Lift Hands Volume 21 March 2022 - The Multi-Award Winning Martial Arts Magazine

volume 21

The Knockout

The Eye of Destruction Self Protection in a World Spinning Out of Control Part Two

20 Questions: Tommy Joe Moore & Lucci Del-Gaudio

March 2022

The Wudang Stepping Methods: The ‘Ingenuities’ Of Taijiquan Fight Like Your Grandad Getting Value from Push Hands “Strike First, Strike Hard.

No Mercy” The Rise and Pitfalls of Cobra Kai

Editor Nasser Butt

perception realization activation action

Lift Hands

The Internal Arts Magazine Volume 21 March 2022

Editor

Nasser Butt

L’orso Solitario

Published by L’orso Solitario Books, Leicester, United Kingdom Lift Hands The Internal Arts Magazine Volume 21 March 2022 Editor Nasser Butt Copyright © by Nasser Butt, 2022 & Fa-jing Ch’uan Internal Chinese Boxing Schools Nasser Butt asserts the moral right to be identified as the editor & owner of this work.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the editor.

Waiver of Liability: The publisher assumes no liability for the use or misuse of information contained within this book. By purchasing or electronically downloading this publication, the reader hereby, waives any and all claims he or she may have now or in the future against Nasser Butt and Fa-Jing Ch’uan Internal Chinese Boxing Schools or its affiliates.

The points of view represented here are solely those of the authors’ concerned. You do not have to subscribe to them if you do not wish. Nor is their inclusion here necessarily an endorsement by Fa-jing Ch’uan Internal Chinese Boxing School or its affiliates.

Cover Photo [Main]: Tommy Joe Moore with Neil Ellis; Photo Credit: Nasser Butt. Copyright©Nasser Butt 2022; Inset: Lucci Del-Gaudio Cover Design © Nasser Butt, 2022 Back Design: Copyright © Nasser Butt 2022

lift hands

March 2022

Celebrating 5 Years of the Multi-Award Winning Internal Martial Arts Magazine

contents

Editor’s Note

Page 9

The House of Mouse The Art of Amy Faulkner

Page 11

The Eye of Destruction: Self-protection in a World Spinning Out of Control Part Two Dr Gregory T. Lawton

Page 14

Camp 2022 Details

Page 31

As I Remember Ansei Ueshiro Sensei Katherine Loukopoulos

Page 35

The Knockout Gavin Mulholland

Page 46

20 Questions with Lucci Del-Gaudio

Page 50

Human Target TAT3D Review Nasser Butt

Page56

20 Questions with Tommy Joe Moore

Page 69

Fight Like Your Grandad Tommy Joe Moore

Page 80

The Medicine of Words Dr Gregory T. Lawton

Page 91

Injury Prevention for Old and New Warriors Colin Power

Page 93

The Wudang Stepping Methods: The ‘Ingenuities’ Of Taijiquan Nasser Butt

Page 98

Getting Value From Push Hands Alan Ludmer

Page 115

“Strike First, Strike Hard. No Mercy” The Rise and Pitfalls of Cobra Kai Gemma Burman

Page 122

Peasant Talk

Page 133

Useful Contacts

Page 138

The Art of Louiseneige Be

Page 139

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W

elcome to Year 6 — Volume 21 of Lift Hands Magazine 2022!

Nasser Butt

editor’s Note

First and foremost my apologies for the slightly delayed [4 days to be precise] first issue of the year.

We’ve had a fantastic first five years and I want to say a massive thank you to all those who made that possible and we’re not easing up — here we are with the 21st issue and it’s a bumper pack with over 140 pages of in-depth articles!

This has been the largest issue I have put together and it has taken a lot of time editing and that has been part of the reason for the slight delay.

Anyhow, onwards… to start Year 6 you are getting a double helping of 20 Questions and we have a couple of new entrants contributing to the magazine. A huge welcome to Gemma Burman and Tommy Joe Moore!

Dr Gregory Lawton has dished up a timely part two to his brilliant article ‘The Eye of Destruction: Self-protection in a World Spinning Out of Control’ — a much needed common sense approach to self-defence alongside Tommy Joe Moore’s ‘Fight Like Your Grandad’!

As ever, we have an excellent contribution from Gavin Mulholland in ‘The Knockout’ and Alan Ludmer continues his insights into practicing and developing one’s Taijiquan.

Lift Hands is so privileged to have some of the great minds in martial arts contributing to our pages and every time I read an article by Katherine Loukopoulos Sensei, I feel like I am transported back in time into an era when martial arts had not yet lost their souls to the ‘business model’. Anyhow, I digress…

2022 is a packed year full of martial arts events from Kaizen to The Asian Martial Arts Show and a heap more other workshops and gatherings… Lift Hands will try to get to them all and bring you more in these pages.

Keeping Lift Hands free online has been a challenge in these difficult times and I really do genuinely want to thank everyone, who with their generosity, have made this happen for another year — from individuals, whom I won’t name, to The Gatherings and other organizations. I bow low to you all!

I hope that life is regaining some kind of normality wherever you are on this globe spinning in space… despite the wars and humankind’s madness into self-destruction.

I’d like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a happy and peaceful Ramadan, Easter, Pesach [Passover], Vaisakhi — all being celebrated in the month of April. And to all our secular friends — enjoy the spring holidays.

See you in June!

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Know Your Dragon!

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Introduction

W

e are living in dark and perilous times. We are witnessing the moral decline of humanity, increases in mental illness, rising crime, escalating incidents of violence and assault, and “countries are burning with the flame of dissension, and the fire of war and carnage is blazing throughout the east and the west.” (1)

We are also witnessing incredible acts of courage and resistance against attacks intended to destroy the foundations of free nations and societies. Never has there been a time when people have needed the balance and strength that training in the traditional martial arts provides. Balance and strength that comes from the mental, emotional, spiritual, and physical aspects of these great training systems. People possessed of self-assurance and a sense of self-empowerment do not cower in fear in face of the aggressor or the tyrant, they arise resolutely and with courage. To everyone, everywhere, who is fighting for their lives, their families, their cities, and their nations, my thoughts and prayers are with you.

This article is offered as a small contribution to the self-empowerment of peoples and societies everywhere it reaches. To those of you who have been training for years in the martial arts, I offer these thoughts in the hope of enriching your knowledge and increasing your ability to withstand injustice. To those of you who are new to the martial arts, this material is intended to show you the true path to martial ability.

This article is a continuation of the concepts presented in Part One of this series. I recommend that the reader of this article (if they have not already done so) read “The Eye of Destruction: Self-Protection in a World Spinning out of Control, Part One” from the December 2021, Volume 20, issue of Lift Hands magazine. You may also want to review my previous three-part series entitled “The Medical Implications of Combat Tai Chi Chuan Techniques: Investigating Blunt Force Trauma,” which describes the medical consequences of combat Tai Chi Chuan and

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contains practical descriptions of physical attacks to the most vulnerable areas of the human body.

Please note: There can be serious legal repercussions to defending yourself and inflicting injury to another person. The purpose of these articles is to educate and empower people in reality-based self-protection (RBSP) and not to promote unnecessary violence. Legal issues because of defending yourself may result in criminal charges and/or civil lawsuits. It has often been stated by attorneys that specialize in self-defense law that, “The first fight is for your life, and the second fight is for the rest of your life.”

In “The Eye of Destruction: Self-Protection in a World Spinning Out of Control, Part One,” we: discussed the growing interest in learning self-defense and self-protection skills; compared the difference between self-defense and self-protection; answered the question “Why learn self-defense?”; established that everyone has the capacity to defend themselves; explained that everyone has the legal and moral right to defend themselves; and taught that the first rule of self-defense is the avoidance of trouble and conflict when possible. We explained that situational awareness and threat assessment is not paranoia but is a positive behavioral trait for survival, and that selfdefense against a violent assailant requires a total commitment to inflict catastrophic injury.

In “The Eye of Destruction: Self-Protection in a World Spinning Out of Control, Part Two,” we are going to pick up where we left off in Part One. We are going to investigate the mental and physical characteristics needed to protect yourself and your loved ones from becoming victims of violence — at home, at work, at play, and in our city streets.

As a martial arts instructor who has been teaching students for over five decades, my biggest fear is that what I teach a student will not be effective and might get them hurt. For that reason, I only teach the techniques and skills that I believe will be the most effective for self-protection. For those of you who are new to my writing and teaching, please know that first and foremost, I teach situational awareness, the avoidance of conflict and violence, and when that fails, conflict resolution and de-escalation. When all else fails, I teach the delivery of catastrophic injury. I also teach that it is better to heal than to harm. Most of my days are spent with my patients or teaching biomedicine and healing arts classes.

The Eye of Destruction: Self-Protection in a World Spinning Out of Control Part Two

Learning Self-Defense and Self-Protection Skills is a Lifetime Effort Simply taking a self-defense seminar, buying a book on the subject, or reading this article will not be sufficient to make you skilled at self-protection or able to answer the threat of a violent attack. Techniques that you may have learned in a typical martial arts program may not be the kind of techniques (or the correct mindset) by which to successfully address a violent confrontation. It is important that the knowledge and skills learned relating to selfprotection are specific for dealing with predatory violence, and that your skills are honed and sharpened throughout your lifetime through regular and realistic practice. Frankly, much of what I see offered in martial arts schools and self-defense classes does not reach the level of effectiveness needed when facing violence or a violent predator.

When I begin to work with a new class or with an individual student, I very quickly ascertain their level of “reality” regarding violence when I introduce them to what I call “Dr. Lawton’s School of Pain.” My school of pain involves having a student show me how they might deal with a violent attacker intent upon maiming or killing them. Commonly, the techniques they show me (learned in previous martial arts training or by watching “John Wick” movies) are directed at areas of the body that would not cause catastrophic injury, and if they are directed at effective areas, they are delivered ineffectively (without proper follow-through or penetration).

I recently hosted and worked with a group of intercity teenagers who had a mixed background of experience in street violence. Some of these teens had training in western boxing, wrestling, and/or mixed martial arts. What I discovered is that their previous training did very little to prepare them for real violence; in fact, it appeared to hinder their understanding and ability to deliver effective attacks. For example, on one young man (a heavyweight wrestler), I applied a technique where I reached out to “tie up” as if we were in a sport wrestling match. I have found that many wrestlers conditioned through sports training rules will respond with an attempt to grapple from a standing position. When they do this, they leave their eyes, throat, and other key targets open to

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attack - which I quickly and efficiently demonstrated to the surprised young wrestler.

In “Dr. Lawton’s School of Pain,” I quickly introduce students to the most effective targets for the delivery of catastrophic injury. These areas were partially covered in my three-part series (also published in Lift Hands magazine) entitled “The Medical Implications of Combat Tai Chi Chuan Techniques: Investigating Blunt Force Trauma.” In my school of pain, I expand upon the physiologically and neurologically vulnerable areas of the human body, and I add additional organs, glands, nerves, and arteries. Many of these anatomical locations cause severe pain, which may stop all but the most determined, crazed, or drugged attacker. Some of these points cause immediate nerve damage to the forearm, wrist, or hand that will temporarily weaken an attacker; others damage arteries and cut off blood flow to the brain; still others damage or sever the spinal cord, causing paralysis or death. (Some of these techniques and areas of the body will be covered further on in this article.)

Photograph Two: The author delivering a brachial stun to the side of the neck. Every attack to the body needs to strike or dislocate a vital area of the human body to shut down an attacker.

Building a Framework for Self-Protection Like building a house, learning how to effectively protect yourself through the ability to deliver catastrophic injury to a violent attacker is a step-by-step process that begins with “pouring the foundation.” The foundation of self-protection is set upon a collection of mental skills and abilities. I have trained many students to be proficient in the physical skills of self-protection, but I have known few who possess the mental attributes needed to effectively utilize those physical skills.

In general, training in almost any martial art will help you to develop mental and emotional attributes, including healthy assertiveness, self-confidence, emotional stability, and the ability to deal with anger and aggression.

However, not every martial art will prepare you for violence in the street, a home invasion, or a personal attack against your person for the purpose of robbery or rape.

Many popular martial arts have a very long learning curve, and the central premise or philosophy of a martial art may not be centered on reality-based fighting skills. There are no rules in reality-based combat martial arts, but many popular martial arts which focus on public entertainment or sports competition come with all the rules of wrestling, judo, jujitsu, boxing, karate, or mixed martial arts. If you want a good understanding of the most effective techniques used in reality-based combat, read the list of prohibited strikes and/or moves or actions that will result in disqualification in these martial arts.

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The following strikes and/or actions are prohibited in the entertainment martial arts such as wrestling, boxing, or mixed martial arts, and they are prohibited acts in all sports focused martial arts. Committing any of these strikes or actions may result in the disqualification of a fighter, loss of a contest, fines, or other penalties. (This is not the full list of prohibited actions.)

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Head butting Eye attacks or gouging in any form Biting any part of the body Nose biting Spitting Fish hooking (the act of inserting a finger or fingers or one or both hands into the mouth or nostrils of a person, pulling away tissue from the midline of the body) Pinching and tearing at the skin, nose, ears, or other areas of the body Hair pulling Grabbing, tearing at, or pulling on the ears Spiking an opponent to the mat on his head or neck (Pile driver) Strikes to the spine, vertebra, or to the back of the head Throat strikes of any kind, and/or grabbing or crushing the trachea Gouging the fingers or thumb into an opponent’s face or eyes Sticking hands, fingers, feet, or toes into body orifices Downward elbow strikes to the spine or any area of the body Groin attacks of any kind including grabbing and crushing Drop kneeing and/or kicking the head of a grounded opponent Foot stomping a grounded opponent Holding on to an opponent’s gloves, shorts, Gi, or clothing Holding or grabbing the fence or ropes with fingers or toes Finger dislocation, breaking, and small joint manipulation Joint dislocation Throwing an opponent out of ring, the ring fighting area, or into physical obstructions Intentionally placing a finger into a cut or laceration of an opponent Clawing, pinching, or twisting the skin Using abusive language during a fight or attempting to anger or enrage an opponent with foul language Unsportsmanlike conduct that causes injury to an opponent

Photograph Three: Finger dislocation, breaking, and small joint manipulation is prohibited in the entertainment martial arts and in sport fighting contests.

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If your training in the martial arts has conditioned you to perceive threats as a competition, has conditioned you to “fight fair,” or has taught you that violence is “bad,” then in any serious encounter you face, you will handicap yourself and contribute to your own defeat (mugging, rape, or worse).

The mental attributes needed for self-protection begin with learning how to achieve and maintain a steady state of mind that overcomes anxiety and fear and/or learns to channel those emotions into the intent needed to initiate violence against an attacker. We need to stop thinking about violence as bad and accept violence as state of mind and an activity that is sometimes necessary when facing a violent predator. You need to ask yourself why you are a student of the martial arts; if it is to compete in the entertainment martial sports arena, then do not delude yourself that the same skills will prepare you to face violence or a violent predator who will not be observing the same rules that you have conditioned yourself to follow.

Answer this question honestly: Have you, through your training and your sense of “fair play,” rendered yourself ineffective against violent attacks? Most of us have heard the common adage, “You fight how you train.” If you have trained yourself to selectively target and hit only the “approved targets” of sports martial arts, then those are the targets you will strike in a high anxiety situation (such as a mugging, attempted rape, or home invasion). If your martial arts training as a teacher or student trains you to “pull” your fa jing attacks, punches, kicks, or other strikes or techniques, then you will probably fail to execute the technique correctly (with correct force and penetration into the target).

The framework for reality-based self-protection (RBSP) includes, and is reliant upon, the following skill sets which must be deeply imbedded into your mind and body: 1. Use a laser-like focus into your target area.

2. Have a total mental intent to inflict injury.

3. Never face an opponent, whether in practice or in a real-life situation, without the willingness to inflict catastrophic injury.

4. When you “know” it is time to fight, strike first. “He who hesitates….”

5. Initiate your offensive strike with the commitment to cause catastrophic injury and to go all out in your attack.

6. Do not waste energy or time on strikes to areas of the body that will not inflict extreme pain or that will not immediately stop and drop an attacker.

7. Maintain a state of continual attack until it is clear that the attacker is incapable of a further threat against you.

8. Only select and attack the most vulnerable areas of the human body.

9. Do not hesitate, contemplate, ruminate, or “process”; act, and cause destruction.

Threat Assessment In my classes, I teach my students five levels of threat assessment. I suggest that human-to-human conflicts may follow five stages, or they may suddenly begin with any of these five states as listed below: Assertiveness – Healthy assertiveness is the personal expression of confident and affirming behavior. We may disagree with someone, but that disagreement does not necessarily to lead to aggressive behavior.

Aggression – Aggression is a demonstration of the beginning stages of physical and psychological threats, bullying, and intimidation. Aggression is a domineering pursuit of one’s opinions, aims, interests and/or needs.

Forceful Aggression – Forceful aggression is a psychological manifestation of hostile behavior or attitudes toward another person or persons. It represents a readiness to attack, or it may become an actual physical attack that does not have the intent to cause serious harm, injury, or death.

Violence – Violence is the intent to inflict direct physical and psychological harm to another person through behavior that results in injury or death.

Predatory Violence – Predatory violence is a form of violence that is inflicted on a person by someone who is psychologically developed by circumstance, conditioning, and/or mental illness. Predators include individuals with aberrant behavior patterns, career criminals, sociopaths, and psychopaths.

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Photograph Four: An attack can appear suddenly and violently and when we are least prepared to defend ourselves.

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An attack could begin with unexpected predatory violence. In my previous articles (already cited in this article), I discuss at length the nature of aggression, how it differs from violence, and how predatory violence differs from aggression and violence. Your ability to “read” a situation and to determine when you can talk your way out or avoid violence (as opposed to your ability to perceive a serious threat to your safety) marks the line of demarcation between your personal safety, injury, or death.

Assume the Worst, Prepare for the Worst When I am training a 105-pound, 5-foot 2-inch female, I must assume that she will be facing a male aggressor five times her physical strength, twice her weight, more than one foot taller, with longer arms and legs, who is a violent predator and possibly armed. In other words, we all must train for our worst nightmare scenario. Do you think that your sparring techniques - when you trained in a dojo with rules and coaches and pulled your punches and kicks - will work against an opponent like the one described above? Against an opponent who will fight to maim or kill without rules? Your training must prepare you for the worst-case scenarios. Because you must assume that your attacker will be bigger, stronger, faster, armed, and predatory, you must train to deliver preemptive attacks to the most vulnerable targets on the human body.

Pain Does Not Hurt When I accept and train new students, some of them have never faced a real threat; they have led comfortable lives avoiding discomfort or pain. These students are often the slowest to understand the concepts of realitybased self-protection. Many of them never understand the need for self-protection skills until they are faced with real violence. But I also have many students who are victims of domestic or random street violence. My school began as a free school for women who were victims of domestic abuse, rape, and incest. These students survivors of abuse and violence - come to my school already understanding the need for self-protection skills.

They have the anger, the fire inside, and the motivation to learn how to inflict violence rather than become a victim of violence again. They are natural survivors. I do not have to convince these students of the need for self-protection skills; they come to class already understanding the need.

I divide the self-protection skill sets that I teach into several groups based on how lethal they are. It surprises some to learn that I start new students with the most lethal techniques that I know. The smaller the student is physically, or the younger they are (I only train students 15 years old and above), or especially for women, I train them in the most lethal techniques and weapons first. This includes unarmed combat, the knife, and stick fighting.

In the previous articles that I have cited and which were published in Lift Hands magazine (especially the threepart series “The Medical Implications of Combat Tai Chi Chuan Techniques: Investigating Blunt Force Trauma”), I cover attacks to the eyes, throat, arteries, major nerve trunks and plexi, easily broken bones, and dislocated joints. These are areas where a catastrophic injury can be made to the human body.

Often, especially with attacks against women, a predator will grab and bring a woman closer to their body.

Attacks against women often start from a grab and then continue with forcing or throwing the woman to the ground and mounting her. This the best position from which to execute an eye gouge, to crush the throat, or to grab the genitals. These attacks, when executed correctly, will result in catastrophic injury — they will “turn off” the central nervous system, interfere with blood flow to the brain, or will cut off air flow into the lungs. These kinds of attacks are painful and result in the inability of an attacker to effectively function.

There are other groups or kinds of attacks. These attacks originate from early martial art Chin Na techniques and seek to inflict pain. The reason I call this section of this article “Pain Does Not Hurt” is because these Chin Na techniques, while “painful,” do not always work to stop a determined, enraged, mentally ill, or drugged-out attacker. While you are attempting to use pain to control or stop an attacker, they may be choking you unconscious or stabbing you to death.

