Getting back to basics!

The best techniques are the simple ones executed right.

Bruce Lee

I find inspiration in and amongst many of the writings and philosophical musing of Bruce Lee. Much of his approach to the deeper understanding of martial arts has resonated with me from very early on in my personal martial arts journey. No more so than the quote above. This exemplifies what I believe to be the correct approach to learning, understanding and applying martial arts. It is somewhat contentious and possibly in conflict with a more modernistic approach where athleticism, gymnastic ability and ‘flashy’ techniques gain the most views, likes and follows through social media. 

The quotation echoes a conversation between myself and a student regarding application of a shield drill we were undertaking. He began to suggest that in a ‘fight’ placing hands in front of the face is potentially problematic as there is the potential of hitting yourself in the face as you try to withstand the momentum and energy of an oncoming strike. He further recalled that this had happened to him several times when boxing. I agreed and pointed to the fundamental aspects of the structure of the position we were adopting. This led us further into a discussion on the valuable aspects of this essentially basic position with regards to effective personal defence and its potential for application in defence and attack. This experience was juxtaposed with a post I happened to glance at on Instagram of a high level taekwon-do black belt, standing on a bosu whilst performing a very controlled side kick. As a demonstration of balance, poise and control it was fantastic. As an exhibition and aesthetic performance it was great. It had been liked by literally hundreds of people. My thought at that point was, how many likes would the essentially basic, yet brutally effective technique we were practicing the previous evening engender. Would people regard this as highly as the almost balletic performance I had just watched. I suspect they wouldn't.

The universe then popped this quotation into my path (along with the image courtesy of the Bruce Lee Family Company. I was not actively searching for it, but when I saw it, it nicely encapsulated my thoughts towards the two events. Perfection is a rather subjective measure of success. Each of us has a set of intrinsic beliefs and values with which we will filter experiences (both internal and external). The result being that one person may view a thing as being ideal and another person view this very thing as being absolute trash. Within the martial arts we are sometimes attracted to the superfluous, to the thing that looks great and because it looks great we misguidedly believe that it will function as well as it looks. Unfortunately as any commendable, experienced street fighter will tell you, functional violence is rarely pretty and doesn't look good. Moreover, for the best will and in spite of our best efforts to the contrary, complicated and slow movements which require specific positioning and complex motor recruitment will rarely function well as effective self defence strategies. They look great, they are a high level achievement of biomechanical control and awareness and artist expression, but functionally much further down the order in respect of efficacy in application.

Tony Blauer (love him or hate him) and his SPEAR system relies on this very principle. The simple direct principle. The underlying premise within the system being that gross motor coordination is pretty much all that can be relied on in the face of spontaneous and non consensual violent conflict. We will default to our essentially ‘hard wired’ instinctual patterns of behaviour in the moment (the so called ‘startle flinch response’) and unless we recognise this factor, train in that modality and from that start position, we are essentially setting ourselves up to fail. As Tony Blauer equally likes to reinforce that we don’t know that that was what we needed to do, until the time that we needed to do it. If we conversely focus our attention wholly on fundamental drills which are performed solo or with compliant partners; and forms/patterns in a bid to make them look as pretty as possible rather than invest time in specific application, we are very much at risk of developing capabilities in techniques that not only lead nowhere, but very much may provide a dangerous false sense of security. 

Goals are personal, I realise this. Many people train martial arts for many different reasons and as a community we must embrace and welcome this diversity. It is what maintains interest and participation in the arts for the future. However, your training must reflect the goal. As an analogy, you would be unlikely to focus on long distance running in training and expect to become a better 100m sprinter. For sure you have invested time running. There will be positive developments in efficiency to a certain degree, and whilst both activities require you to run they are altogether different propositions. This is the same in martial arts, that which provides effective application and is representative of a solid strategy for personal defence, may not be pretty. It may not appear to the outside eye as being a particularly ‘advanced’ technical display. It might just appear to be basic. However the basic and fundamental things, properly understood and delivered are generally the most effective strategies. They require more gross motor coordination, therefore increasing potential efficacy in the moment. They are typically more direct, therefore being potentially faster in execution. They are also available and effective as multifunctional tools, not dependent on a given range, position or ‘set-up’ movement in order to perform.

Don’t forget your basics. In fact, investigate these more deeply. Embrace the application of these from all ranges, standing, kneeling, sitting and on the ground. Play with the function of these against compliant, semi-compliant and wholly non-compliant partners. Apply the techniques in all settings, in different environments, with multiple opponents and with opponents who do not share the same goals (for example versus someone who wants to strike, versus someone who wants to grapple etc.). Understand how changes in rhythm and timing (ahead, during or after timing) serve to impact and change the efficiency and effectiveness of the technique. Ultimately it is only through this type of questioning and investigation that we can better understand our art, ourselves and the application of that which we practice.