SWORDDUELING.COM

From Mike Patterson.

Tactical Training
The 24 stems are based on my 26 years of experience both as a fighter and a coach/trainer.

1. Distance should be such that when the combatant’s hands are stretched outward, the fingers may interlace. When the wrists touch, attack!
2. Observe the nine gates of attack and learn to utilize them in combination.
3. Movement and stillness are one in the same; both are suitable defenses.
4. Never more than two complete steps in any single direction. Do not chase. A smart fighter will time the third step and use it against you.
5. There are four ranges of combat: foot, hand, trap and grapple. Know them well and be able to shift easily from one to another.
6. The best fighters always attack, even when defending. Learn to exploit your opponent’s habits.
7. When given a choice between inside and outside closing, always choose outside.
8. Fold from hand to elbow to shoulder and back again.
9. Once the closing is met, stick like glue until conclusion.
10. The best time to kick is when the opponent is moving forward or back, immediately after a bridge has been attempted.
11. The limbs are usually vulnerable.
12. Pyan always at a 45-degree angle off the centerline of attack.
13. Speed should be varied with purpose to lead the opponent’s mind.
14. Never telegraph – strikes must be delivered from the present position.
15. Look at the opponent’s eyes (or throat) in a single match. In situations of multiple threat, look downward.
16. Strength used wisely is an asset, but be ever wary of the “trap.”
17. Pain is an effective way to lead the opponent’s mind.
18. When “leading the body,” be alert, sensitive, and maintain your sphere.
19. While easier to employ, defense will not win the battle.
20. All true attacks initiate from the feet.
21. Box a “kicker,” kick a “boxer.”
22. Sweep a high stance, attack a low stance.
23. Study the double strike and the four methods of employment. It is unexpected.
24. Explore technique to grasp principle, holding principle, forget technique.

“I’m not claiming those who have a never-say-die attitude are superior to those who don’t, because in some cases it can actually be detrimental, but when it comes to fighting, it can be one of your most important tools. If an opponent lands fifteen hard punches to your face, and you smile as though you enjoyed the ride, it fucks with his head. After all, the majority of people are equipped with an easily accessible lever in their head that, when pulled, switches them from “fight mode” to “flight mode.” We’ve all seen what flight mode looks like in the Octagon — it can come in the form of severe backpedaling, clinging to your opponent on the ground, or even giving your opponent your arm so he can finish you off with quick submission.”

– Forrest Griffin, Got Fight?

Chinese     Pinyin     Element

Splitting         Pi           Metal      Like an axe chopping up and over.
Drilling           Zuan     Water     Drilling forward horizontally like a geyser.
Pounding       Pào        Fire         Exploding outward like a cannon while blocking.
Crossing        Héng     Earth      Crossing across the line of attack while turning over.
Crushing        Beng      Wood     Arrows constantly exploding forward.

-    Xingyiquan – Wikipedia

WU HSING, THE 5 ELEMENTS – From Mike Patterson:
Wu Hsing can be called the Heart and Soul of Hsing I practice. These five seemingly simple actions are loaded with subtleties and require years of practice to perform them with total Mind/Body integration. Over the course of time they will teach the practitioner many things and can be directly related to many aspects of Five Element cosmology of traditional Chinese medicine. Pi Chuan (Metal) teaches the force of Splitting. Its power association is the axe. It corresponds to the Lung and Large Intestine meridians. Tsuan Chuan (Water) teaches the force of Drilling. Its power association is electricity. It corresponds to the Kidney and Urinary Bladder meridians. Peng Chuan (Wood) teaches the force of crushing. Its power association is the arrow. It corres ponds to the Liver and Gall Bladder meridians. Pao Chuan (Fire) teaches the force of Pounding. Its power association is the cannon. It corresponds to the Heart, Small Intestine, Pericardium and San Jiao (triple warmer) meridians. Heng Chuan (Earth) teache s the force of Crossing. Its power association is the Bullet. It corresponds to the Spleen and Stomach meridians.

On Pi Chaun – Splitting Fist

Now, to actually perform the physical movements of the splitting fist, let’s start from the san ti and take it from there. From the san ti the right arm begins its wrapping by screwing the fist up and along the center line. The lead hand is drawn back slightly and rotates inward to cover center. The body is relaxed as energy is saved and the center line protected. The screwing fist follows center and drills up and along side the other arm. While all of this was happening the rear leg and hip were simultaneously closing to save energy also. The rear leg comes into the center and saves energy as it protects the groin. The body remains straight and does not lean heavily forward or to either side. This is bear in Pi chuan. The rear leg now leaves center and steps out into the center of the opponent (visualize if only doing the form). The screwing arm now rises, overturns and falls into the target thereby splitting its center. As the rear hand has now become the lead, the lead has now become the rear. You will end up in the san ti posture again. This is the eagle. An outside observer’s perception will end here. I must, however, go into more detail to explain the details of what happened in terms of requirements and structure so that you can appreciate what many would dismiss. As the rear leg goes forward it is in conjunction with the screwing, rising, overturning, and falling of the hand. As the lead had falls to split, power and balance is maintained by the rear hand as it pulls back to maintain tigers embrace and aid in the dragon body. Needless to say, for proper structure, as the lead foot steps and lands quickly one must establish a sound chicken leg and open the inner thigh. Only then can you issue power by establishing the dragon body. The requirements for bear shoulder and tiger embrace must also be fulfilled prior to the issuance of power. If any of these things are missing that I detailed in the first article of this series, then you will be unable to establish a sound structure and therefore be unable to issue internal power. You will be force to rely on physical strength. You will notice as I land and issue power my lead hand goes forward. Be careful not to allow the body to lean forward with the shoulder to make the lead arm go forward. The forward motion of the lead hand is generated by the sinking of the body and the dropping of the lead elbow as the dragon body is put in place. You should read the last sentence again. This is a very common mistake. I know this from personal experience. When you look at the photographs and read the explanation try to focus on the requirements and not so much the actual technical movements. There are several ways to do Pi chuan and the other fists. The important factor to consider is whether or not the movement is in harmony with the requirements. In the previous articles I have gone into very minute detail in terms of how the body should move when executing a particular fist or animal. Here I have purposely spared you from that type of reading and shall let the emphasis rest on the requirements and principles that I have already provided you with in this series of articles. I realize that this forces the reader to think a bit more. I hope that this burden will stimulate your thought processes. I find that that is how I learn the best.