I am a former “full contact” martial arts fighter from the 1960s and 1970s. The typical schools and tournaments that I fought in (especially the schools) had few rules and no protective equipment. One school where I practiced judo had no mats. We practiced rolls, falls, and throws on a thin carpet over a concrete floor. The understanding in kumite was if you could not protect your groin from a kick, you shouldn’t be sparring. There were, of course, many injuries, and it was the numerous lawsuits against the various martial art schools and their owners that led to the invention and use of protective fighting gear.

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Frankly, I preferred the days of no protective gear and the risk of injury that fighting without plastic and foam gear to protect your head, hands, feet, shins, ribs, and groin brought. Fighting without protective gear to absorb attacks made every encounter “real” and sharpened reflexes and alertness. Pain has a way of doing that. One of my early teachers taught me, “Never face an opponent without the willingness to kill or maim — but if possible, do neither.” That is the mindset that I took into every sparring match I entered.

There are numerous pain point locations on the human body. These points will inflict pain, but pain is a subjective experience. When I sparred in past years as a martial artist, I did not feel pain from any attack from blunt force trauma that did not break a bone or cause a catastrophic injury. I attribute this characteristic to a physiological high tolerance for pain, to very high levels of the hormone adrenalin, and to the release of the hormone endorphin when injured. I typically did not feel pain for 1 or 2 hours after a sparring injury. Pain is a subjective experience, and different people have different pain thresholds; therefore, pain itself, without an accompanying serious injury, is not a reliable way by which to stop a determined, enraged, mentally ill, or drugged-out attacker. This why I recommend a hierarchy of attacks from the most catastrophic to the least injurious. I will point out once again that this article has been preceded by four other articles that go into great depth regarding inflicting catastrophic injury against the human nervous and circulatory systems. When you inflict pain and injury to the human body at the level described in the previous articles and in this article, your attacker will be unable to hurt or injure you because you have rendered them unable to function — they are unconscious, or decreased.

If I am faced with a violent opponent intent on inflicting harm or injury to me, I am going to use whatever techniques that will be effective in stopping the attacker. If the attacker is armed, I hope to be armed. If the attacker has an advantage by age, experience, size, speed, or other characteristics, I will use the environment, an improvised weapon, or a weapon that I may be carrying against them.

Doctor Lawton’s School of Pain The name “Doctor Lawton’s School of Pain” is offered somewhat “tongue in cheek” and with humor, but also with the knowledge that the techniques (we hope we never to have to use) are very serious. The techniques that we teach are designed to inflict varying levels of pain — to blind, maim, tear, rip, dislocate, break, or otherwise destroy various areas of the human body.

There are several dozen of these locations on the human body and more than a dozen on the head, face, and neck alone. There are too many locations on the human body for me to cover in one article. As repeatedly mentioned, many of these locations have been covered in my previous articles. I have also cited my sources for these points and attributed many of these points and areas to ancient martial arts systems and more specifically to age-old Chin Na techniques. I also previously stated that what makes a contemporary martial arts system a “sports” martial art is the removal of its original Chin Na techniques.

Photograph Five: Never assume that pain alone will be an effective deterrent against a determined assailant. In many cases you will have to inflict serious biomechanical, circulatory, or neurological damage.

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Personally, I cannot imagine studying a martial art like Tai Chi Chuan without learning fa jing strikes and Chin Na. Removing Chin Na training from Tai Chi Chuan transforms it from a combat martial art into a dance.

In this article, I want to present to you some points and areas on the head, face, and neck. (We will have to visit the points and areas on the extremities, trunk, abdomen, and pelvic area for another article.) A few of these points and areas on the head, face, and neck have been previously covered. A few other locations will be new points that I have not covered before. The points and areas that result in the most serious degree of injury will be the most effective. The points and areas that result in lesser degrees of pain, bone, joint or soft tissue damage will be less effective in generating pain or stopping an attacker. In any situation that you might be presented with, you will have to decide which points and areas are appropriate to the threats that you face.

Erle Montaigue in his book Internal Gong Fu, Volume Two provides us with an excellent exposition of effective attacks against critical and effective points on the human body and he references those locations to primary acupuncture points and the major meridians of traditional Chinese medicine. Bruce Tegner in his book Nerve Centers & Pressure Points published in 1968 was one of the first books in written in English to layout effective attacks to vital areas of the human body. Bruce Tegner’s book was the first book that I acquired and studies on the location and methods of attack on these key points and locations.

Photograph Six: Two excellent books that will improve your knowledge of where and how to effectively strike and attack the human body at its most vital and vulnerable areas.

Delivering Effective Injury to the Human Body The human body is an amazing organism that is adaptive and resistant to injury and disease. However, while the body is not a “machine,” it is constructed in ways that involve movements and ranges of motion that are specific (and often limited) in terms of directions and degrees of extension, flexion, rotation, circumduction, adduction, and abduction. These limitations make the joints vulnerable to degrees of movement in excess of their mechanical capabilities or in directions that they were not designed to move.

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Many organs, glands, and nerves are vulnerable to attacks that involve blunt force trauma or compression. For example, compression of an easily accessible nerve branch or trunk will cause pain and possibly damage the nerve. Damage to a nerve is dependent upon its location, accessibility, and the amount of force or pressure used against it. Some glands, such as the parotid gland, are easily accessible and vulnerable to direct pressure. Some major organs like the kidneys may be damaged by punches, elbow strikes, kneeing, or kicks.

Many martial artists train, and understandably so, in a manner that avoids damage to a training partner’s joints; they repeatedly practice joint “locks” short of causing joint damage through hyperextension, shearing across a joint, or twisting (torque) of a joint. This repetitive training at sub-maximal levels of force conditions the martial artist to apply controlled joint locks. Controlled joint locks are a product of the training mat, sports jujitsu, other grappling martial arts, and martial arts systems that avoid inflicting the joint destruction caused by joint “breaks.”

By not decisively destroying a joint when there is an opportunity to do so, the attacker is provided with an opportunity to escape and attack.

In terms of training and the correct application of joint attacks, there is a significant difference between 1) training for control but non-injury of a joint, and 2) training with the intent and penetration to destroy the structural integrity of a joint. Reality-based self-protection training involves training with the full intent to deliver enough physical force to destroy a joint (known as the joint complex) completely. The intent and force of penetration through the joint dislocates the joint and tears and rips away the ligaments, tendons, and nerves of the joint.

Anatomical Points and Areas of Attack on the Head, Neck and Face The Hair – If your opponent has hair long enough to grab, then it can be used to control the head (and subsequently your attacker) so that you can execute an effective strike or technique, such as an eye gouge.

I was recently asked by a young female student with very long hair what to do if your hair is grabbed. My answer was to forget the hair; immediately counterattack to the attacker’s eyes or throat. If they want your hair, let them have it, but make them pay for grabbing it.

In the images below we see the application of a technique called Taking Off the Helmet which involves grabbing the hair at the back of the head and grabbing the chin and as the author states, “When you employ this method, it is necessary to act resolutely and fast, otherwise the enemy can break away.”

Photograph Seven: Taking Off the Helmet - By grabbing the face, in this photograph the chin, and the hair simultaneously and quickly and forcefully twisting and rotating the head and neck a very painful injury can be inflicted as a result of tearing the ligaments of the upper cervical vertebra — the Atlas and Axis.

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The Face — Any part of the face or neck with loose skin can be grabbed, pinched, twisted, or torn.

The Eye — The eye is a primary target on the face. I have previously covered in detail how to insert a finger or a thumb into the eye socket, how to damage the eye in the socket, or how to remove the eye from the socket.

Tearing and raking attacks using the Tiger Claw technique can be used across and into the eyes.

The Nose — The nose is a secondary target on the face, but it is a target that can cause pain, hamper breathing, and cause the eyes to water. In attacking the nose, the most effective techniques include a descending hammer fist at the juncture of the nasal bone and the cartilage of the nose. The nose is also a prime target for “fishhooks” and biting.

In one of my classes, I was challenged by a former Navy Seal as to the effectiveness of a technique I was teaching from the guard position — so I suggested that we test out the technique. He assumed the mount position and I was in my guard. Unfortunately for him, he placed his face too close to me - I tightly clamped down on his nose with my teeth. I did not release his nose from my teeth until he tapped out... I hadn’t had lunch yet, and I was hungry.

Photograph Eight: In this photograph of a skull, High Pat on Horse is demonstrated as a strike to the nose at the junction of the nasalis bone and the cartilage and soft fleshy part of the nose. A correct strike at this location can sever the cartilage from the bone The Ears — The ears are another secondary target. Attacks to the ears generally consist of slaps or cupping slaps to one or both ears. The ears may also be grabbed, ripped away, torn, and bit.

Mastoid Process and External Auditory Meatus — The mastoid process is a bony projection from the posterior section of the temporal bone. The ear and the ramus of the mandible lie anterior to the mastoid process. At the point where the lower aspect of the mastoid process, the lobe of the ear, and the posterior edge of the ramus of the mandible converge, there is a “crevasse.” This point is pain sensitive, and the tip of a finger or the thumb can be inserted into this point to cause pain. When the fingertip is inserted, it is pressed upward (superiorly) with firm pressure directly towards the external auditory meatus (ear canal).

The Maxillary Bone — The maxillary bone is located below the nose and the cheek bones. It is a pain sensitive area. Other than directing a palm strike (such as the Tai Chi Chuan technique of High Pat on Horse), you may also rub or rake your knuckles across it or press a knuckle directly into the area under the nose (which is also known in acupuncture as Governing Vessel 26 or Ren Zhong). The maxillary bone is also vulnerable to fracture from strikes.

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Photograph Nine: In this demonstration Adam Conley is pressing his finger deeply into the pain point located at the inferior aspect of the mastoid process and at the posterior of the ear where the external auditory meatus is located.

Photograph Ten: Maya Aldred is shown raking her knuckles across the upper lip of her attacker. Applying pressure below the nose and above the teeth may be an effective deterrent for a poorly motivated attacker but it may be ineffective against a more aggressive assailant. The maxillary bone can be fractured by a strike like High Pat on Horse.

The Throat — The anterior aspect of the throat, the trachea, the hyoid bone, or what is commonly called the windpipe, is a primary area of attack on the neck. The striking point is generally below Conception Vessel 23 (located just above the hyoid bone) and in the area between CV 23 and CV 22.

Conception Vessel 22 is also a point location for attack with the fingers or the thumb and is known to result in an uncomfortable choking sensation. Attacks to the throat may include a grab, punch, hammer fist, a chop, “Dragon’s Mouth,” or a half-fist strike. The half-fist strike is also known in some martial art systems as “Leopard Paw.”

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Photography Eleven: In this photograph Kate Millett is striking the throat of her attacker while her other hand is grabbing his hair and pulling his head back to expose his neck to her hammer fist attack to his throat and airway.

The Carotid Artery — The main point of attack on the carotid artery is called acupuncture point Stomach 9 (where you can easily feel the carotid pulse). It is located directly over the carotid sinus, at the bifurcation of the carotid arteries. Attacks in the form of finger or thumb attacks, knuckle strikes, or punches to the carotid sinus are associated with vasovagal fainting and damage to the artery (with swelling that cuts off the blood supply to the brain on the side of the damaged artery).

Photograph Twelve: This is the location of the right carotid artery in the neck. If you are on the correct spot, you will feel the artery pulsation under your fingers.

Damage to artery can cause swelling that cuts off the blood flow to the brain.

The Collar Bone and the Supra Clavicular Fossa — In previous articles, we looked at how and where to effectively fracture the collar bone (clavicle). This involves a descending blow on the lateral aspect of the clavicle. The area above the collar bone (known as the supra clavicular fossa) is pain sensitive. The fingers can grab behind the collar bone and press deeply into this hollowed out area (called a fossa). The acupuncture point found here is in the center of the supraclavicular fossa and is called que pén.

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Photograph Thirteen: Sifu John Aldred is demonstrating the insertion of fingers into the hollow of the supraclavicular fossa.

The Jawbone or Mandible — I have previously described in detail (and with photographs) attacks to the mandible or jaw. These attacks involve palm strikes to the jaw — especially palm strikes to the anatomical angle of the mandible from below the jaw and driving upward into it. These attacks also typically break the teeth that are jammed together.

Another attack involves dislocating the mandible through a grappling maneuver. This technique (as is shown in

Photograph Fourteen: The mandible because of its location and structure is very vulnerable to attack, fracture, and dislocation. Downward traction on the ramus of the mandible and twisting the jawbone at the same time towards the opposite of the head will cause the temporomandibular joint to dislocate. the accompanying group of photographs) involves wrapping the hands and wrists around the mandible, drawing down on the bone with contact on the ramus of the mandible, and twisting the mandible towards the opposite side of the head. This movement can be executed quickly, is very painful, and will tear the ligaments that comprise the temporal mandibular joint (or TMJ), thereby dislocating the joint.

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Photograph Fifteen: In this photograph Adam Conley is drawing downward on the ramus of the mandible and twisting or torquing the jawbone to the opposite of the head. This technique will dislocate the jaw and rip away the ligaments of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ).

The Submandibular Gland — The submandibular glands are salivary glands and are located on the inside (medial) aspect of the mandible in the submandibular fossa and just in front of the angle of the mandible.

The submandibular glands are easy to access, and they are very pain sensitive. Attacks to these glands, usually on one or the other side of the jaw, involves pressing the fingertips or the thumbs into the glands and pushing against the glands laterally into the body of the maxilla bone and/or superiorly towards the floor of the mouth.

Photograph Sixteen: The first time that I was introduced to attacks directed into the submandibular gland was in a Kosho Ryu Kenpo Jujitsu class in 1963. I was 14 years old. In the photograph above we see the fingers pressing upward into the submandibular gland.

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The Cervical Spine — I am going to describe three main approaches to attacks to the cervical spine.

The first attack involves strikes from a hammer fist, chop, or elbow at the base of the skull and directly striking at the spinous processes of the first and second cervical vertebra.

The second technique is designed to provoke pain and is known as a side choke. This technique involves applying pressure with the sides of the hands, wrist, or forearm directly into the transverse processes of the vertebra of the cervical spine. This is a highly pain sensitive area.

The third technique is designed to tear apart and rip the ligaments that connect the cervical vertebra, damaging the nerves that supply the upper extremities — the arm, forearm, wrist, and hand. This technique is like the “side choke” applied on the transverse processes of a vertebra, but rather than applying a painful pressure to the lateral aspect of the transverse processes, the contact point for this technique involves applying pressure to, and hooking with your palm, the anterior and lateral aspect of the transverse process and rapidly rotating and pressing into the transverse process with an explosive movement (fa jing).

Photograph Seventeen: A side “choke” is applied by Adam Conley to the lateral aspect of the neck and directly into the vertebral transverse processes of the cervical spine. If this technique is combined with a rotation force against the transverse process significant damage can be caused to the ligaments of the affected cervical vertebra.

Conclusion In this article, I have attempted to expand upon the concepts offered in my previous article “The Eye of Destruction: Self-Protection in a World Spinning Out of Control, Part One,” as well as the concepts and techniques covered in “The Medical Implications of Combat Tai Chi Chuan Techniques: Investigating Blunt Force Trauma” parts one, two, and three. This collection of articles could serve as a basic training manual for learning practical self-protection skills.

As we daily witness the events of a world rapidly spinning out of control, individuals and families increasingly need the skills gained through learning situational awareness, avoidance of violence, and reality-based selfprotection. Also increasingly, the governmental and social safeguards we have traditionally relied upon are failing to provide adequate or timely protection — individuals are having to prepare for social breakdown, upheaval, conflict, and war.

It is my hope that these articles, written over the last year or so and published in Lift Hands magazine, will help to protect you and your family. If so, my purpose will be realized.

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Footnote Bahá’í Prayers: A Selection of Prayers Revealed by Bahá’u’lláh, the Báb, and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Author: ‘Abdu’l-Bahá Source: US Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 1991 edition, Pages: 268

References: Jiasan, Yang. The Way to Locate Acu-Points. Foreign Languages Press, 1982. Translated by Dr. Meng Xiankun and Dr. Li Xuewu.

Montaigue, Erle. Internal Gung-fu: Volume 2. Moon-Ta-Gu Books, 1999.

Sheng, Liu Jin. Shaolin Chin Na Fa: Art of Seizing and Grappling. Shanghai, 1936. Translated by Andrew Timofeevich, 2007.

Sheng Liu Jin. Chin Na Fa: Skill of Catch and Hold. Shanghai, 1936. Translation: Wang Ke Ze and Leonid Serbin Tegner, Bruce. Nerve Centers and Pressure Points. Thor Publishing, 1968.

Photography Attribution and Editing: My deepest thank you to and appreciation for the expert assistance from photographers Abass Ali and Kate Millett. Thank you for your help in making these techniques come alive! Thank you as well to the editor of this article, Krissy Dawn.

Technical Assistance and Technique Demonstrations Thank you as well to Abass Ali, Adam Conley, Kate Millett, Maya Aldred, MJ Jabateh and Sifu John Aldred for their assistance in demonstrating the techniques in this article and for enduring the pain that was unnecessarily inflicted on them by me.

About the author: Gregory T. Lawton, D.C., D.N., D.Ac. is a chiropractor, naprapath, and acupuncturist. He is the founder of the Blue Heron Academy of Healing Arts and Sciences where he teaches biomedicine, medical manual therapy, and Asian medicine. Dr. Lawton is nationally board certified in radiology, physiotherapy, manual medicine, and acupuncture. He was the vice president of the Physical and Athletic Rehabilitation Center which provided physical therapy for professional athletes, Olympians, and victims of closed head and spinal cord injuries.

Since the early 1960s Dr. Gregory T. Lawton has studied and trained in Asian religion, philosophy, and martial arts such as Aikido, Jujitsu, Kenpo/kempo, and Tai Chi Chuan. Dr. Lawton served in the U.S. Army between 1965 and 1968 achieving the rank of Sergeant E-5.

Dr. Lawton’s most noted Asian martial art instructor was Professor Huo Chi-Kwang who was a student of Yang Shao Hou.

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the internal aspects of the element — “very powerful, often slow and flowing, often very explosive.”

ugust 2022 will see us return with an explosive Camp 2022 with ‘The River’ — one of the four ‘Cornerstones of Dim-mak’.

For those who are unable to travel due to restrictions, like last year, we will be offering them the opportunity to follow and participate in the entire camp online.

Camp 2022 will continue inline with the previous camps and the themes explored as a continuous progression. Last year we studied the ‘Wudang Spiral Form’ and this year we will continue with the idea of ‘snaking’ and ‘weaving’ through our opponent’s defence.

Cost: £240 Training Times: Friday 3pm - 7.00pm Saturday 9.30am - 6.00pm Sunday 9.30am - 5.30pm Lunch 12pm - 1.30pm

Although these Cornerstones [not to be confused with the four Cornerstones of Taijiquan] were usually given at the end of one’s physical training and are based upon the four Earth elements of Water [River], Air [Wind], Valleys and Mountains — we will be using them to further develop our skills of rolling, reeling releasing and sealing whilst rooting.

Venue: Fa-jing Ch’uan Internal Chinese Boxing Schools Top Floor Unit 36 Faircharm Trading Estate Evelyn Drive Leicester LE3 2BU Early bird discount £210 extended for those who book their place by June 30, 2022, with 50% deposit.

All deposits are non-refundable.

Leicester is served by many airports nearby: Luton 74 miles; 120 km; 1 1/2 hours by car and less than 1 hour by train.

Birmingham 43 miles; 69 km; 1 hour by car and less than 1 hour by train.

For those needing accommodation — there are many hotels and B&Bs both near the venue and on the outskirts of the city for those wanting a quieter and more serene surrounding.

Wu Yu-hsiang, in his ‘Expositions of Insights into the Practice of the Thirteen Postures’, tells us to: “Be as still as a mountain, move like a great river.”

For information on these or any other matters, please contact Nasser Butt.

The “great river” in this instance has been interpreted by many as the mighty Yangtze, itself and the first Cornerstone lives up to its name teaching us

explosivefist@gmail.com

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Teachers: Anho Ueshiro, Entasu Isaenta, Toguchi Seitoku, Shoshin Nagamine Notable students: Robert Scaglione, James Wax, Robert Yarnell, Ernest Ferrara, Parker Shelton, Terry Maccarone, Joyce Santamaria, Zenko Heshiki

Introduction

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here is no doubt in my mind that I remember Ansei Ueshiro Sensei. But, how do I remember him? What do I remember about him? How can I describe Ansei Ueshiro to others? What was unique about him and about his methods of teaching? What contributions can we attribute to Ueshiro Sensei that can separate him above all others?

Ansei Ueshiro Sensei is credited for bringing Matsubayashi Shorin Ryu to the United States. This is a bit inaccurate as Mr. James Wax, a US Marine who served on Okinawa, was the man who brought Matsubayashi Shorin Ryu to America. It was James Wax’s formal invitation and sponsorship that brought Ansei Ueshiro Sensei to the United States.

