10 Questions with Nasser Butt

What got you interested in the martial arts?

This is going to sound like a cliché but I got involved in Martial Arts after getting a good beating from a group of kids in my neighborhood!

The 70’s had ended and we were at the beginning of the 80’s. – racial incidents were very high. We were the only ‘mix’ family (Asian/Irish) of any colour living in my street at the time and I remember going to the park which was at the bottom of our road. As I entered the park to go play, I was attacked by a mob of white kids. I would’ve been around 12 or 13 years old at the time. Most of the kids were older teens and they made a mess of me and told me that the park wasn’t for my kind! I literally crawled back home as I couldn’t walk.

An Irish musician friend of my father’s took me under his wing after the incident and started to teach me Wing Chun above his music shop. That was my first foray into the martial arts world, until then I had no compulsion to have wanted to study them!

A few months later I returned to the park and took out one of the biggest kids who had attacked me, as per my instructions – no one ever chased me out of the park again!

What is the most important thing (you can think of) that you’ve learned from the study of martial arts?

Martial arts for myself, at least, have always been a study of the self – all the components lead inwards and are eventually expressed outwards! The real foe to conquer is the self – this requires a lifetime’s study and hard work, it’s not easy but then it was never meant to be!

However, I will point out one other thing – all martial arts are only as good as the practitioner!

There is no ‘super’ martial art which makes you invincible – no magical technique! When I see people comparing martial arts I often smile at the folly of such folk. All martial arts kick, punch, strike, throw etc., and are therefore made up of essentially the same components. Equally, all martial artists have two arms, two legs, a torso and head etc., so again, we have the same tools with which to work with (of course strength, size and speed etc. will vary, but I am speaking in general terms).

So, when I see a MMA practitioner take on a Taiji practitioner and win – I don’t see that as MMA being better then Taiji as most people will state. YouTube is full of such tripe as are the various martial arts forums!

No, that simply means that in that specific instant – the MMA practitioner understands and knows his art better then the Taiji practitioner, or any other arts you wish to ‘compare’!

So, any martial art is only as good as the understanding of the practitioner and his time and effort of study – period!

How did you come to teach martial arts and what made you drift towards your particular discipline?

I had stuck with Wing Chun since my childhood. It had worked for me and got me out of many scrapes. I stopped formally training with a school when I left for university. Although I continued to train alone, I couldn’t find a school that I wished to join. They were all commercial and I was used to training with only 3 other guys in the room!

I eventually found another Wing Chun instructor a few years after leaving university, he introduced me to Erle’s work whilst I was training Wing Chun with him… it began with the small San-sau. It made sense and the more I began reading and looking into Erle’s work and the internal arts, the more sense they made. It was an act, ultimately, by Erle, himself, as a person and teacher which made me finally switch towards the internal arts! (See Question 6).

I never had any plans of teaching martial arts full-time!

My background is in the sciences… it is what I had studied at college and university, and went onto work as a research scientist in Israel. However, I first started teaching one night a week after I began training with Erle Montaigue – whom I regard as my main teacher, though I have had others!

Erle always told us that if you teach, then teach for selfish reasons! At first when I heard this, I found it shocking and asked Erle to elaborate. He did.

He simply stated that the only real reason to teach is because you wish to learn and reinforce your learning, and teaching is the best way to do that. Students will ask you questions that you, yourself, may not even have thought about yet and teaching others will make you creative and think outside the box. It will make you innovate because no two persons understand and learn in the same way!

So, I began teaching for purely ‘selfish’ reasons. It was never about earning a living for me – I had other means for that!

I began teaching full-time in 2006 upon Erle’s request. At the end of 2005 Erle was in Leicestershire giving a workshop and we sat talking during the lunch break, as most of the folk had wandered off to eat. At the time I was working for one of the major international banks in Leicester. Erle simply turned around and said to me, “It’s time!”

I looked at him quizzically and he said, “I think you should teach full-time.”

I was in a state of shock!

