Lift Hands Volume 27 September 2023 - The Multi-Award Winning Martial Arts Magazine by Nasser Butt

volume 27

September 2023

Mo Teague’s Tactical Research and Development Group: Summer Camp Report

Teacher And Student In Budo — A Relationship Beyond Martial Arts

Asian Medicine Series:

The Way of Chi In Health And Disease

Long Har Ch’uan: The Willow Tree Method

Summer Camp 2023 – That’s Just The Way It Is!

Benefits In Creating One’s Own Training Equipment

Feeling Safe At Home

20 Extended Questions:

Mo Teague ‘More Than Most, Less Than Many’

Editor

Nasser Butt

perception realization activation action

Lift Hands

The Internal Arts Magazine Volume 27 September 2023

Editor

Nasser Butt

L’orso Solitario

Published by L’orso Solitario Books, Leicester, United Kingdom Lift Hands The Internal Arts Magazine Volume 27 September 2023 Editor Nasser Butt Copyright © by Nasser Butt, 2023 & 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]: Mo Teague — Photo Credit: Mo Teague Cover Design © Nasser Butt, 2023 Back Design: Copyright © Nasser Butt 2023

lift hands

September 2023

Celebrating 7 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 12

Teacher and Student in Budo — A Relationship Beyond Martial Arts Nikolaos Girginoudis

Page 15

Tactical Research & Development Group: Summer Camp Ramakrishna Pillay

Page 23

Feeling Safe at Home Katherine Loukopoulos

Page 29

Benefits in Creating One’s Own Training Equipment Michael Mitterbock

Page 35

20 Extended Questions with Mo Teague

Page 45

Songs of Rest Dr Gregory T. Lawton

Page 71

Long Har Ch’uan — Dragon Prawn Boxing Part Three The Willow Tree Method Nasser Butt Page 75 Asian Medicine Series: The Way of Chi in Health and Disease Dr Gregory T. Lawton

Page 84

Camp 2023 — That’s Just The Way It Is! Ramon Soranzo

Page 97

Book Review

Page 117

Peasant Talk: Why Carry a Knife and Does It Make a Person Less Safe?

Page 128

Useful Contacts

Page 132

The Art of Louiseneige Be

Page 133

Lift Hands Magazine Digital Purchase Links

Page 136

English Edition Link Italian Edition Link

elcome to Volume 27 of Lift Hands Magazine! We have a bumper issue for you full of wonderful goodies to say the least.

Earlier in the year, in June, I managed to catch up with Mo Teague [amongst others] at Kaizen Adrenaline for a 20 Questions session. If you are a part of the British martial arts scene and you haven’t heard of or know Mo Teague than all I can say is that you have been living under some rock, totally cut off from society! Nasser Butt

editor’s Note

Mo has an incredible story, although in his own words he states: “I have been attempting to write an account of my life so far for over 20 years but I have now admitted defeat, or at least come to a compromise. The process has been difficult and at times painful…” That compromise has come in the shape of a small booklet entitled — ‘Mo Teague; More Than Most, Less Than Many.’ When I sat down to interview Mo in the summer, I already had immense respect for his work, when we finally got up from our spot an hour or so later, my respect for the person, the soul and the heart which is Mo Teague had grown a thousand fold! It turned out to be the longest 20 Questions I had done. I had to edit it quite heavily when I finally sat down to transcribe it for the magazine. The 20 Questions is interwoven with images and quotes lifted from the booklet — a copy of which was graciously given to me by Mo. I hope that these 20 Questions will add a bit more narrative to Mo’s “compromise.” Further, Ramakrishna Pillay, one of my students attended Mo’s summer seminar with his Tactical Research & Development Group, a report for which appears in this issue also. My advice is that if you do get a chance… go train with Mo — you won’t regret it and most definitely will be the better for having done so! Once again, my heartfelt thanks to all who have contributed — all the usual suspects have come up with the goods once more! I was hoping to have a report on Kaizen Adrenaline and The Festival of Martial Arts with Lucci Del-Gaudio and Matt Stait. However, due to time constraints I was unable to do so. However, I will endeavour to have it for our readers in the December issue. At the risk of repeating myself from what I have stated in the previous issues… none of this would be possible without all of you who contribute and encourage, and support the magazine. Lift Hands is becoming our small ‘footprint’ for those who will one day follow… The year seems to be flying by and dare I say that the next time we meet it’ll be during the Christmas and New Year festivities… there I’ve said it! So, please forward your articles to me by the end of November latest. Stay safe and happy training!

Nasser

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Photo Credit: LIMARIO [Adobe Stock] — Old Male Bison and a Young One

"My student becomes my teacher, my teacher becomes my student" Unknown Martial Artist

rom the time humans created the first organized societies they felt the need to defend their lives and the goods they possessed. This necessity resulted in the evolution of social defense from their primitive defense technology and strategic logic. That developed into an art and later into a science which used as a weapon the human body. This development created knowledge that the previous generations as teachers passed to next generations. In this way, the teachers prepared the martial ability of younger members and in the process created a special bond, since the object of the imparted knowledge concerned the preservation of the most precious good of all, the human life.

The relationship between teacher and student is multifaceted, since the practice of martial arts is not merely about learning techniques and mastering physical movements. If the role of the teacher was exclusively cognitive, he could be replaced by cognitive textbooks or even by the technology that overwhelms and dominates our lives today. The aforementioned relationship encompasses a holistic approach to personal development of the student because it transmits knowledge and information; but above all, values and ways of thinking, acting and judging. The student begins his educational course by associating his teacher with a human model he wants to follow. In his teachers’ eyes, the student sees the personality with mental health, balance, and impartiality he needs to admire. He expects the broader and deeper meaning from this connection and not just the transmitting of knowledge. He is looking for a guide who will limit his mistakes — and not to annihilate them; mistakes are not bad; they are necessary trials before success. The student is waiting for someone who will inspire him with security, so that he can unfold his inclinations, his possibilities, his worries, his dreams, his expectations, or even to bare himself by expressing his fears and revealing his weaknesses. A teacher on the other hand is the person who has the ultimate responsibility to take an untrained person, and lead him to achieve his best. This also happens in all athletic activity between a coach and a trainee; although martial art is a field where technique and human values are not separated. The teacher will detect a student's mistakes and help him to get eliminate of them. A teacher works on his student’s behavior on the same time as he prepares his high technical performance. Just as a patient sculptor removes all the unnecessary marble to reveal the beauty of a well-shaped statue, likewise a teacher works on revealing his student’s greatest moral character. A competent martial arts teacher needs to be profoundly knowledgeable in the techniques he is teaching. By training alongside his students and demonstrating expertise not only inspires confidence for the teacher's abilities, but also, it is a powerful motivator for his students. By imitating what they can see, they can perceive their own full potential. A martial arts instructor who works out with his students by example instills discipline, dedication and commitment. The instructor sets the example of dedication for his students to follow by living out what he preaches. It is this mutual dedication that fosters a supportive and orderly environment which is their common place of exercise. As the instructor participates in training sessions, a stronger teacher-student connection is built. The teacher gains a deeper understanding of his students' challenges, frustrations, and achievements and this empathy helps him to tailor guidance to his student’s individual students' needs. This leads to a more effective and personalized learning experience. A teacher models the values he wants his students to adopt when they practice with him. This covers both technical mastery and character traits like respect, humility and integrity. The first model of humility has to be the teacher himself and not because that's how he has to appear to instill great human values. Every teacher knows that with the passage of time the techniques mature on him, and he himself at this moment is relatively a beginner in front of the one who will be ten or fifteen years later! Moreover, an educator who really wants to set the bar high by raising the training standards, he has to live what he teaches, and be an inseparable part of the educational process. Thus, he will be more respected and emulated by his students. When the instructor actively participates in training sessions, he can assess his own weaknesses and areas for improvement. This self-awareness gives the instructor the opportunity to identify and correct weaknesses in order to understand better the struggles of his students and offer the needed targeted guidance. He can experiment with different teaching techniques and methodology, improving teaching methods by firsthand observing which training strategy and tactics resonate better with his students and adapt this approach accordingly. This is a continuous cycle of improvement for both teacher and students and a dynamic process which enhances the overall quality level of the school. The presence of the martial arts instructor as a full competitive member in the place of exercise encourages learners to set goals and work harder to reach the high level of proficiency of their instructors, or even surpass it! This is a way for the teachers to foster controlled, healthy competition within the place of exercise that results in the students’ growth by the motivation of challenging themselves to strive more and focus on the target and to accomplish the setting goals.

A dedication to my first teacher, Gervasios Papadopoulos Sensei, who opened my eyes.

In order to be a successful and inspirational role model, a martial arts instructor needs to train alongside his students. The instructor fosters a favorable and supportive learning environment by showcasing knowledge, forging better connections, instilling discipline, setting an excellent example, recognizing areas for improvement, enhancing teaching techniques and fostering healthy competition. Along with improving technical expertise, this teacher-student collaboration also imparts important life lessons that go beyond martial arts. The important life-lesson of the educational procedure is not only for the students. The teacher is a role, but above all it is a path of self-improvement. In my opinion, many of us succumb to the allure of social acceptance, identifying ourselves with the role. We believe in "I am a teacher!" because "I have knowledge to impart to others!” This is nothing more than a sad to tragic personal delusion; and, the ticket to the self-healing journey is lost, along with the example of the person who has (or does not have) the guts to put himself up against the wall and to recognize the harsh truth in front of his students. By taking full responsibility of his mistakes, testifying his personal experience and seeking that self-purification that may never come, the self-healing journey begins. Then and by this way each of us can and should become that, which is described in the phrase: "Teacher means he who exercises himself in offering".

Everyone who can offer his own example and benefit the community is a teacher. And this is the way. Everyone who wants to improve himself has to be a student, and there is no other way. This is the most important lesson which can be transferred from a role model to the next. We do not own the knowledge we received; we are just bridges for its route through people over time. We do not own our students; we just stand by them — patiently, and without expecting any retribution — to help them to create their own wings for their own unique journey. If they succeed, the “great bravo” belongs to them. If they fail, the responsibility of failure belongs to the teacher and the teacher to recognize his failure. We simply own our mistakes and weakness; nothing less, nothing more. In order to create the first, archetypal, model teacher of every living being, nature did create a mother, and to succeed in her role, nature did equip her with the most powerful weapon that exists in the animal kingdom which is love. This is the strongest weapon of every teacher and the most valuable information which has to be transmitted: The pure, guileless and true love for his disciples. From each of these martial arts training grounds, and from these healthy, little social cells will spring out individuals ready to build their own healthy, little social groups. Thus, by extension, as cells-pieces of a large organism, humans in any part of the planet, we are in a position to build the healthy society we want, to shape the state as a carrier of culture that we deserve, and to ensure the continuity of the nation that we are proud to be a part of. The successful constant and perpetual passing of the baton of both knowledge and universal values from teacher to student has a crucial importance for the entire global community as well from these body and mindhealthy, well trained, cultured, individualities of today, the humanity of tomorrow is merely the sum of them.

Nikolaos Girginoudis Shaolin Kung Fu Traditional Chinese Medicine Aiki Jujutsu Daito Ryu Athens, Greece

he camp was held at the excellent venue of Andy Gibney’s school of Unified Fighting Systems in Kettering on a typical British summers day, in short wet. Maybe the first test was getting up the metal stairs without breaking your neck but as in all Martial Arts circles, we first have to get to the door. I was welcomed warmly by everyone including Mo and coming from a different Martial Arts club to a room full of people that knew each other can be a daunting thing but not in this case. This proved already that students are a reflection of their teachers. They say that the real secrets are given at the start of any truly valuable lesson and we started the camp with the question of, “Who are you really?” Who are we really behind all the kicking, punching and eye gouging? Mo related a number of stories including Toby Gutteridge’s book ‘Never Will I Die’ an autobiography of a former soldier who was shot in the neck and consequently paralysed from the neck down. From then onwards he lived trapped in his body. Despite all this he went on to form an extreme sports brand that supports charities for underprivileged children and discharged members of the armed forces. Mo’s reasoning for recounting this story? Who are we when we are reduced to our most essential parts? Who are we within ourselves? The courage and mental fortitude to live authentically and thrive despite all the challenges that life throws at us.

With that the fun began and never once did we do any martial arts. The art was stripped out of the martial and reduced to what was the most effective and simplest way of disabling an attacker. The four corners drill was the genesis of all our movement and comprised of stopping the attackers incoming strike with a forearm and simultaneously striking their shoulder to kill the power of the attack. This was immediately followed up with ONLY lethal attacks. Chops to the neck, palms to the eye socket, finger gouges and cross kick to the knees. The aim was to incapacitate the attacker by either destroying their ability to see, or permanently disrupting their mobility. No punches were allowed, in a true self defence situation punches hit skulls which could break your hand or fill your fist with teeth as a result only the most effective and tested strikes were allowed. The final part of the drill was to get behind your attacker as quickly as possible after delivering the strike.

Mo also raised the point that you have to decide whether you are going to blind someone or just give them a slap around the face. One reaction could land you in prison another could be brushed off as a minor incident. Judgement is critical. We then moved onto knife defence which was based on the same four corner drill — stop the knife, kill the attackers power. Each time a mistake was made in the drill by the defending party there were 5 press ups, if the feeder noticed the mistake the defending party had to do 5 press ups. If the feeder did not notice the mistake then both the feeder and the defender had to do 5 press ups. This impressed upon us that the techniques being shown were to ensure survival in life threatening scenarios, thus both the feeder and the defender have an equal responsibility for each others correct response to an attack.

In short FPU was the order of both days and for anyone who attended they will know what is meant here, I’m sure some people will be able to work it out.

Mo went on to cover the matter of mental toughness and fitness, and it was done in a truly Mo fashion; 300 squats, 200 sit ups 100 push ups and 50 burpees within 20 minutes. This was the established base level of fitness for effective self defence to survive a situation where life was threatened. After we were reduced to gasping wrecks on the floor Mo turned to us with a twinkle in his eyes and said, “Sometimes its better to finish ugly then to not finish at all.”

During the second day we were given an insightful introduction into the unfortunate world of domestic abuse and predatory individuals, including how to spot them and what advice to give to people so they too could spot them. This was given by Simon White and Andy Gibney. People being overly friendly, giving too much detail regarding why they could share a taxi with you from an airport, playing on our sense of “being nice” eroding our mental and physical boundaries in premeditated ways were all tells of a predator. Needless to say, emotions ran high when personal stories and first hand experience was shared with the group. The most important takeaways for me at least was that; peoples first impression of a would-be predator was usually always right and we should trust our gut, our intuition and not ignore the signs that our primal mind knows only too well, and secondly that we have no responsibility to be nice or even accommodate strangers. Being nice is a luxury of a civilised society and some people prey on this niceness and will choose to beat, rape and kill when they get the chance and it is our responsibility to ourselves to make sure we don’t get into these situations. This was complemented by some truly brilliant drills by the beautiful ladies at Manchester’s Amazonia, Clare Bennett and Jessica Jones. When it came to self defence for women they were the authority. The drills focused on sharpening and maintaining awareness in chaotic situations and the use of the voice as an effective self defence tool to use the element of surprise against would be attackers. The group ran around the room maintaining awareness of people passing near to them, being confident to shout on command, they mentioned that some women were not even able to raise their voices in a simulated drill, and had to be taught to shout so they could surprise their attackers. The drill was then repeated by making us pass items between each other, making eye contact before moving back into being aware of our surrounding, teaching us to switch in and out of focus without loosing the awareness of people around you. They explained that not every women can be martial arts kicking and punching machines, but every women possesses in built survival instincts that can be honed very quickly to get them out of physical confrontation. A conversation I had with them after the session hit home, they said that women can’t compete with men physically but the techniques they had taught could stop you from freezing up and give you a fighting chance to get away safely. Teaching effective but simple life saving techniques to vulnerable people was their responsibility to any person that walked through their doors. It just might save their lives.

Mo gave a final talk explaining that no person had the right to physically attack us and we needed to give ourselves the permission to hurt people if they choose to hurt us. We have families and loved ones that would loath to see us leave this earth at the hand of some low life that decided to try and hurt us. Give yourself permission to hurt someone both for yourself and your loved ones. I would like to take this opportunity to personally thank Mo Teague, Andy Gibney, Jessica Jones, Clare Bennett and Simon White for a valuable, thought provoking, entertaining and fun weekend where much was learned and, much wisdom dispensed. I would also like to thank all the people who attended the Tactical Research and Development Group summer camp for being so inviting to me and improving my ability as a martial athlete. I would also mention that whilst I endeavoured to cover everything if I did this article would be pages and pages long, such was the quantity and quality of teaching received in the two day. The only way to experience it would be to attend a summer camp with Mo. If I misrepresented or misunderstood anything that people taught in this article I apologise in advance. I’ll finish with a quote from Mo, “No one expects anything [violence] to happen to them in today's civilised society……... but it might.”

