Martial Arts Training Methods

Martial arts systems use a variety of training methods. Some stick to one or two methods while others use a variety. It is important to understand the various training methods and what can be gained by utilizing them. It is also important to consider this information in choosing a martial art to study. Your personal preference and physical limitations may have some bearing on what training methods you would favor.

Forms Training

Forms training is usually the starting point in most traditional martial arts systems. Forms are a series a choreographed movements designed to teach the student the basic principles, concepts, and movements of a particular system.

Technique Training

In learning a technique you are learning a specific response to a specific attack. This method of training is good for beginners and people who have no prior martial arts training. It develops some degree of mind body connection and definitely improves things such as coordination and balance. However it will take a long time before any real martial skill is developed using this method alone.

Sparring

Sparring is an excellent training method but it must be structured and introduced in levels of difficulty and intensity. The student must already have a good basic foundation before any sparring is done otherwise the risk of injuries is very high. Sparring develops stamina and mental toughness, it will also give the student the opportunity to see at what level they are able to make their skills work against an uncooperative adversary.

Training using an apparatus

The Wooden Dummy from Wing Chun Kung Fu, a punching bag, a speed bag, a makiwara, a sao bao, all of these are considered training apparatus. Using an apparatus functions as supplementary training usually to develop one or more martial attributes such as speed, power, coordination etc. The proper use of any apparatus normally requires expert instruction in order to reap the full benefits of this mode of training.

Using Pads and Shields

These could also be considered training apparatus however with boxing, kick boxing, MMA, and JKD as well as several other systems there is very intricate pad and shield work that can only be provided by a skilled trainer. You can simply use pads and shields to get accustomed to hitting something but higher level skill development can only be achieved with an instructor.

Sensitivity Training

What I mean by sensitivity training is the ability to glean significant information from any limb to limb or body to body contact concerning intent, direction, force, and balance. There are many systems that utilize sensitivity training, the depth of the skills acquired and the manner in which they are used vary from system to system. It is not an easy skill to acquire but it is one of those skills that distinguishes someone who is just a good fighter from someone who is a master.

Consider that any decent martial arts system will use at least three of these 6 training methods. Any one method by itself will produce a limited skill set with shallow depth. Ideally if you are training for self-defense you want a solid and broad skill set that is easily adaptable to any situation you are likely to face on the street. Being an expert within a very limited set of skills can be detrimental.

 

Do you not know that I kill at will?

The Baht Jahm Do is the last and most advanced skill set learned in the Ving Tsun Kung Fu system. The Ving Tsun practitioner’s hands become ten times more deadly as his hands have now become blades. When learning to use these weapons one must also learn to consider and incorporate a certain state of mind. A state of mind that will allow you to do what is necessary in a life or death situation even if it involves killing. This is a lot to consider and should not be taken lightly. One has to ask themselves the following questions, are my skills sharp enough that I could kill if necessary. Do I possess the mental fortitude necessary to kill if needed? Under what circumstances would I be willing to take a life? Under what circumstances is a lethal response legally justifiable? This is not our natural state, in our everyday lives we do not contemplate killing on a regular basis, but it is important to have the ability to instantly access this frame of mind if the need arises.

We are not speaking of a psychopathic mindset, more akin to resolute single-mindedness; being fully in the present moment and 100% committed to doing what must be done. It is not rooted in emotions like anger or fear, it is rooted in awareness and clarity. As regular people living our everyday day lives we rarely if ever encounter a set of circumstances that would make this state of mind necessary. However it is important to know what your mental, physical, and spiritual limitations are and to be able act fully and efficiently within those parameters. Spend some time with these ideas and take an honest assessment of yourself, better now than in a moment of crisis.

 

Elements of engagement

1.       Get off the line of attack
 As your opponent initiates his attack, get out of the way. Do your best to get off of the line of attack. The manner in which you do this is very important it is not a dodge or a retreat. You should move just enough so that you do not get hit and there should be a forward component to your movement but we’ll get into that more a little later.

 

2.       Occupy Centerline
As you are moving in reference to your adversary you must forcefully occupy your centerline. Punches, kicks, and deflections must be employed with energy and commitment as you break critical distance. Halfhearted attempts will cause you to lose the opportunity to gain superior position and put you in danger.

 

3.       Move Forward
There are only four ways you can be physically attacked with a punch or kick as defined by the type of energy being used in the attack (long or short) and the path that the attack takes through space (linear or circular). For linear attacks you want to move ever so slightly off the line and then move forward while occupying centerline. For circular attacks you can move outside the arc of the attack and deflect it or move inside the arc of the attack to receive and dissipate it. In either case it is important to create the opportunity to move forward to engage and land a finishing blow. Use your sensitivity to problem solve if your attempts to strike are thwarted. Engage, bridge, and finish as quickly as possible. The longer you take the higher the probability something can go wrong.

Five Martial Arts Misconceptions

1.       It’s all Karate

      Many people use the term Karate as a generic term for martial arts. This is incorrect, Karate is a specific term for a specific martial art. Karate is a Japanese form of unarmed combat specializing in various punches and kicks. There are also several different styles of Karate each with unique methods and tactics. It really irritates serious martial artist when Karate is used as a generic term for all martial arts, so try not to do that.

2.       You have to register your hands as deadly weapons

There is a very popular urban legend that trained fighters must register their hands as deadly weapons. This is not true in any way shape or form. However a trained fighter does have to consider any legal ramifications if he uses his training on the street. Any use of force that is greater than what would be necessary to neutralize a perceived threat could be grounds for prosecution.