I won’t go into too much of the detail here as much of the conversation we had that day is private but, Erle asked this of me on the Saturday and that night I went home and spoke to my wife. We had just had our third child and I was the only one working. My wife asked me if I thought I could do it? I replied that Erle believes I can! My wife simply said, if you believe that then you have my support. On the Sunday, when I returned to train with Erle, I simply looked at him and smiled and he gave me a big hug. I have a photograph which was taken a few seconds after that moment – Erle leaning over my shoulder and both of us grinning like the Cheshire cat!

I quit work at the start of 2006 and later received my Third Degree from Erle. I had also, already, been given the right to grade by Erle himself and he started referring some of his oversees students to me!

As a teacher, what is one piece of advice that you hope really sinks in with your students?

Do not be afraid of making mistakes! If you fear making mistakes then you’ll never be free to explore and if you do not explore then how will you ever discover, and if you do not discover then how will you ever learn and advance, and grow?

Mistakes are also tools of learning and can often teach us far greater lessons then those we get right! Once we stop being afraid of making mistakes and looking foolish, we are ready to learn freely. However, this is far easier said then done. The most difficult component is recognizing mistakes in one’s own practice and having the honesty and integrity to deal with them!

What advice do you have for teachers?

Like the student, do not be afraid to admit that you do not have all the answers! Do not BS your student if you don’t know – that is the sign of a bad teacher and practitioner and you will eventually be found out!

No one has all the answers and if you are asked a question that you do not know the answer too, then tell your student that you do not have the answer BUT you will go and find out! Then go and search for the answer – that way you will both learn and your student shall respect you even more!

You’ve been a long-time student and friend of the late Erle Montaigue. How did you first meet him?

I first met Erle in 1999, in Folkestone, England! I had already been studying his system for around a couple of years earlier with a local instructor.

I had emailed the WTBA sometime in 1997, enquiring about Erle’s videos which he had made for Paladin in the USA. Financially, times were difficult and I had figured that Sterling was far stronger against the US dollar and would therefore make my money go further. As much as I wanted to take more weekly lessons, it just wasn’t financially viable, so I had decided to buy some videos, which I hoped would help with my training.

I wasn’t really expecting much of a reply, at best I thought that some secretary would contact me and was therefore, surprised when Erle contacted me himself!

He asked about my training and who I was training with and why I wanted information on his US videos?

I explained my reasons and he simply replied, “Send me your address.”

I did as I was asked. A few days later, I had a knock on my apartment door. It was the postman with a package in his hand for me from Australia. When he told me that it was from Australia, I immediately replied that a mistake had been made since I didn’t know anyone in Australia and nor had I ordered anything from there!

The postie simply said, it’s your name and address on the package and handed it over. I took the package and it had a stamp from a place I couldn’t even pronounce! Anyhow, I opened it up and inside were a bunch of Erle’s videos with a small note:

“I hope these help. Kind regards E”

I panicked thinking that Erle had misunderstood, thinking I wanted to buy these videos (which I could not afford. I immediately emailed him saying he had misunderstood and that I could not pay him for the videos! The reply that came back floored me – in a good way!

I apologize here for the language… but this was Erle – he had simply replied:

“Who the f*ck has asked you for money? I am rich enough and if these videos help you grow then I’ll be richer still!”

I sat staring at my screen, for several minutes, dumbfounded! What kind of Master was this? Not only did he reply to his correspondence in person but carried no airs about him and wanted to help me learn at his own expense! What kind of man would do such a thing for a complete stranger thousands of miles away on another continent?

That was my first encounter with Erle Montaigue. An encounter that would change my life forever. I decided there and then that I would, one day, meet this man – if only just to say thank you in person. Whilst waiting for that time, I consumed every article he had written on his website!

In 1999, after several years absence, Erle finally decided to tour the UK again. I saved up my pennies and registered for the workshop.
I remember the day… the hall was full of people. Erle was surrounded by his instructors and students from around Europe and elsewhere. I waited and when the crowd thinned out a bit, I went up and tapped him on his shoulder as he was standing with his back to me. He turned around, looked at me and cocked his head slightly, smiled and said:

“You must be Nasser! Good to meet you mate…”

I stood there, mouth agape – How did he know?