Within the next ten seconds someone will become a victim of a burglary! Make sure it’s not you!

Awareness and prevention are the best methods of self-defense. It’s a daily active role in keeping our family members and ourselves safe. Even though security cameras are prevalent in the work place, public transportation areas, airports, theatres, sports areas, and in most stores, not that many people have invested to equally secure their homes. Security cameras have become affordable. Pending the type of home, security cameras are usually placed outside the front door, back and side doors, garage and driveway, and outside facing the yard. Indoor of a building they can be installed in the hallway and stairway. Inside the house or an apartment it depends on its size. With the exception of baby rooms, never install security cameras in bedrooms, and bathrooms. With cameras or not, observe the following suggestions for your added security: • •

• • • • • • • • • •

Consult a locksmith to install good door and window locks. Smart locks work by pairing with your phone so you can enter without a key in hand. If you have glass sliding doors, install a good door lock. An attacker would not want to break the glass part of the door in order to avoid making noise and alerting the tenants and/or the neighbors. Use metal grillwork on glass in entrance doors and decorative side glass to prevent burglars from breaking the glass and reaching inside to open the door. Place metal bars on windows. This is necessary especially if you live in a house which is out of the main road and away from other houses. Be sure door and window locks can be opened quickly if there’s a fire. Install a one-way peephole in order to see outside. It needs to be installed at eye level in the center of your door which all the house members can reach. Always lock your doors and windows even when you are at home and you are expecting guests. All entrances to your home, apartment parking lot or garage need to be well lit, especially at night. All bushes and shrubbery around your doors and windows need to be neatly trimmed. This reduces the possibility of using the landscape for concealment. Do not undress in front of windows. Get a large, mean looking dog. Train the dog to attack strangers. Invest in a Safe Deposit Box to store and to protect your valuables away from your home. When you are taking a short nap, lock your doors.

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•

• • •

•

• • • • • • • • • •

Never let anyone else use a key in which you have been entrusted. Don’t lend your key to anyone. If your key is lost or stolen, report it to the police and have your locks replaced. Do not leave keys lying around in your room or in your apartment. When you return home and you feel that someone is or has been inside your home do not enter your home; do not go inside. Go to a neighbor’s house, call the police from there and wait there until the police arrive. Do not hide your house keys in places such as under your doormat, inside flowerpots, mailbox, over the door frame and other common places. Thieves know to search at those places. Participate in your neighborhood’s Crime Prevention Program and Neighborhood Patrol. If there is no such program volunteer to initiate one. Do not reveal information about your marital status to workers who come to your home to repair things. If you are a female living alone, create an atmosphere and décor which indicates that there are other people living there with you; perhaps ‘create’ a husband or a brother. When someone comes to your door and says he is there to repair something or to check on a meter, do not open the door. Ask for his name and for the name of his company, make the call in order to verify his information, and if the company does not confirm the information do not open the door. Report the incident to the police. Perhaps by reporting this activity to the police, you might help to prevent a crime. When you need something repaired at home, always set the appointment via the parent company, and always obtain the time, date and name of the person who will be coming in order to do the work. Always mention that, ‘your husband’ or ‘your brother’ will be arriving shortly. It is smart to actually have a friend or a neighbor there with you when you are expecting a stranger to come into your home in order to do repairs or to install something. Never let him out of your sight. And, if you begin to feel uncomfortable, ask him to leave! If he refuses to leave, than you leave and immediately go to obtain help. Most burglaries are done after someone already has been in the house or apartment, and has a good idea of where everything is located. Always ask for identification to be shown before opening the door. If you receive a number of mysterious or obscene calls become assertive. A loud blast from a whistle into the phone can discourage the caller. Do not engage in conversation with the caller. Hang up the telephone immediately. If the calls continue, contact the telephone company and your local police. Be a good neighbor and become sensitive to your neighbor’s need for quite hours. A neighbor who likes you will much easier help you in time of your need. If you indicate that you care for your neighbor’s well being and safety they will most likely behave the same towards you and your family members. Do not fight or argue with your neighbors. They can be your best protectors. Get to know your landlord and your neighbors. Let them know that you would appreciate their help in the event that they notice something unusual or hear loud voices. Report broken street lights in your neighborhood. Well-lit areas discourage burglars by taking away their hiding places. Don’t leave house and car keys together with attendants at public parking lots. Your house keys can be quickly duplicated and your address can be obtained from your license plate number. Store ladders inside. Don’t leave them loose outside. If you can’t put them safely inside, lock it securely. Suggest to your neighbors to follow this rule also. Don’t leave tools and equipment on a sidewalk, lawn or porch or in an area easily accessible to the general public. Close garage doors whether at home or away. Opened and empty garages indicate that you are not at home and it allows an easy access for a thief. Secure the patio doors by placing a strip of wood into the track which will prevent sliding the door open from outside. Leave several burning lights in different parts of the house when you go out. Outside entrance lights and post lights illuminate possible hiding places around the house. Leave a radio playing when you go out the house in the evening to give the impression that someone is there. Vary your routine. If you follow the same routine week after week, a would-be burglar could watch your movements and know when your house is likely to be empty.

• • • • • • • • •

•

Keep mailboxes empty. If you are away, arrange with a neighbor or building manager to have circulars, etc., taken out of your mail box. Single women should never place their full name on the mailbox. You can use first and middle initials instead. Check references of maids, cleaning women, etc., who may have to work inside your apartment while you are away from it. When you go on vacation, stop all deliveries, notify a trusted friend or family member that you will be away, and don’t discuss your absence in public. Do not give information about your vacation; you can tell everyone after you return. Use clock timers or a photo-electric relay to turn lights on and off at certain times, giving the house an occupied look. Ask a friend or a neighbor to re-arrange the timer controlled lights in order to present a different pattern for a part of your absence. If you are going to be away for more than few days, arrange with a trusted friend to inspect from time to time and to ensure that nothing has been disturbed. If you have an answering machine, use it to screen out unwanted calls. In case of a break-in, the friend or neighbor should know how to reach you and to call the police. Just in case, keep an inventory of your valuables. List the serial numbers and makes of appliances, radios, television sets, etc. Keep descriptions of sports equipment and other articles which may not have serial numbers. Mark possessions with your driver’s license number or other easily traceable identification number. Photograph your antiques and other valuables. Color photos and complete descriptions of jewelry should be kept with your inventory lists. Securities, saving bonds, stocks and other valuable papers should be recorded and the list kept in a safe place. Keep copies of these in a safe deposit box and another set of copies could be kept with your insurance agent. This will assist the police to find the thieves and also help you file your insurance claims. If you think that your home has been entered and/or burglarized, go to another phone and call the police from there. Don’t touch anything in your home. Leave everything exactly as you found it, so that evidence won’t be destroyed. Do not try to conduct your own personal investigation; let the police handle it. Give the police as much information as possible; if you can, give car descriptions seen in the neighborhood and even partial license numbers. If a thief enters while you are at home, stay calm. The burglar is already nervous; he came to steal, not to commit murder. Follow his instructions, give him what he wants, and most likely, all will end without personal injury or loss of life.

The work of police and other law enforcement agencies is difficult, dangerous and often thankless. Show your support and join a police auxiliary volunteer program in your area if it exists. Urge your religious institutions or your community leaders to create a crime control project participated directly by volunteers from the community.

Katherine Loukopoulos Forensic Psychology & Victim Assistance Bubishi Team Austria

trength training in the realm of Karate remains an indispensable component of technique training and injury prevention. Strength training plays a pivotal role in the targeted activation of relevant muscle groups, thus providing paramount support to technique training. It's crucial to emphasize that technique and strength training are inextricably linked and mutually complement each other. Beyond its contribution to technique enhancement, strength training plays a vital role in injury prevention. Particularly, hypertrophy training contributes significantly in this regard. This type of training not only increases muscle size and strength but also prompts adaptations in tendons, ligaments, joints, and intervertebral discs; thus, enhancing their stability. These adaptations are of paramount importance to bolster the body's resilience and minimize the risk of injuries. Another noteworthy aspect is the targeted strengthening of the muscles which are not used as often. This specific training leads to quicker execution of techniques, given that these muscles are responsible for generating explosive power. Enhancing explosive power directly impacts the efficiency and efficacy of techniques, resulting in a positive effect on overall Karate performance (Gutschlhofer, et al., 2020) (Weineck, 2007).

Construction of a portable makiwara (striking board). Since many martial arts programs are in sports halls and not in permanent dojo spaces, we can assemble and disassemble the makiwara and take it with us. It is an indispensable tool that extends to hip rotation training also.

On Okinawa, practitioners engage more or less in Hojo Undo, which translates to "supplementary exercises," alongside their Karate training. This involves the construction and utilization of specialized training equipment designed to target and to enhance the specific muscular and endurance requirements of Karate. Recognizing the importance of tailoring strength training to the unique demands of a particular sport, the use of these specific apparatuses for Karate became essential in achieving optimal results within Karate training regimes.

Hojo Undo exercises were crafted to complement the technical aspects of Karate and to fortify the body in ways that directly benefited the practice of the martial art. These exercises involved the use of specialized tools, such as chi ishi (stone levers), nigiri game (gripping jars), makiwara (striking boards), tsuki no wa (punching rings) and any other equipment that a teacher deemed necessary. Each of these tools are meticulously designed to target the muscle groups and endurance requirements crucial to Karate techniques. The rationale behind employing these above training devices was rooted in the understanding that traditional strength training methods might not sufficiently address the nuanced physical demands of Karate. By using equipment that mirrored the motions and forces involved in Karate techniques, practitioners could enhance their overall strength, power, and control in ways that directly translated to improved performance in the art of Karate (Clarke, 2009). Creating custom training equipment holds great significance on Okinawa due to its historical context when In the process of creating various size Chi Ishi (stone levers). The longer wood handle is used for sports stores and fitness centers Bo Hip Rotation Training. were not readily available. Hojo Undo, an integral part of Karate, embodies the philosophy of perfection (Clarke, 2009). As instructors, it's our duty to reflect after each training session on how to refine our students' techniques. The better we become at reflecting, the more creatively we can design precise ways to enhance our students' performance. This creativity can also extend to the design and construction of our training equipment. Crafting our own gear allows us to tailor it precisely to the unique needs of each individual student. While exploring MMA training on the internet, one frequently encounters trainers or coaches who have developed and sell their own training equipment. Upon closer inspection, discerning Karate practitioners recognize the striking resemblance this equipment bears to traditional Okinawan training tools. The construction of training equipment can significantly impact training quality. The more effort we invest, the higher the quality of the equipment becomes. Naturally, the easiest solution is to purchase training equipment from a sports store or online. However, bought equipment often lacks character and individuality. It lacks that personal touch. Moreover, self-made equipment is often more cost-effective than purchased gear.

Certainly, individuals without a background in craftsmanship or access to a workshop might find it more challenging to build their own equipment. Nevertheless, every student possesses unique skills that can be incorporated. Involving students in creating their equipment is a wonderful opportunity, fostering a stronger bond with the club and a heightened sense of involvement. During a discussion with my students, it dawned on me that Chi Ishi can serve not only in traditional ways but also as a weight for a pulley system, similar to gym equipment. This facilitates targeted training of muscle chains, such as for Oi Tsuki (lunge punch). A simple hole at the end of the Chi Ishi suffices to thread a cord through, which can then be connected to a pulley using a karabiner. This is an excellent example of how teamwork with students can nurture creativity in training. Conclusion In conclusion, the construction of training equipment can significantly enhance Karate training through the targeted design of specialized tools. This endeavor not only aids in skill development but also fosters a sense of unity within the club, as both students and instructors can contribute their knowledge and skills. On the other hand, for those without a background in craftsmanship or access to a wellequipped workshop, realize such projects can pose challenges. Nonetheless, the spirit of collaboration and creativity that arises from involving students in the process exemplifies the inclusive and adaptive nature of Karate training.

Sources Clarke, M. (2009). The Art of Hojo Undo. Wolfeboro, N.H., USA: YMAA Publication Center. Gutschlhofer, T., Kandolf, W., Mrkvicka, G., Reiterer, E., Vock, A., Wolf, M., . . . Mayrhofer, M. (2020). Angewandte Trainingslehre: Eine Expertise der Bundessportakademie. (W. u. Bundesministerium für Bildung, Hrsg.) Österreich: Bundesministerium für Bildung, Wissenschaft und Forschung. Weineck, J. (2007). Optimales Training. Balingen, Deutschland: Spitta Verlag GmbH & Co. KG. All images appear courtesy of author.

Michael Mitterböck Shotokan Karate & Ryu Kyu Kobudo Instructor Vienna, Austria

Above images: Tekko. They are weapons similar to brass knuckles. They can be disassembled in countries that prohibit their use.

Michael Mitterböck

riting an introduction to 20 Questions is relatively easy. However, I must admit that on this occasion I am finding it a little difficult! It is not about being in awe or anything — I mean, how do you introduce a man who has done more in one lifetime than most of us would manage in many? Where and how do you begin? I must profess, my personal acquaintance with Mo Teague is relatively recent — there are others who know him far better than I do — however, I have known about him and admired his work for several years. We have many shared friends including a shared ‘student’ in Gavin Richardson. In fact, Gav often says in our training sessions, “This is very similar to what I did with Mo, or last night at my own club — you’ve just put a different twist on it!” Having said the above, I am going to say a few words about Mo, but mostly on these pages, I want the readers to hear the man in his own words — for who better knows Mo Teague than Mo Teague himself? Mo is mostly a softly spoken man — that is until he steps onto the mats and begins to demonstrate the act of violence, then you’ll hear him roar! He states things matter of factly, not with arrogance — rather with a humility of knowledge and a experience of violence most of us will never thankfully get to see. There are many people who teach the ‘art of war, ’ however, there are very few who have lived it — Mo has lived it in more ways than one from the actual theatre of war to his personal battle with PTSD in later years. Mo is unassuming. He can be moving around amongst the crowd or be standing in a corner observing quietly — in fact, so much so that you wouldn’t even notice that he is there. This may well be due to his military training, or simply his nature — the ability to meld into the background. He doesn’t walk around like a peacock, looking hard or pretending to be tough. He has a presence about him, a self-assurance — something which I saw in a handful of the bouncers who used to frequent my old man’s bar in the late 70s and 80s.

Left to right: Steve Tappin, Mo Teague, Nasser Butt and Robbie Goddard — The Gatherings 2022

I had grown up watching them, having spent time amongst them from age thirteen. These guys did not look tough, nor were they pumped up muscle-masses like a lot of the modern guys. They were also unassuming, ordinary guys — who wouldn’t necessarily merit a second glance, that is until they went to work! In August 2022, Mo attended one of our annual Gatherings charity events, held at my place in Leicester. It was an honour and a privilege to have him there and watch him teach his craft. I was hoping to catch up with him after the event later that night and have a chat, and hopefully an interview for Lift Hands, but unfortunately, it was not to be — Mo had to dash back home due to a family emergency, which thankfully ended well. Earlier, in June of this year, I finally had a chance to meet up with him in Nottingham during the Kaizen Adrenaline event at the Rushcliffe Arena. I had requested Lucci to put me on the mats during the morning sessions, so that I could be free to do my interviews after. I knew Mo’s session was going to be the final one of the day and as soon as he arrived, I made a beeline for him. We greeted each other with our customary hug and once he was done meeting the rest, we headed out of the bustling arena. It was a hot summer’s day, sun ablaze, we walked around to the back of the building and sat in its shade where there was a cool breeze.

Ramakrishna, on my cue hit the record button and so it began… Part One LH: Okay so we're here with Mo Teague, and if you don't know who Mo Teague is then give up. Give it up! That's all I'm going say to you. If you don't know who this guy is, give it up! Welcome to Lift Hands Mo! Brilliant to have you here. MT: Thank you, pleasure to be here. LH: So, we're going do this in two segments. The first segment is just a general set of questions, but then we'll have the fun 20 questions where everyone gets the same set. All right, so please, just to start us off — because there are going to be people out there reading around the world who won’t necessarily know — give us a brief introduction about yourself and your background. MT: I've been doing martial arts since the age of 12, 11. So it was back in the 70s and it was a different world then obviously before the internet and everything else. You had to really go and look. You were limited as to what you could do, so it was like karate, boxing, judo. That's kind of what every town had as a minimum I guess. Back in the day it was the Bruce Lee era and as a matter of fact when I went to my first karate class, as I remember, I think Enter The Dragon had just come out. LH: I think that would’ve been late 1973, here in the UK. MT: Yes, There were about 200 people… 200 people in the class. A year later I think there were six of us! So that bubble thing… kinda burst. So I was lucky enough to grade under Enoeda back in the day. People that do karate will know Enoeda, Tomita, Kawasoe and those names. I guess it was the golden age of Shotokan karate back in the day. I joined the military and went through the military thing. I continued my training. I went to kung fu — Victor Kan… Wing Chun Kung Fu. I trained with the Guardian Angels. The military don't really do anything — well they didn't back then. I know they're kind of getting into it a little bit now. So I was fortunate to have left the military and then I had time on my hands really. I did a lot of seminars. I was working the doors. I was kind of in a bad place when I left the military. I had PTSD and I was very violent. Things had to change. Martial arts was a vehicle to use to transcend and move through that violent process.