Being an immigrant myself, I have first-hand knowledge of what it is to leave your home and your family, and to venture into the unknown without money, and without the power of language. Ueshiro Sensei armed with an entrepreneur spirit ventured into the world. But he was not actually alone. Mr. James Wax was his student on Okinawa who brought him to America. Ueshiro Sensei found himself in an already made dojo. All he had to do was to teach.

It was difficult without being able to speak English; however, karate training requires no language skills as the techniques are transmitted by example. “Feeling” is something that emanates through technique, and it loses value when one attempts to explain it by using words.

Lack of money was definitely a problem. Culture shock may have been the greatest of the problems as American students are far more rude and opinionated than students on Okinawa. Ueshiro Sensei quickly adopted, and his life journey proved that the ‘American Dream’ was attainable!

Memories First of all, I don’t rely on my memory. I maintain daily journals which time again and again proved most beneficial in providing me with accurate accounts.

I was a student of Zenko Heshiki Sensei at the Satsuma Bushi Karate Dojo located on 134 West 72nd Street, West side of Manhattan. It was a beautiful dojo on the second floor. We had a wooden handmade floor for karate and a bona fide area covered with authentic tatami mats for the judo students. The Judo and the Karate areas were separated by the office and sitting area. The décor was austere. One could smell sandal wood burning as they opened the down stairs entrance door to climb up one flight of stairs and into the dojo. The dojo also had a backroom with a sliding paper rice door where guests stayed and large parties were held after hard trainings. There were showers and toilets for the men, and a private toilet for Heshiki Sensei. Sensei’s toilet became my changing room; the showers were strictly off limits.

Training was a Boot Camp. We did not participate in tournaments, we did not use protective gear for kumite, and only the strong survived. There were no fine teaching methods. Students’ self esteem was not taken into consideration when we were beaten, scolded, mocked, punished, and reprimanded beyond imagination. All those who survived became strong.

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Heshiki Sensei worshipped Nagamine Shoshin Sensei, and wanted him completely for himself. In Heshiki Sensei’s eyes, no one was good enough of a student worthy of Nagamine Sensei’s attention. Who was Nagamine sensei?

What did he look like? Who knows? I had never seen him. When I convinced Heshiki Sensei to accept me as a student Nagamine Sensei had already returned to Okinawa from his US trip. I heard the name Nagamine Sensei as often as Ueshiro Sensei. Nagamine Sensei was the “good”, and Ueshiro Sensei was the “bad”.

I heard that Ueshiro Sensei disappointed Master Nagamine Sensei who proceeded and removed Ueshiro Sensei from the Matsubayashi Ryu world map. What terrible things Ueshiro Sensei was accused of and deserved to be thrown out of the organization?

Besides learning karate it was compulsory that we also learn zazen. Since we liked the dojo we endured the zazen.

Zen training in the morning, Zen training in the night, monthly three-day Zazen training retreats for the advanced students; all this translated into pain, more pain, severe pain, and much endurance.

We made our own square and round cushions.

I wish all the members well, continued growth, and one day to once again share hours of sweating and training together. For martial artists it is the greatest avenue to lasting friendships.

We even had a Zen priest, whom we addressed as Osho san, as a guest for one year in our dojo in order to teach us correctly. Osho san was also a Goju Ryu Karate Do practitioner and often demonstrated his Sanchin Kata. I was responsible for Osho san’s breakfast which meant that I had to be at the dojo five o’clock every morning for one year.

Heshiki Sensei spent countless hours studying with Osho san. (Sakiyama Sogen Roshi)

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As years went by, Heshiki Sensei immersed himself more and more into Zazen training. In 1977 he decided to leave New York City and enter the Chozen-ji as a Zen monk. Chozen-ji is the International Zen Dojo in Hawaii.

Turmoil broiled and despair spiralled among Heshiki Sensei dedicated students. Many cried, others sworn to follow him, and some others vowed to stay at the 72nd Street Dojo and to carry on his teachings.

This was my dojo and my home. After eight years of training in what I thought the only great dojo on the planet, I stepped outside to look for an alternative solution.

From my Journals 1977 On January 11th, Heshiki Sensei announced that and he and his family would relocate to Hawaii in order to pursue his Zazen training. On January 30th, Heshiki Sensei, with his family departed.

Senior Black Belts and dedicated students of Heshiki Sensei assumed responsibilities and continued to teach the classes. Those classes were no longer vibrant, and they did not satisfy me.

While the men met after classes to reminisce about Heshiki Sensei’s greatness, I began to look elsewhere for another dojo.

Up to that time, Ansei Ueshiro was just a name. It was a name that went along with some heavy accusations by Heshiki Sensei and by Nagamine Shoshin Sensei.

On July 20th, I met Ansei Ueshiro Sensei, as well as, Bob Scaglione Sensei and his wife Judy who were the Directors for Person-to-Person Karate Incorporated (PPK). I was impressed by Ueshiro Sensei’s simplicity, and low tone of voice.

Without hesitation Ueshiro Sensei and the Scagliones welcomed me into their organization.

My first class was on October 5th. By November 2nd I assisted and/or instructed all of the classes which I attended. By December 7th I instructed all the advanced classes, and conducted the low grade Kyu Tests.

December 22nd was our Christmas Party.

The Party was preceded by training, and on that night I saw Ansei Ueshiro Sensei 1977 Bob Scaglione Sensei PPK Director perform Kata Rohai and a Bo Kata. It was the first time I saw Ueshiro Sensei perform. I was impressed with his Bo dexterity; Ueshiro Sensei had parts of his fingers missing due to a WWII fire but no one would have noticed.

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1978 I continued to attend classes and to teach at the Dojo. I was teaching everything that I knew up to that point; however, my soul was not fed with anything new. I was not met with challenges, and I perceived myself to be “falling behind”. There was no contact with Okinawa, and there were no instructors traveling back and forth to bring back details on techniques. Ueshiro Sensei did not teach classes. We had to accept everything that Scaglione Sensei presented as the “truth” on Matsubayashi Ryu Shorin Ryu. The doubts in my heart grew stronger, and on January 6th I returned to the 72nd Street Dojo.

Is the grass greener on the other side? I found out that the grass is as green as one perceives it to be. Mario Medious Sensei was the new owner of the dojo, and he was glad to see me back. He gave me a schedule of classes and designated which of the classes I could teach.

The months rolled by, and on April 14th Heshiki Sensei returned to New York for a visit. Heshiki Sensei became furious when he learned that Mario Medious Sensei accepted me even though I had studied at Ueshiro Sensei’s organization.

On April 23rd Heshiki Sensei called a meeting which was attended by senior instructors who unanimously placed me under probation and restriction from visiting other dojo.

On April 30th I called Scaglione Sensei and Judy and asked them if I could return to their dojo. They were jubilated and received me back with open arms.

On May 7th Ansei Ueshiro Sensei told me that he would help me open my own dojo. On May 8th it was decided that I could start to teach karate classes in my Parkchester apartment in the Bronx. It was a large apartment and I already had a huge room fully equipped with mirrors and weight training equipment.

May 31st was my very own first class! By October 29th I was searching for a storefront in order to set up a commercial dojo. I continued to attend and to teach classes at PPK, taught my own classes at Parkchester, worked a full time job, and tried to complete my Master of Arts Degree at John Jay College of Criminal Justice.

One major difficulty I faced at the PPK was that I could not speak directly with Ansei Ueshiro Sensei. Perhaps that is how Ansei Sensei wanted it. I don’t know.

What I do know is that communication suffered.

November 12th was a day that changed the course of events for my entire martial arts career. For this, I am forever grateful to Ansei Ueshiro Sensei, Scaglione Sensei, Judy, and Terry Maccarrone Sensei. I was encouraged to attend an Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) Tournament, and to compete in kata. The following days were dedicated in preparing me for that tournament.

On November 19th I attended my first AAU Tournament. I placed 1st in Kobudo Kata (at that time men and women competed together), and I placed 2nd in Karate Kata.

1979 Nationals

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On November 30th once the class was over at PPK, Ansei Ueshiro Sensei arrived with Taba Sensei and with some other men from Okinawa. We demonstrated our karate and our kobudo kata. A decade later, I met Taba Sensei on Okinawa who invited me to perform as part of his shows given at his high class restaurant.

On December 27th Ueshiro Sensei and I met to discuss opening a dojo and offered me his support.

1979 On January 21st, I competed and placed 2nd with the Bo and 1st with Karate Kata. There I met Mr. Chuck Merriman Sensei who invited me to compete on the following week in a New Jersey AAU Tournament, and he also gave me an application to fill out in order to compete at the US National Team tryouts. On January 29th, I competed and I finished 1st with Kata and 4th with Bo. On March 4th, at the Suffolk County AAU Tournament I finished 1st in Kata, 1st in Kumite, and 1st in Weapon’s Kata.

On March 15th Ansei Ueshiro Sensei and Bob Scaglione Sensei came to my home in Parkchester to enjoy some Japanese tea. They insisted that I should find a larger commercial space to set up a commercial dojo.

I continued teaching, competing and succeeding on the AAU Tournament circuit. I started to meet many different people from different styles of karate. The veil was lifted and my eyes were opened. Terry Maccarrone Sensei continued to encourage me to try out for the Karate National Team.

On April 24th, I was informed that Ansei Ueshiro Sensei changed his mind and that he did not want to go into “business” with me. Communication with Ueshiro Sensei was never clear as everything I wanted to say had to go through Scaglione Sensei and vice versa.

On April 27th Ueshiro Sensei gave me a huge office desk, an office chair, and a tall bookcase for my new dojo.

What dojo? I thought that he did not want to go into “business” with me. On May 1st Ansei Ueshiro Sensei once again changed his mind and said that he will open a dojo with me.

On May 12th, I was voted as the “Most Outstanding Athlete of the Year”, and on May 24th I attended a formal function with Thomas La Puppet Sensei to receive my award.

My karate career took off, and each week I traveled to a different location in order to compete, to teach, to demonstrate, or to raise money for my next competition. It was like Alice in Karate Land.

I attended Toyotaro Miyazaki Sensei’s Shotokan Dojo who often donated money towards my international travel, and who worked countless hours in preparing me for tournament kata presentations. Eventually, Miyazaki Sensei and I became a team and together we gave many demonstrations throughout the States.

AAU Athlete of the Year 1979 with Thomas La Puppet Sensei

On the other hand, Thomas LaPuppet Carroll Sensei took me with him when he taught Kumite at various place in the country. I credit LaPuppet Sensei with teaching me all about tournament kumite.

I did not open a dojo under the auspices of Ansei Ueshiro Sensei. Instead, I opened a dojo in a Dance Studio for a few days a week, and later Thomas LaPuppet Carroll Sensei helped me obtain a space at Glenwood Racquet Club, Brooklyn. I taught there until I left for Okinawa and my senior student, James Thompson Sensei, took over the teachings.

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Classes were often held outdoors at the Glenwood Racquet Club.

Brooklyn students learned etiquette through our monthly dojo parties and events.

Our main dojo, Bubishi Karate Dojo, was located on Coney Island Avenue, Brooklyn, and kept its doors open for more than 25 years. It was not a part of Ueshiro Sensei’s organization, and it was not a part of the 72nd Street Dojo.

It was independent, and when I left for Okinawa, it became directly connected with Okinawa.

Just before leaving for Okinawa I asked Joseph Carbonara Sensei to accept my senior student, James Thompson Sensei, and to watch over his students. Carbonara Sensei, a thorough bred of ‘old school’ kept his promise.

None of my world endeavors would have been possible if I did not venture into Ansei Ueshiro Sensei’s organization.

Eventually, I was banned from the 72nd Street for studying at PPK. In 1985 I went straight to the Hombu Dojo on Okinawa and Master Nagamine accepted me as his student.

Ansei Ueshiro Sensei left from Okinawa with enough scars as a young WWII Survivor. The fact that he survived successfully in the United States is exactly that which we immigrants call “The American Dream”. He did it with Karate, and he did it with business. In the process he provided well for himself, for his family, and he also propagated his karate art. And throughout all this, he also helped many people achieve their own quests, ambitions, and financial success.

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With Joseph Carbonara Sensei

When I lived on Okinawa I saw more than half of the students in the Hombu dojo did not practice Zazen. And, most of the Branch dojo did not study Zazen. In the Japanese culture everything is judged in case by case. The best acceptable excuses are work, illness, and study. Some karate students who did not want to disappoint Nagamine Sensei occasionally endured the sitting of Zen. In fact, the membership was divided with students meeting in other places to practice karate, practice their own way of understanding kata and kata bunkai without having to sit Zazen.

Other senior teachers were so divided on the Zen issue that attended only on Holidays and special occasion ceremonies.

In order to understand Okinawa karate, one needs to understand the Japanese culture. Understanding the Japanese culture one can successfully navigate the sensitive personalities that coexist in a dojo and where most people vie for maximum recognition of their Master. At the time I lived on Okinawa the ‘Boys Club’ was alive and well. The only thing that saved me was that they respected my intensity in training, and that I was able to keep my mouth shut.

Wankan Demo

Katherine Loukopoulos Bubishi Team Austria 29 March 2022

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hy is it that some people are easier to knock out than others? How is it that some people can withstand a barrage of punishment, while others just seem to crumble?

You may have been studying karate for 20 years but all it takes for you to lose against some teenage Chav is for them to land just one lucky punch. That’s it - 20 years of training and there you are flat on your back having your ribs broken and head stoved in — and all it took was it a split second for that knockout punch to land.

If you get knocked out in a sporting context, be that boxing, kick boxing, Muay Thai, kumite or MMA, there will be a referee there who will step in, stop the fight and spare you any further punishment.

Getting knocked out on the street however, is an entirely different prospect. When you get knocked unconscious in an altercation outside of the dojo environment, there is no guarantee that your attacker(s) will stop. In fact, unconscious people have been kicked to death while lying unconscious and unresisting on the floor.

But what is it that actually causes the knockout and more importantly, is there anything that you can do to stop it from happening to you?

When somebody is hit hard in the head, it is likely that the arteries in the neck will compress.

Similarly, a blow to the head can cause the circulation in the brain to compress. Despite this, what really determines the outcome of the blow in terms of knockout is the acceleration and snapping motion of the head. When hit hard the head accelerates backwards or sideways and it is ultimately the force of this acceleration that determines whether or not somebody is rendered unconscious.

Okay, so if it is the movement of the head that is important, what can you do to minimise that movement?

Well, let’s go back to basic physiology and ask ourselves the question, what is it that moves, controls and supports the head? The answer of course, is the neck.

Having a strong neck will help minimise the movement of the head when forcefully impacted. In turn this will minimise or even prevent, the rapid acceleration of the brain following such a punch. A strong and balanced musculature is a great way to prevent injury and this is one of the reasons Okinawan Karate made/makes such heavy use of Hojo Undo, (training aids such as Chi’ishi, Kongaken and iron Geta). Traditionally, they sought to strengthen the body at the same times as honing martial ability.

Above: Zutsuki — Headbutt; Middle: Neck musculature; Below: Bridge

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By strengthening the muscles of the neck, a fighter can vastly increase their ability to withstand hard blows to the head. Take a look at ‘Iron’ Mike Tyson and Evander ‘The Real Deal’ Holyfield. Both were heavyweight boxers. Both were genuine world champions.

And surprisingly, both were small — well relatively small for heavyweight boxers anyway. Both Tyson and Holyfield used to fight somewhere around the 15 stone mark. When you bear in mind that someone like Lennox Lewis would fight at over 17 stone you can start to see the discrepancy.

So how was it that these two exceptional boxers were able to withstand a withering amount of punishment from much larger and heavier opponents? At least part of the answer lies in the structure and musculature of the neck. If you dig out some old photos of these two men, you will notice that Evander’s neck is thick with muscle, while Mike Tyson doesn’t actually appear to have a neck at all!

Bridge

This is an extremely important area and all fighters, from whatever discipline should, as part of their normal training regime, be taking time to strengthen their necks. Even if you don’t grapple or make much contact during class, you should still seek to minimise the possibility of getting knocked unconscious.

Regardless of your skill levels, if you get knocked out you will have lost all ability to defend yourself, your property or your family.

If you so much as pay lip service to ‘self defence’ you should be looking to strengthen your neck.

Forward Bridge

Strengthening the neck undoubtedly plays an important roll in preventing a knockout.

People often talk about ‘the lucky punch’, but as ever, you make your own luck in this world.

If you want to avoid going down to that ‘lucky’ punch, make some luck of your own and start working some basic neck strengthening exercises into your weekly conditioning routines.

Full Bridge

**************************************** Shihan Mulholland is Chief Instructor for the London branch of Daigaku Karate Kai. DKK can be contacted, via the OMAA or directly on Facebook.

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L

ucci Del-Gaudio first appeared in Lift Hands Volume 4, December 2017. It was the inaugural year of Kaizen — The Martial Arts Expo in Nottingham and Lucci was the man behind it. It has taken us almost 5 years to catch up with him again — as he is a busy, busy man — to put him through our 20 Questions.

I’ve known Lucci for a number of years now, not only is he a neighbour based down the road from Leicester in Nottingham, but he is also one of the myriad of friends introduced to me by the late great Anthony Pillage.

As I’ve said, Lucci is a very busy man holding down a day job whilst running his own successful Blackbelt Academy in Nottingham, as well as branching out with Kaizen Events [more about that later]. A few weeks ago, I managed to lure Lucci down to Leicester for the 20 Questions as well as to find out what is happening with Kaizen in 2022 now that we have finally emerged from lockdown after 2 years of inactivity?

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LH: So, we are here with Lucci Del-Gaudio, otherwise known as Mr Kaizen! Lucci, Welcome back to Lift Hands, it is great to have you here with us again. I know you are a busy man, so I really appreciate you taking time out from your schedule. Once we have done the questions we’ll talk a little about Kaizen and what else is coming up in 2022.

LDG: [Smiling]… All right!

LH: Right, let’s get to it. Before we begin with our 20 Questions segment. Please tell our readership a little about yourself.

LDG: I’m from Nottingham, in fact not far from here — I’m only half an hour or so down the road which makes us neighbours!

My background is traditional Ju jitsu. I started after watching a kung fu movie called ‘Bruce Lee’ on tv. It was on a school night and I remember my mum saying, “It’s bedtime… you’re not watching it!” Now my brothers were martial artists! I’ve got six older brothers and five of us are at dan grade. My mum would always say, “I’ve got all these sons and not one of you can play football!”

LH: Well, yeah [laughing]… it makes sense her saying that!

LDG: Yes, here we are, one big Italian family, six world cup finals, passionate about football and out of seven sons — not one of us can play football! You would’ve thought that at least one could? [Laughs] LH: [Laughing] And if I remember correctly you come from Naples… I mean that’s just a disgrace, you’re from a footballing city! [Laughter] What went wrong?

LDG: [Laughing] I know, I know! I grew up idolising Diego Maradona and I still can’t kick a ball! Dunno what went wrong… it was my brother’s fault — he ended up being my teacher! Anyhow, it was him who persuaded my mum to let me stay up and watch the film. So, I did and the next day I’m at school and we are in playground and we were practicing the moves since there were a couple of other kids who had watched it too. I spoke to a friend who did karate and he asked me if I wanted to come and I was like, yeah!

So, I began with karate and my first teacher was Simon Oliver! The area where I grew up, there was a karate club, a judo club and a boxing club. I went to all three! Now my brothers were Ju jitsu blackbelts already and they took the ‘Michael’ out of me all the time because I did karate and they did Ju jitsu! But, they had to go out

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of town to do their Ju jitsu. In fact, my brother was the first one to open up a dojo in Nottingham under the WJJF banner! So, when I was about 12, my brother took me with him and we spent the day together at his dojo. There are 15 years between us in age… and I became totally hooked on Ju jitsu, so I dropped the karate!

I have a podcast called ‘It’s All Ju jitsu’ and I was inspired by my brother. It was only Ju jitsu or nothing!

Everything’s crap, everything’s rubbish and that’s what inspired me to call it that! Today I teach Combat Ju jitsu — it works, my academy is 10 years old this year. I have around 90 students and we’ve had that for the past 10 years, and we are stable.

LH: I get that! I prefer teaching small groups. Far more interesting and hands on than having a class of 50 and not being able to give them your time!

LDG: I’m also a business development manager — so this sits well with my day job… or my ‘proper’ job!

[Laughs] LH: Well thanks for that Lucci! Let’s now get the questions started. If you could have personally witnessed anything, what would you want to have seen?

LDG: Oh, loads!

LH: Pick one!

