Masters are usually indistinguishable from the rest of the people until they
are required to express themselves through their creations, just as a drum
is made to produce sound that varies according to the degree of strength
applied to the beater.
(Michiji
Ishikawa)
What would you do if...
A common
question asked by beginners is "What would you
do if..."
They suggest a variety of scenarios in which you are attacked and expected to
counter.
How do you counter a kick?
What about this hold?
Can you deal with a headbutt?
Will it work if the attacker has a
knife?
On one level, the student is seeking to gauge the
teacher's ability. At the same
time, they are wanting a fixed
answer.
Herein lies the problem.
Self defence is anything but
fixed. There are no guarantees. No
security.
Also, what the student is missing is the fact that what the teacher can do is
unimportant.
What matters more is what they (the student) would do.
Technique-based mentality
A technique-based mentality is one where the
person asks: "How do you counter a kick?"
The question indicates the desire for a definite answer.
What you do depends entirely upon you. Everyone is
different. Every situation is different.
There are so many
variables.
Consider:
Where are you positioned relative to the opponent?
Are you calm and composed?
Is your body soft or tense?
How skilled are you?
What is your opponent doing to you?
Has your body been compromised?
Do you have freedom of movement?
Are you dealing with one or more attackers?
Is it your intention to warn or incapacitate your assailant?
Can you take the initiative?
Does your opponent have any gaps and deficiencies?
In moving, what will you expose?
Will your counter oppose the flow?
How will you follow up?
What will your opponent do to you when you move?
You could ask many more questions, but the thing to
realise is that combat is not
static.
Just as you are moving, so is your assailant.
For every action you take, your attacker is perfectly free to
respond/counter in any manner they choose.
Yes, some responses may be more likely or more predictable than others, but
The
Art of War counsels against making assumptions.
Combat is innately unknowable. You cannot
see the future. You can only deal with what is.
External attitude
An
external martial artist forces an opening and
counters the attacker.
The internal person waits. They allow the opportunity to occur by itself in the
natural unfolding of events.
This is a fundamental difference in attitude.
A
tai chi person cannot plan a response or use a
technique because they do not know what will happen or when it will occur.
They can only move with the changes and make the best of the situation.
Listening and
sensitivity skills are paramount.
If you are not alert, soft and present, you cannot respond spontaneously and
freely.
Move with what is happening
Rather than have a fixed plan in your head, respond to the
here
and now.
Your opponent should be the centre of your universe.
Everything they do is an opportunity to respond.
Remember, that the best response may well be to do nothing at all.
There is nothing to be gained by
anticipating a certain kind of attack.
What if the assailant does something else?
Anticipation stems from
fear.
More...
Page created 23 September 1999