LH: What made you choose martial arts? What was the path? Was it purely the Bruce Lee phenomenon? MT: Being bullied at school. LH: The classical story! MT: Yeah… the classical story! Being bullied at school. I thought this is for me. The whole Bruce Lee thing resonated with me in terms of, not his skill set, but he was that kind of loner that was me, kind of aloof, that quiet guy. I wasn't very socially adept as the characters he played in his movies. I really kind of… I think I connected with Bruce on that level before the martial arts. Somebody I could relate to. I'd love to kick somebody's ass. I'd love to see those guys who tormented me at school. I'd love to kick their ass. It never really came to that because obviously that was movie stuff. Although it was good relevant stuff … now, I think traditional martial arts in many respects get a bad press. I think things come full circle and people are now kata and everything. I can still do my first kata. I haven't done that since I was… There's a lot of validity to it. Even I maligned traditional martial arts. I thought, “Ahh! We got to the UFC stuff and the MMA…” Things turned full circle. LH: You're spot on right there. You've studied multiple martial arts. Was there any particular one which influenced you more than something else or the others, or did they all have the same influence? MT: I think, erm… boxing, Thai boxing and the grappling arts… [shrugs his shoulders and smiles] everything! I'm not big with weapons. I'm not a weapons guy. I can throw a stick around a little bit and maybe a knife. I don't have a lot of patience. I want to learn it now. LH: [Laughing]… Like all of us!

49 “Things turned full circle…”

MT: Yeah! [Smiles] There wasn't really one thing. Wing Chun, I suppose at the time I was really into Wing Chun. But then I got on the doors and found out it worked sometimes in some situations and then not in others. So I don't think there's one art that really answers every question. It's just not about the physicality… I think it's the other things that you get from it. A sense of the challenge of learning a new thing! Like learning a language or whatever. I think we like to learn things. We like to have that challenge. It's just not about the fighting skills. LH: How did your military training help you? Most martial arts are civilian side of things… er, how much of your military training did you bring into your own training and when you started to eventually teach? MT: I think the work ethic that the military gives you. I think there's no excuse for the mentality if you've got a job to do. I had a successful gym for 30 years practically. I was the janitor, I cleaned the toilets, swept the floor, did everything. If there was something to be done, it was down to me to do it. There's a no excuse mentality. It's the same as in the military. I don't care, get it done! I think I took that with me. That discipline, that work ethic, that sense of structure. LH: How do you see the future of the martial arts compared to how it was when you started to how it is today? Do you see a vast difference? A noticeable difference? How so? MT: I think, generally… I don’t think the standard is as good as it was. One of my quests, if you like, is to bring about an awareness of where the standard is compared to what it used to be. I think society has changed… Visà-vis people have changed. Martial arts have changed. I think the internet has changed a lot of things. I think they thought that people said that the internet would open up things, but I think it's made more people more insular. The BJJ guys, like when you had the magazines, Combat, MAI, whatever… I knew what the kickboxing guys were doing. I knew what these people over here were doing. I was flicking through the whole thing. I didn’t just go to what interested me. I would read the whole magazine. Well, now people are going on the internet, on YouTube, whatever… The BJJ guys are not looking at the kickboxing, they’re not looking at… There's not that general awareness of what other people are doing. That's why this event is so good. I don't think the standard is as good… [Pauses for a second], I think that mediocrity has become the standard. I have a training group, if you don't mind me mentioning it? LH: No, no, not at all! Please mention it! I was going to come to that. I was going to ask you about that. You've got an organisation where you're raising the standards, please tell us about it.

How do you see the future of the martial arts compared to how it was when you started to how it is today? Do you see a vast difference? A noticeable difference? How so?

“There's a lot of people that are doing a lot right. But there's not really anybody that's doing everything right!”

MT: Whether it's a naive quest, I don't know. I've got some really good people involved. It's called the Tactical Research and Development Group. We're researching and developing. We need to identify in terms of selfdefence and self-protection. I can't say what's good BJJ. I can't say what's good Karate, it’s not my realm. I can say what I believe to be good self-defence teaching and practice. We have no governing body. We have no standard that people can go to. Where do people go to identify a standard? I mean, even here, I don’t know, we've got 10 self-defence groups. I've spoken to a couple of the people and they said it would be nice, ‘cause like… What are the priorities of training? How do we structure training? How do we deliver the training? So what we're doing with the group of people I've got… I'm really looking for people to come forward with an open mind, a good work ethic and be a sceptic. I want people what we call red sell. And red selling is when rather than just say, “Oh aren't we great and everything else,” I want people to go… to take it, not exactly take it apart, but to be critical and just say, “Why don't you do this?” And if you're going to comment, make sure, if you've got something better, tell us and we'll add it. Constructive… constructively, you know. It would be nice if there was a recognised standard. LH: Sure, absolutely! MT: And it's only ever going to be a minimum standard. LH: Exactly! MT: This is where I want to go. LH: But it's a start. Someone's got to get the ball rolling and you've done that. I was following some of the posts that you put up, your recent clip that you did and, I was like, wow, someone's got to get it! Unfortunately, there's got to be a first and even if you don't see it to the end, the fact that you've got the ball rolling, I think that's a massive thing. Because it's the first one. Someone's got to start it. MT: Someone's got to do it. I mean, there's a lot of good people out there, there's a lot of people doing a lot of good stuff. So I don't question that. But we need to identify these people and say these are the people. But even where it's like you're speaking French, I'm speaking German, he's speaking Italian — Let's all speak the same language. Let's identify the same standards! There's a lot of people that are doing a lot right. But there's not really anybody that's doing everything right!

MT: And if we can get like, listen, I want to take what you've got. Let's put it together. Are we all agreed and be recognisable as an authority? Because ultimately we're responsible for people’s — not just their physical welfare — but their mental welfare, their spiritual welfare… everything! So it's a great responsibility on people. People like, I see groups that have got, yeah, learned self-defence. And I’m thinking, I'm not sure you're actually teaching self-defence. I'm not putting any group down. But I think self-defence has to be seen as totally separate from martial arts. LH: 100%! 100%! Yeah, two different things! MT: I mean, it's not to say that your martial art couldn’t be your toolbox. LH: Exactly! You know, you go to... It's almost like your martial art becomes like a prerequisite. It's going to give you basic coordination, movement ideas. MT: Absolutely! LH: Which then you will take into your other room, which is self-defence. That's where you really start to then… MT: I don't think of martial artists. I think of martial athletes. And there's a lot of martial artists in there, but I don't see many athletes. I'm getting on a little bit. I'm not the person I was, but we're older now. So that's... LH: Yeah, you're not going to be as you were when you were 18. But like you say, as you get older, then your experience... MT: I was attacked last year in my car. And I'm 65 next month. I'm still vulnerable. The person that attacked me didn't know who I was, didn't care about my resume, if you like. He didn't care. He kind of… attacked me. And I'm thinking, my age is irrelevant in this situation, my physical condition or the fact that I was wearing shorts, flip flops and a t-shirt. I've still got the scars. But I actually... I was cut and everything else. Without my training, I would not have survived that. It's still relevant, regardless of how old you are. LH: Yeah, no, no… You're absolutely correct! And like you say, even with all the training, there's still some vulnerability. MT: It's funny, you know, because he attacked me in my car. But he hit me twice. He opened my door and hit me. I was still in the car. So I got out and he hit me. And I'm fading out. He’s caught me. He’s obviously a boxer, he’s caught me with two good shots. And I’m starting to go… and I had that little moment where I'm going, you could just lie down now. You’re in your 60s, you know, whatever and then the whole, the reason that I give, you know… I'm harsh with students. I’m harsh, but I'm harsh with myself. And it was that little… just a fraction of a second where I was slumped over the bonnet of this car and this guy's hitting me, I thought, just for that moment of a second, my… all of my training, not just my physical training, but my what's in here [taps on heart] — I went, I'm not having this and so I took the guy down and anyway, I ended it! You know, he's crying and all the rest of it…a young guy, half my age. And that’s the validity of training!

“… all of my training, not just my physical training, but my what's in here …”

MT: And ultimately we're training for something that statistically is not going to happen. It's not going to happen. But it might! LH: It might. MT: It might. And then the consequences of that could be life changing, not life ending. So when we talk about, you know, the standards and everything else, I hold myself to a standard as well. LH: But you have to, you have to! You have to because you can't, you can't be going to other people, right? You've got to be of a certain standard for them. You can't say to your students, I want you to train this hard, but not be doing it yourself! MT: Absolutely! LH: At the end of the day, you've got to set the example and the student will follow. And they see you and say, right, ok, — not necessarily that I want to be Mo, but I want the work ethic and the route that Mo's taken to get where he is at. That's where I want to be as well. MT: So that's the best version! I think everybody has a responsibility to be the best version of themselves that they can be. LH: Absolutely, absolutely! Now, you’ve mentioned the Internet already and how it's made everything insular… One of the big things about the Internet and which I used to… I remember many years ago, I used to be up at night and I'd be arguing with teachers and with people, you know, across the net. One day my teacher said to me, “Are you stupid? Why are you arguing? You know, these guys just sit there arguing. They're taking away from your training, your training time, which would be spent better. They don't train themselves and they’re dragging you in with them,” you know, and after that, boom — I stopped. How do you see that — in terms of the keyboard warriors and you know, your YouTube experts? MT: Yeah… I think you just have to be… If you're authentic, I think be authentic, be true to yourself. They're always… you know, the reason people are trying to pull you down is because they're below you. Yeah, so I'm not, I never worry about people like that! LH: Brilliant! Ok… How do you spend your time when you're not training? MT: I have a blessed life. I live in a wonderful place and I've got a blessed life in terms of my family, my friends. I don't answer to anybody other than my own conscience. I… people say you're lucky. I made… I kind of came to some philosophical conclusions some years ago in the military. I didn’t, I just didn't like who I was at the time. And I think part of being authentic is having a philosophy, having a belief system. It doesn't matter… it doesn’t have to be religious, but believe in something bigger than you… know what you’ll do and so I just kind of almost semi opted out… I'm not a materialistic person per se. I like to read. I like to spend time with my family. I got a dog. We go for walks. I train. Yeah, I like… I try and when I see people — the four domains of the human condition, the mind, the body, the heart and the spirit. And I think you have to be in balance… LH: Absolutely! MT: You have to find that balance. So you can’t… your life can't be all physical. You can't just be a bookworm. You have to get out there. You have to be visible, be spiritual. You have to have a belief system. You have to have values. And you have to live that. So many people are not congruent with what they say they believe in and how they actually… I’m congruent with my beliefs and that’s important! LH: You literally just hit the nail on the head. That is it! Covert OPs — Cold, wet, tired, hungry. People die here.

“So many people are not congruent with what they say they believe in and how they actually… I’m congruent with my beliefs and that’s important!”

MT: So many people are not you know — because they don’t… because of this mental health thing that supposedly we have — I just don't think people… I don't know whether they don't know where they are or where they are going? LH: There's a disconnect! There's a disconnect and they can't connect with themselves. They can't connect with things around them. MT: They need to be told everything as opposed to you know I work my way through certain situations and things — that you know nobody gets a free ride in life. LH: Absolutely not! Yeah, absolutely not! Right. If you could go back and do it all over again would you change anything? MT: If I could be in the place I am now, yeah. I'm not the person… I'm not the person now that I have been. Probably… and I wish… I didn't have a lot of guidance growing up, I was socially inept for a long time. And I wasn't always… I think before I kind of found out who I was and realized, I’d like to have come to that realization sooner. LH: Anyone, any person you would have liked to have trained with who's not around anymore? Or you thought, you know, like you're looking back, I mean again somebody in this sphere that you thought about but never made it across to them?

With Grandmaster Richard Bustillo 1942-2017 — Teacher, Mentor and Friend

MT: No, not really! No! I've trained with a lot of people. Yeah, I mean I'd love to have a time machine and go back o the days of Fairbairn and Sykes… These people that you know… kind of those sort of characters. But, no, I can't say really.

Guru Dan Inosanto — Martial arts legend, friend and student of Bruce Lee

LH: Any advice for beginners — people taking the first steps on their journeys any advice to give them as in like you know, what path to take, what to do? MT: Well, yeah, I would say whatever you decide to do commit to it and be consistent. But enjoy it and yeah, I mean, just make sure you're growing as a person in a good direction. Make sure that, like I say, be a well rounded person. Bring that whatever it is you're training in, make it a part of you. Be open minded. I always say my thing… Have an open mind, an open hand and an open heart! Have an open mind to all things! Be the first person to put your hand out. Welcome people in. Have an open heart you know… Just be compassionate!

56 “I was in trouble with my regiment…. “

LH: All right before we go on to the 20 questions, I've got to ask you this question because I know of your background and this, that and the other, right… you stood as a bodyguard to Her Majesty, The Queen — How did that come about? You did it for quite some time! MT: I was in the Guards regiment. LH: And that was a part of your military background? MT: Yes, yes… I was, a long-winded way around…I was kind of stuck… because I was in trouble in my regiment![Smiles]. LH: Right…! [Laughing] MT: They had to get rid of me. I wasn't going anywhere! LH: Guard the Queen! [Laughing] MT: Well, yeah, that was part of our role too anyway as a Guardsman… you know as the Guards. But I did work at close quarters with the royal family particularly Her Majesty. I mean sometimes it was like me and her. You don't speak to her. She doesn't speak to you. You're just there. There were a number of occasions shared with Princess Diana. I can't say… the Queen kinda… she probably recognised me. LH: Did you ever feel nervous in her presence? MT: No! It's not really anything I've ever suffered with… that sort of thing. Princess Diana, was chatty with her. I didn't really see much of the others. It was Prince Phillip, maybe the Queen Mother, but yeah, sometimes it would be just me and Her Majesty for short periods of time. LH: Wow! Wow! That's something to tell the grandkids about isn't it? MT: They're not interested!

LH: They're not interested? Wow! One of the longest reigning monarchs we’ve had. One of the most successful monarchs we’ve had… and the grandkids are not interested? Wow! But seriously, It's just amazing the fact that you're doing your job… It's a professional thing as well. You're in the room with that person. One of the most important people. The head of our state, the head of our country! MT: I wasn't really taking it in at the time. To me it was just a job. I didn't see the significance or the gravity of it at the time. But now in retrospect I do — It was a privilege. Part Two LH: That's something! Right, we’re going onto Part Two… These are the 20 Questions. These are the fun ones. Say what you want, what comes to mind. There's no right answer, there's no wrong answer. Everyone gets the same questions. The questions you're being asked, everyone else has been asked. If you could have personally witnessed anything, what would you want to have seen? MT: I'd love to have seen the Battle of Waterloo or the Battle of Trafalgar — first hand! LH: Interesting… Any particular reason why? MT: Just the importance of it in terms of the historic thing. I mean it could have been Agincourt, Crècy, Gettysburg… those big battles I think — particularly Waterloo. LH: Okay, brilliant! What would you do if you were invisible for a day? MT: Oh! [laughs]… LH: You can break the law if you want to! You’re invisible! MT: [Laughs more]… I'd be breaking the law, don't worry about that! LH: You know how many people said I'd rob a bank and distribute the wealth? MT: I'd be busy for 24 hours, trust me! Do I get an invisible car as well? LH: Yeah, you're invisible. You're invisible totally, so you can do what you want. So what would you do?

58 You can break the law if you want to….

MT: I'm not sure I could put that out there! LH: Put it out there! MT: My wife might see it! LH: Simon Oliver said he would go and hang out in the changing rooms of Victoria's Secret models and he said that with his wife standing there! MT: Oh really? He’s a braver man than me! He obviously doesn't know my wife. You should be interviewing my wife. She kicks my ass! LH: All right… As a child, what did you wish to become when you grew up? MT: A police dog! LH: A police dog? MT: Yeah, I failed the medical! LH: Seriously, you wanted to be a police dog? MT: Yeah! LH: Brilliant! What animal best represents you and why? MT: Oh my days…! Honey Badger! LH: Ok, that's interesting… Why? MT: They scare lions! They're intelligent. They're smart. Fearless! That’s probably not me… [shrugs and smiles]. LH: That's interesting! I think you're the first one who’s said that. It's a good one. You're the first one who said that from all the conventional animals. MT: Honey Badgers kick ass!