LDG: Well, the year Madeleine McCann went missing my children were very young and we went to holiday in Portugal, around the same area a month later — being a local girl to us both, I’d like to know what happened to her? 9/11 is another and I wish I was an adult and not 7 years old during the 1982 World Cup! LH: Interesting choices! What would you do if you were invisible for a day?

LDG: I’d sneak into big events without having to pay or if no tickets were available! [Laughs] LH: What kind of events?

LDG: Concerts, boxing matches… all you can eat buffets! [Laughs] Seeing what the neighbours are up to?

LH: [Laughing] Yeah, I’d go with the concerts and buffet… as for your neighbours — they’re going to read this!

As a child, what did you wish to become when you grew up?

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LDG: At first a fireman… then that went out of the window! I wanted to be famous — like a rock star. I wanted to be like the bands my brothers and sister followed! I grew up on their music until I discovered Oasis!

LH: Why not… What animal best represents you and why?

LDG: Erm… I’ve got a British bulldog called Marley and another one called Zara — so probably a British bulldog! Why? Because they have great appetites and so do I [Laughs]. They are very friendly, me — I am very friendly. They are just lovely, they love sleeping and they can kick off if and when they need to… if I could be a dog — I’d be a British bulldog!

LH: Nice! What is your greatest strength or weakness?

LDG: Strength is talking!

Communication! I love talking, I can communicate with crowds. Weakness… the same! Sometimes I open my gob and say things when I should have kept it shut — especially when I’m talking with the missus! [Laughs] LH: [Laughing] I’d say most men would fall into that category!

LDG: But seriously, I know we all have weaknesses but I prefer to focus on the positives!

LH: Yeah, that’s a fair comment! So, something very specific and unique — this question has brought some really cool answers…

What is your favorite memory of any one of your grandparents?

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LDG: My parents had me when they were 42! I didn’t grow up with any grandparents. However, mum spoke about her mother all the time, right till her last days — every day… her name was Virginia! My mum lost her father during the war when she was aged 6. Obviously, I have seen pictures of my grandparents from both sides, but having that grandparent or grandma bond… I’ve never had! The first time I went to Italy, I was 3 years old.

All I remember is this street and this woman with grey hair and me running to her and she picking me up! That was my grandmother!

LH: Wow! So you have that memory from such a young age?

LDG: I have that memory… I’ve had it all my life! I believe in guardian angels and I think she is my guardian angel! I can visualise it now in this street in Torro del Greco in Naples when I was 3 years old!

LH: That is some powerful memory!

LDG: Yeah, it is. I actually adopted my wife’s grandad, who is no longer with us, as my own. We supported the same team, he was really good to me and welcomed me to the family.

LH: Nice! Ok, here’s the next one… How do you want to be remembered?

LDG: I’m a martial arts teacher like yourself… our job is to inspire people. When I have gone, if only one person says that Lucci Del-Gaudio inspired me to this or that, and if it wasn’t for him then I wouldn’t be doing this or that — I will be happy as well as my family knowing that I have done the best for them!

LH: All right… What have you always wanted and did you ever get it?

LDG: I’ve always wanted a nice family home — not a mansion — I’ve got it! I wanted a nice car… I’ve got it! I wanted a hot missus… I’ve got her! I’ve hot beautiful children. That’s it!

LH: Well, what more could you want! Ok… I already know some of the next answer, so here’s the question, do you know your heritage?

LDG: My father was from a place in the south of Italy called Diamante in Calabria. It was a very poor place in those days. He was a baker and his father was a barber. They moved to Naples to find work. They were very dark skinned — the Calabrians! He met mum in Naples. My mum wasn’t interested at all — not one bit interested! My mum said, “He looked like a red Indian!” My dad was the type to not be scared to ask the best looking girl out… and that’s what he did — he wrote love letters to her, he did everything he could until mum gave in, in the end!

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LDG: My aunty came to England in 1950 and my dad came over to look after her. Four of my siblings were born in Naples. So, dad came here on his own… set up home, got a job. He came with nothing! It’s from him that I get my work ethic. It was the immigrants Nasser that taught us to work hard — that’s a fact! They had to work twice as hard in order to achieve… you know where I’m coming from!

LH: I do indeed!

LDG: Mum came over after, on her own with four young children and she got the wrong train! My dad was supposed to meet her at Nottingham train station but she got the wrong train… Lord knows where she went , but she ended up meeting an old man and this old man guided her all the way to Nottingham and then he just disappeared! Right up until my mum’s last days, she spoke about this guy. Now and again a conversation would come up and she would talk about this man and refer to him as her guardian angel! I hope that they have met up again… and she has had the chance to say thank you to him. She wished him well all the time and even prayed for him!

LH: That’s some story! Ok, we are half way there… Are you still learning who you are?

LDG: Yes, I’m more wiser now… but I’ve not grown up! My wife’s always saying… you’re almost 50 — grow up, grow up! [Laughs] Yes, of course I’m learning — you always are but I’m not going to grow up!

LH: What, if anything, are you afraid of and why?

LDG: I’m scared of heights! God knows why?

LH: Only heights? So, you’re not afraid of flying?

LDG: No, I’m not… because I don’t sit near the window! I hate going on balconies… especially when you are on holidays and my wife’s saying, “Come here, look at this view!” I’m like… I’m all right where I am! I’m not afraid of dying… mum left us when she knew we were ready for her to go. It’s not death that I’m afraid of… I’m afraid of not having prepared my family for when I leave! That’s another scary thing!

LH: Yeah, yeah… I understand that! All we can do is do our best and hope that that is good enough to carry them through! Ok… What is the most memorable class you have ever taken?

LDG: [Thinks] It was one with Eddie Quinn. It was Silat Fitra. It’s quite personal this but I have spoken about this openly anyway… I was going through a very bad time. I had lost my mum in May 2020… by June, my wife wanted to call the doctors as she was concerned for my mental well-being… it was just going down and down and down! And I remember going out for a walk in the morning… it was around 1am! I had ben out all day and night. My wife nearly rang the police to find out where I was and report me missing, and around one in the morning, I sat on this bench with my head down and I was such a mess… and for some silly reason Eddie Quinn’s Silat Fitra lesson came into my mind! He had spoke about somebody who was going through a really hard time, someone close to him, and he was saying… he was on the ground in tears in a really bad state — all of a sudden he said, “I can fight from here, I’m a martial artist, I can fight from here!” And that came back to me… I accepted the fact that I was rock bottom, but then I told myself, you are a martial artist — you’ve trained all your life and you know how to fight from the ground! And you know how to get back up… and I believe that potentially, the memory of that lesson may have saved my life! So, nice one Eddie!

LH: Wow! Eddie is a special man! What book has influenced you the most?

LDG: Lots and lots! Too many to list. From a sales background which I have, probably a book called ‘The Power of Persuasion’ by Peter Thompson. That was all about communication etc and was great in my line of work.

LH: Right… What ridiculous thing has someone tricked you into doing or believing?

LDG: Oh, that would be during one of Pete Holmes’s sessions…. Here Lucci, come try this, it won’t hurt! You know… pressure points. I didn’t believe in them. He did one on my arm and I genuinely thought my arm was going to be on the floor. My arm was dead! I could not feel it! It was the most painful thing ever!

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LH: Who or what has been the greatest influence in your life?

LDG: Again, too many, but if it weren’t for my missus I wouldn’t have done half the things I’ve done! She’s very supportive despite hating martial arts! Of course there are many teachers and martial artists over the years as well as other family members.

LH: What is the craziest thing one of your teachers has done or made you do?

LDG: I was 18 years old, really cocky and in my head I knew I was ready to take my second dan. My brother’s biggest class was in Nottingham, it was huge — around 90 students! I walked in late, got changed, walked up to him and said, “Yep, I’m ready to take my second dan next week!” He turned around in front of the entire class and said to me, “I’ll tell you when you’re ready — not when you say so!” He made me look so small… he made me do press ups and all sorts — made me look ridiculous! I’m like you’re supposed to be my brother… but on the mats he wasn’t my brother! And it wasn’t just left there… on the way home I got an ear-bashing the entire journey in the car. He held me back for 3 months for that and I had to wait until I was 19 to take my grading!

LH: That’s the sign of a good teacher!

LDG: Yep… it was the biggest mistake ever! It taught me much.

LH: When did you screw everything up, but no one ever found out it was you?

LDG: The Kaizen line up!

LH: [Laughing] Which one?

LDG: Every one! Every one I cocked up, every one was wrong! There were I instructors I had genuinely forgotten about. Put spread sheets everywhere with the wrong names and times on!

But no one found out!

LH: [Laughing] Well they do now!

LDG: Yeah I guess they do… I apologise!

LH: If someone made a movie of your life would it be a drama, a comedy, a romantic-comedy, action film or science fiction?

LDG: I think it would be a drama/comedy!

Definitely! It’d be like The Godfather without the mafia mashed up with Dumb and Dumber!

LH: [Laughing hysterically] That’s some combination! If you could select one person from history and ask them one question, who would you select and what would the question be?

LDG: Wow! That’s a tough one, depends on how deep you want to get… I met Muhammed Ali in 1990, I couldn’t ask him any questions though.

He was really poorly. I remember shaking his hand and he was shaking uncontrollably due to Parkinson’s. His hands were like shovels. He was in Dillons — the book shop and I wanted to ask him about the Larry Holmes fight… you know Ali was in the corner beckoning him and Holmes wouldn’t hit him!

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LH:Yeah, I remember that! They were training partners…. I remember seeing in a documentary not long ago, that after the fight, Holmes sat in the changing rooms crying… Ali was his idol — as well as the fact that he had been his sparring partner!

LDG: Yeah, Ali looked half-dead in the fight and indeed… how do you fight your idol? But, the question I would have asked him… when you were 22 years old and had you met a 22 year old Rocky Marciano, what do you think would have happened? I know there have been computer generated scenarios but Ali — he was the greatest and crazy fast hands!

LH: He was indeed! Right, last one. This should be nice and easy for you. How would you describe your art in ten words or less?

LDG: Ju-jitsu on acid!

LH: Ok… that’s brilliant! Thanks for that. That’s the 20 questions done, but before you go… Kaizen — we are back after an absence of 2 years in June. What should we expect?

LDG: Yeah, it’s in June, in Clifton, Nottingham. Fingers crossed we don’t have any issues in-between with anything like lockdowns again!

LH: So, what’s the line up looking like?

LDG: Well, I can confirm line-up… there’s Simon Oliver, Tommy Joe Moore — he’s up and coming in British Martial Arts… and he’s certainly made waves during the covid lockdown period. He’s a great guy, no ego, very humble and genuine with an immense wealth of skill and knowledge!

LH: Yes, he is indeed and he will be featured in this issue as well.

LDG: We’ve got Dr. Jon Xue Zhang — great fella, awesome and very talented! Sifu Della O’Sullivan… Wing Chun! She has a great story and a great martial artist as well, and we have some guy called Nasser Butt! Don’t know much about him… have you heard of him?

LH: Nah, can’t say I have!

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LDG: So, we have a nice mix of old and new blood! We’ve got Filipino martial arts, Sword Punk and hopefully have a little friendly sport Ju-jitsu tournament. Plus all our other usual guests etc!

LH: That sounds great, so what’s the future for Kaizen then?

LDG: We’ll keep going! We have a fantastic platform and we’re doing well… we’ll see where it heads!

LH: And you also have The Asian Martial Arts Show later in the year?

LDG: Yeah, that’s going to be a big one… featuring many of the Asian martial arts and martial artists. There will be a meal afterwards as well as some presentations. It’s a part of the Kaizen events.

LH: So, you have a busy year ahead.

LDG: Yeah, there is a lot more in the pipeline including a possible event in Holland in Rotterdam!

LH: That’s fantastic… look forwards to it all.

LDG: Yeah, also… all people who bought tickets last year — your tickets are still valid. So, show up!

LH: Well Lucci… Thank you so much for your time. It’s been brilliant talking to you and good luck with everything, and hopefully we’ll meet up and discuss some more things soon.

LDG: Yes, it’s been a pleasure.

All interview images copyright © Nasser Butt 2022. My thanks to Lucci for providing images from his personal archives for publication.

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ne of the biggest problems [of many] which lockdown brought us martial artists was inability to be able to train with a partner. For people like myself, who had routinely trained week in week out with a partner for almost 3 decades, this was alien territory[ and one which I must admit I had the most difficulty to adjust too]!

As the weeks turned into months, I was finally convinced by a couple of students to do an online session either via FaceTime or Google Meet.

I’m a dinosaur… for myself, martial arts are a hands on thing — always have been and always will be! Anyway, having reluctantly agreed, we started the sessions. The problem was explaining concepts and ideas without being able to get hands on — both, for myself and my students.

Then, one evening my friend and student from Milan, Ramon, mentioned that he had acquired a dummy [called Fedo] which was being developed in Italy and hopefully, this would allow him to train in lieu of a training partner during the strict lockdown rules. Having seen the dummy, I could see the potential. It made it easier for me to teach him with reference to Fedo.

Ramon and I chatted, and he ended up forwarding my details to the company, TAT3D Advanced Target Systems, which was developing the ‘Human Target’. I was soon contacted by Adriano, the CEO of TAT3D, who kindly offered to send me Fedo to assess, review and to provide feedback. After much headache trying to fathom out the post Brexit customs rules to the UK, Fedo arrived.

It didn’t take very long to put Fedo together between myself, Krish, Iain and Amy. The fact that there were 4 of us made light work of the job. The instructions included in the box were straightforward with images and we had him assembled in 20 minutes or so [It is my advice that if you do purchase one then have someone to help you put it together since some of the parts are bulky, and require two people to position them].

Over several weeks I tested Fedo with elements from Taiji, Baguazhang, Wudang Boxing and Western Boxing, including weapons such as the short stick and knife and it faired well. Further, now that I had a Human Target myself, it made teaching Ramon in Milan much easier… I would demonstrate a move on Fedo and he would then mimic my movements on his own Human Target!

Just before Christmas 2021, I put together my assessment and sent it back to TAT3D with possible future advancements on the idea.

So, what is the TAT3D Human Target or Fedo as ‘he’ is called?

Demonstrating the opening movement from Taiji’s Small San-sau

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FEDO — TAT3D HUMAN TARGET Front and Rear View

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The arm ‘gears’ allow them to be adjusted and held at desirable heights.

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Well, the answer to the above question is easy — it is exactly what it says it is!

It is essentially a ‘human’ target mannequin standing at 165 cm, with a shoulder width of 55 cm, weighing 23 kg on a base which is 75x60 cm. It is advised to use weights in order to stabilise Fedo, using the upright rod on the base.

The ‘body’ of Fedo is made from solid expanded polyurethane and can handle a full blown strike. Its legs are essentially metal rods which are covered with protective rubber slats, which allow the practitioner to train leg strikes. The arms again are rubber and can be adjusted via the ‘gear’ mechanism attached to the shoulders. Its hands are capable of holding objects such as sticks, knives and gun for those wishing to practice disarmament techniques, and for this purpose one hand has been designed stronger, whilst the other contains a ‘slit’ allowing the weapon to be removed!

It is not advisable to use edged weapons with Fedo as it would obviously damage its functionality — at least not real or metallic knives and blades — rubber and wooden weapons are fine and Fedo can withstand such blows!

What makes Fedo special [compared with other humanoid target systems like Bob] is the simple fact that it has limbs, whereas others consist only of a torso and a head! This in my opinion gives Fedo an advantage…

Fedo’s left ‘hand’ contains a slit which allows a weapon to slide out when practicing disarmaments!

Below: ‘Monkey offers food’ from Baguazhang

Most targeting systems simply allow you to strike the target, in Fedo’s case you have a bit more ‘reality’ thrown in if you wish to train correctly — you have to get past his limbs in order to hit the target and that simple notion alone makes you move smarter! It is not simply about hitting the damn target as hard as you can!

Fedo’s head is solid and its torso has flex due to its design… so you get a reasonable response out of it when you strike it! A word of advice here… if you are not used to striking with bare-hands and knuckles, then it is advisable that you were some kind of hand protection for your own safety!

As I understand it, Fedo is a work in progress, there may well be upgrades to it in the future and with its limbs etc being detachable, it would mean that replacements should be easier.

Fedo is most certainly a training tool for ‘smart’ training and not just for mindless striking! Of course you can’t grapple with it, however, it allows you to work upright angles using strikes of any kind from punches, palms, fingers, elbows, kicks, knees and even head butts!

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Demonstrating a simple straight punch to the throat after having knocked the right hand guard out of the way.

Fedo is not meant to replace a real living trainer partner, it does however allow you to train [with obvious limitations] in lieu of a partner and more importantly, it allows you to strike targets with power!

A reverse hammer strike into the eye socket using a method from Wudang short stick!

Inset: Lead leg attack.

It can also be a useful tool with which to develop beginners or those who have never trained with another living body, by allowing them to strike something which is not going to hit back and is static. This allows students to safely build up confidence and timing without feeling nervous or intimidated before moving on to working with a real partner!

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Eye attack followed by head butt!

Overall, having used Fedo now to teach and demonstrate upon for several months, I’d say it is definitely worth a place in any dojo or martial arts school. Equally, if you are training and do not have access to a training partner nearby, then once again Fedo is worth investing in!

Okay, so now to the nitty gritty and the costs. Fedo is currently priced as follows: Cost to buy: 699€ [Euros] + Shipping + Customs fees if applicable Now, the price may appear steep in these current times, but actually it is value for money when you compare it with other similar products available on the market, which are: 1.

2.

3.

4.

Priced much higher Do not have limbs Have only fixed upper limbs Cannot hold objects such as sticks and edged weapons

Used correctly, Fedo can provide training for many years and the fact that it comes in separate easy to assemble pieces means that should one ever get damaged — like an arm or the rubber leg slats — the parts should be easily repairable or replaceable!

For those who are interested in purchasing Fedo, please email me for further details with FEDO as the subject heading: lifthandsmagazine@gmail.com Further, the manufacturers have kindly offered a discount price to those affiliated with Fa-jing Ch’uan Internal Chinese Boxing Schools and The Guild of Internal Martial & Healing Arts — again, please email me for details.

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ommy Joe Moore is one of the nicest blokes you'll ever come across. There are not many people who can shove a stick into your throat whilst wearing a smile on their face and give you a lesson in history at the same time — Tommy can!

Whilst I have known and seen Tommy at various martial arts events and seminars over the years and followed his online posts, it was only in February of this year that I managed to catch up with him while he was giving a seminar arranged by our friends at Adaptive Martial Arts UK & Ireland, in the historical city of Cambridge. The title of the seminar pretty much summed it up perfectly — ‘How To Fight Like Your Grandad’ using WWII combative techniques of spies and commandos, covering weapons and unarmed skills!

[Editor’s Note: I’m not going to go into the details of the seminar itself as a report will appear in the June issue of Lift Hands. Further, an article on the subject penned by Tommy appears immediately after these questions including a brief biography at the end] Watching Tommy work was a pleasure and afterwards I caught up with the ‘fella’ for our 20 Questions. I must admit, this was one of my favourite. I won’t divulge any spoilers, but trust me, by the end you’ll have a smile on your face.

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LH: So, we are here with Tommy Joe Moore and we have just finished a seminar on survival techniques from World War II. Tommy, Thank you for giving us your time and welcome to Lift Hands Magazine’s 20 Questions. Okay, the idea here is to get your responses ‘off the cuff’ — the first thing that comes to mind — let us see how fast you are and for the record Bill ‘Superfoot’ Wallace has been the fastest to date!

TJM: [Smiling]… All right!

LH: If you could have personally witnessed anything, what would you want to have seen?

TJM: Ooh, personally witnessed anything? Hmmm…The Battle of Trafalgar — I love naval history!

LH: That’s interesting! I think it’s the first time that we have had such an answer to this question. Great! Ok… What would you do if you were invisible for a day?

TJM: [Smiles, claps and rubs his hands together]… Ooh, steal a load of money — I’m not going to lie! I’d take so much money from people who didn’t deserve it. I’d live the rest of my life a very wealthy man, giving money to a lot of worthy causes and looking after my mum!

LH: [Laughing hysterically] Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant! Why not, why not indeed — a modern day Robin Hood! As a child, what did you wish to become when you grew up?

TJM: A Power Ranger! Straightaway…always wanted to be a Power Ranger!

LH: A Power Ranger? Which one?

TJM: The green one because his name was Tommy and he had a dragon!

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Photography ; Nasser Butt

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Photography : Nasser Butt

LH: What animal best represents you and why?

TJM: A fox! It’s ginger, sneaky, cunning, wisdom! These are the things I aspire to… I like foxes!

LH: Yeah! What is your greatest strength or weakness?

TJW: Greatest weakness… I’m quite flippant! So, I tend to be very breezy about decision making and sometimes I need to think things through better. Erm, greatest strength… probably communication! I find it easy to communicate and get my ideas across to people. I’ll probably fudge this interview now that I’ve said it!