http://www.jimdees.com/articles.html
Metal – Splitting Fist
Water – Drill Fist
Fire – Pounding Fist
Wood – Crushing Fist

Master Xun’s discourse on courtesy says, “Those whose view is life will inevitably die.”
This means the same as Wu Tzu’s “Those who are eager to live will die. On a field of battle, he who becomes absorbed in inevitable death will survive without trying to stay alive.”

Chuang Tzu’s chapter on belaboring the mind says, “Respond after sensing, move after being pressed.”

Sensing means being affected by feeling; it means the enemy’s murderous energy pierces your heart. Response means paying attention. This means that if you pay attention when an enemy’s killing energy makes an impact on your mind, then you can stop it before it sprouts. You strike out only when your opponent’s sword reaches your body; that way you can take advantage of the ending of the energy. This is also what is meant by the verse

Lu Shi’s sword
Responds to aggression,
Acts on sense,
Adapting endlessly,
Having no form.

Chuang Tzu’s chapter on the sword says, “A swordsman strikes out after the other but hits home before the other.”

The idea is to Read more…

One perspective:

“The more time a new boxer spends shadow boxing, the better he will get. If you put him immediately into sparring, he will get good — and stop.

“It’s better than doing nothing, definitely, better than just hitting a heavy bag, but what sparring tends to do is reward you for what you instinctively do already. And you tend not to be able to learn a new move. Because you’re under pressure not to lose, you see?

“Whereas, [if] the trainer’s working with focus mitts and the young man goes now from punching the air to hitting defined targets on the trainer’s body or on the trainer’s hands, it can become like an improvisational war… because his instinct now is working, his body mechanics are correct in the shadow boxing, and he’s under no threat of being knocked out if he does it wrong.”

– Roberto Sharpe

Chinese martial arts getting much love in the Heartland and Harlem.

Sifu Rudy has disabled embedding so you’ll have to go to http://www.youtube.com/user/sifurudycurryj
But these are particularly good:
Sifu Rudy Push Hands
Sifu Rudy Bagua (the end is the best)

The Wudang sword was developed during the Song Dynasty by Zhang San Feng himself, the first patriarch of Wudang Kung Fu.  Zhang San Feng first practiced Shaolin Kung Fu at the Shaolin Monastery.  Later, he retired to the Wudang Mountain to cultivate Taoism, and where he also developed Wudang Kung Fu, which later became Taijiquan.

“As one of the Wudang martial arts traditions, Wudang Sword was originated at an unknown time.  Famous for its ability to dissolve the enemy’s strength in flexible rotated movements, the swordsmanship focuses on thrashing, stabbing, shelving, etc. The footwork requires gentleness, steadiness, and quickness.  The body moves continuously with the sword forward or backward, in rotation or turning.  It requires the body to move like a flying dragon, the sword like a snake’s tongue, with the unification of hands, eyes, body and feet.  In pair bayonet practice, it requires the triangle skill from the upper, lower, left and right and the skill of Yin-Yang sword rotation.  It stresses non-withstanding, attacking the void and avoiding the solid, changing with motion and striking with nicety and celerity.  Besides a set of formula for moving-pace pair bayonet practice, the tradition contains five sets of formula.”

-  Yuan Kangjiu, Wudang Jian,
Translated by Luo Tongbing, Edited by David Palmer

“Attack during the weak point of the opponent, avoid brute force, and get the opponent in one single attack.  This is the strategic principle of Wu Dang sword play. It suggests “following the flow of opponent’s force and borrowing the opponent’s power”; “remain tranquil to wait for opponent’s movement”; “launch the attack later but hit the opponent before his attack reaches you.” When fighting with an opponent, avoid direct confrontation with his strong force and attack him when his force is weak or near an end. Go around the opponent but attack him along a straight line. Circle around the opponent to enclose his attacks. It also points out that the uniqueness of using a straight sword as weapon is that it is not used to intercept and contact physically with the opponent’s weapon. Instead, a swordsman just finds the gap in the opponent’s defense and attacks him in lightening speed.”

-  Wudang Sword Principles

Wudang Sword Principles:
1.  Change based on opponent’s movement without any fixed rule.
2.  Attack during the weak point of the opponent, avoid brute force, and get the opponent in one single attack.
3.  Body in harmony with the sword and the sword in harmony with the spirit.
4.  Neutralize attack by body movement and walk swiftly lightly and stably.

-  Chinese Taoist Martial Arts Association