59 My wife might see it!

LH: What is your greatest strength or weakness? My best answer was, if I told you that, I'd have to kill you. MT: Yeah… My greatest strength is probably... People say I'm stubborn. My wife says I'm stubborn. I see it as persistence. LH: So do I! MT: And my biggest weakness? Probably… LH: Your persistence? MT: [Laughs]… Yeah, cakes, chocolate, confectionery, sweets, sugar. All that nonsense! LH: This is usually one of my favourite questions because it gives you so many things… What is your favourite memory of any one of your grandparents? MT: Any one of my grandparents? I didn't really know my grandparents, I only knew my… Well, my grandmothers. My favourite memory, I mean, they were just such characters. My paternal grandmother was an old Cockney — proper London… Cor blimey… love a duck, knocked ‘em in the Old Kent Road — no mistake! And my other grandmother, my maternal grandmother, was Irish. Proper Irish! Yeah, I mean, they were just kind of opposite. I mean, you know, proper rural Ireland and like London — Cockneys! Absolutely opposite… big influences on me. Don't really remember… just the stories that they told. LH: Yeah, they told you stories. My grandfather was in what was then the British Indian Army. And… he used to drive a train from India to Burma, taking supplies to soldiers — logistics. Apparently one of the most dangerous jobs — You think, what, he's just a train driver, he said, “No, no, the Japanese were targeting the trains… You were the one they were going to take out first, because you were providing the supplies!” I kind of regret it, because he's like most soldiers, they don't really talk about, their war experiences.They don't talk about them, but I do kind of regret that. He was just an old soldier… and I remember as a kid, my memory of him is he'd be walking and I'd be running alongside him. And he was an old man, he was in his 70s and I'd have to run, I mean, his stride was so sure, so certain, and he didn’t break his stride. He never broke his stride! MT: These people are not around, you know, we're not around forever and I think that's what… Spend time with your parents and your grandparents as much as you can! LH: They're living history aren't they? Your living history! MT: Yeah! LH: All right, how do you want to be remembered? MT: That's a good… I've often thought about leaving a legacy. But I want to leave footprints in life. I want to be, you know, some people pass on, you know… John passed on, people go, “John? John who?” “John, you know…” and I would like to think that when I go, there's a… Some people leave the earth like… I always think of people like Elvis or... Frank Sinatra or Steve Irwin, you know — All these people that in some respects they're signposts along the way and I think I would just like to be missed. LH: Yeah, yeah… That's good! All right… What have you always wanted and did you ever get it? MT: I've got everything I ever wanted. LH: Perfect! Do you know your family heritage? You already partly answered that, so… Do you know all of it? MT: Pretty much, yeah — pretty much! Mainly Irish… Yeah, mainly Irish with… I'm proud of that! And probably live up to the fighting Irish thing! LH: Listen, they're fiery. I have Irish in my family too — So, yeah, they are fiery. They have one of the most generous hearts as well. Very, very… generous!

60 My wife might see it!

MT: I think so! LH: Are you still learning who you are? MT: Absolutely… Yeah, absolutely! I think… still a work in progress. Still a work in progress. Absolutely, absolutely! LH: What, if anything, are you afraid of and why? MT: I don't like heights! But, once I went in the military, I knew that if I went on a certain career path, I'd have to maybe... So I went, I became a rock climbing top rope instructor. Went to Norway, did a course in Norway, hated it. Did a parachute course, hated it! But did it anyway. I'm still scared of heights! LH: So it didn't help you overcome it? MT: Well, I never thought it would! It's just, it's really, you know, when you talk about fear, how you handle it. I mean, false evidence appearing real or whatever. But I mean, I just knew I had to do something, either confront it or back away from. LH: What is the most memorable class you have ever taken? MT: Most memorable class? I enjoyed teaching for Richard Bustillo in Los Angeles. And then he invited me to go to Hawaii to teach. So that was pretty memorable. I remember sitting on the plane going to Hawaii, I thought, well, doing all right! LH: Yeah, and going at the invite of Richard Bustillo, I mean, wow, yeah, that's more than doing all right! MT: Absolutely! LH: What book has influenced you the most? MT: Err... Not sure! I've probably got about over 10,000 books. LH: Wow! You've still got them, you own them?

MT: Yeah, yeah, yeah! And I was telling some of the guys earlier on that know me, you've seen my library, I've just had to buy a twenty foot shipping container to put some of my books in! LH: Wow! I mean, have you got the room, as in obviously you've got a shipping container, to put it in, you know, so…? MT: We've got a small cottage by the sea. Erm, and my wife calls me a hoarder! So, I'm a collector! Erm… So I've had to buy a shipping container to put in — I've got a shed load, yeah! LH: What ridiculous thing has someone tricked you into doing or believing? MT: Oh! No, I can't think of anything. I'm sure that I've subdued it in my recesses. LH: Yeah, too embarrassing! Put that somewhere back there! Ok… Who or what has been the greatest influence on you? MT: Wow, so many! I mean, people that I've read about that kind of could be from just pioneers, adventurists, scientists. I just couldn't name one. But I've taken something from… I always like to take, even from this today — from meeting you and I’ll take something from the whole experience. I try and take something you know, like reading books. I try and recommend books to students and people. They ask me for recommendations. So I kind of recommend things. There's always something to be learned from somebody. Everybody has a lesson! LH: Exactly! Yeah, no, absolutely! This will be interesting. What is the craziest thing any one of your teachers has had you do as a part of your training? MT: We did some pretty crazy stuff in the military. I just, questioned a lot of things in the military, I think, you know, especially in the infantry or whatever. It's crazy long marches and crazy feats of endurance and things, you know. LH: And you know, when they make you do these crazy things, I’ve got to ask you now I’ve got you here — these crazy marches and all sorts of things. Did that ever play a role in the reality of what you were doing or was it just…? MT: I know one of the things that we had to do, we had to on a selection for something, we had to get to Mount Kenya — not the top of Mount Kenya, but it was one of the peaks of Mount Kenya. And I think if you didn't make it in a certain time, you weren’t selected. That was pretty crazy!

MT: We were jumping over, they weren't big crevasses, but we didn't have any climbing gear, ropes or special gear. And we were just trying to get to the top, you couldn't even see the top. You think Kilimanjaro and then the second-highest — That was pretty crazy, carrying heavy loads up a mountain. It didn't give us a route, it just said get to the top! It was just like normal, up you go, no route, just kit on your back. And I think it took us two days to get up, those of us that made it. It wasn’t massive… I think Everest is 29,000, I think the spot where we got to was about 17,000 feet. LH: That's still quite some height, that is! MT: That stands out in my memory a little bit. There's other crazy stuff. LH: All right, now remember this is going to be public, so think about this one! When did you screw everything up, but no one ever found out it was you? So you're confessing to something! MT: Yeah, I've got to be careful! There's some stories I wish I could tell. I've got to be careful, I'm not even sure I can put it out… hmmm, let’s see… LH: Think of something mild, that's not going to get you into trouble. MT: Well again, nothing springs to mind, you know. LH: You didn't accidentally blow up one of your own tanks did you? Oh… you’re thinking! MT: Well, Ok, I ran a course — I was running a training course for some Saudis. I brought them over here from Saudi Arabia to do a six week training program. I had some flash bangs, and so we were in cars, and I was meant to drop this — lit flash bang — and I was meant to put it out the window. I lit it, and then I went like that [mimics throwing it] and realised I hadn't opened the window! So it went off in my hand, in the car, in a confined space! And it came out like… my hair like you see in the cartoons, black face! Everybody in the car was like, what the f*** was that? That was memorable, I only remember that. LH: And he's the expert! [Laughing] MT: Yeah, yeah, yeah! I meant to do that! [Sheepishly]

63 “I've got to be careful! There's some stories I wish I could tell…”

“I lit it… and realised I hadn't opened the window! So it went off in my hand, in the car, in a confined space!“

LH: Brilliant, brilliant! If someone made a movie of your life would it be a drama, a comedy, a romanticcomedy, action film or science fiction? MT: A bit of everything, probably more comedy at my expense, I don't mind. LH: So this is back to history. If you could select one person from history and ask them one question — who would you select and what would the question be? MT: Yeah, I mean, probably a historical figure. Nelson, or Wellington, or somebody like this. Yeah, just really how they came up with the plans to win the battles that they won? Nelson was very… both of them had their own style, if you like, that was kind of… went against the grain of what was conventional at the time! I suppose, I like that kind of idea of people being strong characters. LH: Well, that's how you win battles! MT: Absolutely, you know. I've been to some of their battle… it's kind of, because you can read in books and everything, but to go to the ground and see it you know, how he [Wellington] controlled the battle, and I would just love to have a little one on one. Why did you move these troops here? Why was this position so important that you had to hold onto it? How the battle played out was fascinating. I mean, it's chess on a… obviously, thousands of people killed here, you know, other than that… LH: No, no, it is a game of chess, absolutely! How would you describe your art in ten words or less? MT: Developing people as people, and having something that they feel that they have the skills and the belief to defend. LH: Brilliant! That's fantastic! Thank you. That's your 20 questions. Seriously, it's been a pleasure and an honour, sir! MT: Thank you Nasser! LH: It’s been an honour to be sharing this space with you. MT: Likewise! It's a two way relationship, man. I hold you in the most respect. LH: Thank you sir!

I have full responsibility for all of my actions — past, present and future. I have no regrets but accept I could and should have done many things differently, better, and many not at all but hey, “That’s life” as Frank Sinatra once sang!

“Have an open mind to all things! Be the first person to put your hand out. Welcome people in. Have an open heart you know… Be compassionate!”

LH: The whole point with the Lift Hands magazine is… getting to people like yourself. Getting to some of the old guard, because they, we — all are fading and the idea is that if we can, listen, what you said about all these things, if we can leave that in the ether — a footprint — just a small footprint… get information out, to get people there and say, look this is what you're about, this is what you're hoping to do… Yeah, then why not, why not? This is what we’re about! MT: Nasser, Thank you so much! LH: No, you're welcome, seriously, it’s been an honour! Right let's get you

inside…

Editor’s Note: The 20 Questions with Mo was the longest interview I have carried out at just under an hour! In essence we were just sitting chatting — diverting here and there. To be honest, I could have sat and talked with Mo for hours — not just about martial arts, we could have virtually talked about anything! Mo is a special soul — someone who genuinely has been forged in the fire of life and come out the other end — an amazing human being… “more than most, less than many”! The archival images and quotes appearing in this article are taken from Mo’s short and to the point summary of his life, in his booklet, Mo Teague — More Than most, Less Than Many. All other images are taken by myself. I hope that we will be able to feature and hear more from Mo in future issues. My thanks to Ramakrishna for filming the interview — he did a sterling job holding my iPhone steady for an hour since I had forgotten my tripod! All a part of his qigong training! Meanwhile, if you would like to train with Mo or find our more about his group — Tactical Research and Development Group — you can find his contact details on pages 21-22 of this issue, along with a brief report on their latest meet.

Songs of Rest Dr Gregory T. Lawton

Come find in these words some solace, Where in peace may you lay Down your burdens And lift your heart To songs of rest. Come find in these words a psalm of praise, Where in humility may you bow To receive communion And join your spirit With songs of rest. Come find in these words a hymn of salvation, Where in safety may you fly Far away from trouble And open your heart To songs of rest. Come find in these words an anthem of hope, Where in grace will you be saved From "danger, toil, and snares" And your heart filled With songs of rest.

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 Silence Between Words 2016, Revised 2019 Dr. Gregory T. Lawton 2040 Raybrook Street, SE Suite 104 Grand Rapids, Michigan 49546 616-285-9999

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

he Willow Tree Method is the third training method of Long Har Ch’uan.

It is based upon the posture of Lu [Rollback] in the ‘basic’ method and from a combination of Lu with the Old Yang posture known as Willow Tree Sways In The Breeze [Advance, Parry, Penetration Hammer Right/Left] in the peripheral method — see photos on next page. Of course, as in the previous methods, the principles still belong to the segment of ‘Seize The Sparrow By The Tail.’ The Willow Tree Method, is the first of the Long har Ch’uan methods which requires both the ‘wooden man’ and practitioner to move, whereas in the two previous methods both start from a static position. It is a ‘closed-side’ method. The method consists of two parts. We first must first learn how to strike and slide down the arm and understand how this activates the target area, and how the number of times we strike and slide down the arm changes or activates a different target area! [A note for the reader: it is important to remember that we are using static images in this article for illustrative purposes only, so the true dynamic and explosive nature of the movements cannot be represented. It is important that you seek out a qualified and competent instructor to teach you these methods!] It is not in the remit of this article to go into a detailed explanation of the theory of activation and manifestation. That would require a far more detailed study. For the purpose of this article, I will simply refer to the target area and whether it is accessed via a single, double or triple strike/slide. By looking at it this way — it will essentially become a distance and timing concept leading to the target.

A Willow tree swaying in the breeze — digital image created by Nasser Butt

Main: Basic Lu from Taiji Long Boxing Inset: Advance, Willow Tree Sways in the Breeze

The Pre-Method Here, as already mentioned above, we learn about the strike and the slide down the arm followed by the strike to the target area. Single Strike

1. Your partner attacks with a straight left [A]. 2. You ‘V-step’ to the right as your waist turns right and then left, causing the right palm to arc up and strike Colon 10 [Co10], just below the elbow. Your palm continues to slide and brush violently down the forearm towards the wrist — moving with the ‘flow of energy’ — causing his body to start to rotate [B]. 3. The waist again turns right, left — causing the right palm to circle out and strike the back of your partner’s head at or around Gallbladder 19 [GB19], [C/D]. Note: Do not strike GB19! This is a very dangerous point and can lead to death! The whole movement happens on the count of one as a single fluid fa-jing shake. The single strike/slide ‘activates’ the back of the head as a target.

Above, left to right: Colon [Co/Large Intestine] Meridian; Small Intestine [SI] Meridian; Gallbladder [GB] Meridian

Double Strike

G 75

1. The double strike and slide begins exactly as the single strike above [see description 1-2], [E/F]. 2. This time as the waist turns right for a second time — the left palm circles over and strikes at Colon 12 [Co12], just above the elbow crease and continues its slide downwards towards the wrist, causing your partner’s body to turn further to their right and presenting the left side of their face, [G/H]. 3. The waist now does a left, right, left fa-jing shake — releasing three snap punches to the side of the face/ head/neck, [I/J/K]. As each fist strikes, the opposing hand slides down, controlling and attacking the left arm, thus preventing your partner from turning back to the left to strike with their right hand! The double strike/slide activates the side of the face/head/neck as a target. Triple Strike

The triple strike/slide follows the sequence of the double strike up till image H [see above and previous page]. 1. From [H] in the previous method, the waist turns to the left with the right palm striking into the left scapula at Small Intestine 9 [SI9], which damages both the arm and shoulder, further rotating his body to his right, [L]. This is our third strike and again, the direction of movement after the strike is the same. 2. Your waist turns back to the right, as the left palm smashes anywhere along the front of the face or neck [M], as the right palm controls his shoulder and arm, again preventing him from turning back towards the left and strike with his right! 3. Image [N] shows the strike from the opposite side. The triple strike activates the front of the face and neck as targets. This completes the three Pre-Method training drills. Once again, I would like to remind the reader the sequences shown here have been simplified and photographed from static positions to illustrate the final strike/posture in each part of the sequence. The fluid and explosive nature of these strikes is not visible from these images, nor are the subtleties of the transitional movements! Practitioners should NOT carry out any of the strikes on the back of the head or side of the neck or front. These can be fatal. The purpose of the methods is that we can arrive at the target area fluidly with power and timing.