[Laughs] LH: [Laughing] Ok, let’s see what happens. All right, so this one is probably inline with what you have just done What is your favorite memory of any one of your grandparents?

TJM: Favourite memory of my grandparents? Er… it is of my grandad Stan. He was a very poor man. We were going past a charity shop and it had a little green dragon in the window. The charity shop was closed. I cried and cried and cried! Two days later in the post came this brown packet with all strings tied [see image below] around it and there was the little dinosaur. It was really, really sweet of him, he probably didn’t have dinner that day to buy me that dinosaur… yeah!

LH: Wow, yeah, that is something special! How do you want to be remembered?

TJM: As a connector of people! What I quite like is when I teach seminars I get people from hard combat sports and combative, and traditional martial arts, and no martial arts, and I like to bring different people together. A proper cultural mix of people and what they do is important so, connecting people.

LH: Excellent! What have you always wanted and did you ever get it?

TJM: Yeah, happy! I always wanted to be happy and I’m a happy man! Things could be better and things could be worse , but I am happy in myself and what I do.

LH: Do you know your heritage?

TJM: Oh yeah! [Laughs] I’m from a big traveller background, which is not a very well written heritage as you can imagine [laughs again]… but it is ours! So, my mum was born in the caravans, I wasn’t and it’s a big, big traveller history! On my dad’s side a long military history, so it’s an interesting combination and it doesn’t make sense and no wonder they divorced to be honest — It’s complete opposites! But, yeah!

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Photography ; Nasser Butt

LH: Wow! That’s different! Are you still learning who you are?

TJM: Yeah, a mad world gypsy woman and a very organised and structured military man — it was always going to go terribly! [Smiles]… Oh, absolutely, you never stop learning and if you are not reinventing yourself every now and then, then what’s the point? You’ve always got to try, got to learn something new — like you said, a 100 year old woman wants to learn martial arts [refers to a conversation we had earlier], that’s living!

LH: Absolutely! What, if anything, are you afraid of and why?

TJM: I’m a huge hypochondriac… so diseases! So, any small itch, any scratch or bump, any ill feeling and I’m instantly diagnosing something horrible! [Laughing] I’m a chronic googler of illnesses! I don’t mind dying but I hate the idea of being ill!

LH: So, you get man-flu then? [Laughing] TJM: [Laughing] Yeah, I get man-flu and start administering the last rites!

LH: I suppose you’re just like the rest of us blokes basically! What is the most memorable class you have ever taken?

TJM: It was a class with Eddie Quinn who used to be my Thai Boxing instructor. He’s a lovely man. It was nothing particularly fantastic but he just said at the end of the class, “If you go home happy and are a little bit safer, I’ve done my job!” That just really landed with me! I like Eddie’s teaching style — people are happier, they are a little bit more safer than when they came in… job’s done! And it really felt natural and organic when he said it.

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Photography ; Nasser Butt

LH: I understand what you are saying. Eddie is a lovely bloke and one of the best in British martial arts, I’ve seen him teach on many a occasion and he is special. Ok, onwards… What book has influenced you the most?

TJM: Hmm… It’s probably not going to sound particularly great of me as a human, but it is called ‘The Way of the Wolf’ by the ‘Wolf of Wall Street’ and it’s how he communicates with people, and convinces people while he does stuff. Whilst morally he is not the best of people, but what he is, is an expert communicator and that has really helped me with the way I teach and how I do my normal job in life as well! You can take stuff from anybody, no matter how weird or mental they might be and that was his skill!

LH: That’s an excellent point and ultimately if we can’t communicate we’d struggle doing anything! Right…

What ridiculous thing has someone tricked you into doing or believing?

TJM: Oh… [laughs]! Doing or believing? Erm… I had a friend once who was Chinese that told me his brother was Michael Jackson and I believed it for 2 years! I don’t know how my family let that continue or how he thought that would land but I did believe it!

LH: [Disbelief]! That’s, that’s just…

TJM: I mean, I was seven but still old enough… I should’ve known! [Laughs sheepishly] LH: Yeah, you should’ve! Who or what has been the greatest influence in your life?

TJM: My mum! My mum’s a fantastic warm mum. My mum’s the bar with which I judge all mums and human beings! She’s just a lovely, lovely person in every respect and yeah, I always think of my mum. She’s not too well at the moment but she’s still hilarious, she pretends to be dead — she’s dying of cancer — she’ll lie there pretending to be dead and make us all laugh! You can’t get better then that!

LH: [Laughing] No, no… you can’t get better then that! I often see your posts on FaceBook regarding your mum and it comes across in the posts that she is a lovely warm person… you can see it and you can see the closeness between you!

TJM: She was in critical care once and someone had died next to her, and a big gospel group were singing around their bed, and my mum thought they were singing for her… she was like, “Get lost! I’m not dead yet! Go away!” Which was both awful and hilarious at the same time! [Guffawing — See below]

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LH: [Laughing hysterically]… you can just imagine that! What is the craziest thing one of your teachers has done or made you do?

TJM: [Thinks briefly]… Ooh, that’s a tough question! Erm… I had an instructor that had a van — like a minibus for students — and I hadn’t taken my driving test yet but he thought it was ok for me to drive them because it was just up the road. But, I remember driving about 10 or 12 year old kids in a van and I had only done two driving lessons! Some might say it was crazy, immoral or unwise — all of those things count but yeah…!

LH: Really?

TJM: A little bit illegal driving with minors, but yeah!

LH: Right… let’s move on swiftly! We are nearing the end… When did you screw everything up, but no one ever found out it was you?

TJM: Oh, God! I work in advertising… billboards and buses, and tv things, and the amount of spelling mistakes I’ve made in tv adverts for big proper corporate brands that no ones’s noticed, and I get away with it all the time!

LH: Seriously?

TJM: Yeah, and I’m watching them saying shit that’s all gone horribly wrong and not a single person has noticed!

LH: No way! You’re going to have to tell me which ones?

TJM: I’ve gone past spelling mistakes which have been on buses and I’m like how has no one spotted that?

LH: That’s just nuts! Ok… If someone made a movie of your life would it be a drama, a comedy, a romanticcomedy, action film or science fiction?

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TJM: It’d be a comedy! It’s all fun, it’s all laughs and giggles until you shuffle off the coil! You can’t take these things too seriously, especially martial arts, people take it far too gravely!

LH: If you could select one person from history and ask them one question, who would you select and what would the question be?

TJM: Oooh, that is a marvellous question! Awful question as well because I would have to think about it on the spot as well! Er, single person from history… [pauses] — I would ask, this is going to sound crap because he was a morally awful person, but I would probably speak to Winston Churchill… and I would ask him for his secrets of public speaking. How did he deliver those public speeches and turn the tides of war that rallied people together? So, whilst there’s not a lot of great things about Winston Churchill, there were some many great things you could learn from him. Off the cuff I would say him… how very generic, I apologise [Laughs].

LH: Hey, no need to apologise! I mean if you want to talk about awful people, let’s take Hitler — evil man, a great orator, he got people riled up behind his crazy ideas! Right, last one. This should be nice and easy for you.

How would you describe your art in ten words or less?

TJM: Describe my art? Effective, retainable, historic and heart-warming! It has to be effective as WWII piece of material. There is no art — just martial for it to be effective! The retention of it has to be at peak because you are learning it for a very short period of time, so what you soak in needs to be absolutely memorable [clicks his fingers repeatedly]! Historical, because it helped connect people with their past and their ancestors, and people love to do the things that their grandparents, their grandmothers did. Today we are at an Adaptive Martial Arts event and there are people you know with all sorts of physical abilities and disabilities that all did this stuff — so everyone can find someone to connect with and I think that in itself is heart-warming because it is good to connect with your ancestors.

LH: Absolutely! Brilliant! Well, that was your 20 questions with Tommy Joe Moore and we will be seeing more of him in the magazine. Great to have you with us Tommy… cheers!

TJM: Cheers buddy!

My thanks to Christine for once again helping record the interview and for her superb videography which allowed me to capture and edit stills from the video.

All images edited and copyrighted © Nasser Butt 2022 Videography: Christine Batcheler.

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magine a martial art with pressure testing drills, improvised weapons, multiple opponents, mixed martial arts and scenario training. You might be tempted to think of Krav Maga or the latest in a long line of RSBD systems. In short, something decidedly modern.

Turn the dial back nearly 100 years and you’ve got just those ingredients happening in 1920s Shanghai and well into World War Two. So jump in your time machine, as it’s time to learn to fight like your Grandad.

VICE CITY SHANGHAI Enter Shanghai, 1900s — 1940s. You are now in the “vice city” of the world. A city managed by foreign interest, murky colonial politics, a decaying ancient empire and most of all…cold hard money.

From a muddy coastal dwelling to a global super-city, known as a place to run to or run away from. For some, Shanghai was paradise. For many others, it could be hell.

You’ve got the triad gangs. Vicious groups that specialise in drug running, kidnapping, extortion and murder.

Leading gangs in the city at the time were the “Green Gang” and the “Red Gang” familial collections of thieves, crooks and serious villains.

Add into that pot representatives of the colonial militaries and police of powers like the UK, France and USA. All vying for power and influence. All amidst sky-rocketing rates of opium usage, prostitution, forced labour gangs, kidnapping, protection rackets, communist insurgents. The mob scene of New York or Chicago would in many ways pale in comparison to Shanghai.

The Shanghai Municipal Police (SMP) was one of the few organised bastions of law and order. An international police force compromised of Western, Indian, Japanese and Chinese officers / constables.

They became one of the world’s first SWAT style forces. Their Riot Squad being a famed as the “blueprint” for how police today operate in states of emergency.

The SMP heralded and furthered innovations in shooting for combat. The use of riot shields, body armour and the use of vans / vehicles. They used “kill houses” where people learned to shoot, fight, and survive in streets, opium dens, houses and other realistic environments.

They had their own armourers, snipers. They commissioned new and innovative weapon types. Crafted revolutionary new riot vans and street violence tactics. In short — they were a testing ground for what’s necessary to maintain the law in a city beset by vice and violence.

And the man primarily responsible for making this happen… one W. E. Fairbairn. * *And naturally his partner in fighting crime, E.A Sykes THE MAN HIMSELF Born in England, Fairbairn led a rather ordinary existence until at the age of 15, where he joins the Royal Marines. He would have found himself immersed in a culture that includes weapons work, colonial policing, boxing, wrestling, bayonet fencing and all other pastimes popular during the period.

Following his career in the Marines, he began work with the SMP, rising rapidly through the ranks. Following a particularly brutal encounter with a “tong," he found himself being tended to by a Japanese Bone Setter and Ju Jitsuka, one Sensei Okada.

Thus, begins Fairbairn’s supercharged interest in the martial arts and their practical applications. Fairbairn was neither a large or intimidating man. Looking more like a librarian than the Shanghai Buster name he was given.

Shanghai’s and the SMP’s melting pot nature meant that Fairbairn could access a huge wealth of martial knowledge from the East and the West. Fairbairn went on to study, practice and be exposed to, amongst many other arts:

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• • • •

Judo and Ju Jitsu (and other Japanese arts) Gung Fu (Primarily Internal Chinese Martial arts) Use of the Lathi (Indian nightstick via Sikh sergeants and constables) Western Boxing, Savate (French Kickboxing), Wrestling, Bayonet

Fairbairn’s amiable nature and love for the martial arts meant that he could access skills and sensei / sifus that many others would struggle to meet.

Thus, Fairbairn managed to accrue an impressive array of skills. Adding these “passions” to his day job of being a very-hands on leader and officer of the SMP – meant that everything Fairbairn learned could be pressure tested, altered, optimised and deployed.

Fairbairn was prolific cross trainer and a prolific teacher. After many years of work and study, he began to solidify his “syllabus” of techniques for the Police Officers of the SMP. Later in life he went on to craft guides for civilian self-defence, women’s self-defence and most famously, as an older man back in 1940s Britain and Canada – training commandos and SOE personnel to fight the Third Reich.

It is for his work in WW2 helping train what would become the intelligence and special forces (Commandos, SOE, OSS et al.) of the allies. Fairbairn and his team (Notably E.A Sykes) trained men and women of all specialisms how to fight and survive using pistols, tommy guns, knives, garrottes and their bare hands.

LEARN TO FIGHT LIKE YOUR GRANDAD: Fairbairn had various names for his martial material. From Defendu and All in Fighting, through to ‘Gutterfighting’!

When you fight properly, it’s about more than just punches and kicks. One must explore the psychology of fighting and of trauma. W. E. Fairbairn understood this and factored ahead of his time views on pressure testing, simplification and teaching methodologies.

Let’s begin with Ju Jitsu principles that Fairbairn exemplifies, in the classic Ju Jitsu triad of Kazushi, Tsukiri and Kake.

Kazushi: To disrupt, distract or otherwise unbalance. An opponent that doesn’t see a move coming, often wakes up after a long spell of unconsciousness. Kazushi can be anything from “Excuse me mate, have you got the time?” before a sock in the jaw, all the way through to the physical act of pulling an opponent’s head down so he’s easier to throw.

Kazushi is about never missing a chance to confuse, disorientate, disrupt or distract an enemy.

For example:

• Asking questions / being offensive / being timid / making odd or baffling statements or noises or actions (such as pointing) • Pushing, pulling, dragging an opponent in a desirable direction • Walking or subtly guiding an enemy into disadvantageous places (near stairs, by obstacles etc)

Putting the opponent in the worst place possible for them and ensuring they don’t see your next move coming is key.

Tsukiri: This means to “enter”. This is our first phase of the conflict. Often when we’re fighting for our lives, or think we might be, we need to act first. When we “enter” we can be:

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• Throwing a strike / kick / headbutt etc • Attaining a hold or grab (such as the label, sleeve, wrist, hair, backpack etc) • Aggressively enter a space (closing down the range between you and the enemy) Tuskiri should be fast, explosive and if we used Kazushi, they should not predict it coming.

Kake: This is the execution. This can be the ending of the technique or the sequence of moves you intend to deliver.

I.e. (ask a distracting question (Kazushi), make a collar grab (tsukiri), deliver a powerful blow to the throat (kake). It’s important to know what to do, after we’ve done what we wanted. Always have a next plan. Our plans should never end at “I’ve thrown the punch” or “I’ve landed the throw”. We must always be planning our next attack, our escape, our access to a weapon or whatever we need to thrive.

Offensive Mindset: You’ll note that in his manuals and film footage, Fairbairn offers little in the way of “defences”. Sure, he showcases how to escape holds. Evade blows. But he does not typically teach blocking or traditional defences.

He is to the core a military man. Concerned not just with techniques, but attributes and mindset too. Just take one look at a modern bayonet course today.

It’s not really about learning to thrust the bayonet. It’s about having a warrior mindset and being ferocious.

Fairbairn knew the value of soldierly training.

There is an offensive mindset to Fairbairn. Often it is kill or be killed. Or kill or be injured. In the Tong houses of Shanghai or the street fighting of Holland, there is little room for timidity. It’s advised to attack before you’re attacked (take the initiative) and don’t stop attacking, until the threat is over.

Techniques in Fairbairn guides are typically shown singularly. The real art is in learning how to “chain” techniques so that they flow. It often takes many blows to put an opponent away. That requires the cultivation of an offensive mindset that can see you through delivering multiple edge of hand blows, chin jabs , etc.

Never give up: It’s not over till it’s over. Often fights happen when you are at a disadvantage. You’re injured. You’re tired. You weren’t ready. It’s vital to develop a strong combative spirit. That’s why Fairbairn did many “Milling” exercises. Fights (boxing or gutterfighting) lasting 30 seconds to a minute. All in. All power. All aggression!

Sometimes many against one! You need to foster a strong fighting spirit. That means training against the odds, because often fighting is against the odds.

Pain vs damage: Many techniques in Fairbairn’s early work are designed for the policeman. Even in a city like Shanghai, there are rules. Typically, we want prisoners taken alive. In his WW2 materials, things naturally change to a more deadly tact. It’s important as a martial artist to know if you want to cause pain (temporary hurt) or damage (lasting or fatal injury). Knowing what techniques align to pain or damage, and how to flow these up or down is key. It’s always important to know both in case you need them.

Whilst a modern interpolation - I think the acronym SAS best describes the Fairbairn method in spirit…

• Surprise • Attack • Sustain Get them when they’re not looking or aren’t ready.

Hit them with something that could and should end the fight.

And if that doesn’t work, keep on hitting, grappling, attacking until the job’s done.

Simple.

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SIGNATURE TECHNIQUES: Technique 1. Chin Jab Also known as the palm heel, the chin jab uses the lower central part of the palm to strike into the opponent’s jaw, nose or behind the opponent’s ear. It is designed to:

• Concuss or shake the brain • Unbalance the opponent This is best delivered well within 2ft of the opponent, at close range. It works best by rising up, underneath the enemy’s field of vision. The chin jab’s power comes from pushing upwards with the elbow, knee and shoulder.

If the head is pushed backwards beyond the neck, often a person falls down — adding more injury and chance to escape or attack.

Think of it like throwing a shot-put at high speed. It needs your muscular structure behind the blow. Often the chin jab is combined with what’s called the Tiger Claw. This is where we use the fingers to claw at the eyes, seconds prior to the palm making contact.

The best Chin Jabs are delivered with some attachment to the opponent. Either grabbing:

• • • •

Their back Their belt Their clothing Their shoulder

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The grab and Chin Jab offers you added potential to knock an enemy over. Remember that Chin Jabs can be delivered in multiples, and often, more than one hit is required.

They can also be chained with other kicks and strikes.

Get comfortable using both hands equally and ensure you practice against targets such as boxing bags and “bob” dummies.

The best Chin Jabs:

• • • •

Are delivered with surprise Have the full body behind the blow Knock the opponent over via a companion grab Cause some injury to the eyes of the opponent via the fingers

Perfect for: a surprise attack whilst pretending to give in / have your hands up or to take out an enemy at close range.

Technique 2: Double Ear Slap This approach uses both hands in a “cupped fashion” against the ears or sides of the neck (the arteries). This disorientating blow can be done from the front or behind the enemy.

It causes confusion, pain, disorientation and allows you to follow through with other types of strike, or locks and throws.

We advise that this is done off a distraction from a verbal or physical cue. Be ready to have to turn this blow into a grapple such as a headlock or hip throw.

Ensure the attacking arms don’t flare outwards too much, both hands should shoot out relatively straight.

Perfect for: disorientating an enemy before a head grab-based throw

Technique 3: Edge of Hand Blows Edge of hand blows (hereafter EOH), use the surface of the hand below the little finger. This robust part of the human hand makes a slim-line weapon that can take a fair amount of force, fit into gaps and around guards.

They allow for transfer of great force over a small surface area and can be as powerful as a punch when delivered with the correct body mechanics.

EOH blows are given in two ways:

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Downwards / diagonal: These strike directly down on an opponent or come in at a slight diagonal angle. We must make sure that we are just hitting with the arm power alone. Ensure that you twist your hips, shoulders and feet in the direction of the blow.

Make sure your weight follows the blow and that it’s not “arm only”. The edge of hand blow should make use of the hard part of the hand.

Horizontal: This is a backhand version of the EOH which has the hand palm down, parallel to the ground. This technique requires to explode outwards using the whipping motion.

It’s important for both EOH types to use torque (twisting), speed and your own mass to do these powerfully.

Seldom is a single edge of hand blow delivered alone.

Fairbairn was a huge advocate of the EOH blow because he deemed it:

• Safer on the hand • Easier to move into a grab or a grapple • Easier to fit into small spaces In short, when it comes to striking, EOH blows have a huge part to play in how WW2 combatives approach combat. They are brutally effective blow if they are delivered with accuracy, power, speed and surprise.

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Technique 4: Stick Combination Fairbairn advises getting expert with the use of the small stick (18 – 24 inches, 1 inch in diameter). He sets out a basic attack which comes from a surprise position.

1. Deceptively hold the baton along the length of the leg 2. When the enemy is unaware transfer it to a two-handed grip 3. Strike hard from left to right, digging across the opponent’s torso. Your left hand should be ahead of your right. Push the front of the stick out across the enemy as the right pulls to the stick close to your own waist. The aim is to hit the gut and bring the chin forward and out…

4. Strike straight up into the throat, under the chin (a deadly blow) 5. If necessary or you miss, bring the top of the stick sharply back down, using the end to strike down the temple or jaw 6. Strike with the right-hand side to the opponent’s left-hand side, using the stick like a rifle butt (you can hit with the fist or the stick) 7. Drive the stick up as a “bar” up into the Adam’s apple

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Fairbairn advises that at any juncture in an attack, if the neck is exposed, strike it with all your power and intent.

