Tracking Mode: Training Methods from the Erle Montaigue System Nasser Butt

The ‘Erle Montaigue System’ as it came to be known, is primarily composed of:

1. Old Yang Style Taijiquan 2. Baguazhang 3. Wudang Quan

These were the main arts he practiced and added to these, to a lesser extent, were training methods from Xingyi as well as an eclectic mix of training methods which he had gleaned during his travels from meeting some of the great exponents of the martial arts around the world. Unlike many modern martial artists, he hadn’t randomly ‘mixed’ techniques from various martial arts — his ‘system’ was firmly rooted in the neijia and the Classics! I use the term ‘system’ purely to distinguish Erle’s teaching from the modern health-oriented teachings! Erle, himself, publicly stated that he “stood on the shoulders of giants” — those great teachers of the past who had woven the original silk threads of these devastating fighting arts themselves.

The Tracking Mode Training Methods are simply gems from within the old training methods of the Yangs — primarily preserved by the line of Yang Shao-hou — as well as Baguazhang and Xingyi, and of course the source itself, Wudang Quan.

There are many of these methods [including forms] and most people familiar with Erle’s ‘system’ will know of at least some of them, but not necessarily in the context of ‘tracking’ — in other words, most folk would have learned a training method without fully realising the why and majority would not even know or be aware of the term ‘tracking’. Of course, this was not down to poor teaching or lack of information — it was simply down to students themselves not training progressively and/or not studying the subject matter with due diligence! Erle would, himself, go on to lament shortly before he died that he felt like he was “casting pearls before swine,”1 such was his disappointment with the majority of his students.

It is not my intention here to go through each and every tracking method [there are far too many to count], rather my intention is to make the practitioners aware of the subject matter and its importance, and provide context — a context which should be understood alongside Mapping2. Further, as is the case with most training methods — they are multi-dimensional. In other words, they are teaching a whole variety of concepts involving body mechanics and movement with tracking being just one of the elements. This is the first time since Erle’s passing that this information is being highlighted in the public domain! Of course, Erle, himself, mentioned this both explicitly and implicitly throughout his entire teachings, however, since many of the training methods are now either being wrongfully discarded or being misunderstood and changed, and in some cases not even being trained at all — it is high time the subject was raised to preserve the “good oil,” as per the stated intention of The Guild and those of us whom Erle deemed his personal students!

Before continuing, let me state that Tracking Training is not limited to the neijia — other martial arts have them too and yet here too they are equally misunderstood, and with more and more martial artists no longer training ‘classically,’ especially with the rise of MMA, these training methods are being lost to future generations.

So, what do we mean by Tracking Mode Training?

All martial arts consist of two fighting methods — the ‘big man’s’ and the ‘small man’s’ fighting method3 . Further, all martial arts are based on two fundamental concepts — the straight line and the curve — elementary geometry. All fighting stratagems — regardless of style — are born out of these simple facts.

Again, regardless of methodology, some essential truths must be observed:

• Never step backwards… our intent must remain forwards. • We never fight the peripheral attacking weapon/empty hand, we must always fight the whole body. • Never meet force on force, always move at a slight angle to the attack as you move in. • Never use two steps in fighting. Your defence is your attack! • Never look at the attacking portion. All animals survive using their peripheral vision.

Take a look at the images on the right and you will see all the above points being observed without reservation. Animals are and always have been the most natural ‘fighters’ on this planet and it is no surprise that many martial arts were born from observing nature.

Tracking mode training literally develops the skills to fight the body as a whole regardless of the attacking portion. Not only that, but the training also develops our rooting skills and the ability to strike from anywhere with timing, co-ordination and power whilst instantly seeing the lines of attack, and cutting the opponent’s power as near to the source as possible at the onset of the attack.

The primary methodology, as always, is developed through our training of Da Shou [Striking/Joining Hands] training methods, however, as I have already stated, virtually the entire repertoire of training methods within the ‘System’ incorporate tracking mode training at its core.

Through peripheral vision, we observe the body as a whole unit. No person can attack you, whether it is a kick a punch, or a weapon without moving or adjusting their body first. Strike the instant any part of their body moves!

I will use the very simple training method for teaching a beginner how to develop a right, left, right fa-jing ‘shake’ of the waist to illustrate below.

This method is a basic drill and most who have trained in Erle’s ‘system’ should at some point in their training have covered this.

In Photo 1, my partner [Amy Faulkner] raises her right palm [this method is usually done wearing a striking mitt on the right or left hand — depending on the side we start on — however, it can be practiced on a palm for beginners since they would not have much power in their strikes].

My waist instantly loads slightly to the right causing my hands to rise [Photo 2] and then turns rapidly to the left [Photo 3 overleaf] and back to the right [Photos 4 & 5 overleaf].