The Willow Tree Method

The Willow Tree Method now represents a combination of everything we have learned rolled into one! Remember — this is a training method and not a technique! It is practiced to teach you natural body mechanics, distance, timing, expansion, contraction and, other, specific skill sets such as how to set up a point strike and the correct direction of strike. As I stated at the beginning of the article, this is the first method where both the attacker and defender are moving, however, for the sake of simplicity and to reduce the number of required images — my training partner Krish, remains static. 1. Your partner attacks with a straight left. You ‘V-step’ to the right as your waist turns right and then left, causing the right palm to arc up and strike Colon 10 [Co10], just below the elbow. Your palm continues to slide and brush violently down the forearm towards the wrist causing his body to start to rotate [1]. 2. The waist turns right for a second time — the left palm circles over and strikes at Colon 12 [Co12], just above the elbow crease and continues its slide downwards towards the wrist, causing your partner’s body to turn further to their right [2]. 3. The waist turns to the left with the right palm striking into the left scapula at Small Intestine 9 [SI9], which damages both the arm and shoulder, further rotating his body to his right, [3]. 4. The waist now does a right, left, right fa-jing shake — releasing three snap punches to the side of the face/ head/neck. As each fist strikes, the opposing hand slides down, controlling and attacking the left arm, thus preventing your partner from turning back to the left to strike with their right hand [4/5/6/7]! The above sequence concludes the basic Willow Tree Method. However, we do not stop here! The sequence continues without pause leading us straight into the peripheral method. This is where the Willow starts to ‘sway’ in the breeze — i.e. the body starts to twist, turn and sway just like the tree, moving naturally and releasing tremendously powerful heavy blows with a totally ‘soong’ arm. To emphasise the fact that we are continuing from the previous set of movements, the descriptive notes will continue from the above order. The Peripheral Method 5. Your waist turns to the left as your left palm slides down and the right arm rolls and strikes the back of the head at GB19 [it can be anywhere on the back of then head or the neck], using the back of the forearm or palm [‘rolling thunder’] — much like an ape! [8/9]. 6. The waist, again, turns to the right as the right arm rolls and the right palm smashes into the front of the face, [10].

7. You can continue this for as long as you like [I have shown two strikes front and back each] before switching back to the snap punches and then repeating [11-27] and continue alternating between the two. This then leads us directly into the changing of sides!

Changing Sides 8. Continuing from the last set of movements [I have reversed the camera angle, so figure 28 below represents the transition from 27 seen from behind], your partner, due to the fact that you are controlling his left side, steps across himself and strikes using a back spinning fist with his right hand [28-30]. 9. You immediately carry out a change step — pulling your right foot back and taking your left foot forward — and without breaking rhythm, you strike up and slide down his right arm three times, before striking him three times on the side of his face [30-34], before rolling and striking with the back of the arm [35]. The sequence has now reversed. Note that in the reverse sequence, I am using open palm strikes as opposed to a snap punch. Both can be practiced, however, the rapid snap punches must be developed as these are a critical training skill in the development of not only fa-jing power but, also, multiple striking and opening and closing of the body!

From here, your partner will randomly decide the switch by spinning and performing a back fist in the opposite direction, thus bringing you back to the original side — and so it will continue! For the diligent student… The strike and slide down the arm performed during Lu in the Small San-sau [SSS] represents exactly this skillset learned in the Willow Method, including the targeting of Colon 12 [Co12]. The skill in SSS, however, is technically far more difficult as you are attacking the outside of your opponent’s left arm with your own left palm, whilst standing in the position of the ‘inner gate’ [36-41]!

This is often taught incorrectly as a strike to the crease of the elbow by ‘masters’ who are clueless to the purpose behind developing this particular skill-set of Lu! Self-defence Virtually any attack or defensive-attack will incorporate some [if not all] components of the skills developed in the Willow Tree Method. All components of ‘parry’ — whether with or against the flow of energy, either adding or subtracting, are based upon understanding this method. We will continue with the final method based upon ‘Step Forward Parry and Punch,’ in the next issue of Lift Hands.

[Warning — please do not attempt any of strikes included in this article. They are highly dangerous and can be fatal!] My thanks, once again, to Ramakrishna Pillay for being my ‘wooden man’ in the compilation of these images as well as Elliot Morris — my training partner and fellow Chief instructor at Fa-jing Ch’uan Internal Chinese Boxing Schools.

The Web of Chi in Health and Disease The Way of Chi in Health and Disease is the third article in an ongoing series of articles on Asian medicine to be published in Lift Hands magazine. The first article of this series on the practice of Asian medicine was entitled, “The Poetry of Chi, The Mystery and Majesty of Energy in the Human Body” and the second article of the series was entitled, “The Web of Chi and the Human Body”. In the article “The Poetry of Chi, The Mystery and Majesty of Energy in the Human Body” we reviewed the history, origins, theories, philosophy, and science of Chinese Acupressure and massage (Tuina). We specifically discussed energy channels referred to as meridians and acupressure points and Chinese theories related to energy pathology. One major and fundamental pathological theory that we investigated was yin and yang imbalances and deficiency and excess syndromes. In the second article and segment of this series, “The Web of Chi and the Human Body”, we covered the physiological role of chi in the body’s healing processes, the importance of yin and yang balance to homeostasis of the body’s organ systems and functions, the inflammatory process and using the counter-irritation theory of traditional health care to promote healing responses, the role and nature of defensive chi, and we introduced and commented on the importance of gua sha as a potent therapeutic modality. In The Way of Chi in Health and Disease we will explore the relationship of chi and health and we will look at the traditional practices in Asian medicine for restoring health and harmony when they have been lost due to disease. The Practice of Asian Medicine Asian medicine is a general term that encompasses a whole system of traditional medical practices performed in many different countries in Asia including countries located in east, southeast, and west Asia. These countries include China, Tibet, Japan, Mongolia, Cambodia, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, India, and Pakistan as well as another forty countries that I have not listed that are part of Asia. Of course, Asian medicine has spread worldwide and is practiced in some form or another in most of the world. Asian medicine includes traditional health care practices associated with acupuncture, herbal medicine, massage, energetics, health exercise, and dietetics. It is a system of medicine that categorizes body patterns into specific types of diagnoses and treatment plans. It places a high value on the mind, body, and spirit connection and is applied to treat various diseases and disorders. Asian medicine has been practiced for thousands of years and has been refined and modernized over time.

It may surprise you that as a licensed acupuncturist I consider acupuncture needling as one of the least effective modalities of traditional Asian medicine. Instead, I consider traditional dietary and herbal medical practices followed by health exercises such as tai chi chuan, dao yin, and chi kung to be significantly more effective than acupuncture. In countries where Asian medicine has been traditionally practiced it is first practiced through diet and exercise. I believe massage and manual therapy techniques such as those practiced in acupressure and tuina are more effective than acupuncture needling for most musculoskeletal complaints and the treatment of pain. I recognize that I am generally combining and describing all traditional Asian medical practice as it they are the same, and that is not the case. The traditional Asian medical practices of Western Asia (Iran) differ from those of India or Tibet, as does the traditional methods of China. While there is a strong philosophical alignment in what is labeled as Traditional Asian Medicine or TAM there are also many unique differences. In this series of articles, of which this is the third segment, I am mainly describing the practices and methods thought to be derived from ancient China. Let’s review the main modalities of treatment that are used in traditional Asian medicine. Acupuncture in Asian Medicine Investigations into Asian medicine often begin with a “surgical” procedure called acupuncture. It is a surgical procedure because it involves inserting needles through the skin and into the body tissues at specific points on the body. Acupuncture is commonly used to treat pain but is increasingly being used for overall wellness, including stress management. Traditional Chinese medicine explains acupuncture as a technique for balancing the flow of energy or life force known as chi which is believed to flow through pathways called meridians in the body. By inserting needles into specific points along these pathways, acupuncture practitioners believe that deranged energy flow will re-balance. In contrast, many Western practitioners view acupuncture points as places to stimulate hormone release, neurological responses, muscle motor points, and connective tissue responses in fascia. One group of acupuncturists who practice medical acupuncture cite evidence that this stimulation boosts the body's natural painkillers, such as endorphins.

Dietary Practices in Asian Medicine In traditional Asian medicine, each bite of food and its subsequent breakdown sends nutrients to corresponding energy organs. Sour food is considered to enter the liver and help stop sweating, to ease coughing; salty food enters the kidneys, and can drain, purge, and soften masses; bitter food enters the heart and the small intestine and helps cool heat and dry any dampness; spicy food enters the lungs and large intestine and helps stimulate appetite; sweet food enters the stomach and spleen and helps lubricate the body. Chinese dietary practices are based on energetic principles such as damp natured, cold natured, and hot natured foods. By knowing the energetic nature of a food, the traditional practitioner can assist a client in regulating the digestive process resulting in balance or homeostasis. For a Chinese medicine practitioner, a traditional ‘healthy’ diet differs from modern nutritional advice. The Chinese diet includes common spices such as cardamon and ginger and grains such as barley and rice. Dietary recommendations are chosen for their medicinal value as well as for nutrition and taste. Herbal Medicine in Asian Medicine Herbal medicine is an important part of Traditional Asian Medicine (TAM). Herbs are prescribed holistically according to the client’s individual condition (not solely based on current symptoms). Herbal medicines are used to regulate the natural balance of the body and restore health. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 80 percent of the population of some Asian and African countries presently use herbal medicine for some aspect of primary health care. Many prescription drugs were developed from herbal remedies, including aspirin, artemisinin, digitalis, and quinine. Health Exercises in Asian Medicine Traditional Asian health preservation exercises combine the dual nature between physical rehabilitation and body movement. Chi flow, through the energy pathways, meridians and the acupuncture points are the foundation of many traditional Asian health preservation exercises. The fundamental concept and philosophy of many Asian health exercises, especial those derived from the internal martial arts, is based upon holism, and includes treatment methods for preventing illness and improving disease conditions especially those of the musculoskeletal, cardiac, and respiratory systems. Traditional Asian health preservation exercises, as compared to modern sports science, focus on the prevention of injury and disease rather than treatment of an injury or debilitating disease, although these exercises are excellent at doing both. The main purpose for many health exercises, movements, and postures is the mastery of the movement, correct posture, and breath control. Some well-known traditional health exercises forms and techniques include dao yin, chi kung, tai chi chuan, along with breathwork. Massage Therapy in Asian Medicine Asian massage therapy is part of an ancient healing system, rooted in the principles of Traditional Asian Medicine (TAM). In China, therapeutic massage known as tuina has been an integral part of the medical system for thousands of years. Asian massage therapy is a holistic approach to healing and is deeply rooted in traditional Asian medicine, its philosophy, theories, concepts, and treatment techniques. Tuina massage originated in ancient China. Tuina is one of the main branches of traditional Chinese medicine, along with acupuncture, health exercises, breathwork, diet and nutrition, and Chinese herbal medicine. Tuina massage stimulates the flow of chi to promote balance and harmony within the body using many of the same principles of acupuncture. It is like acupuncture in the way it targets specific acupoints, but practitioners use parts of their hands to apply pressure to acupoints instead of needles. Tuina massage can be performed as a stronger deep-tissue massage or a more gentle, energetic treatment. Some techniques are considered yin, which is more gentle, passive, and meditative. The yang approach is more active, dynamic, and physical, creating more intense sensations by stimulating deep energy as well as removing nerve, lymphatic, and circulatory blockages. Tuina is widely used in hospitals in China for the treatment of various diseases and disorders. Tuina is used to treat conditions that are caused by chi stagnation. It is also used to treat musculoskeletal disorders such as neck pain, shoulder pain, back pain, and sciatica. Tuina is often used in combination with other treatments such as health exercises, dietary recommendations, and herbal medicine. Physical therapy in modern Chinese hospitals often combines tai chi chuan, dao yin, chi kung, tuina, or acupressure with modern physiotherapeutic practices.

Ancillary Therapeutic Procedures Ancillary therapeutic procedures are physiotherapeutic methods and modalities that augment treatments such as acupuncture, acupressure, and tuina. From a physical perspective these procedures involve the application of heat or cold to an area of injury or disease as well as utilizing the counter-irritation theory of healing. The counter-irritation theory is a traditional medical theory that states that the application of an irritant to one part of the body can influence physiological activity either adjacent to the area being treated or to body systems such as the immune system. The theory advanced is that the influence of a counterirritant is conveyed by conduction, stimulation, or reflexive action to the cells, tissues, organs, or body systems and that it acts by increasing the circulation, fluid exchange, neurological activity, lymphatic drainage, and/or nutrition of the area, organ, or body system that needs treatment. Medicated Oils, Patches, Ointments, and Liniments When we are employing the use of external herbal products such as liniments, patches, or medicated oils we are typically using them to treat localized inflammation characterized by pain, swelling, reduced range of motion, and weakness. By reducing inflammation and pain these medicinal products increase soft tissue healing. Chinese medicated oils, patches, ointments, and liniments have been in used for thousands of years and are derived from practices of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). These products range from a basic and general muscle “rub” to penetrating, target-specific formulas. A liniment is an alcohol-based formula where herbal material has been subjected to an extraction process where the herbal material is soaked in alcohol for an extended period. Oil based products are created in a similar manner but without using alcohol as the extracting medium. Some popular medicated oils, patches ointments, and liniments include: Tiger Balm: Tiger Balm is a pain-relieving ointment that contains camphor, menthol, cajuput oil, and clove oil. Tiger Balm is used for relief of minor aches and pains of muscles and joints associated with simple backache, arthritis, bruises, strains, and sprains.

Wong Lop Kong Medicated Oil: Contains camphor, safflower, peppermint, tea oil, frankincense gum resin and myrrh. It is used for temporary relief of minor aches and pains of muscles and joints such as simple backache, sprains, strains, and bruises.

Red Flower Oil: Red Flower Oil contains methyl salicylate, Sanguis draconis, Flos Carthami (Safflower) and cinnamon leaf oil. Sanguis draconis or Dragons Blood is a gum resin taken from the berries of palm trees. Formulas with warming herbs are used for chronic conditions and or arthritic joints where the application of heat feels beneficial.

Kwan Loong Oil: Kwan Loong Oil contains methyl salicylate, menthol, eucalyptus oil, and camphor. It is used for inflamed and painful joints that may benefit from formulas that contain cooling herbs.

Eucalyptus Oil: Eucalyptus oil is useful for overworked, tired, and exhausted muscles. It is often used right after a workout session for soreness or pain, or even for pre-workout warming of muscles.

Po Sum On: Po Sum On medicated oil is used for the relief of minor aches and pains in joints, including rheumatic joint pain, arthritis, chronic and acute injury. Po Sum on can also be used in the application of gua sha treatments.

Zheng Gu Shui: Zheng Gu Shui is a traditional Chinese liniment. This external analgesic is believed to relieve chi and blood stagnation, promote healing, and soothe pain. The formula is known as Dit da jow in Cantonese or die da jiu in Mandarin. Liniments are used by practitioners of Asian medicine to treat pain or trauma from backache, arthritis, strains, bruises, and sprains. Warning! Do not use alcohol-based liniments for gua sha treatments.

Medicated patches: Chinese pain patches are plasters that contain a blend of natural ingredients, including herbs, that are said to be effective at relieving pain. They are used for all types of pain, whether it’s from arthritis, backaches, menstrual cramps, or other sources. There are many different formulations of pain patches, but most contain a combination of traditional Chinese herbs such as ginger, turmeric, and cinnamon as well as oils like camphor, peppermint (menthol), and eucalyptus.

Side Effects There may be side effects related to using these products topically. It is best to consult with a qualified Asian medicine practitioner before using them. Common side effects from using these products on the skin may include skin irritation, blistering, chemical burns, and allergic reactions. Gua Sha Gua sha is an alternative therapy that involves scraping the skin with a massage tool to help improve circulation. This ancient Chinese healing technique is a unique approach to treating musculoskeletal conditions. In gua sha, a technician scrapes an area of skin with short or long strokes to stimulate microcirculation of the soft tissue, which increases blood flow. They make these strokes with a smooth-edged instrument known as a gua sha massage tool. The technician applies a small amount of massage oil to the skin, and then uses the tool to repeatedly scrape the skin in a vigorous back and forth motion. Gua sha is intended to address stagnant energy, called chi, in the body which health practitioners believe may be responsible for inflammation. Inflammation is the underlying cause of most conditions associated with chronic pain. Rubbing the skin’s surface is thought to help break up errant energy, reduce inflammation, and promote healing.

The steps to performing gua sha on a client are as follows: 1. Apply a small amount of massage oil or lubricant to the skin. 2. Use a smooth-edged instrument known as a gua sha massage tool to repeatedly scrape the skin in a back-and-forth motion with short or long strokes. 3. The practitioners scrapes the skin to stimulate microcirculation of the soft tissue, which increases blood flow. The benefits of gua sha include: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

To help break up stagnant chi energy. To reduce soft tissue inflammation. To reduce pain. To reduce tissue edema and swelling. To stimulate the immune system. To improve tissue fluid movement and blood circulation.

Using Po Sum On as a skin lubricant Any massage oil may be used as a lubricant for gua sha therapy. It is best to choose a massage oil that is neither too slippery nor too viscous. A commonly used massage oil for gua sha is safflower oil, although some practitioners use Po Sum On as a skin lubricant for gua sha therapy.