This can be a killing blow or at the very least a knockout / knockdown blow.

He advises making use of the stick as a surprise attack. Use the relative innocuous nature of the weapon to catch the opponent unawares.

About the author: Tommy Joe Moore is a highly experienced self-defence and martial arts instructor from the UK. He is a competitive boxer and judoka. He also studies a wide range of arts including Ju Jitsu, Savate, Muay Thai, JKD and many others. He is notable for being a key part of the “Bartitsu Revival” helping bring back the lost art of Bartitsu (a Victorian / Edwardian self defence system).

He has a keen in interest in historic, practical martial arts and self defence systems. His passion for WW2 Combatives stems from a love of military history and the how groups such as The Shanghai Municipal Police and SOE used unarmed combat to defend themselves.

He has written ‘Shanghai School of Street Fighting’ on WW2 combatives, and ‘Modern Bartitsu’ on the fighting arts of the late 1800s.

All images appear courtesy of Tommy Joe Moore

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The Medicine of Words Dr Gregory T. Lawton

About the authorKindly reprinted with permission from:

Dr. Gregory T. Lawton is an author of many books, most of them in the area of health science, but also in the genre of Asian martial arts, philosophy, poetry, and prose. Dr. Lawton is a passionate award winning artist and photographer who finds his artistic and creative inspiration in nature, and who frequently attributes the source of his images and writing to the 19th century Persian Prophet, Bahá’u’lláh, the founder of the Baha’i Faith, and the 13th century Persian poet and Sufi Mystic Jalāl ad-Dīn Muḥammad Rūmī. Dr. Lawton has been a member of the Baha’i Faith since 1970 and embraces the Faith’s principles related to the promotion of world unity and peace.

The Medicine of Words, Copyright 2021 Dr. Gregory T. Lawton 2040 Raybrook Street, SE Suite 104 Grand Rapids, Michigan 49546 616-285-9999

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Lift Hands would like to thank Katherine Loukopoulos Sensei for providing this exclusive book free of charge to our readers. To get your download link please visit and join our group page on FaceBook: Lift Hands: The Internal Arts Magazine

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o matter what the reason we train in martial arts we can all agree that an injury slows us down. Injury prevention is at the heart of survival if you wish to keep up with the pack and not be left behind to fend for yourself. Contrary to popular belief the ‘lone wolf’ is usually at the end of the cycle and isn’t in any good shape to keep going for much longer. So how do we reduce our injury risk and keep going to fight another day.

Our training sessions whether they are in a supervised class or at home should be structured to provide the most benefit with the lowest risk of significant injury. The odd bump or scratch should be considered minor injuries, something that you could train with but a sprained joint, muscle / ligament tear or fracture should be considered major. We all have stories of ‘back in the old days’ we had blood on the floor at every training session and everyone nowadays are just soft. To that I say have a look around you and see if those blood hardened warriors are still attending regular training sessions 30, 40, 50 years down the track. If they are they most likely wised up and learned to train with more respect for their own bodies and their training partners. My father would say that he wanted to ‘die young and leave a good looking corpse’ and we would respond with ‘you aren’t that good looking so you may as well keep living’. I will say the same thing to you ‘train hard but don’t smash your body so you can keep on training’.

The level of injury in martial arts is actually relatively low compared to other contact activities and even better if your martial art is a non-contact activity. Even better than boxing however not so good if you are doing professional level mixed martial arts competitions. Consider your risk aversion to injury before signing on to a martial art and choose the one that has injury reduction strategies even if you are happy to play rough.

Warm-up and cool-down to prevent injury How protective against injury are warm-up and cool-down sessions in a structured training program. Most research seems to agree that a warm-up session may be a good injury prevention strategy and this is where the agreement ends because the amount of prevention varies greatly across sports and the type of warm-ups used.

The whole idea of a warm-up session is to bring your body temperature up to an ‘optimum’ level for the activity that you wish to perform. You can do this actively or passively. The active version being low to moderate intensity exercise and preferably specific not only to the martial art or sport but specific to the activity that is in the next part of the session. A passive warm-up is when you use heat to warm up the body like a hot shower or heated jacket / trousers. You can also use a combination of both whereas you would use exercise to warm up the body and heated clothing to maintain the body temperature whilst you wait to perform at a martial arts tournament or display. Research suggests that a warm-up session may be more beneficial for some sports such as sprinting. Passive warm-up using heated clothing has been

successful used in maintaining body heat in team sports such as football after an active session to increase body temperature.

Many people will throw in flexibility training into the warm-up program because they think that this will protect against injury. I am going to suggest that you think of flexibility as a strength component and if you fatigue a muscle the strength/flexibility will be reduced and this fatigue may lead to injury. Preferably leave your flexibility training to the end of the training session as part of the cool down or as a dedicated focus session that will not be followed by complex movements or new skill accusation. Flexibility is a complex topic and requires more discussion than we are going to provide in this article.

Warm-up sessions:

• Sport specific and specific to the activity that is to follow • Active / Passive to bring body temperature to optimum and Passive / Active to maintain • Athletes competing in sprint and sustained high-intensity events seem the most likely beneficiaries of elevations in body temperature • Considered as only part of injury prevention strategy

Traditional martial arts Vs Modern martial arts Recent research suggests that a 4wk session of Traditional martial arts can improve balance performance in Modern martial artists. It was found that doing a traditional form exercise that moves the ankle, knee and hip through large natural range of motion was able to increase balance performance in a group of young female martial artists that practice modern martial arts. Doing traditional forms seems to enhance balance and proprioception in young martial artists who practice non-form based modern martial arts. Balance and proprioception has previously been studied in the elderly population doing traditional forms such as Taijiquan to good effect and it is excellent to see that the younger population can benefit from traditional form exercises.

• Traditional forms should be included in your injury prevention strategy Keeping with the theme of Traditional Vs Modern martial arts if we delve into what other activities that are associated with the Traditional styles that may not be included in the modern schools you may think of breathing patterns and mindfulness practices. Normal breathing mechanics play a key role in posture and spinal stabilisation. Breathing Pattern Disorders have been shown to contribute to pain and motor control deficits, which can result in dysfunctional movement patterns. Breath work is very important and often overlooked in many sports and martial arts. Many think of breathing techniques in a mindfulness practice but few of use would think of it affecting our movement patterns and potential injury risk.

Another study has looked at Biofeedback in an elite group of soccer players and found it not only assisted with peak performance but also injury prevention. They combined the use of a biofeedback devise using heart rate variability training and diaphragmatic breathing techniques as part of performance enhancement and injury prevention strategy. As many Traditional martial arts have combined breathing techniques and mindfulness practices it seems that they can be included as an effective injury prevention strategy.

Muscle balance and muscle asymmetry Strength imbalance of muscles around the knee joint has been shown to increase the risk of hamstring injury. So what does that mean to use?

You will often see injuries in sportspeople when they have just returned after a previous injury and there can be many reasons for this but one of them can be that during rehabilitation they have been concentrating on one group of muscles (the injured muscle group) over another and have created a relative imbalance of muscle groups. The research around injury prevention is mainly about imbalances across a joint ( the quadriceps being strong and the hamstrings being weak) rather than one side of your body vs the other. If in your training you also concentrate on a particular group of muscles at the detriment of another group you may be increasing your injury risk. It is best to gradually build complexity in movement after injury so that all the muscle groups get to play their parts in a balanced way.

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Most of use will have different muscle size from our dominant to non-dominant side and the body copes with this quite well. We are not symmetrical in design or function and our bodies have been adjusting for that our whole lives. It is when we have very large differences problems may arise. This imbalance/asymmetry may lead to movement dysfunction if we have large strength differences or poor movement control due to neuromuscular timing issues.

If I am training with dominant and non-dominant sided exercises I will train to my non-dominant sides strength level by doing the repetitions that I am capable of doing well with good form and then doing the same repetitions on my dominant side even though I could probably do more repetitions on my dominant stronger side. I am always going to be better on my dominant side however I am gradually improving my non-dominant side and attaining a degree of symmetry. It is easy to make your strong side even stronger and create a larger imbalance and this may lead to increased injury. Movement asymmetry has been shown to increase injury risk.

This is why you should learn a new skill with your best side and then work on your non-dominant side once you are proficient. Gradually work on developing symmetry of movement knowing that you are not truly symmetrical.

I believe that traditional forms may have been designed to balance our physical body across muscle groups and this is why ‘unrealistic’ movements are found in forms and also why they should remain. Forms may be the fine tuning of the body and movement rather than teaching the best technique in a fight situation. Traditional forms work on balance and movement symmetry far better than you trying to come up with your own way to balance your body.

Core stability, bracing and hollowing The “core” is a 3-dimensional space with muscular boundaries: diaphragm (superior), abdominal and oblique muscles (anterior-lateral), paraspinal and gluteal muscles (posterior), and pelvic floor and hip girdle (inferior).

To date, there is no clear evidence that supports the relationship between poor core stability and musculoskeletal injury. We do know that people with lower back pain recruit core stability muscles differently but this may be a result after the injury rather than the reason for the injury. Some research does suggest that poor neuromuscular control of your core stabilisers could predispose you to injury. So it couldn’t hurt to improve your core stability but more research is required. I have many patients that are elite athletes that when assessed for core stability have large deficits in some of their stabilisers and we work on these to improve performance and as part of their injury prevention strategy.

Many movement coaches train you in abdominal hollowing, where you are drawing in your belly button towards your spine and then you perform your prescribed exercise in this hollowed position to improve your core. Others will have you brace your abdomen for core stability. Which is best for you?

The “Hollowers” will say they are correct and you are activating the deep stabilisers the “Bracers” will say they are activating the superficial stabilisers as well as the deep stabilisers…and I think they are both right at times.

In traditional martial arts you will find training drills that require you to “Hollow” or fold slightly and other drills require abdominal bracing. I don’t believe you are meant to maintain a braced or hollowed position throughout but rather transition to the best stabilising position that suits the movement. You need to be able to hollow and to brace your torso at the appropriate time of a movement pattern.

Improving your core stabilisers and the ability to engage and release them is fundamental in efficient movement patterns. This ability will most likely reduce your injury risk at the same time as improving your performance.

Sometimes a core stabiliser is strong and of the correct length (no need to stretch) but it may be over-active and is recruited at the wrong time of the movement pattern. The muscle that gives me trouble in this way is Psoas Major and most likely because I sit for too long with my job.

The Psoas Major is a muscle that connects many things…is joins the upper body with the lower, the outside to the inside, front to back and limb to spine. Muscles are often described as origin and insertion and you could say that this muscle originates from the spine and inserts to the front of the hip but muscles are far more complicated than that. This muscle will have associations with the diaphragm (affecting speech and singing) as well as associations with the pelvic floor and other muscles (iliacus) that it comes in contact with. The front (anterior) fibres function separately to the back (posterior) fibres due to the different nerves that innervate the muscle motor units. Thinking of your muscles as fibres and units of fibres that have relationships with other fibres that have an association with all different types of tissues is a complex and wonderful way to think about

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ourselves. So complex that I find words fall short when trying to describe movement and so I ask myself what does that movement or posture feel like and then I create a memory of that feeling to reference later. Memory images of feelings is my reference library to better movement.

All sorts of problems can be associated with dysfunction of the Psoas Major however for me it is not a weakness of the muscle rather than it is over-active at times and will cause me pain at the front of the hip. I have found a number of different exercises useful for me that inhibit or down regulate my overexcited Psoas major portion (motor units). These may be fun for you to try also.

1. Assess your lumbar muscle relationship • Lay on your back on a firm surface, legs outstretched with head on the floor (no pillow).

• Is your lower back arched off the floor or can it comfortably settle against the floor?

• If you have a large arched lumbar region you may need to be assessed further 2. Psoas recovery position • Lay on your back with knees bend and feet on the floor, arms crossed over your torso. Your lower back should be able to flatten against the floor without strain • In this position you can also try rocking your pelvis forward to create a small arch of the lower back and then slowly rock your pelvis backwards as far as you can comfortably 3. Lying(supine) internal leg rotation • Lay on your back and rotate one leg inwards (firm contraction at end point — isometric) and hold for 3 seconds • Relax that leg and let it find its own position, pause for 3 seconds in relaxed position • Repeat 3 times on the same leg then perform on opposite leg 4. Lying(supine) external bent leg rotation • Lay on your back and slide one foot up your opposing leg at the same time bend your knee and let you leg rotate outwards • Keeping hips level contract your muscles to try and bring your knee closer to the floor, (firm contraction at end point — isometric) hold for 3 seconds • Relax and slide your foot back down your leg whilst trying to keep knee from coming up too high • Repeat 3 times on the one leg then perform on the opposite side Exercises 3 & 4 should be done with firm contraction once you have reached the holding position and then slowly relaxed after the 3 count contraction and pause for 3 count before repeating. Take your time and don’t rush them using a natural breathing cycle. You can put yourself in the Psoas recovery position and chill out for a while and repeat if you wish. After you have done these exercises reassess your lumbar relationship by laying flat and see if your lower back is happier to lay flat against the floor.

What happens when things don’t go to plan Injury can occur in many ways such as the sudden onset (acute) injury of an ankle sprain or that nagging pain (chronic) that has crept in over weeks, months or even years. Many people troll through google looking for answers for their health problems, sometimes they find the answer but often they don’t. I don’t mind people having a look for their own answers because I feel they are taking ownership of their problem and I listen to them when they tell me what helps and what does not. Best advise when you develop an injury is to seek help from a knowledgable health professional that listens.

The problem with most approaches to correcting postural dysfunction, muscle imbalance, core instability and musculoskeletal aches and pains is that prescribed exercises often help while you are doing them but when you stop the old physical habits creep back in. This is great for a health professional because we have a revolving door supply of patients getting better then coming back to us when it happens again and this is how mortgages get paid. If you don’t like this then you need to think differently. Your body is the worst nagging friend that you will ever have and it needs constant attention or it will go off and gets itself in trouble. Find yourself a movement practice (for me Taijiquan) that meets your bodies needs and do it…forever. You get no reward for…”I use to be fit and mobile when I was younger”. My clinic is full of people that tell me they were fit 20yrs ago…sorry but your body demands a more recent attentive approach to health and well being. You will not escape all the riggers of ageing but you may reduce some of those aches and pains.

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Psoas Recovery Position

Internal leg rotation

External bent leg rotation

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Photography & Design by Nasser Butt Copyright©2021

This article is an abridged excerpt from the forthcoming book, ‘The Energies and Ingenuities of Taijiquan,’ by Nasser Butt, re-edited specifically for Lift Hands and only references the fifth method of moving — ‘Zigzagging’.

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n The Taiji manual of Gu Ruzhang1 — Taiji Boxing — published in May 1936, we are told of the ‘Seven Ingenuities’: The “seven ingenuities” are the clever ways of transforming:

七巧者。是巧妙變換。⼀變腰。⼆變腕。三變肘。四變肩。五變身。六變胯。七變步。又謂 之七 種動作也。(⼀)進步。(⼆)退步。(三)閃展步。(四)連環步。(五)萬⼦步。 卍(六)旋轉步。(七)搖身 膀胱。 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

Transform at your waist Transform at your wrist Transform at your elbow Transform at your shoulder Transform with your torso Transform at your hip Transform with your step

The term is also applied to seven ways of moving: 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

Advancing Retreating Side-stepping Continuous stepping Zigzagging Spinning around Shaking

The ‘seven ingenuities,’ simply put, are a means by which to bring about a change or alteration through yielding, sticking and folding — this is aided by expanding, contracting, opening, closing, rolling, reeling, releasing and, of course, stepping!

The Treatise of Wang T’sung-yeuh of Shanxi — Great Pole Boxing: The Theory [circa late 18th century] confirms this…

Suddenly conceal, suddenly reveal. Left is full, then left empty.

Right is full, then right insubstantial.

The above simply leads us to a higher understanding of the concepts of yielding and sticking [primarily developed through Dǎ Shou — Striking Hands, commonly referred to as Push Hands].

From the moment of first contact, we listen to and identify the source, pressure and direction of the attack and instantly ‘empty’ that side [change shape through movement]. If the pressure appears on both sides — we instantly sink or contract one side [change shape through movement] to achieve the same result! In other words... evade your opponent’s major force by changing your own shape through movement [hard to soft] — and thereby, changing the shape of your opponent’s attack [draining energy] — in order to prevent any resistance between the two, thus placing you in an advantageous position from where to continue your own attack [soft to hard].

Yielding does not mean to run around aimlessly trying to evade your opponent’s force only to re-invite an attack again and again, in the hope that he will tire out or give up, or simply fall away. That is just plain stupid and deserving of a beating!

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By changing yourself, you have brought about a change to the meaning of your opponent’s attack. Now, it is critical to understand this - I do not attempt to physically change my opponent, I bring about a change in him by changing myself! In combat, as in life, the only person we have control, or mastery over, is ourselves — not our opponents! Thus giving Wang cause to state: Men don’t know me, I alone know men. The irresistibility of the hero’s progress is surely entirely achieved through this...

Without opposition or resistance!

Further, Refer to the phrase: "Four ounces deflect a thousand pounds" This is clearly not force’s victory. Regard the image of the old man able to hold off a multitude - How could this be by speed accomplished?

The above phrase is a master class on yielding and the relationship between the legs, hips and waist.

Lively as a carriage wheel - Depress one side and the other follows.

Wang, through the image of the “old man” is introducing us to three of the four cornerstones [the first being the head and its importance in Taijiquan and rooting] and the rule of the waist, as well as the classical p’eng/hinge [lower p’eng] ‘guard’ of Taijiquan and how to hold the centre ground and connect the four yang channels in Dǎ Shou! Citing examples, he explains correct structure and movement[expanding and contracting/opening and closing] and the common errors [especially the role of double-weightedness] which prevent students from developing the concepts of neutralising and issuing due to a failure of understanding the principles involved — thereby, allowing themselves to be controlled by their opponents.

In order to rectify this situation, Wang tells us that: To avoid this fault, one must know negative and positive "Sticking" is “running,” "running" is "sticking". Negative does not leave positive.

In other words in order to remedy these errors we must understand the active and passive and that within sticking there is yielding and within yielding there is sticking! The active and passive never depart from each other and are continuously exchanging roles or cleverly “transforming”!

Finally, the image of the “old man” represents skill achieved through learning [and experience] as opposed to natural strength and speed — he no longer possesses the strength and speed of youth, yet he can still fight and win!

In the list of Gu’s “ingenuities,” the final one given involves transforming “with your step”! He then gives us a further “seven ways of moving”.

These seven methods should not be mistaken for the Five Directions of Taijiquan [even though they play a major role in developing them ] — which are components of the 13 Dynamics — even though the first two on the list are found in the Five Directions themselves. Whilst Gu gives us the names of these seven methods, alas, there are no descriptions or illustrations provided in his manual!

Although some may say that the names are descriptive in themselves — it is not that clear cut when one starts to question the methodology itself. Further, the translations offered, or what is understood by the native speaker from the written word, may also be misleading if one is not aware of the methodology involved and the martial connotations!

In 1995 my teacher, Erle Montaigue, travelled for a second time to China2 — this time to train with the keeper of the Wudang System — Master Liang Shih-kan.

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During this trip, amongst other things, he was taught the Eight Stepping Methods of the Wudang. These ‘Stepping Methods3,’ he was told, were the precursors or the ‘meta data’ from which the internal arts developed their own ideas. These methods have no names per se — they are simply a set of transitions from A to B to C etc and are usually referenced as first, second, third all the way to the eighth!

Whilst learning these methods, I made extensive notes during my training [as was my habit] and would question Erle regarding these, and he would elaborate further or clarify a point. The transformations or steps could clearly be seen in Old Yang Taijiquan, as well as Baguazhang and what little bit of Xingyi drills we were taught.

Again, as per my habit [and being a trained scientist], I would often research the subject matters, looking for corroborating evidence in the available historical literature, as well as contemporary teachings. I failed to find anything referencing specific stepping methods, I was surprised to say the least as I thought that this would have been a standard subject regardless of the family style! The only reference I had been given was the one from Erle4 — the Wudang. Whilst this was more then good enough for me, I continued my research.

The purpose behind these stepping methods is manifold! They teach us many specific things which are key to understanding our Taiji or Baguazhang as complete martial arts , especially where self-defence is concerned as opposed to studying the arts for health or sporting purposes alone, with the main points5 being: 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

12.

13.

14.

15.

16.

17.

18.

19.

20.

21.

22.