All images take from Adobe Stock, Royalty Free. Images by Cheryl Ramalho, Mikhail Semenov, Hedrus, Nature Guy, and Vaclav.

Photo 1 Photo 2

The shake of the waist to the left and right causes my right hand to strike my partner’s right palm with a snap punch and, as I ground into my right foot, my left palm strikes their left shoulder.

As I have stated above, most people would have learned this drill to develop the basic ‘shake’ of fajing and most likely have left it at that once their ego felt that they were hitting the mitt on the their partner’s right palm with sufficient power and in doing so they would have failed to see the proverbial wood for the trees!

This drill is also one of the basic tracking methods — not just to develop the fajing shake!

Whilst most folk assumed that touching their partner’s left shoulder was simply to show that they had turned their waist enough and correctly in the opposing direction whilst striking on the right side — they would fail to understand this at the tracking level.

Note, in all of the images my eyes never look at the striking portions represented here by Amy’s right and left arms. I use my peripheral vision to see her whole body as I attack her right side [palm] tracking her body’s positioning. The strike with my left palm to her left shoulder is an indicator that I have tracked her correctly and cut the source of her power on the left side [shoulder] to prevent her following up with a left strike! Note, also, my final structure in Photo 5 — my body is holding its alignments as per the Classics!

In the images above, the drill is being done from a static position. It is far easier to show this from this perspective using still photography. Once the basic shake has been ‘mastered,’ the drill advances to the next level.

Your partner would now raise the mitt from a neutral position [i.e. with their hands starting by their sides] and instantly follow up with a strike with a left. The practitioner would strike the right side and attack the left, using the fajing shake — the aim would be to see how far the attacker would be able to raise their arm before their power is checked. Obviously, as the skill of the practitioner improved, their partner’s arm would barely have left their side before they were checked.

The next or third level of the same drill would be now where there would be no mitt. Your ‘attacker’ would wear safety body armour and head gear — as soon as they move, you’d adjust your body accordingly and strike multiple times!

Students need to be aware that this is a training method only — not a technique! Its function is to teach you concepts and principles — nothing more, nothing less and that there are many of these methods.

Photo 3 Photo 4

Photo 5

The swivelling [Photos 6, 7 & 8] and stepping components of the Small San-sau4 not only teach the students the fundamentals of the 13 Dynamics — the alphabet of Taijiquan — they are also a master tutor tracking mode training method teaching us how to fight the body as whole and never the peripherals.

Of course, this information is distilled and refined throughout our training eventually being seen in everything we do culminating at the highest levels of our Da Shou practice and ultimately the Pauchui! However, a word of warning… students who dismiss training methods as ‘old’ or irrelevant, or are told they need not practice them since Erle was no longer practicing them in his later years, will always fall short and fail! Erle achieved the heights he did through practicing these drills to the nth degree, not through bypassing or avoiding these training methods! If you want to learn how to read and write you must begin with the alphabet, it is that simple!

As I stated at the start of this article — this is merely meant to be a brief introduction and an insight into this topic. Hopefully, it will give the student some food for thought — and I don’t only mean Taiji students or those who trained in Erle’s ‘system’. This should be a cause for reflection for all practitioners regardless of what you call your style. Katas, forms, training methods are multi-layered much like an onion — as you peel back one layer, another reveals itself!

As we approach the 11th anniversary of Erle’s passing, this is a gift of the “good oil” to all out there.

My thanks to Amy Faulkner for appearing in these photos with me. It took much courage for her to do so and those who know her, will understand what I mean. I am very proud of her to say the least! My thanks also to Maggie Cooper for taking the photos and David Garcia for the archival photo of myself and my partner in crime — Elliot Morris — who has always stood by me come rain or shine.

Notes:

Photo 6 Photo 7

Photo 8 [Photography David Garcia]

1. I have covered this in detail in my books, The 12 Secret Rings of The Yang Family and Whose Line Is It Anyway? Both books are available from Peecho and details can be found in this publication. 2. See Lift Hands Volume 17 September 2019 for a brief article on Mapping. 3. It is not my intention to go into the details of the two methods. Suffice to say that they exist and most teachers who discard parts of or change forms and/or training methods as being ineffective fail to understand that the method they are discarding may not be suited to their body shape, size or physical ability, but is useful to another! Regardless, both methods must be understood by all practitioners. See Lift Hands Volume 17, March 2021 — Baguazhang: The Art of

Dong ‘The Fugitive’ for a brief description of the two methods. 4. The role of Tracking Training Methods in the Small San-sau is covered in my forthcoming book — Unlocking The

Small San-Shou and DVD of the same title.