Moxibustion Moxibustion is a form of localized heat therapy in which dried plant material called "moxa" derived from the Mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris) plant is burned on or very near the surface of the skin. The intention is to warm and invigorate the flow of chi in the body and dispel certain pathogenic influences. Moxibustion is often used in combination with acupressure and tuina. The steps to using moxa on a client are as follows: 1. Place the moxa on the skin or hold it just above it. 2. Light one end of the moxa stick and allow it to smolder. 3. Remove the moxa stick before it burns down too far. (Caution! Do not burn the skin.) 4. Repeat several times over the course of the treatment which may last from several minutes to an hour. The benefits of moxa therapy are very similar to the benefits derived from any form of localized heat treatment. The most common side effects from using moxa therapy are skin blisters and burns. In fact, the most common cause of malpractice lawsuits against practitioners are burns to a client’s skin.

Cupping Cupping is a traditional Asian therapy that involves suctioning the skin with glass, plastic, or silicone cups. It may help improve blood flow, boost immune function, remove tissue and lymphatic toxins, and reduce pain. Cupping is performed by placing cups on the skin to create suction. This suction is thought to improve the flow of energy in the body and facilitate healing. Cupping is a part of many ancient healing systems, including Chinese medicine. One of the main mechanisms by which cupping works is through the counterirritation theory. The steps to and benefits of performing cupping on a client are as follows: 1. A practitioner places cups on the skin to create suction. 2. These cups are left on the skin and are actively sucking the skin, tissue, and blood upward into the cup for a few minutes or longer. 3. This suction is thought to improve the flow of energy in the body and facilitate healing. 4.Cupping is generally performed on a person’s back, buttocks, neck, arms, and legs. 5.Cupping, like gua sha causes cellular and tissue damage and is thought to work in a manner similar to the counterirritation theory. A therapist may apply mild sucking pressure and gradually increase the intensity to determine how much pressure is appropriate for the client.

Determining the Best Therapy for Your Client Determining the best therapy to use on a client largely depends upon the condition that is being treated, the age of the client, the biological sex of the client at birth, and the general physical condition of the client at the time of treatment. Determining a treatment plan for a client is the most difficult aspect of working with clients and practicing health care. The ability to plan and to deliver treatment to a client is based upon good initial training and the experience gained through months or years of experience. Often a practitioner receives client referrals from doctors or other professionals along with recommendations for the type of treatment to be provided to the patient, the frequency of treatment and the length of time that the treatment may also be provided. Upon meeting with a client and gathering initial information regarding the client’s health history, current condition, and reason for seeking treatment, the practitioner will examine the client, determine any contraindications for treatment, and determine the best treatment techniques and modalities for treatment. The treatment plan typically includes the following components: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.

Client Interview Client Assessment Acupressure Tuina Health Exercises Including Dao Yin and Tai Chi Chuan Gua sha, Moxibustion, or Cupping Medicated Topical Applications such as Zheng Gu Shui or Po Som On Medicated Patches

Treatment plans commonly employ several steps and different modes of treatment. The Philosophy of The Way of Chi in Health and Disease In the realm where chi resides, Balance dances with graceful strides. Yin and yang, intertwine in a cosmic embrace, Revealing nature's healing grace. In the hush of dawn, the world awakes, As sun's golden fingers gently break Through the veil of mist, serene and pure, Nature's balm, a remedy and cure. In a harmony of earth and sky, A symphony of chi does amplify. Balance, the key to find our way, In this intricate dance, day by day. Oh, how nature's tapestry weaves, A sanctuary only the soul perceives, A healing power, pure and true, In every herb and drop of dew. So let us surrender to nature's embrace, And seek solace in its tranquil space. For within its depths, we shall find, The healing balm, for heart and mind.

Conclusion This has been the third installation in this ongoing series of articles related to using traditional Asian medicine and health methods for the treatment of clients. Minor injuries from martial arts training are not an infrequent occurrence in martial arts schools and among those who train in the martial arts. The methods reviewed in this series of articles should be common knowledge among experienced and dedicated martial arts instructors.

If you are interested in enrolling in the AcuMyoTherapy® study course please go to the link below, register for the course, follow the instructions provided, and complete the course quiz. If you pass the quiz, you will receive your certificate for this segment of the training series. Link to Lesson Three: https://www.flexiquiz.com/SC/N/f949f9d3-bba7-4f97-8465-f295f5b81cb9

References: Lawton, Gregory T. AcuMyoTherapy® Students Self-Study Workbook, American Health Source Publications, Grand Rapids, MI Published 2019 Lawton, Gregory T. Acupressure and Chinese Massage, American Health Source Publications, Grand Rapids, MI, Published 2007 Duc Hiep Nguyen. The Dictionary of Acupuncture & Moxibustion: A Practical Guide to Traditional Chinese Medicine Published by HarperCollins, 1987 Traditional Chinese Medicine: What You Need to Know - NCCIH. https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/traditionalchinese-medicine-what-you-need-to-know. Traditional Self-Practice Exercises in Chinese Medicine - Shen-Nong. http://www.shen-nong.com/eng/lifestyles/ tcmrole_health_maintenance_exercises.html. Institute of Natural Health and Education - Tuina. https://www.inhe.edu/tuina. The Theory of Counter Irritation. https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/6ef4/ a1204225b1d2ba3fad8aaa75c056cca9e4f2.pdf. What is cupping therapy in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM)?. https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/healthwellness/article/3170477/what-cupping-therapy-traditional-chinese-medicine-tcm-why.

Gua sha: Uses, benefits, and side effects - Medical News Today. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/ 320397. Using Chinese topical treatments for pain relief. https://easyhealthoptions.com/using-chinese-topical-treatmentsfor-pain-relief/.

About the Author and Course Instructor: Gregory T. Lawton D.N., D.C., D.Ac., has spent sixty years studying the healing arts and martial arts, including the internal Chinese martial arts of dao yin, chi kung, Tai chi chuan, Hsing Yi Chuan, and Pakua Chang. He is a 9th degree black belt in kosho Ryu Kenpo Dr. Lawton is a licensed naprapath in Illinois, a licensed chiropractor in Michigan, a certified naturopath in Kentucky, and a certified acupuncturist in Idaho. Dr. Lawton is nationally board certified in acupuncture, chiropractic, physical therapy, and radiology. He is the founding board member of the American Manual Medicine Association, the author of dozens of published articles, and has written over one hundred books and training manuals related to health care and martial arts. Dr. Lawton is also a certified fellow and diplomat of the International Medical Acupuncture Academy. Dr. Lawton is a graduate of the National University of Health Sciences and completed a postgraduate course in TCM based acupuncture at the National University of Health Sciences and the New York Chiropractic College. Dr. Lawton has been teaching Asian martial and healing arts for fifty years. He founded the Blue Heron Academy of Healing Arts and Sciences in 1980. The Academy offers the only state approved training programs in acupuncture and Asian medicine in Michigan.

How to order your copy: Click on the link provided, or copy and paste into your browser. https:// www.peecho.com/ print/en/677092 The website takes you directly to the page to order the book. 1. Which size do you like? Select the size. Next… 2. Would you like color? Select the color. Next… 3. How many copies would you like? Discount and Pricing. Next… (There is a discount pending on the number of copies.) 4. Where can we ship your order? Next…

From the end of the Camp … a Prologue

elcome to this report on Summer Camp 2023, which took place in the first week of August. This time my report will start with an epilogue from the end of these 3 days of training.

The Camp had just finished, and while we were all having dinner at the pub near Nasser’s house, celebrating the successful sessions, my friend Evert, who was standing in front of me at the long table, told me about Dong Yingjie’s Red Book. I remember that name, he was a disciple of Yang Chen-fu, right? I replied. Flicking through the book on his smartphone, Evert explained to me how important it was to read the books of the Masters of old, to examine photos and to continue researching. I have to admit that it takes a lot of dedication to understand a Taiji text and bring the information to life. Even the static photos themselves seem of little help, at least to those without a certain level of understanding of the art. At this point I asked him, “What is the main point of this book, that is what makes it different from many other books on the subject, so that you would recommend reading it?”

Dong Yingjie performing Brush Past Your Left Knee In A Crossed Stance Photo taken from the book “Taiji Boxing Explained,” translated by Paul Brennan.

The question actually surprised him briefly, but after a moment of reflection with his eyes raised, he replied: “For many reasons, but if I had to pick one, it would be Dong’s stance while performing his form. Look here… Dong, who was obviously still young and strong when he performed the well-known Brush Knee And Twist Step — see his low stance? And I think that’s not even his lowest in this public photo, which he may have trained in his youth and privately”. That’s right, I replied, his supposed ‘middle frame’ stance in the photo — yin from the waist up and completely yang in the legs — is lower than my low stance, great! These photos already tell you something about how to train the form for fighting.

Back in Italy, I googled Dong Yingjie, which led me to the Wikipedia link. We read that Dong Wenke (his first name) studied Taijiquan from an early age with various masters, and in 1926, almost thirty years old, he studied with Yang Cheng-fu himself, becoming his chief instructor and direct disciple, and working together to found various Taiji schools in many cities of China. But his mastery and skills were not limited to learning from Cheng-fu. He also trained with his older brother Yang Shao-hou in small frame Taijiquan and other Chen and Wu style masters. In his early thirties, in a public fight in Nanjing, he defeated a brutal British boxer using only Taijiquan, after the foreigner himself had hurled racist slurs and defeated many other Chinese martial artists. [Strangely, this story was almost entirely used in the script of Ip Man 2, creating a historical falsehood against the famous master of Wing Chun, who never fought the English boxer.] This is how Dong earned his stage name Yingjie, which can be translated as ‘heroic figure’. In Guangdong, he was hired by the army to teach martial arts to soldiers. His story alone is worth reading in full, then continuing in this vein with Brennan’s online translation of his book Taiji Boxing Explained. He can also be seen in a series of videos on YouTube dating back to the 1950s, in old age (for the time), performing Yang Cheng-fu’s ‘large frame’ form. What is the point of this long but necessary prologue ‘from the epilogue’? That it is not enough to have two eyes to see, sometimes you need to know where to look and what to look at, or at least have someone more expert than you show you the Way. Of all the arts, that of seeing is the most difficult! What’s the point of this Camp? So, we ask ourselves the same question: What’s the point of this Camp?

The Training Methods without a doubt! Three days of learning and training two key modules in combat: Long Har Ch’uan and Da-Lu. Roughly speaking, the former could be described as an entry method and the latter as an emergency method to get you out of a jam when your main method has failed. But as we shall see, there is much more than that. For about a year now we’ve been training Erle Montaigue’s 35 Weeks System, the system developed by Erle himself from Taiji, Bagua, Hsing I and other oriental arts that share the same principles of the internal arts, including natural circular movements. The result is a complete system that conforms to Taiji Classics and can also be used for self-defence. A street fight or a brawl is pure chaos — you don’t have to be a warrior or a hooligan to say that, just think of any fight we’ve been directly involved in or just witnessed at some point in our lives, it doesn’t matter. And if, unfortunately, we find ourselves in it, we need to have instant self-defence strategies that allow us to fight in a state of no-mind, imposing our own rules, not the opponent’s. Stick to him and don’t let him go! Quoting Erle Montaigue and the Classics in a continuous attack until WE decide when the fight is over [remember, that this is only the first half of the game — the second half will be in court]! Our rules in such chaotic situations can only come from automatic and instinctive responses, in other words natural movements, which if trained with the correct training methods, validated over time in real fights, will improve our combat abilities even more. Training methods are not self-defence techniques. They are abstract tools that must replicate dynamics and adapt to a myriad of situations and responses. For example, take one of the Snake training methods in which we strike at some point with a knife edge hand (or a Bagua Hammer) forward and from right to left under the nose (GV 26). This same strike, with the same dynamics, can also be representative of an elbow strike to the neck, or even a shoulder strike right into the chest (K’ao). This will all depend upon the opponent — the distance, the timing, type of attack, etc — it is my opponent who will decide how I strike, where I strike and how I continue with any subsequent attacks. Whilst to the untrained eye or mind these may appear to differ — they all are variants of ‘arn’ as represented by ‘Fishes in Eight’ in the Old Yang form. Erle Montaigue was very clear as to why we learn this way: “You learn these movements as an abstract training method because fighting is a street, real self defence is abstract. It doesn’t happen in a pre-set manner, like in a ring fight.”

These training methods, designed by the Masters of old, are the same and should not change, because they are designed to do what is useful in a thousand situations. Miyamoto Musashi states [The Book of Five Rings]: “You can only fight the way you practice!” What does it mean? It means exactly what it says — if we train and learn to fight with limitations and rules [of competition], than we will respond in exactly the same way if attacked for real on the street! You cannot undo years of programming and respond any different in an instant. A hand used to fighting with the protection of gloves and wraps will never develop the skill or understanding of striking with a bare-hand! A body used to fighting on a mat will never know or understand the pavement! If we only train ‘techniques’ without forms or training methods — we will never develop and understand the underlying principles — we will respond with the same techniques we have learned, as opposed to the principle, which may work with submissive people who are unprepared for our response, but with strongmen who are prepared for much more ... well, God save you! In other words — you cannot be formless unless you understand form! You cannot fight with “broken rhythms” unless you understand rhythm, and you cannot break the rules unless you understand the rules!

The fact that Dong YinJie was able to defeat the brutal British boxer with his Taiji proves that it is not a coincidence at all. Therefore, proper combat training is crucial. You need to be sure that you are learning a system that works in the street, codified by those who have tested it, and certainly not in a schoolyard! In a real fight, your reptilian brain will take control of you. Your reactions must be reflexive and innate. You must be able to fight with your whole body whilst remaining rooted and grounded in both attack and defence, and not fall to the ground at the first hurdle! And all the while, be ready to take blows, to give your opponent a tooth or a rib in exchange for his eyes or his very life! That’s fighting like an animal for your life. It’s not a joke! The extent to which such a situation can be replicated in a dojo, with two people randomly punching each other in the face with gloves, is at least debatable. This is only to emphasise the great mission and responsibility of those who teach in this sector. A true Master gives you correct information because he has had the understanding, the training and the life experience. And if you are a diligent practitioner, he will take you by the hand and bring you to his own level. That is the Way. And if at any point you feel you are lacking in the skills you have been taught, you can always go back and make up for it by training harder until you achieve them. This is what is meant by the progressive training and the earnestness of a teacher who, after decades of continuous practice, knows that there is still much to be discovered by looking where the most hidden things are, in the very system he has learned from the beginning. Day 1: Preparatory training The Camp started in the afternoon, and we immediately began with some training methods taken from Erle Montaigue’s 35-week programme. The first one was a two-points (wrist and elbow) push-hands drill, where, as soon as a harder push comes, you have to step with your front or back empty or yin leg. In the first case you will cross step to the side and let the force come in, in the second case you will swing the back leg. In both cases you must turn 90 degrees and your partner will step around and continue to push and the drill will carry on. Another was a sort of punch & parry from advanced push-hands. My partner strikes with a right straight; I block with my left palm from the outside turning my centre and using my whole body. Then I attack with my right punch and my partner does the same with his left hand. There are continuous height changes, hand swaps and foot changes, which must be carried out fluidly without breaking rhythm at all times. A third training method was to punch and parry while checking his leg on the inside of the knee. Another add-on is where your teammates advance with shields held low on their legs, and — depending on whether they approach you or your partner — you or your partner have to kick up to the shield while you continue with the 2-person drill.

These exercises are designed to teach you in the abstract, as we mentioned above. Although we played them as games, they taught us all the skills that we would need for what was to come: body mechanics, posting and balance, how to move — distinguish upper and lower body, evasive movements, reflex, self-defence and peripheral vision. The last training method of the afternoon was crucial taken from Push Hands, focusing on and developing state changes using the wrists. Changing your hand state from yang to yin, you push on one side, moving your body, and your partner turns while receiving the force. The drill continues, you fire but your partner now applies the brakes (not too early), slowing down as much as possible while turning until your push is complete. Then do the same when your partner pushes you. Finally, you redirect the push towards your partner with a fa-jing movement. In addition to developing your wrists and joints, this training method will teach you many critical skills such as: Following, controlling and redirecting movement — critical skill sets in all aspects of Taijiquan and combat! Issuing/receiving and centring — i.e. the mind split between the two feet during the transition — while playing with your kua. You will always be struggling to fight if you do not understand centring! Fighting using the same hand. In the internal arts there is a saying: “If you can’t fight with one hand, don’t bother using two.” With this method we also trained components from, ‘Snake Creeps Down' posture of your Taiji form, where your left hand strikes the kicking leg with a recoil shake to his groin. That’s the Snake in your hand! After learning the main training methods in preparation to Da-Lu and Long Har Ch’uan, we all went out for dinner with Nasser at a very good Turkish restaurant downtown at the end of a hard day’s work!