“I was thinking about you on the flight across, wondering if you would make it?” He continued as if in response to the surprised look on my face.
This was one of Erle’s magic moments. Don’t ask me how he did it but I’d see him do it to others in the years to come!

I thanked him for the kindness he had shown me and he just gave me a big hug and an even bigger smile. The rest is history, as they say – maybe for another time. Suffice to say, I never looked back… Erle was the teacher and guide I had been looking for!

Are there any good stories you’d like to tell of you and Erle?

Oh, there are many stories I could tell but question 6 is my favourite… it’s the one that brought us together. The other time is far too emotional to go into detail – it was the time when I told him that I saw him as a ‘father’ – it ended with both of us in tears!

Erle was a practical joker. One summer camp as we all met up on the field, early in the morning, he began teaching a qigong and as he started he looked at me and winked. I immediately stopped… he had folk doing crazy things and stood back with a smirk on his face! There was no such qigong – he was just in one of his playful moods! However, it turned into an important lesson – far too often folk believe something just because a ‘master’ had said so. This was one of Erle’s ways of telling folk not to believe everything and to always question!

On another occasion, Erle demonstrated a kick to the groin on myself in Germany one year. Of course for those who do not know it – it is a trick! I pretended to do some Iron shirt qigong and then Erle kicked me several times in the ‘groin’. I stood there smiling – not even a flinch! A couple of years later we were in America and one of the local instructors gave me the wide berth. I couldn’t understand his behaviour. I asked my host if I had offended him in some manner and he simply replied: “He’s in awe of you – he’s seen you take kicks from Erle in the groin online!” I burst out laughing and explained it was a trick but we never told the person concerned – I was a ‘man of steel’!!!

What are your favorite things to train (ie. barehand forms, tui shou, applications, weapons, etc) and why?

I no longer make distinction between the various training methods!

For myself, the most important components of Taijiquan are ‘The Thirteen Dynamics’ commonly referred to as The Thirteen Postures. This, however, is a misnomer and I no longer use the term ‘posture’ as this, I believe, leads many people down the wrong path in their training!

The Thirteen Dynamics are the foundations of Taijiquan. The Masters of old have continually warned us to pay attention to them in songs and other texts:

“A mere thirteen dynamics is not a lot.
But however many there might be, if their standard is not maintained
and if the position of your waist and head top is misplaced, you will end up sighing with woe.”

Taiji is an art based upon movement. However, it is not simply moving for the sake of moving but, rather, ‘Moving With Awareness’ according to no less an authority than Yang Ban-hou – the only other Yang to inherit the title ‘Invincible’ after Yang Lu-ch’an himself!

These Dynamics are innate within us but difficult to recognize and achieve. Collectively, they teach us how to ‘move with awareness’ based upon the four terms: Perception, Realization, Activation and Action. Where moving = the activation of movement plus the act of moving, and awareness = the perception that something is plus the realization of what it is – moving with awareness.

Without understanding these terms we cannot move with awareness. In other words, we must be able to recognize the ‘source of movement’ and the ‘basis of awareness’ within ourselves before we can identify energies in others.

According to Yang Ban-hou:

“If there is activation and perception, there will be action and realization. If there is no activation or perception, there will be no action or realization. When activation is at its height, action is initiated. When perception is fully lucid, there is realization. Action and realization are the easy part. Activation and perception are tricky.

First, strive to move with awareness for yourself, grasping it within your own body, then naturally you will be able to spot it in the opponent. If on the other hand you try to find it in opponents first, you will probably never find it in yourself. You have to be able to understand this concept in order to be able to identify energies.”

Most people who do not train or study the Thirteen Dynamics with diligence will ultimately fail or have a poor understanding of their Taiji! It is usually these practitioners who will try to change the Taiji Form due to their own lack of ability and understanding! To put it simply – they are the ‘alphabet’ of Taijiquan, without which we cannot produce words, sentences or develop the skills with which to ‘read’ the art!

The concept of ‘No Mind’ boxing arises from a thorough understanding of these principles. For example, if we do not understand why P’eng is considered a Yin defence and Lu is considered a Yin attack, then we have no way of understanding how to connect to our opponent’s energy, on a subconscious level, thereby producing a ‘No Mind’ response.