Intent Rooting Connectivity between above and below [the balanced pairs] Rolling [Thunder] Releasing Reeling Understanding and developing centrifugal and centripetal forces and the roles they play in movement The Four Cornerstones Understanding the relationship between the square and the circle Expanding Contracting Opening Closing Direction/cutting angles Distance Timing Natural [innate] movement Soong Change/Transformation Active/Passive Fa-jing Bracing

It was a couple of years after Erle’s passing in 2011 that I came across the full text of Gu’s work, although, funnily enough, I had come across his works earlier whilst researching other subjects and had put them aside at the time. Again, the connections between subject matters were not always clear cut as different terminology was used to describe similar themes and sometimes, as per the cliché — you couldn’t see the wood for the trees!

So, finally, I had historical corroboration of ‘stepping,’ or as Gu referred to them ‘ingenuities’ — ‘applied to seven ways of moving’!

Whilst Gu’s works provide us with the evidence, however, close inspection shows that there are glaring differences too: 1. The Wudang has Eight6 Stepping Methods 2. Gu gives us seven7 ways of stepping. However, number seven on the list is “shaking” — shaking plays a role in all eight of the Wudang methods and refers to fa-jing and the role of the waist and therefore is not a ‘stepping method’ and technically speaking leaves us with only six!

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3. The glaring omissions are ‘leaping’ and ‘cross-stepping’!

4. No descriptive or illustrative methodology8 is provided by Gu! Gu does not provide us the source of his ingenuities. It is obviously Yang family, but is it first hand or second hand? Further, since as far as the omission of the ‘leaping’ method is concerned, it may be safe to presume that this information is post Yang Cheng-fu’s modifications of his family form, since we are clearly told by the historian, Gu Liuxin [no relative]: Cheng-fu’s boxing style during his middle years was bold and vigorous, powerful and strong, imposing with his leaps.

After Yang Cheng-fu went to the South, he began to explicitly emphasize the use of Taijiquan in treating illness and protecting health. For example, when Cheng-fu first performed his art in Shanghai, the movements of Separating Feet and Kick with Heel still retained the training methods of rapid kicks having the sound of the wind. Later, however, he changed to slow, gradual kicks, with the placement of fajin (issuing energy) in the kicks being concealed within. Other boxing powers and methods were also transformed to a continuous pace with no breaking of the cadence and from a hurried to an even pace.9 And by Douglas Wile, who tells us: Not until late in Ch’eng-fu’s career did retentions of the Ch’en style jumps, flying kicks, stamps, changes of pace, and shouts finally disappear from his form.10 It is accepted that Yang Cheng-fu completed most of these changes by 192811 and died sometime in 1936. Gu’s book is published in the same year as Cheng-fu’s death — May 1936 — in which it is stated that some of the information was copied from existing works of students such as Chen Weiming. However, regardless of the differences, can we confidently say that his work contains echos of the Wudang Stepping Methods contained within Yang family teachings?

Zigzagging The fifth way of moving listed by Gu is “Zigzagging” — no further information or elaboration is provided!

The Collins English Dictionary defines zigzagging as: a line or course characterized by sharp turns in alternating directions12 The Britannica Dictionary13 provides the following image for zigzagging:

It should not take a rocket scientist to work out that the image provided by Britannica is the image that would instantly come to all our minds who are familiar with the term zigzag or zigzagging!

However, this is not what is being implied by Gu’s text!

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As I have already stated above, Gu does not provide us with any illustration or methodology on the subject, nor does he elaborate beyond what he states in his text. However, close scrutiny of his text in light of what we know from the Wudang Stepping Methods yields far more.

In Gu’s text we read: (五)萬⼦步。 卍

(5)

zi wàn

bù

wàn

So, the text reads: (5) wàn zi bù 。 wàn Where wàn equates to 10,000 [ten thousand] or innumerable; zi [character] equates to a noun or suffix and bù simply equates to a step / a pace / walk. This is simply rendered as “zigzagging”!

At this point, I must state for those readers who do not know me, that I do not speak, read or write Chinese. My Chinese is limited to the vocabulary I have inherited as a part of my martial traditions. However, what I have inherited is a good martial grounding in Taijiquan [including Baguazhang and Wudang Boxing] as opposed to one focused entirely on health, and I also have students in mainland China with PhD level linguistic skills training under myself and researching on my behalf — and it is to those which I turned.

There are no zigzagging movements in Taijiquan nor in the Wudang Stepping Methods as defined by the Britannica Dictionary above!

There are ‘V’ steps [as explained in section on ‘Advancing’], which could be argued by an uninitiated person as zigzagging, this however, would be an incorrect interpretation.

Returning to Gu’s text, if the readers look carefully at the passage at the beginning of the article, you will find a swastika14 between (5) zigzagging and (6) spinning around, which I have highlighted in red! Yes, that is a swastika!

I referenced my Chinese dictionary for the relevance of the swastika and once I was confident that I had worked out my understanding, I tested it by contacting my main student in Shenyang — Mungo Zhangruibo. I wrote: I have an urgent question for you… please look at the attached image, I need to clarify something… if you look at the 7 ways of moving… No.5 has been translated as zigzagging (10,000 steps) and No.6 as Spinning around… between 5 and 6 is a Swastika…

I need to know is the swastika a part of the description of 5 or 6?

I wanted to make sure it belonged to No.5 in the list (10K/ Zigzagging) and not No.6…. the reason being that I believe that this is actually a reference to the 8th Method of the Wudang which teaches us to make ‘L’ steps whilst turning thereby making the shape of a spinning swastika! The text has no images… therefore, the term ‘zigzagging’ whilst accurate in translation is misleading in context… I’ll send you a video later to show you what I mean I received my reply a few hours later: I can confirm the swastika belongs to No.5 and I’m looking forward to seeing the video to elaborate it to me. I think, 卍 was translated into Chinese character into the nearest sound as maan (svá)…

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He continued: Swastika is originated from India. 卍 is 10K in Chinese. So, 萬 (万 as simplified) is 10k; 字(character) 步 (step) means that you walk in the pattern of 卍!

The character in red should be used. Therefore, the character of 10K steps (zigzagging) is more accurate. Or, we can use “wan/ 万 zi/字” (mandarin) steps directly!

Later that evening I sent Mungo a video of myself performing the 8th Stepping Method of the Wudang:

The method begins with the practitioner weighted upon the left leg with the right foot placed slightly ahead [River stance] . The right foot lifts up flat and is placed flat 90º to the left foot [toe-to-toe], forming the shape of

the letter ‘L’ as the centre turns counter-clockwise [left].

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The weight shifts to the right foot as the left foot is raised flat and placed 90º to the right foot — heel-to-toe.

The body continues turning counter-clockwise as the right foot now swings around and is placed at 90º…

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The pattern continues endlessly [10,000 steps]…

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Until the practitioner decides to change direction by placing their right foot heel-to-toe [see below]. Now the pattern will reverse and continue clockwise making ‘L’ steps — the swastika spinning from rightwards!

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Mungo made some consultations and responded almost straightaway…

I enjoy your move in the video, very clear! Also, very entertaining when you are in your red shoes to demonstrate the 萬字步 👣……

Indeed, 卍 is spinning endlessly…in Buddhism as well 🙏 I had my answer — the 8th Wudang Stepping Method is indeed Gu’s method number 5 as I had suspected!

Gu places this as the fifth step on his list. Again, we are not told if the order matters or if the list is random. In the Wudang Methods this is the eighth or final method. It is placed there for a specific reason — by this stage of training and understanding you should be able to brace yourself in any direction as per the Classics and mentioned by Chen Weiming in his 1925 book, ‘The Art of Taiji Boxing’ under the heading ‘Understanding How To Practice The Thirteen Dynamics’: Your posture must be straight and comfortable, bracing in all directions.

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When your headtop is suspended, you will automatically be upright. When you are relaxed, you will automatically be comfortable. When you are as stable as Mt. Tai, you will automatically be able to brace in all directions.

‘L’ and ‘T15’ steps are used throughout the 3 main internal arts, especially in Baguazhang.

They are short ‘choppy’ movements which allow us to yield and brace against a force coming into us from any direction. There are also specific training methods which develop and test our bracing. There is no better way then the spinning swastika to help us develop and understand these concepts.

These steps abound in Taijiquan, albeit more subtly then Baguazhang, but they are there nonetheless both, in the Old Yang form — including the leaping components — as well as in the Pàochuí or Canon Fist Form!

What makes Gu’s list interesting is that while the fundamental information is there, the technical details are not [at least not for those who do not know what to look for]! The question that this raises is that, was this information left out deliberately, or was it simply information which was copied from other works without actual training?

What is clear is that the simple translation of “zigzagging” does not suffice! The term 10,000 occurs a lot in Chinese martial arts and philosophy — it is simply a way of saying a lot or innumerable and not to be taken literally, giving us a meaning that is far better to understand… ‘innumerable stepping in the pattern of a swastika 卍’. This not only tells us what to do but also how to do it!

Above photography: Anelia Andreeva A simplified illustration for using a short sharp ‘L’ step to redirect an oncoming force and countering.

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In conclusion we can confidently state that the ‘ingenuities’ of moving contained within the text of Gu Ruzhang certainly echo The Eight Stepping Methods of Wudang and we shouldn’t be really surprised at that or Master Liang Shih-kan’s claim that they are the basis upon which the footwork of the internal arts is based, after all, we know that after completing his training in the Chen village, Yang Lu-ch’an headed out to the Wudang as per Douglas Wile: “Ch’ang-hsing gave him the transmissions of Chang Sang-feng, Chiang Fa and Wang Tsung-yueh, and Lu-ch’an, realizing the Taoist origins of the art, journeyed to the Wu-tang Mountains in search of a master. It was here that he studied Taoist yoga and the soft aspect of martial arts and invented push hands.

Returning to the world as a consummate martial artist, he was introduced by Wu Yu-hsiang in Peking.”16 If the above is an accurate account of Yang Lu-ch’an’s travels and most historians agree that he did head to the Wudang, then we have a good reason to believe the oral tradition told by Liang to Erle to be true! Further, other historians agree with Wudang connection to Taijiquan and the internal schools as referenced in my book The 12 Secret Rings of Yang Family17 According to the “Preface” of Chu Minyi found in Wu Tu-nan’s (a disciple of Yang Shao Hou and a historian of Taijiquan) book — A More Scientific Martial Art: Taiji Boxing, published in 1931: “Taiji Boxing is a boxing art of the internal school.”

Furthermore, Wu himself adds: “Wang Yuyang said: 'Of the boxing arts, Shaolin is the external school and Zhang Sanfeng of Wudang is the internal school.’

After Zhang Sanfeng, there was Wang Zongyue of Xi’an. Having obtained Zhang’s true teachings, he then became famous for producing many writings in which he thoroughly explains Taiji Boxing’s profound principles.”

Again, Chen Pan-ling, another student of Yang Shao Hou and a historian, in the “Introduction” to his book — Chen Pan-ling’s Original Tai Chi Chuan Textbook, states: “Tai Chi Chuan belongs to Wutang school” And finally, Yang Cheng-fu and Dong Yingjie in their book Methods Of Applying Taiji Boxing (Taijiquan Shiyong Fa) state in their “General Remarks” section: “Taiji Boxing is fundamentally related to Wudang’s boxing of internal skill.”

The above does not mean that Taijiquan, Baguazhang or Xingyiquan were invented at the Wudang or even practiced there as the arts we know today — no not at all! What it means is that these arts took ideas from Wudang Boxing and developed them into their own individual systems — and this is exactly what we are being told by Yang Cheng-fu and Dong Yingjie in the final quote highlighted above!

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Notes: 1. The Taiji manual of Gu Ruzhang: Taiji Boxing published May 1936 [translation by Paul Brennan, Aug, 2013; https:// brennantranslation.wordpress.com] 2. I have covered this in detail in my book ‘Whose Line Is It Anyway?’ — available from Peecho and details can be found in this publication.

3. Although these methods are referred to as ‘Stepping Methods,’ I prefer the term ‘Transformations’ myself as per the text of Gu for the simple reason that at the highest level of Taijiquan there is ‘no footwork’ — the training methods at this level should have ensured that, ‘heaven, man earth’ are united and moving as one! However, to distinguish between Gu’s text and that inherited through my teacher, I shall refer to the Wudang as ‘Stepping Methods’.

4. Erle, himself, made no reference to Gu’s works. I believe he was unfamiliar with them. Had he known, he would have cited this as evidence as he had done previously, especially with the works of Chen Pan-ling, Chen Weiming and even Chen Yanlin!

5. The main points, listed here as bullets, are not exhaustive and are explained in more detail in the forthcoming book — they can simply, however, be categorised under the Principles and Motions of The 13 Dynamics! Gu, himself, lists these ‘ingenuities’ as a part of ‘Explaining Taiji’s Generative Principles’.

6. Eight is an auspicious number in Chinese culture and also denotes yang in martial arts, whereas 7 is regarded yin!

Many of the forms are usually based on auspicious numbers!

7. See note 5 above.

8. This is an important point since we are not told “How to…?” This omission will play a critical role in our understanding of the ‘ingenuities’.

9. Fu Zhongwen. Mastering Yang Style Taijiquan (Yang Shih T’ai Chi Ch’uan)/Translated by Louis Swaim, 1999, published by North Atlantic Books. An Introduction to Yang Style Taijiquan, pp.6 & 7.

10. Wile, Douglas. T’ai-chi Touchstones: Yang Family Secret Transmissions, Sweet Ch’i Press, 1983. pp.xii.

11.

12.

13.

14.

Butt, Nasser. Whose Line Is It Anyway? Published 2021 https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/zigzagging https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/zigzag A decent brief history of the swastika in world culture and its importance can be found on wikipedia. I have referenced some of the material here for the student to understand this and why the guilt and shame of its use in the West whilst committing the heinous crime against humanity of the Holocaust, should not prevent them from doing so!

The swastika symbol, 卐 or 卍, today primarily recognized in the West for its use by the Nazi party, is an ancient religious icon in various Eurasian cultures. It is used as a symbol of divinity and spirituality in Indic religions, including Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism. It generally takes the form of a cross, the arms of which are of equal length and perpendicular to the adjacent arms, each bent midway at a right angle.

In the Western world, it was a symbol of auspiciousness and good luck until the 1930s when the German Nazi Party adopted a right-facing ('clockwise') form and used it as an emblem of the Aryan race. As a result of World War II and the Holocaust, in the West it continues to be strongly associated with Nazism and antisemitism and is now a symbol of white supremacy or, simply, of evil. As a consequence, its use in some countries, including Germany, is prohibited by law. However, the swastika remains a symbol of good luck and prosperity in Hindu, Buddhist and Jain countries such as Nepal, India, Mongolia, Sri Lanka, China and Japan. It is also commonly used in Hindu marriage ceremonies and Diwali celebrations.

The word swastika comes from Sanskrit: िस्वस्तक, romanized: svastika, meaning "conducive to well-being". In Hinduism, the right-facing symbol (clockwise) ( 卐 ) is called swastika, symbolizing surya ("sun"), prosperity and good luck, while the left-facing symbol (counter-clockwise) ( 卍 ) is called sauwastika, symbolising night or tantric aspects of Kali. In Jain symbolism, it represents Suparshvanatha – the seventh of 24 Tirthankaras (spiritual teachers and saviours), while in Buddhist symbolism it represents the auspicious footprints of the Buddha. In several major Indo-European religions, the swastika symbolises lightning bolts, representing the thunder god and the king of the gods, such as Indra in Vedic Hinduism, Zeus in the ancient Greek religion, Jupiter in the ancient Roman religion, and Thor in the ancient Germanic religion. The symbol is found in the archeological remains of the Indus Valley Civilisation and Samarra, as well as in early Byzantine and Christian artwork.

In various European languages, it is known as the fylfot, gammadion, tetraskelion, or cross cramponnée (a term in Anglo-Norman heraldry); German: Hakenkreuz; French: croix gammée; Italian: croce uncinata; Latvian: ugunskrusts.

In Mongolian it is called Хас (khas) and mainly used in seals. In Chinese it is called 卍字 (wànzì) meaning "all things symbol", pronounced manji in Japanese, manja (만자) in Korean and vạn tự / chữ vạn in Vietnamese.

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Reverence for the swastika symbol in Asian cultures, in contrast to the stigma attached to it in the West, has led to misinterpretations and misunderstandings.

According to René Guénon, the swastika represents the north pole, and the rotational movement around a centre or immutable axis (axis mundi), and only secondly it represents the Sun as a reflected function of the north pole. As such it is a symbol of life, of the vivifying role of the supreme principle of the universe, the absolute God, in relation to the cosmic order. It represents the activity (the Hellenic Logos, the Hindu Om, the Chinese Taiyi, "Great One") of the principle of the universe in the formation of the world. According to Guénon, the swastika in its polar value has the same meaning of the yin and yang symbol of the Chinese tradition, and of other traditional symbols of the working of the universe, including the letters Γ (gamma) and G, symbolising the Great Architect of the Universe of Masonic thought.

According to the scholar Reza Assasi, the swastika represents the north ecliptic north pole centred in ζ Draconis, with the constellation Draco as one of its beams. He argues that this symbol was later attested as the four-horse chariot of Mithra in ancient Iranian culture. They believed the cosmos was pulled by four heavenly horses who revolved around a fixed centre in a clockwise direction. He suggests that this notion later flourished in Roman Mithraism, as the symbol appears in Mithraic iconography and astronomical representations.

According to the Russian archaeologist Gennady Zdanovich, who studied some of the oldest examples of the symbol in Sintashta culture, the swastika symbolises the universe, representing the spinning constellations of the celestial north pole centred in α Ursae Minoris, specifically the Little and Big Dipper (or Chariots), or Ursa Minor and Ursa Major.

Likewise, according to René Guénon the swastika is drawn by visualising the Big Dipper/Great Bear in the four phases of revolution around the pole star.

In Native American culture, particularly among the Pima people of Arizona, the swastika is a symbol of the four winds.

Anthropologist Frank Hamilton Cushing noted that among the Pima the symbol of the four winds is made from a cross with the four curved arms (similar to a broken sun cross), and concludes "the right-angle swastika is primarily a representation of the circle of the four wind gods standing at the head of their trails, or directions.”

In Asia, the swastika symbol first appears in the archaeological record around 3000 BCE in the Indus Valley Civilisation. It also appears in the Bronze and Iron Age cultures around the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea. In all these cultures, the swastika symbol does not appear to occupy any marked position or significance, appearing as just one form of a series of similar symbols of varying complexity. In the Zoroastrian religion of Persia, the swastika was a symbol of the revolving sun, infinity, or continuing creation. It is one of the most common symbols on Mesopotamian coins.

The icon has been of spiritual significance to Indic religions such as Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism. The swastika is a sacred symbol in the Bön religion, native to Tibet.

Source: Wikipedia; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swastika 15. A ’T’ step is where the foot is placed centrally across the other foot to literally form the shape of the letter ’T’ as opposed to an ‘L’!

16. Wile, Douglas — Page vii ‘Translator’s Note’ ; T’ai Chi Touchstones: Yang Family Secret Transmissions [1983] 17. Butt, Nasser. The 12 Secret Rings of Yang Family — available from Peecho and details can be found in this publication. Chapter: Striking/Joining/Playing Hands The Third Ring (House) of Yang; Page 33, published April 2020.

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ver the long course of my martial studies I have been very fortunate to visit numerous martial arts schools. I regularly noticed a dramatic difference between my visits to internal (Tai Chi, etc) schools and external (hard style) martial arts schools. Almost all my visits to both types of schools would begin the same. I would met the teacher and the students, exchange thoughts and perspectives on a variety of topics, and demonstrated various Tai Chi forms. In almost every external school, someone would politely ask if Tai Chi was really a martial art. I would respond with; “Let’s find out." I would then spar with some number of people at various degrees of intensity. It was a good learning experience for both parties.

My visits to Tai Chi Chuan schools were different. I was almost never asked to spar, but occasionally I was asked to do push hands. Often, this was a strange and disconcerting experience. Tai Chi people would wonderfully talk the internal talk. They would cover chi flow, energy, softness, body unification, etc in a comprehensive and thoughtful manner. When we began push hands, things went off the rails. Either my partner was an ethereal bowl of Tai Chi mush or things rapidly descended into Tai Chi Sumo with hard shoving and poor martial technique. I have no idea how either of theses push hands approaches benefited anyone. The Tai Chi Sumo people's constant hardness and opposition would greatly hinder any health benefits and would never stand up to a experienced fighter. The Tai Chi mush exercise might be useful if your goal was to be a lo mien noodle, but hardly beneficial for developing mindfulness and energy awareness. In fairness, there was the rare knowledgeable practitioner, but they were disappointingly few and far between.

I realized that the external schools had a clear primary objective; to develop high level martial ability. They saw sparring as a vehicle to help them improve their art. They knew what they wanted from sparring and how to teach it. Unfortunately, the large majority of Tai Chi schools had no clear idea of what they wanted from push hands, what it was, and if and how it could it help them. I concede that my thoughts are based upon an admittedly small statistical sample. However, I do feel that the question what of exactly is push hands, why do we practice it, and what do we hope to get from it, needs to be addressed by the Tai Chi community.

