates (create a
frame work) in you that allows me to move you to where you do not want to go.
Dillon mentioned this idea is like playing with one of these
Collapsing or creating structure
with their skeleton
Factors in being able to
scientifically reproduce “the magic”:
- Removing anything that robs you of power
- Maximizing your strength
- Minimizing their strength (unlocking gates)
- Sensitivity
Sensitivity is putting these all
these ideas together, and being able to switch gears between them as the
circumstances dictate. This can be seen
in things like casting a net in Kung Fu, or the rowing exercise in Aikido
Back to last Sunday, we are working
on the above mentioned factors, some specifically, some by coincidence.
Greg is working with Dillon on ashi waza (leg
techniques). No Gi, from striking (light
sparring). The leg sweep Greg is working on is most often a trip with the thrower
landing on the opponent and transitioning directly into ground work.
Dillon is
built like a fire hydrant, genetically engineered not to be thrown. Without getting too inside baseball or bogged
down by details, as Greg reaps the leg he drives Dillon back sending him
through the air. So much so Dillon had
to cover his head as he landed so he didn’t crack his skull.
Holy shit!
Greg tosses me, and Jake the Snake.
Now it is my turn.
Ko Uchi Gari has never been one of my
favorites, until that Sunday.
Minimal
Effort, maximum effect.
Guys didn’t just
trip, guys flew off my leg. Very cool!
Sadly, I didn’t catch that on
tape. I was busy doing it. I’ll see if I can at the next VPPG play time.
Until then, in his own search of this magic
Dillon has been learning Bagua. Part of
his homework is to find applications of basic Bagua forms. So for your enjoyment here is some video of
Dillon throwing me all over God’s green earth using the throwing applications
of one small part or on Bagua form
Train hard, train smart, be safe
Find the magic. Even if you never do the search itself will be worth it