So, regardless of what I’m training – Form, Empty Hands, Weapons, Tui Shou or any other martial drill – I’m always looking to identify the Dynamics, for that is all what these various methods are, a variation or combination of The Thirteen Dynamics.

In this way all training methods simply become one!

What’s one of the biggest martial arts myth(s) that you wish more people knew the truth of?

Whilst there are many obvious ones that will come to most peoples mind like, for example, no touch knockouts, I’m going to be a little controversial here and say the myth of lineages!

Whenever, I come across a discussion I see folk instantly bring lineage into the conversation and the authenticity of their line and as if this somehow places their knowledge and skill above others. Authenticity of the skill and knowledge of the master does not necessarily translate to knowledge skill, full-transmission and understanding to their students or off-spring!

A teacher should be looked upon with merit according to their own skill and understanding of the subject matter – Yes, of course their pedigree will and should matter – but one should not take their pedigree/lineage alone as a confirmation of their knowledge and skill or that they have received full-transmissions. The Yangs of old taught tens of thousands in their lifetimes, yet we only have a handful of their students who rose to the challenge to continue their art and in most cases these students were not necessarily their natural off-spring! Majority of their students fell by the wayside, or trained slackly, or left too soon to set themselves up as ‘masters’ – this is something which is confirmed in the historical documents which have survived.

Sadly, we also have ample examples in history where lineages have been bought or sold and do not necessarily represent skill or knowledge. Equally, after the cultural revolution, once the ‘bamboo curtain’ went up, many martial artists set themselves up in Taiwan, Hong Kong and in the West claiming ‘masterships’ or lineages of renowned families in China, when this simply wasn’t true. Some had only trained with them for a few months or even weeks and later claimed they had been disciples for a number of years!

Self-appointed masterships continue to this day and lineages can be bought with martial arts having become a multi-billion pound industry and business.

So, beware the myth of a lineage!

Besides teaching and practicing the martial arts, what does Nasser like to do in his spare time?

I love reading and watching movies, as well as writing! I love music and am a huge Pink Floyd fan!

I’m a comic book geek and have been since I was a kid. I’ve been editing my own martial arts magazine for almost two years now and it has been highly successful, picking up several awards to date. I’m a history geek too, and love to travel when I can, and the research scientist has never left me… I use the skills I learned and developed in that field to further my own training and understanding in other subject matters as well as life itself.

Bonus Question:
If you were a superhero and had one ability, what would it be and why?

Like the Batman – Deductive Reasoning!

I have always believed in logical reasoning and this has served me well throughout my life in solving problems, including Taiji. As the great Sherlock Holmes once stated: “When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth!”

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10 Questions with Keith Farrell

How did you get drawn into fencing and why classical/historic over modern/sport?

As a child, I was interested in history, and enjoyed watching historical battle reenactment shows. At around the age of 10, I joined a local karate club, and began to enjoy martial arts. At around the age of 16, I joined a historical battle reenactment society, mainly as an excuse to play with swords. However, after a little while, I lost interest in the show fighting aspect of it, and wanted a more ”correct” way of using the sword.

Then, when I was in my second year at Glasgow University, I found a club that was teaching historical European martial arts, according to historical source material. Initially, due to my previous martial arts training, I didn’t enjoy it very much: the club was still very young as a study group, and the instructors did their best to understand the source material, but I didn’t enjoy learning a random assortment of tricks that tended not to work, mainly because the interpretations were still in their infancy and were not supported by effective body mechanics.

Eventually, in 2010, I decided to start studying the longsword again, with different source material, and I was lucky enough that my first choice of source was one that described principles and how techniques fit together into a system. As a result, I could see that there WAS a system to follow, there WERE a set of guiding principles; even though I didn’t understand how to go any of the techniques, I knew that I could at least work on the gist of the system and fill in the specifics later.

That journey of research, testing, and exploration is still ongoing!

What brought you to become such a prolific author and how did you choose your projects?

Since I was trying to wrap my head around the historical source material anyway, and was taking copious notes, I thought that other people might find this work to be useful. So, once my colleague (Alex Bourdas) and I finished our initial longsword research project, we began to arrange our notes into a cohesive document, and this culminated in our first publication: the AHA German Longsword Study Guide.