Why Practice Push Hands?

The following are my perspectives and I understand that there are many other equally valid ideas and perspectives. I am a huge proponent of respectful exchanges of ideas. I believe that as long time passionate Tai Chi students, we need to constantly examine what we are doing and evaluate how it help us get where we want to go. This is how we grow as people and as martial artists.

A good place to start is questioning what we want from our Tai Chi investment. The old quote, if you don't know where you are going then any road will take you there is especially pertinent in Tai Chi study. Do we want to be martial artists, moving yoga people, mindfulness practitioners, or some mixture of the above? I'm not placing judgment on anyone's goals. My point is that it is critical to have a goal in order to evaluate if your actions are helping you achieve it.

My Tai Chi teachers, Professor Huo Chi Kwan and Master Tuey Staples always stressed that push hands was a mechanism for students to experientially understand the martial and health aspects of the internal martial arts. These aspects include energy interpretation and redirection, centering, and circular movement.

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Professor Huo and Alan Ludmer with Tuey Staples onlooking — 1975

They felt that push hands works to undo a person's natural instinct to resist force with force, and teaches yielding and redirecting of force. Push hands helps to overcome our genetic fight/flight instincts. We learn to be to be fully present even when scared or under pressure, or feel that we have lost control. This is essential for either martial or personal health goals.

Getting Value from Push Hands Master Tuey Staples teaches that push hands starts as an exercise in energy interpretation. Initially students learn to issue energy gently and slowly to help their partner deal with a variety of situations. Their partners needs to do the same. If one finds themselves speeding up, tensing or disattaching, then they are off course. To get back on course, slow down and focus on listening. Start with slow movement and a light touch because it is easier to relax if you don't feel pressed. In time one can move with speed and focused energy while always retaining a light touch. When you can relax, accept and redirect under fire, then you know you are growing.

Push hands allows students to learn how to respond to external stimuli using techniques from their forms practice. Training with a partner allows a student to develop listening skills and the sensitivity to feel the direction and strength of a partner's intention. Students learn to generate, coordinate and deliver power to another and how to effectively neutralize incoming forces in a safe environment. Students who have difficulty feeling what’s really going on in their own body can become more attuned to it through the sticking and moving practices conducted with a partner.

Key points The following are thoughts on how to use push hands to help advance your art. I'm focusing on introductory fixed steps using two hands. Moving steps and Tau Lu are topics for future conversations.

1. Push hands is not a contest. It is not sparring or fighting. Forget about winning and losing. Lose the emotional content. Your initial plan is to discover where and when you are tense or stiff. Start slowly, always stay attached to you partner's hands, touch softly, listen to your body. Always stay in good posture.

Push hands is an exercise in the interpretation of energy. When you issue energy gently and slowly you help your partner learn to deal with a variety of situations. Your partner needs to do the same. If you find yourself speeding up, disattaching, or tensing, slow down, reattach, and relax. It is easier to relax if you don't feel that you're fighting for your life.

2. Look where you are going before you go there. Don't run into your partner or his limbs. Use your look to go around them. Your look leads your energy and keeps you from opposing. Use a soft wide look. When we pushed hands, Tuey constantly admonished me not to oppose. He would say, “Did you drive to class?

Did you crash into any cars? Then why are you running into me? See the space around me." If you find yourself stiffening, tensing, or speed up, stop, reset, and start again. Focus on accepting and redirecting your opponent's moves.

3. Avoid pushing or shoving. Tai Chi is about concentric circles and non opposition. It is not about hard explosive energy. Internal power comes from mass in motion. A bus can be moving very slowly, but you still don't step in front of it. When your body moves sequentially as a unit, you can have a light touch and great power. In time you acquire a unity of mind and body that permits the sensitivity necessary to identify and control your partner’s center. There are no magic secret moves; the essences is harmonizing mind-body energy. Seek to unbalance your partner by using torque. You are literally turning/screwing your partner off their root. When you strike someone, they can counter, when you unbalance them, they have no counter.

4. Master your basics before you consider competitive push hands. I have no problem with tournament push hands competition, but I feel that basic principles and concepts need to be in place before one goes into battle. Otherwise, bad habits and poor basics get locked into place and the competition becomes only about speed and strength. Competition can be fun and educational. However, my preference is to learn your basics first.

5. Use push hands as an exercise to work on your internal basics. See all moves are concentric circles, every move circles back to you. If you see circles and apply mass in motion, your moves will be light, powerful, and will torque your partner off his root. The basics learned in push hands can be applied to sparring/fighting, but a firm foundation must be in place. See push hands as a joint exercise to achieve a unity of mind and body that will help you find your and your partner's tension. When you understand his tension, you can find his center. When you find his center, you have control. When you find your center, you have balance.

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Summary Thoreau said it is not what you look at that matters, it is what you see. As serious Tai Chi students and teachers, we need to strive to see more. We can extrapolate push hands benefits to finding flexibility and reciprocity in relationships, both personal and professional. Push hands can help develop the ability to maintain emotional stability in difficult circumstances. It's also a lot of fun and a nice adjunct to Tai Chi forms.

Tuey Staples Alan Ludmer 2021

About the Author Alan Ludmer is a St. Louis, Missouri Tai Chi Chuan and Ba Gua Chuan teacher, author, and student. He has over 50 years of experience in the internal and external martial arts. His initial training was in western boxing. He then studied Shotokan Karate and attained a Ni Dan rank.

In 1969, he began Tai Chi Chuan study with Professor Huo Chi Kwang.

Alan was a private student and primarily studied the Yang Family Form with the Professor through 1978. After moving to St. Louis, Alan began study with Master Tuey Staples. He has been with Tuey for over 40 years, studying Tai Chi Chuan and Ba Gua Chuan. He can be reached at alanludmer@gmail.com.

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n 2018, after an absence of 29 years, Daniel LaRusso returned to our screens in Netflix’s Cobra Kai (originally a YouTube Original), bringing back to life the Karate-influenced Karate Kid film franchise that entertained young people and the like around the world, in the '80s and early ’90s.

After recently suffering from what could only be described as “Covid-like” symptoms, the new dreaded trend of the 2020s, it left me sofa-bound for a few days and with some time to kill. After avoiding this popular show for 4 years, due to its cheesy marketing and questionable (American “comedy”) acting, I thought, ‘Hey, let’s see what all the fuss is about’.

Within just a few days I had consumed all four seasons (40 episodes) and although I’d describe the show as watchable, I felt shocked, bewildered, and aggravated by the cavalier use of martial arts and lack of restraint instilled upon the students.

I was left thinking…how many young people will attempt to roundhouse their way out of minor disputes or fights over their school crush after watching this show?

Within this article, we’re going to break down the inaccurate portrayals of this thing we call Martial Arts with the thing they call an Action-ComedyDrama.

In the scientific journal, “Video analysis of head blows leading to concussion in competition Taekwondo” Brain Injury by Joe O. Koh, E. Jane Watkinson, and Yong-Jin Yoon in 2004 — Results found that, ‘Head blows, and concussions were most evident when the attacker was situated in a closed stance and received a single roundhouse kick.’ Concluding, ‘frequency of head blows, and concussions are high in Taekwondo.

Development of blocking skills, safety education, rigorous enforcement of the competition rules, and improvement of headgear are recommended.’ Furthermore, a study by the University of Toronto documented that, ‘a mixed martial arts fighter suffers a traumatic brain injury in almost a third of professional bouts.’

Image source: UCSfm.com.br

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This is likely why during the Olympics you see opponents competing under a layer of pads with the objective of landing a strike on their opponent. Unlike the scenes that play out in Cobra Kai, a Taekwondo competition can be like watching a round of Slapsies, especially in comparison to a ferocious UFC fight that the public has come to associate with mixed martial arts. An all-out battle between two sides glorified by pre-fight spats, flashy marketing “Title Fight Grand Prix,” and spectacle weigh-ins, all before it’s “SHOWTIME”!

Lee Trunks from Combined Defensive Arts (Cheltenham), which focuses on kickboxing and self-defence, explains, ‘We always explain why the head is so important to protect, and therefore why we need to be careful in sparring. We always wear head guards and the correct sparring kit. We encourage light strikes to the head, and all sparring is closely monitored and supervised.’

For non-martial art folks (the average unsuspecting citizen) this is what has driven Cobra Kai’s depiction of martial arts to be something that resembles a WWE slap down rather than a demonstration of respect, discipline, skill, and measured response that is taught in most martial arts schools (for the sake of this article I will be referring to them as clubs to avoid confusion). An amateur UFC spectator has no understanding of what it physically takes to undertake such a battle, grapple with a fierce opponent, receive the blows, push through suffering, rise to the challenge, and recover from injuries. But they love to debate technique and strategy nonetheless over a few beers with their mates.

Personally, I love to watch two consenting opponents come together in a ring to use their years of training, skill, and stamina to dominate their opponent. The keyword here is “consenting”. I’m not sure a school playground is a place for this display of brutality, especially left in the hands of adolescent hormonal teenagers.

If you’ve seen Cobra Kai, you will be used to seeing fights break out over minor quarrels, blows to the head become commonplace, and are even encouraged by Cobra Kai’s sensei John Kreese. “Finish him” might as well be the name of the show. Always ending in lights out for at least one character.

When asked if she noticed any problems with the way martial arts was portrayed in the show, Amanda Wilding, a JKD instructor from Warriors within Martial Arts (Belper), responded, ‘Yes, the way they used their martial arts to start fights. I didn't agree with the fact that every argument they had resulted in fighting, or that both clubs were so opposed to each other’s disciplines. Outside of the dojo, martial arts should only be used for selfprotection.’ And that the show, ‘Portrays martial arts in a bad way!’ However, she also goes on to say that she ‘Loves the programme.’

After a fight breaks out at school between two girls (Sam and Tori) over an impromptu kiss between Sam and Tori’s boyfriend, Miguel, who just happens to be Sam’s ex-boyfriend...the drama. The whole school soon plummets into one big WWE showdown in a tag team-style match of ego and conquest for dominance. The result? Miguel ends up in the hospital with critical injuries, Sam receives an injury from an improvised weapon, a teacher is knocked out, among other acts of violence being committed by easily a dozen more students.

The consequences for such fights in the show are minor and soon recovered from, Robby (Miguel’s adversary and Sam’s boyfriend) goes to juvenile detention, albeit for a short spell; Tori ends up on probation, and Miguel soon fully recovers from what would be in the real-world, life-changing injuries. There is no long-lasting or meaningful consequence to these or other crimes in the series. Breaking and entering, vandalism, theft, GBH (grievous bodily harm), and the attacking of authority figures go unpunished.

There is no emphasis on measured response or consequences to the violence within any of the Dojo’s teachings within the show. The school decides to implement a “martial art free zone” with a “hugs not hits” policy, and Daniel LaRusso describing their stance as the “karate footloose” (a reference to the film from 1984 starring dancing rebel Kevin Bacon).

The emphasis on light-hearted comedy, parody, and absurdity is clear to most, but not all. After all, teenagers have been known to take part in some heinous crimes, one example is that of the “Reservoirs Dogs killing” in Merseyside (the 1999 killing of 15-year-old Michael Moss). A murder in which the teens involved demonstrated no correlation between their actions and the consequences. Displaying barbaric torturous behaviour, and once again, perpetrated over the affections of a girl.

But generally, tit for tat playground fights seem to be heading into a more violent territory, so what are the consequences that should be placed on these fictional but influential characters?

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When asked about the consequences given to students who cross the line Lee Trunks of CDA goes on to say, ‘(It) depends on the individual case. If it is wilful injury dependant on the extent of injury it will be a stern warning, letter, and call to parents, or removal from the club.’

In recent years there has been an increase in violent crime in the UK, especially amongst young people keen to assert their dominance under the guise of “self-defence”. In 2019 a Home Office report titled “An Analysis of Indicators of Serious Violence” stated, ‘More than 17,500 boys aged 14 carry a knife or weapon in England and Wales’ and this figure has probably risen since.

It's long been a problem among immature members of the public that, “settling a score” is the more common reaction to adversity, adult or teenagers, some people are quick to violence. The perceived power it gives them makes up for the lack of control they have in other areas of their life. With teenagers running around equipped with lethal weapons and no alternative means of defending themselves, do shows like Cobra Kai help to instil the perception of low repercussion for violent activity, or is it just a show that entertains through the “thrill” of violence? We’ll leave that for the academics to argue.

As for the opinions of Martial Artists themselves, Rob Jarvis, JKD instructor from Ohana Martial Arts (Alfreton) when asked about the show, said, ‘I disagree with the show's opinion that you need to win to be masterful, when in fact, sometimes losing has greater benefits as it provides you with the opportunity to learn.’

Going on to explain, ‘I noticed that the instructor has a lot of sway and influence on how to manipulate the students to view things their way.’

Rob Phelps, a Japanese Jujitsu instructor from Leicester Jujitsu, added, ‘Stereotypically, I felt it mocked martial arts, so I only watched a few episodes. But it showed what the general public expect to see.’

It's also not clear if it is lucky or unlucky that there is no hard proof that Cobra Kai and other martial arts media encourage young people to seek out their local martial arts club.

On one hand, an uptake in enrolments would help young people to learn about alternatives to carrying a knife, instil self-respect and self-control, reducing the chance of young people developing habits and alliances that lead them to become teen murderers and violent criminals.

On the other hand, do martial arts clubs want to attract people on the basis that they watched a TV show and decided they want to transform into a tournament competitor in a matter of weeks as opposed to years?

I asked Rob Phelps from Leicester Jujitsu what aspects of the show he thought could be most beneficial to the martial arts industry, he believes that, ‘It puts martial arts in the public eye and raises the profile of the sport.’

An opposing view is that of Neil Kirkland, a Wing Chung, Karate, and Kickboxing instructor at Adaptive Martial Arts (Cambridge), who when asked the same question, simply responded, ‘Cancelling it’.

Is Cobra Kai a bad example of martial arts practice, with the potential for real-life consequences, or just a bit of fun action-packed entertainment? I’ll let you decide As for me, I’ll say, "Wax on. Wax Off." Now…let’s finish it.

About The Author: International amateur journalist of mystery, born Generation X on the cusp of the Millennium, she grew up with a latch key and a fifth-generation Bosch mobile phone (the orange light up one...remember those?) Although having little martial arts experience, she's a masterful researcher and observer. Using those skills to pass judgment on this she knows little about, but through research becomes a master of knowledge. With the ability of a third-year mixed martial arts student with the mental strength of a 10th Dan, this writer has fought her way out of many metaphorical burning buildings, drawing on the knowledge she has gained from those who have mentored her.

Image source: https://btea.mobilephonemuseum.com/phone-detail/bosch-509e

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The Oldest Established School of The Erle Montaigue System In The UK

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A BASIC DAOYIN EXERCISE FOR THE WHOLE BODY

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aoyin — 導引 — literally translates as to “guide and pull” and consists of a series of cognitive exercises designed to develop unity for mind, body and spirit.

It is considered the precursor to qigong as well as being a primary ingredient of the so-called ‘soft’ or ‘internal’ styles of Chinese martial arts such as Taijiquan, Baguazhang and Xingyiquan. On the subject, Erle Montaigue tells us: ‘An exercise akin to Qigong called daoyin was popular at this time. An inscription on a relic found in the Warring States period read, ‘Take a deep breath and sink it to tantien (a point about 3’ below the navel). Hold it there for a while and then exhale it as sprouting grass until it reaches the top of your head. This causes the Yang energy to rise and the Yin energy to drop. Those whose Yang and Yin energy goes its own way will live, otherwise you will die’. This saying was part of the daoyin exercise and holds true for all Qigong nowadays including T'ai chi, pa-kua, Taoist yoga* and all of the internal arts.

Found at the No. 3 Tomb excavations at Mawangdui in Changsha, the capital of Hunan Province, were many medical treatises and books on daoyin dating to the Western Han dynasty (206 BC — AD 24). Among these relics were pieces of silk onto which had been painted figures of men and women, young and old performing daoyin exercises. 44 pieces of silk were found. Some figures imitated the movements of the bear, ape, tiger, deer and bird which are now called ‘Wuquinxi’ or the five animal forms. All of these physical movements were combined with breathing techniques. Next to one of the figures were the words, ‘Look skyward and exhale’.

Daoyin exercises are divided into two main categories: 1. Yin 2. Yang The yin exercises are subdivided into lying and sitting, whilst the yang exercises are subdivided into standing and moving. *In the West, daoyin is often erroneously equated with "daoist yoga" or "yin yoga" as "dao" — 導 — and "yin" — 引 — are mistakenly read as 'Dao' — 道 — as in “Daoism," and 'Yin' — 阴 — as in “Yin/Yang".

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These exercises involve the movements of the limbs and the body in conjunction with controlled inhalation and exhalation in order to create harmony between the external and internal environments which relax, replenish and rejuvenate the body whilst revitalising the spirit. Breathing, therefore, plays a critical role in Daoyin and the main techniques associated with it are: 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

Natural breath Reverse breath Harmonising breath Pre-natal or Foetal breath Tortoise breath Cleansing breath Tonic breath Alternate breath

These breathing techniques are identical in qigong and Taijiquan. Again, Erle Montaigue tells us: The earliest and most famous book on medicine comes from the Warring States period and is called Huang Di Neijing (The Yellow Emperor’s Manual of Internal Medicine).

From this book we read, ‘One must breathe the essence of life, regulate one’s respiration to preserve one’s spirit and keep the muscles relaxed.’ This sums up the art of T'ai chi ch’uan in a nutshell. In another part of the book we are told how to perform this exercise.

‘Stand facing the South in the early morning and inhale seven times without thinking about anything’. This also depicts our Qigong perfectly.

Outlined below is a very simple yin Daoyin exercise which involves using a Cleansing breath where we breathe in through the nose and out through the mouth. This type of breathing is said to cleanse the body of impurities and relax inner tension and lower fever. Sighing is a spontaneous manifestation of this breathing.

The exercise is usually performed lying down at night just before sleeping [it can be done early in the morning as well, however, night time is recommended because you are not rushing to start your day, and therefore more likely to be relaxed] and its purpose is to tone the whole body causing the body to be totally balanced for the next day. It is repeated only 3 times.

As with any exercise — it is advisable that practitioners seek medical advice before starting for their own safety and well-being.

Figure 1. Lie flat on the floor with your body totally relaxed and your head and shoulders connected to the floor and your palms relaxed by your sides. It is critical that the head and shoulders remain connected to the ground at all times. The inhalations and exhalations must be performed with your natural rhythm and not forced or held throughout the exercise.

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Figure 2. As you inhale through your nose, place the tip of the tongue upon the upper palate just behind your front two teeth while you bend your knees and pull your feet up as close to your buttocks as possible. The movement and the breath must harmonise completely!

Figure 3. As you exhale through your mouth, drop your tongue onto the lower palate whilst pushing your hips up as far as you can, keeping the feet, shoulders, head and palms connected to the ground.

Figure 4. As you inhale through your nose, place the tip of the tongue back upon the upper palate, lower your hips and pull your knees as far towards your chest as possible whilst interlinking your fingers.

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Figure 5. As you exhale through your mouth, drop your tongue back onto the lower palate whilst extending your legs and holding them at an approximately 45º angle, whilst placing the palms and arms back onto the ground.

Figure 6. As you inhale through your nose, return the tip of the tongue back upon the upper palate lower your legs until the heels touch the ground and…

Figure 7. Continue drawing up the knees using the same inhalation from Figure 6 to start the next cycle.

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Notes and References: Title Image: Reconstructed Daoyin tu Drawings of Guiding and Pulling in the Mawangdui Silk Texts. Photo number: L0036007 https://wellcomeimages.org/indexplus/obf_images00/06/0caf990608df5e2ec39a2ca1a6e7.jpg https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ 1. Kohn, Livia — Chinese Healing Exercises: The Tradition of Daoyin 2. Montaigue, Erle — Chinese Self-healing Methods for Health and Longevity

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Tony Bailey Louiseneige Be Gemma Burman Nasser Butt Amy Faulkner Andy Haynes Peter Jones Dr. Gregory T. Lawton Katherine Loukopoulos Alan R. Ludmer Tommy Joe Moore Gavin Mulholland Krish Pillay Colin Power Gavin Richardson

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ontacts

Editor: Nasser Butt Email: lifthandsmagazine@gmail.com Peter Jones - Chief Instructor Taiji Pa-Kua Internal Fighting Arts taijipakua@gmail.com The Guild of Internal Martial & Healing Arts Email: theguildofinternalarts@gmail.com

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The Art of Louiseneige Be

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