Day 2: The Walking Qigongs of Baguazhang & Da-Lu To underline once again the importance of the centring in your martial and self-defence skillset, we practiced the 8 Walking Qigongs of Baguazhang as soon as the second day began. Already trained in the masterclasses and in Bari during the last workshop, the ‘eight walks’ come from Baguazhang and involve walking very slowly brushing your ankles (a-La Bagua) together while performing totally unrelated hand and arm movements. This is to get your arms and feet moving independently — Nasser Butt – Lift Hands Magazine Volume 26, June 2023. By moving our arms and feet independently of each other, we also learn to fight like animals, using our feet to evade or to attack the opponent’s legs while using our upper body for striking. Training the 8 Walking Qigongs of Baguazhang correctly, leads you to the door of the internal! All this is necessary to avoid struggling with the complex Da-Lu and Long Har Ch’uan movements. After a short break, we finally started with Da-Lu. Da-Lu, also known as ‘The Great Repulse’ or ‘The Great Rollback,’ is a training method that fully adheres to the fundamental principles of Taiji, in which two people attack and defend by moving around the four diagonals of a square.

Nasser Butt & Elliot Morris — Chief Instructors of Fa-jing Ch’uan Internal Chinese Boxing Schools &74 Senior accredited personal students/instructors of Erle Montaigue

The four diagonals represent the four corner applications of Chou (elbow), Tsai (inch energy), Lieh (split) and Kao (shoulder press), which complement the four cardinal applications of P’eng (ward-off), Lu (rollback), Ji (squeeze) and Arn (press). It is performed with great power and speed, using many attacking and defensive methods. In Da-Lu you never step back, you always attack from an angle and defending is also attacking. Here is how Erle Montaigue puts Da-Lu into its historical context and training practice: “Da-Lu is one of the great training methods from the internal fighting arts of China. It is a kind of push hands method that has been hidden in the shadows of push hands since it was invented. However, this training method is one of the best at teaching footwork and the use of the four corner directions ever invented.” And, ‘Da-Lu teaches us the most economical way of moving the body in order to gain the most power from our attacks while at the same time using the least possible amount of energy. But this is not easy. And as I always say, “Taiji is not meant to be easy... Ever!”’ It is said that Da-Lu was invented in order to make up for any lack of your training, “However, Da-Lu is one of the methods that actually brings one up to a high standard of training and must be included in every student’s training in order for he or she to advance correctly.” That is why we have included it in our training, to learn body mechanics and how to express power from all directions. It is all there for a reason! The first part of Da-Lu is understanding the rhythm of the movement, then you develop the how. If you train correctly, it’ll take a year or so to learn the rhythm, then you can begin to develop power. A large beginner’s square was used, with a diamond drawn on the inside and the four diagonals numbered to help you understand where to move from time to time. A cross was also drawn inside the square to indicate the centre and to mark the four cardinal directions of Taiji, north/ south, east/west, and to indicate which way to move along the diagonals. You start on diagonal 2 (NW corner) with your partner, the attacker, who starts by using his right hand to strike at your head. You, the receiver, standing on the cross, step back and to the side with your left leg to place your foot on the diagonal no. 3 (SW corner), while your arms intercept the blow in a high p’eng/hinge configuration. You step backwards to avoid the incoming force and find yourself with parallel feet on diagonal no. 3. Your p’eng/ hinge rolls to initiate rollback/Lu on your partner, borrowing his energy and redirecting it aside from you. There is also a shift of weight from your left foot to your right. The attacker uses the energy from the rollback to place his left foot in the centre of the square and to bounce with his right leg in the direction of the defender with a shoulder press (K’ao).

So far, the attacker has made 3 steps at a tempo of Ta ... Ta-Ta, and the defender has taken 2 steps, so that the initial distance is closed by the measure of one step. This applies to everything we do in Da-Lu. The attacker also rotates his right hand into a number 6 palm of Baguazhang to free himself from the rollback hold and to protect his groin during K’ao from a knee from the defender. His left hand is placed on his right arm at the level of the biceps to prevent the defender from breaking his arm. Shoulder Press (K’ao) is considered to be a stock movement in the sense that other things or principles arise from this movement. There may be other pro-active applications — outside the context of Da-Lu - such as lifting a leg to throw an opponent to the ground or holding his head in your arm! You, the defender, now become the attacker. As he attacks, shift your weight forward to break his range and power, and strike at his head/face with your right palm, extending your arm. As you move your centre forward, your right foot will shuffle slightly up and forward to trap the knee and foot of your opponent from the inside. To ensure that your partner cannot use his knee against you, your right foot is slightly off the diagonal line and angled towards your partner. But your partner, who now becomes the defender, blocks your attack and with a Plum Blossom Leap - an Old Yang Taiji movement performed in one move — turns and does rollback on you. In the process, the shoulder could be wrenched out, such is the power generated by the leap. This won’t happen, of course, as everything at this stage is done gently and without power. Then, the game proceeds in reverse order. There are also advanced versions of Da-Lu that incorporate the methods practiced on the first day, where we change sides by crossing our step and placing both hands on our partner’s arm and pushing. My push generates my partner’s step and rollback. It is imperative to slow down while learning, as you need to learn the distance you land after your bounce in order to get the Shoulder Press (K’ao) right — for example, finishing away from the diagonal and not with the foot on — and the timing of you and your partner. As you become more proficient, you can increase your power and speed. The square will also get smaller and smaller. In the end, it may even disappear. You can also train Da-Lu solo, on the four diagonals, alternating between attacking and defending. Everything in Da-Lu is designed to change your line whether you are attacking or defending. Moving your body away from the path of the blow and getting into a better position is the skill that Da-Lu teaches in selfdefence. You can’t stay where you are and try to do things with your hands! The whole form represents change and the person who is changing and responding is you! We continued Da-Lu with our training partner until 6pm. Afterwards, we enjoyed a delicious dinner in The Unit, cooked by our mate Sarb, consisting of a vegetable soup followed by a dish of lentils and a few encores!

Day 3: Long Har Ch’uan “Long Har Ch’uan is a training method — that is all it is!” — Erle Montaigue Long Har Ch’uan [LHC] also referred to as Dragon Prawn Boxing is the collective name for a series of training methods based on the principles of Taijiquan. It does not have to be associated with a specific self-defence technique. However, with regular and correct training, this module offers unlimited and unexpected fighting ideas (not techniques) to defend yourself. Thus, Long Har Ch’uan is not about learning a technique, but about responding reflexively. It supports and is a transversal method of any martial art aimed at real fighting! Quoting Nasser Butt from Lift Hands Magazine Volume 25, March 2023: “It is a way of giving meaning to abstract forms and subconsciously developing the brain to see certain things and to connect the brain with the body and the centre with the limbs.” Therefore, it must not be altered or reduced in size, otherwise you will just be scribbling pointlessly with your hands! The LHC is my absolute favorite training. I learnt the first of the four methods a few years ago in Italy. But it is here in Leicester that I have been able to make a lot of progress by studying it in various classes, both with Fedo, my dummy, and a human partner, and especially in this Camp. This is an advanced module that takes time to learn and months or years to master. LHC consists of four primary training methods, each of which has its own set of peripheral methods. The four primary methods are: The Vertical Method, The Lateral Method, The Willow Tree Method, The Step Forward Parry and Punch Method. Each method is associated with critical parts of Taiji and the 13 Dynamics. • • • •

The Vertical Method is associated with Ji (squeeze) in the sequence of Grasping/Seizing The Sparrow by The Tail. The Lateral Method is based on Joining Hands found in the posture known as Cross Hands, Apparent Close Up but variants are found elsewhere in the Form (Spear Hands With Sit, Step Forward to Seven Stars). The Willow Tree Method is also found in the Form, for example in Penetration Punch & Parry also known as the Willow Tree Sways in the Breeze. The Step Parry and Punch Method is also derived from the posture of the same name in the Form.

I will only mention a few highlights here and refer the reader to the four issues of Lift Hands Magazine, starting with no. 25, in which Nasser describes each method more than exhaustively. All four form a booklet to be printed, possibly bound, and kept in one’s martial arts library! The first method, the Vertical Method, is fundamental because it teaches critical skills that apply to the other three methods. The wooden man throws two consecutive punches. For example, a straight right to the nose and a left hook to the ribs. You slap block the first punch with your right hand on his Neigwan or PC 6 (Pericardium Point No. 6). This is immediately followed by the left hand, coming from below and sliding under the right palm, striking the same point with the back of the palm. The back of your right hand continues to slide down, dragging along his arm. Meanwhile your right hand goes down to block the second punch. Finally, strike ST9 (Stomach 9 Point) with the edge of your left hand. You must also consider the following: • • • • •

React when his body starts moving not when his punch arrives to our face or it’s too late! The smaller the deviation to your opponent’s arm, the less time he or she has to react. This is achieved by turning your centre and not your arms! The waist leads all movements. Of the four movements of the hands in the drill [3 movements — right, left, right turned to the left and the final strike (left hand) turned to the right to finish in the centre] you should hear four distinctive sounds: Ta-Ta-Ta … Ta. If the last two Tas are joined together, the drill is incorrect. Weight shift: starting in a reverse bow or ‘power stance’ the weight shifts from the back leg to the front with the final strike. Avoid double-weightedness of hands and feet and incorrect timing. DO NOT STRIKE ST9 in training with a partner! This is a very dangerous point, as are any strikes to the neck. Get close to it or touch the shoulder instead.

We tried the drill with the feet reversed so that we could feel the different torches during the execution. You can use the terms open side and closed side to distinguish when the starting hand is the same as the leading foot or when the starting hand is opposite the leading foot. Either way, the important thing is the difference in torch produced by the two hand-foot configurations. To explain this better, I’ll give an example using the Old Yang Form, where you experience the torch generated in the first P’eng/Ward off, where your hand and foot lead from the same left side (open side). Now compare this with that of the Brush The Knee And Twist Step, where you are in the opposite configuration, i.e., right hand and left foot leading (closed side). You will find that in one you will turn more and in the other you will have more torch and spring in your body. There are many other critical areas worth mentioning here: • • • •

Expand and contract your body, distinguishing the first three movements from the last. Change of state of both hands from Yin and Yang all the time. Sung in your arms. In the full Vertical Method let gravity work for you. Use the right mechanics in relation to your opponent, who use his whole body. Do not react to his limbs, but to what his body is doing. You respond to his body movement — the saying, “As soon he moves, I’m already in there”. This is where peripheral vision comes in.

Initially, all exercises are performed with the wooden man moving slowly. As you progress, he will throw the blows more quickly. The wooden man has to move correctly so that you understand what’s going on. Repeating all the combinations of right and left, open and closed side, first according to certain sequences and then randomly, you enter the realm of self-defence where hands and feet move freely! We also practiced some pseudo-horizontal peripheral methods emerging from the original drill.

With the same progression from basic to advanced, we approached the second training method of the LHC, the Lateral Method, with its peripherals and numerous ideas (non-techniques), which arise from it in combat. One of the peripherals is to switch the axis between the 2 partners. Switching can happen when the wooden man increases his pressure or when the practitioner chooses to switch. The direction of the V-step right/left depends on your front leg and the hand with which your opponent launches his punch. Your partner will notice this and will also turn 90 degrees while staying in front of you and continue to hit you, just as we did on day 1. A detailed explanation of the third method — The Willow — appears in this issue of Lift Hands. I will simply mention some interesting peripherals that involve hitting with the back of the arm, or Rolling Thunder, which, in a perfect sung state, smashes into the opponent’s head and face while maintaining control of the arm. Slightly reminiscent of the Whomping Willow in the Prisoner of Azkaban film from the Harry Potter saga, continue to hit the wooden man with both arms by turning him around, until it becomes more natural. Ultimately, you may find that certain movements are more effective than others. For example, you may find that hitting with the back of your arm followed by an open left palm is devastating when you realise you’ve just performed a Double P’eng à la Rolling Thunder! The constant search for the source of power in each movement is the skill that the last method, the Step Parry and Punch Method, teaches. Your partner attacks with his right fist, you V-Step to the left with your left foot and hammer his arm at Co 10 (Colon Point No. 10), down with your right back fist and drag. Then your left hand, which has already touched his arm, hits on Lu5 (Lung Point No. 5) and strike GV26 (Governor Vessel Point No. 26) with a recoil shake. Meanwhile your right leg kicks at his kneecap! Your partner throws his left punch, and you do the same drill on your right side. Well, if you can do all this in a single movement involving both upper and lower body on the count of one, then any movement using any of these dynamics for combat will feel natural and effective. Just as you do it on the closed side for your opponent, you can also do it on the open side and easily switch from one to the other. Now you can combine the four methods, for example in a sequence of Lateral, Vertical, Step Parry and Punch and The Willow, alternating the right/left direction and the open/closed side, while your partner randomly throws all kinds of punches straight/hook, up/down. There is no predetermined order in which to choose the response methods, it is up to you to reflexively decide which to use based on your partner’s body mechanics. Not only that, but you can use parts of these methods instead of the whole sequence. You are now the ‘creator’ of your peripherals, your improvisation techniques. From the outside, people see you as — let’s say — a ‘jazz drummer’ who improvises according to what the opponent throws at him. In reality, you fight instinctively! And you can also continue with elbows, punches, open palms, the back of the arm, taking control of your opponent according to Erle’s famous saying: “Never give a sucker an even break”. You are two feet into the realm of self-defence managing the chaos by your own rules! Eventually these movements, which will become more and more natural to you, will also be seen in the Form. They were just there, waiting to be understood as a language and applied in a ‘striking dialogue’. Isn’t it amazing? The Way Forward We have now come to the end of the Camp. Here at Leicester, we see learning as a pathway made up of 6 steps: Aim, Method, Tools, Results, Conclusions, Next.

Aim: To enter the realm of self-defence. To develop reflexive and innate responses and to gain a greater understanding of the martial art being studied. Method: Using 2 Person Training drills. Tools: Da-Lu and Long Har Ch’uan and all the correlated training methods of the 35 Weeks with the utmost attention to the awareness of one’s own body mechanics and that of the opponent. Results: All the participants, even those with minimal or no knowledge, who practiced and worked to the maximum in these sessions, made significant progress, managing to make their responses more reflective and to always develop maximum power according to their body mechanics and that of the ‘opponent’. Thus, by incorporating Da-Lu, Long Har Ch’uan into their training programme, their reflexive responses will gradually be strengthened, allowing them to immediately create their own self-defence techniques that are coherent with the Form or kata they perform in their martial art. Not only for those who practice Taiji Old Yang, but also for those who practice JuJitsu, like our mate Mark, who always attends the camps! Conclusions: That’s the power of these methods! They are effective and can be applied to any martial art with forms or kata! Next: Here in Leicester, we continue throughout the year with the 35 Weeks of the fighting methods, the training methods of the physical side, the 12 Deadly Katas, the Small San Sao and its Mother Applications, the Bagua Linear Form Application, the Snake Hands to bring the animal essence into Form and our automatic responses. And much more I won’t reveal. You will see it announced for the next Camp 2024! Everything is progressive, there are no shortcuts, there is only one way, and you should never stray from it. Training methods are not techniques, they do not even teach you how to fight! They teach you to be aware of body mechanics. That is what the drills are designed to teach. We are left with two wonderful methods to train for years and improve our self-defence skills. We should not have to look to any other martial (mixed) arts. A complete martial art has everything! Sadly, most students do not invest the time and effort to study and understand their art — instead they look for shortcuts, picking up a technique here and a technique there! Here we learn, understand, and train a body language to be used in the most appropriate way in response to certain fighting ‘questions’ from the attacker. A language consisting of the 13 Dynamics, which in turn form ‘words’ and ‘phrases’ that we recognise repeated in Taiji, Bagua, Hsing I, Wudang boxing, Shuai jiao (yes, Chinese wrestling), etc., and their training methods. Have you realised this? At this level of understanding you will be able to improvise your own ‘phrases’ without thinking, as in the Long Har Ch’uan free sparring above. The words of Miyamoto Musashi once again: “You can only fight the way you practice” And Nasser himself: “So, any martial art is only as good as the understanding of the practitioner and his time and effort of study — period!”

My final quote is from Bruce Hornsby’s famous 80s song “The Way It Is”. I had just landed from the flight back and was thinking about how to structure this report, when I was inspired by this song I heard on the radio on the way home. Some things’ll never change. That’s just the way it is. Ah, but don’t you believe them! Don’t you believe them? Come and train with the Erle Montaigue system at The Unit on Wednesdays from 6pm. It will be very eye-opening, and you’ll have a great time! As for us, we’re planning to meet more throughout the year, in the UK and Italy, for full days of practice. In the meantime, arrivederci Leicester and thanks to Nasser and Elliot for their valuable teaching. A special thank you and big hug to the whole group for making this a great camp, I learnt from each and every one of you!

elcome to our first book review!