By the time this was published, I had begun to enjoy the practice of a variety of other HEMA disciplines, including the Scottish basket-hilted broadsword. I decided to make another study guide, this time for the broadsword. I thought it would be useful for my students to have a published text with history and context, our principal source material, and some salient points for study. I also decided to include my research about singlestick, as this was something that I wanted to know more about myself, yet at the time, there was little by way of modern research published on the subject. And so I came to publish my second book, Scottish Broadsword and British Singlestick.

All of my books have come about because I found researching a subject to be of particularly great interest. My intention with all of my books is to make available the research and information that I wish I could have had access to myself when I began my HEMA studies. This desire and intent has kept me going and has given me the motivation to publish several books, with more in the works!

Do you have a passion for one particular weapon over all the others and if so, why?

The medieval longsword is a wonderful, wonderful kind of sword. It can be found in so many shapes and sizes; and there are also so many different treatises on the use of the longsword that I simply cannot envisage a time when I will no longer have anything to learn about it.

The way of working with the longsword, of holding it and performing techniques, of moving from one action to the next, just speaks to me in a way that no other physical activity has in the past. It allows me to move and to express myself in a way that is deeply meaningful and that is impossible to achieve otherwise. It is just so much FUN to move and to fence with the longsword!

What does your sword training entail and how long do you train?

My typical weekly training involves giving two to three hours of private tuition to students, two to three times a week, and probably half an hour to an hour of assorted solo exercises on a daily basis. For the private tuition, I work on whatever skills are requested by my students, which may sometimes involve some sparring. However, I tend not to do very much sparring on a regular basis, and it’s even more rare that I have an opportunity to use sparring selfishly for my own development, instead of for coaching another person.

For my solo practice, it could be simple repetitions of cuts; it could be simple physical exercises such as push ups or squats, to build or maintain strength; it could be using my MBlades Swing¹ with Indian club exercises, to develop musculature around the elbow and shoulder; or it could be stretching in various fashions, to maintain or improve flexibility, but mainly to undo the damage of spending so much time sitting at my computer!

I use my solo practice time each day to keep myself in good and healthy condition. If I begin in good condition, then I will use the time to practise fencing techniques. If I’m not in such great condition, because I have been travelling or sitting too much, then I’ll use the time to deal with these problems and bring myself closer to my usual standard of health.

On quite a regular basis, on average at least once a month, I attend and teach at a national or international HEMA event. This gives me the opportunity to meet and fence with people outwith my usual circles, which is a fantastic opportunity to learn and to increase my skills. It also gives me the chance to chat and discuss ideas with some very knowledgeable people; so many of my significant developments in understanding have come in the bar, after hours, armed with a few pints and engaged in deep discussion! These events tend to be where I receive most input from other people to improve my own fencing skills, so I believe they are a critical part of my own training and development.

I don’t tend to worry too much about competing in tournaments at these events. If I have something I want to test and validate, then sure, I’ll give it a go. But I’m not a very competitive person, and I would much rather talk with people or do some friendly sparring than participate in a tournament. Still, I know that competitions are good for me, and force me to up my game, and I also believe that I owe it to my students to test my skills and interpretations regularly, so that I’m not teaching them any ineffective nonsense. So I do participate in a few tournaments a year, but I will almost never go to an event purely to compete.

Have there been any personal changes to your method/techniques that do not “jive” with what’s written by the masters of the past? If so, can you give us an example?

Over the years, I have found myself doing things a little differently to the instructions in the historical source material. Invariably, this has led to joint pains, muscle pains, injuries, and a lower rate of success in sparring and competition.

Leading to pains and injuries have been concepts such as striking mechanics. For example, in Roworth’s broadsword treatise,² he describes exactly how to perform a cut. I found myself not quite doing it the way he described; and sure enough, after a few months of this incorrect practice, I developed wrist pains that took the better part of six months to go away. What made the wrist pains go away? The solution was to change my striking mechanics to be exactly what Roworth described, and not to do it “wrong” anymore. That fixed the problem.

