The Way of Least Resistance

Introduction I recently canvassed a favourite issue of mine - namely the need to time your punching/striking hand at the same time (or a fraction before) your front foot lands in a step. A typical xingyi step.  Note the punch lands with the front foot.  The back leg draws up later. As you'll recall I first raised this in my article " Xingyi stepping vs. karate stepping " as a means of discussing some of the particular technical approaches used in the internal arts of China.  I principally did so as part of my drive to explain that these arts actually have some genuine, quite advanced , fighting methods that rely on simple, unadulterated physics - not " woo " (ie. "qi" or some other supernatural/paranormal phenomenon) as many people unfortunately seem to think. I followed this up with my article " Giving away the big secrets " in which I discussed one major reason why this was so important: because it uses your stepping momentum i...

Introduction I've titled this article provocatively for a good reason.  No, it's not just another "polemic".  Well it is... but for a good reason!  As you'll see, I'm not dismissing karate.  I am simply challenging one aspect of the way it is generally practised today (specifically in kata and frequently in bunkai). Basically, I'm going to propose (I'm certain, controversially) that there is a "fundamental flaw" with this practise. I'm also going to propose that it is principally this one flaw that has given rise to the dismissive (and arguably well-deserved) attitude sport fighters have towards karate and "like" arts (taekwondo, kenpo, many gong fu systems etc.) - at least in their traditional, kata/form/pattern expression. 1 I'm going to propose that this "fundamental flaw" is precisely what has fueled (albeit indirectly) an entire industry of "practical karate" books, videos and seminar serie...

A while ago I wrote a lengthy treatise on timing your foot to land with your punch .  I called it a "secret".  And given the private mail I got on the subject arguing vehemently with me, it looks like for many it was a "secret" - or at least something totally unknown. But looking around I see the same technique used commonly in boxing/MMA.  So, surprise: another traditional technique turns out to be nothing more than common sense.  And common knowledge amongst people who actually bother to engage in some form of contact (and not against Michelin Man suited zombies ). Consider this guy's video.  Note his punch (standard kizami zuki, ie. karate " lunge punch ".  Note his stance (standard zenkutsu dachi) which is only transitional .  Note his follow up step (straight yori ashi).  Note his finishing stance (straight out of arnis). And note the timing of his foot - straight out of traditional martial arts as I previously discussed . Once yo...

Using body momentum should feel like you're falling into the punch I find it odd that so many martial artists I speak to will say to me that they can't reveal "x" or "y" because they are "sworn to secrecy" by their master(s) concerning the information in question. As far as I can tell, my teacher Chen Yun Ching has always shown me everything he could in the time available .  He has held nothing back.  And he has issued no caveats on me passing on his knowledge either. 1 The same applies to my first primary teacher, Bob Davies . For the most part none of my teachers have kept " secrets " - even if certain (profound) information known to them is hardly known to some others.  They have given me their knowledge without restriction and without fettering my own capacity to pass it on. It is in this spirit that I wish to share details of what I regard as  very important knowledge . It is knowledge to which I've alluded...