This is a segment that we have been meaning to add to Lift Hands for quite some time now, however, time constraints have not allowed it to be possible until now. I was thinking where to start, when I suddenly got a very excited message from a friend and student — Faith Crompton — with a link to a book she had found online entitled ‘Old Yang Style Taiji Boxing — Illustrated Explanation of the Techniques,' written by Xu Yusheng and translated by Chen Faxing. Intrigued [and being a student and instructor of Old Yang Style Taiji], I immediately went online and procured my copy via Amazon. Let me say straight away, I was already familiar with Xu and his works and have extensively quoted him in several articles including my own ‘Whose Line Is It Anyway?’ — originally published as a two-part series of articles in 2014, before they was expanded and self-published in 2021 as a book. Xu Yusheng [also known by the names: Xu Long-hou, Xu Chong-hou, and Xu Yi-sen] was a martial artist and historian, who went on to publish one of the earliest commercial books on Yang family Taiji — Taijiquan Shi [Taiji Boxing Power Enhancement ] — in 1921. Later, in the same year the books was republished as Taijiquan: Explained and Illustrated.1 The book was revised with additional information and republished in 1927, followed by a third edition in 1934, which contained additional contributions by his students.2 Xu, born in 1879 in north China, studied many martial arts. However, although he trained with several notable Taijiquan masters, in his writings he refers to himself as a disciple of Yang Jian-hou, and also trained under Yang Cheng-fu and with Yang Shao-hou, as well as other Taiji masters such as Wu Jian-Quan Chen Wei-ming and Sun Lu-tang. According to Xu, in one of his other publications: “… the oldest form taught in their Peiping class was the 73-posture form that Jian-Hou had been teaching.”3 Further: “Yang Cheng-fu also learned the 73-posture form from his father... They regarded this particular form as a true representation of boxing methods contained in the Yang clan... Cheng-fu taught the 73-posture form to some students who had the physical endurance and desire to study for a number of years.”4

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Portrait of Xu Yusheng (1879-1945)

And: “Cheng-Fu found that such rigorous methods were very difficult for the common person, so he created numerous small sets to practice, then consolidated these sets into three longer sets, and then consolidated these three sets into a single form composed of 115 movements… Cheng-Fu later took out numerous difficult movements that resembled Shaolin boxing, jump kicks and fast spinning movements, giving the form the auspicious number of 108 movements. The 108-posture form thereby became the newly established public style because of its ease to learn and practice at any age.”5 Xu managed to persuade Yang Cheng-fu to teach him the older methods of Yang family Taijiquan. It is this 73 posture form which is presented in this book which was republished in 1921 [see above]. The book is split into two parts, where part one deals with the “origins and principles of Taijiquan” and part two, which “illustrates the various postures of Taijiquan with accompanying diagrams, and includes descriptions of push hands techniques.” The illustrations are essentially line drawings of earlier postures of Yang Cheng-fu, as well as Wu Jianquan for the form only. Whilst descriptions are given of push hands — there are no illustrations or images. We are told in the book that in the course of the making of this book, the following members of the Beijing Sports [Physical Education] Research Society6 Ji Zixiu, Yang Mengxiang [Shaohou], Wu Jianquan, Liu Enshou, and Liu Caichen all served as consultants. Whilst ‘Old Yang Style Taiji Boxing Illustrated Explanation of the Techniques’ certainly contains much historical information and Yang family teachings — there are three major problems with this publication/translation: 1. The title — 太極拳勢圖解 [Tàijíquán Shì Tújiě] — translates as ‘Taiji Boxing Power Explained and Illustrated’. Nowhere in the title [or within] is ‘Old Yang Style’ mentioned! 2. We know from Xu’s own works and those of other historians that the ‘Old Yang’ was not only performed with

Above: Old Yang ‘double kick’ with fajing Below: [left] ‘Sit like duck’; [Right] ‘Sleeves Dancing Like Plum Blossoms’ — a series of spinning leaping kicks and knee/palm strikes

various speed changes, it also had explosive movements [fa-jing], leaping and spinning kicks and movements, as well as low crouching movements [see images above] — including weighted turns and movements not found in the many later common forms! None of these are either mentioned, shown or explained in the book!

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3. The Old Yang is blatantly martial — there is no disguising that fact in the performance which includes the “heng, ha” and their variant sounds upon release of fa-jing! The form explained, pretty much follows the standard version of Yang Cheng-fu’s long form [108 movements], containing the main 73 Postures! This in no way means that Xu did not know or practice the ‘Old Yang’ — it simply does not appear in this book! The only thing “old” about this version is that it dates from circa 1921 representing the original changes Yang Cheng-fu made between 1915-1921. Yang Cheng-fu would go on to further modify the form for ease of use for the masses finally settling on his definitive 108 Postures somewhere around 1928!7 The book is certainly worth a read and one for those interested in the complex ‘history’ of Taijiquan. Chapter 5 is dedicated to the various styles of Taijiquan. It is interesting that Yang Shao-hou is listed as one of the consultants for the book, despite the fact that no aspects of Shao-hou’s training or teaching is given. Shao-hou, who had primarily trained under his uncle, Ban-hou, to whom he was given as a son by his father Jian-hou, was closer in style to the elder Yangs and no doubt his training and teaching reflected the ‘old’ style. ‘Taijiquan: Illustrated Explanation of The Techniques,’ has been translated several times by different persons. I personally believe that the Brennan Translation [available for free online by Paul Brennan] is a far superior translation of the 1921 publication since it retains the original flavour of the language, compared to the present translation. Further, Bradford Tyrey’s translation — Taijiquan Shi — is a compilation of the 1921 and 1934 editions and contains much more additional information with photographs not found in the 1921 edition, although he omits “… the rudiments of how to move in and out of each movement, I decided not to focus on such information because of its availability found in other translated books on Yang style taiji, rather turning toward the lesser known training methods and Yang family secrets contained in this text.”8 As I’ve stated above already, the book is certainly worth reading, however, the title is definitely misleading!

References: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 — Xu Long-Hou’s Taijiquan Shi, Taiji Boxing Power(Developing Power in Taiji Movement) Published in 1921. Translated & Annotated by Bradford Tyrey, Neijia Books & Publications, LLC, USA, 2012. Translator’s Preface 6. The Beiping Tiyu Yanjiu She (Beijing Physical Education [Sports] Research Institute), opened by Xu in 1912, but officially established in February of 1914. Ibid. 7. Whose Line Is It Anyway? The Unauthorised Version — Nasser Butt Copyright © by Nasser Butt, 2021 & Fa-jing Ch’uan Internal Chinese Boxing Schools 8. Xu Long-Hou’s Taijiquan Shi, Taiji Boxing Power(Developing Power in Taiji Movement) Published in 1921. Translated & Annotated by Bradford Tyrey, Neijia Books & Publications, LLC, USA, 2012. Translator’s Preface

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

Ammanford Scouts Hall Monday 7.30 - 9.15pm Wednesday 7.00 - 9.00pm Sunday Full Day (Monthly)

Peter Jones Chief Instructor Taiji Pa-Kua Internal Fighting Arts

taijipakua@gmail.com

Gaku Shi Juku Kendo Kai www.leicesterkendo.com

Why Carry a Knife and Does it Make a Person Less Safe?

Why Carry a Knife and Does it make a Person Less Safe?

any journalistic articles on crimes committed with a weapon, for example a firearm or a bladed weapon, focus on the weapon as the problem and often suggest that increasing regulation or banning access to certain weapons will result in a decrease in crime committed with a weapon. However, growing crime statistics continually disprove this notion. In this article we will investigate the ongoing increase in violent crime committed with bladed weapons. In several previous articles published in Lift Hands I wrote about legally carrying and using a knife for self-protection. This brief essay will review the reasons why people carry knives and why regulating assess to or banning some bladed weapons is failing to decrease violent crime. The Numbers While incidents of assault and violent crime are increasing in most countries, I will briefly focus on violent crime in the United States and the United Kingdom and the within these countries we will focus on the cities of London and New York. Reliable data on knife crime statistics in the United States is difficult to obtain. Statista reports that handguns are the most common murder weapon used in the United States, accounting for 6,012 homicides in 2021. This number is unreliable because of the large number of firearm related deaths in the United States where the type of firearm used is not reported accurately. In addition, according to Statista in 2021 bladed weapons were used in 88,092 assaults resulting in 1035 deaths. By way of comparison Statista reports that in the year 2021/22 reporting period, there were 282 homicides involving a knife or other sharp instrument in England and Wales. This is a 19% increase compared to the previous year and the highest annual total since the Homicide Index began in 1946. In the United Kingdom the number of knife homicides has fluctuated from a low of 186 in 2014/15 to the high seen in the most recent reporting year.

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In 2020 an article published by the BBC, entitled “Knife crime in England and Wales at record high," reported figures showing knife crime increasing and described knife crime as a significant problem in England and Wales, with the number of knife crimes reaching a record high of 46,265 in the 12 months to the end of March 2020. The same article reported that the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has reported that the number of knife crimes has risen by 9% from 2019. Further, the BBC reported that the rise in knife crime is partly driven by a 7% increase in London. The English and Welsh governments have taken several measures to reduce knife crime rates. For instance, they have introduced new legislation to increase sentences for those caught carrying knives and other weapons. They have also launched campaigns to raise awareness about the dangers of carrying knives and to encourage people to report any suspicious behavior. Additionally, they have provided funding for community projects aimed at reducing knife crime. These efforts do not appear to be working. According to CNN, major crimes in New York City spiked nearly 60% in February 2022 compared to the same month in 2021, with a large majority occurring in a small swath of the metropolis. The New York Police Department tracked increases across every major crime category. The city recorded a 41% increase in overall major crime through the first months of 2022 compared to the same period last year, including a nearly 54% increase in robberies, a 56% increase in grand larceny incidents, and a 22% increase in rape reports. If you examine the numbers, violent crime and assaults are progressively increasing in major cities in the United Kingdom and the United States. The Law According to some sources the problem is easy access to bladed weapons and the solution is more regulations, laws, and ordinances to limit and define this access. Considering that knives are everyday tools for many, whether for a cook, a factory Source: Fear of Rampant Crime Is Derailing New York City’s Recovery, worker, or a carpenter, banning bladed tools Bloomberg, By Fola Akinnibi and Raeedah Wahid, July 29, 2022 like a box cutter or a chef’s knife is impossible. There is obviously a long list of professions that utilize edged instruments as essential work tools.

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Does carrying a pocketknife for self-protection make a person less safe? This notion has been suggested by journalists and politicians who would like to ban access to bladed weapons or at the very least regulate the type and length of bladed weapon that a citizen may legally carry. This has led to a confusing array of laws that vary from governmental jurisdiction to jurisdiction. In the United States every state has different regulations regarding the type of knife and the length of knife that can be legally carried. The state of California is the most restrictive in terms of knife regulations with a blade length limit of 2.5 inches or 6.35 centimeters for a folding knife and 3 inches or 7.62 centimeters for a fixed bladed knife, however, some cities in California, and most large cities in the United States, have more restrictive ordinances. This hodgepodge of state laws and city ordinances creates a nightmare for persons traveling from one state to another or from one city to another. A pocketknife that is legal in Nevada, a state with no length restrictions, will not be legal once a person crosses the border into California. It is obvious that many governments do not want to see their citizens armed with any form of self-protection. That is the objective and purpose of many local, state, and national regulations.

The Problem is not the Weapon, its Bad Political Policy, Social Dysfunction, and Criminals In the United States where criminals and gang members have easy access to guns the statistics reveal that most assaults and homicides are committed with guns. In counties such as the United Kingdom where access to a firearm is heavily regulated and it is almost impossible for the average citizen to obtain a firearm, the weapons of choice are knives, fists, feet, and “sticks and stones”. In 2019 the BBC in an article entitled “Ten charts on the rise of knife crime in England and Wales” reported that homicides which involved hitting or kicking without a weapon made up 17% of murders, while shootings were identified as the method in 4% of homicides. According to The Guardian, people in New York City are experiencing growing anxiety over random violence and increasing crime. In December 2022, a suspect was named in two seemingly isolated and random outdoor murders in New York City at the height of the holiday season. Another article in The New York Post reports that a New Jersey woman was arrested for allegedly slashing a bystander in the face with a kitchen knife in a seemingly random attack outside of a Manhattan pizza shop. The problem is that violent crime is occurring at all times of the day and night and in localities that formerly did not have violent crime. Obviously, the ready availability of a weapon determines the method by which criminals and the mentally deranged will commit an assault or murder. This might sound like an argument for the banning of all weapons but as we have already mentioned, bladed tools are impossible to ban. Therefore, the tactic for most legal jurisdictions has been to restrict legal carry, define where a bladed weapon may be carried, and to limit the length of the blade to make the knife “less lethal”. Does limiting blade length make a bladed weapon less lethal? Not in the hands of a trained martial artist or person who has received personal self-protection instruction in the use of a bladed weapon, or perhaps a person who has trained with gang members on the street or in prison. A 2.5-inch (6.35 centimeters) pocketknife when stabbed into the carotid artery, the brachial, or femoral artery of the throat, upper arm, or leg, for example, will result in catastrophic injury and death within a few seconds to a few minutes. The carotid artery is easily accessed and located only 1.5 inches or 3.81 centimeters below the skin.

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An analysis of who in our cities is committing assaults and violent crime can be distilled down to mainly young men, from their teenage years through their twenties and thirties, often from single parent homes and with a chronic cycle of family and social dysfunction. Abuse, physical, psychological, and sexual — along with neglect, and abandonment — are common factors in the production of damaged youth with criminal and violent behavior. It is not the intent or the scope of this article to discuss how social ills are the cause of crime, or to present solutions for these ills, but it is obvious that damaged youth are the primary sources of violent crime in our cities. In terms of causes of, and solutions for knife crime, an article on The Conversation, a nonprofit, independent news organization, provides a comprehensive guide. The article highlights that knife crime is a symptom of the toxic environments that adults create around children, who then become both perpetrators and victims. Crime is also created by bad politicians and by the misguided politics of austerity. Carrying a Bladed Weapon for Self-Protection Let’s return to this question, “Does carrying a pocketknife for self-protection make a person less safe?”. In my opinion, and from years of training students in the use of edged weapons, the answer is no. I have never had a student report to me that they had to use an edged weapon in a fight or to harm another person. None of my students who are martial art instructors have reported to me that any of their students have ever harmed anyone with a bladed weapon. I do have a few students who have had to deploy their knife because of a criminal threat, but fortunately they did not have to use it. I do not believe that responsible honest citizens who carry a bladed weapon for personal protection are a threat to anyone other than a potential criminal who is attempting a robbery or an assault. According to a survey conducted by the children’s charity Barnardo's, more than half of adults in the UK believe that children carry knives for protection. The survey polled 1,035 adults in British cities and found that 58% of them believed young people are carrying knives because they feel vulnerable. These findings coincide with my observation that the students that I am training in self-protection carry knives because they do not feel safe in their communities and because, especially for women, a knife is a “force multiplier”. According to an article on the Personal Defense Network, an online personal defense and protection training school, knives are easy to find and purchase, can be carried almost everywhere, and are convenient to carry and conceal. They can be used as a visual deterrent, and more than one knife can be carried easily. A knife is possibly the most common tool found in our everyday environments whether at work or at home. Local laws do not require a permit to own and carry a small knife. Knife techniques can be easily adapted to improvised tools like a stick or a screwdriver or nearly any firm pointed object. A small knife can be “palmed” or “indexed” covertly much more easily than a handgun, and a knife-like object or improvised pointed tool can be carried openly without drawing attention. In an article from Open College, an online distance education school located in the United Kingdom, they note that people carry knives for various reasons, but it all revolves around the need for protection and self-defense. People feel that their community environment poses a threat, or the possibility of violence, and they want to be prepared. This perception of threat simply translates to not feeling safe. From this viewpoint carrying a knife for personal protection provides a degree of psychological support and sense of personal empowerment. Conclusion Knives have been used by humans for a variety of purposes, including hunting, cooking, and self-defense. Knives were one of the earliest tools used by humanity and appeared at least 2.5 million years ago, as evidenced by the Oldowan tools found in Tanzania by Mary and Louis Leakey. Knives have been fashioned from wood, bone, stone, copper, bronze, steel, and now titanium. I imagine that despite the efforts of politicians to restrict or ban them they will be around for another 2.5 million years. How else are you going to peel an apple?

Author: Dr Gregory T. Lawton

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