       3.       It’s just for kids

When many people think about martial arts they think of it as character building and exercise for young children. As if there aren’t adults that could use some exercise and character building. Seriously speaking, martial arts practice is a worthy pursuit for anyone from age 8 to 80. There are hundreds if not thousands of different martial arts that one could learn. All you have to do is find something that suits your physicality, level of fitness, and your personality and then get started. It is by no means just for kids!

4.        I want to learn the ultimate martial art

There is no one martial art that rules them all. There is no one system that you can learn that will make you invincible. The effectiveness of any given martial arts depends a great deal on the individual practitioner. There are some people who are so talented they can make something that seems totally impractical work every time. There are people who are so challenged that even the simplest most straight forward technique may not work for them.

       5.       UFC/MMA is like street fighting

MMA is a wonderful sport that requires talent, skill, dedication and many many hours of training. MMA has rules and regulations meant to insure the safety of its participants and give them the opportunity to showcase their very impressive skills. It is in no way nor does it intend to be an approximation of a street fight. Street fights have no rules, no rounds, often there are no winners, and many losers. Street fighting is not fair, it is often not one on one mutual combat and very likely involves weapons. If your primary interest in martial arts is to become a successful street fighter then there are some other issues you may want to address prior to beginning your martial arts study.

This movie had nothing to do with Karate...

 

Don't rush!

It is important to remember that Ving Tsun training is about developing attributes and internalizing principles, it is not about accumulation. It is often the case that a junior todai (student) will look at what his seniors are doing and have a desire to learn it. There’s nothing wrong with that as long as the student understands that his ability to perform what his seniors are doing is determined by how well he understands the material he or she is currently studying. There is really no beginner or advanced training it’s all just Ving Tsun but we have to start somewhere and we must move forward in a logical fashion in order for the skills to be developed properly. If the process is rushed or if you are operating under a misapprehension there will be holes in your Kung Fu that will be difficult to correct later.

Let’s take Pak Sao as an example. Pak Sao doesn’t look like much yet every essential attribute and principle can be explored via Pak Sao. The worst thing you can do is to interpret Pak Sao as some sort of combative drill i.e. “blocking punches”. Pak Sao is essentially a physical discussion of centerline, energy, and hand replacement. The key to gaining anything out of the Pak Sao exercise is to understand it in this context. To perform the exercise in a perfunctory manner while thinking about what comes next is a waste of time. This is true for all the exercises leading up to Chi-Sao.

If you cannot teach someone Pak Sao beyond the physical choreography then you do not understand the drill. If at any stage in your training you cannot explain what you are doing and why you are doing it then by definition you do not know what you are doing.

Treat each stage of your training like a research project, try to glean as much insight and skill as you can prior to moving on to the next phase. Do not be eager to move on prematurely. Even consider not taking the opportunity to move forward if you know within your heart you are not ready.

It is also very important to help your sidai (juniors), this will improve your Kung Fu immensely, Once again the best proof that you have a firm understanding of something is your ability to explain and convey it to someone else…face to face, mind to mind, heart to heart.

The Touch of Death

Everyone who loves Kung Fu movies has seen the unbeatable technique where the kung fu master is able to touch specific points on his opponent's body to cause various effects ranging anywhere from lost of various bodily functions up to and including death. The effect of the technique could be immediate or could takes days, weeks, or months all depending on the desire of the person applying the technique. Who wouldn't want to master the five point palm exploding heart technique?

One has to wonder is this in any way shape or form representative of reality. In my opinion there is a shadow of truth in the various movie portrayals of the so called Dim Mak (death touch). Anyone with a basic knowledge of anatomy and some very basic training could take advantage of obvious anatomical weak points on the body that if struck would cause temporary to permanent injury and or death.Targets such as the eyes, ears, nose, throat, solar plexus, groin etc.

That 's not really quite the theatrical effect we were looking for, another possibility is deep knowledge of physiology and anatomy. If a highly skilled martial artist was also trained as a doctor he would know precisely where to strike to create specific effects and shut down specific bodily systems. Although this is closer to what one might imagine it's still not quite the same.

One last option might be an expert martial artist who is also an expert in traditional chinese medicine. With this knowledge he may be able to attack the body's energetic network of meridians and cause more subtle negative effects to the intended target. This is probably the least likely scenario as those who possess very deep martial arts knowledge as well as deep knowledge of TCM are very rare indeed...

Ving Tsun Footwork

It may seem that the Ving Tsun system has limited footwork, in actuality there is a great deal of footwork in the system hidden in plain sight. The Ving Tsun Kung Fu system contains linear, circular, and angular footwork. The elements of Ving Tsun footwork are contained in the forms, exercises, and weapons training.

In some ways learning Ving Tsun is like having a set of Legos, there are a variety of building blocks of various shapes and sizes. What you do with those building blocks is based on your own intelligence and creativity. Much of the basic knowledge of the system is explicit, the intermediate to advanced level knowledge is mostly implicit, do the work and you will figure it out. This is how it goes for learning the footwork as well as anything else at the higher levels.

For the purposes of training and research I would suggest the following categories.

1.       Maintaining and controlling distance

2.       Closing to bridge and finish (while minimizing your chances of being hit)

3.       Close range footwork based on contact sensitivity

4.       All of the above versus an armed opponent

This will serve as a great study and research guide and help you analyze what you are learning while you experiment with how it can be used. I am not going to get into specifics because the real learning is in your experience, experimentation, and discussion.

Good luck and enjoy!