A common error with the longsword is either to overcomplicate or to oversimplify an action. The source material tends to describe techniques, principles and sequences in a relatively straightforward fashion, and it tends to make perfect sense if you just do what the book says. If you start adding extra actions, because you find it helps in slow and somewhat cooperative drills, then inevitably it will not work properly in sparring because you have made it too slow and too complicated.

By the same token, if the source says: “do this; do this other thing; then finally, do this third thing”, then there is probably a good reason for that. If you choose to simplify that series of instructions down to just: “do this thing that vaguely resembles the motion of those three instructions”, then you lose some of the important elements of the technique, and it probably won’t work anymore.

So I have found that buckling down and just doing what the sources describe, paying attention to details, but not adding anything of my own, is the best way to achieve success without compromising my joints and health.

For those people interested in learning more about historical sword fighting arts what are the top 3 books (besides your own) would you’d recommend and why?

Tough question. I have quite an extensive library, and I have read many excellent books, so there so many titles I could choose to answer this question. If someone were interested in learning just about any of the medieval or renaissance martial arts, then I would recommend the following resources:

1) B. Ann Tlusty: The Martial Ethic in Early Modern Germany.³ This is not a HEMA book, as such, but it sets the scene and lays out the context for the historical fencing arts in the Holy Roman Empire in the 15th to 17th centuries. I would go as far as to say that it is impossible to understand 16th century fencing systems (such as that of Joachim Meyer) without first having read this book. There are few books about which I wax lyrical, but this is one of them, and it easily earns first place on this list!

2) D.A. Kinsley: Swordsmen of the British Empire.⁴ Again, this book sets the scene and provides lots of valuable context, although it is not intended as a HEMA book. It is also not a book that covers medieval or renaissance martial arts; as the title suggests, it is a collection of primary sources and first hand accounts of close quarters combat experienced by men and officers in the service of (and opposed to) the British Empire, in conflicts across the world.

Since so few people today have any real or meaningful experience of violence (which is a good thing), we can fall into traps of imagining a Hollywood style of response of victims to sword actions, and we can very easily build a fantasy world of how effective techniques will be. The reality, as shown in so many of these accounts, is that people can survive the most horrendous wounds (sometimes several at one time), or they can die from the littlest wound. If we want to learn how to fight with swords, I think it is valuable to learn what swords are actually capable of doing, but also what they are not necessarily capable of doing.

3) http://www.wiktenauer.com – I know this is a website and not a book, but it is probably the most valuable resource available to anyone interested in historical European martial arts. It is a crowdsourced, collaborative research project, making available scans, transcriptions, and translations, of hundreds of historical martial arts treatises. It is hosted and sponsored by the HEMA Alliance, an umbrella organisation based in the USA, and it has managed to run some successful crowdfunding campaigns to raise money for purchasing high quality scans from museums and libraries around the world.

Again, I could wax lyrical about the Wiktenauer and how valuable it is, but I think the greatest joy would be visiting the site yourself, finding a treatise that sounds interesting, and seeing what the website has to offer!

What would be your advice to kid, teen or young adult who’s interested in historical fencing but doesn’t have a fencing salle or club nearby?

That is a remarkably common question. My advice would be to decide what it is you want to learn and why you want to learn it.

Do you want to learn to use a specific type of sword, because that kind of sword is really cool and inspires you in some fashion? Then get a book or DVD that will give you a basic understanding of that weapon and system, and start working on it in your back garden! Go through the guards of the system, attempt the cuts and thrusts, and generally just move with the sword in hand. Reach out to your local community and see if anyone would like to practise with you. You don’t need to be a master fencer, or a master teacher; you just have to have a book, arrange meetings, get people to show up, and be one lesson ahead of them so that you can keep everything moving forward.

Or do you want to learn to use a sword (any kind of sword) in general? Then see if there is a local club that does kendo, iaido, or modern fencing, and sign up to that. It might not be HEMA, but it will teach you some useful skills nonetheless. Then, when you feel a little more confident about handling a sword, follow the advice above and reach out to your local community to try and set up a HEMA club.

Another option, if you have money to spend, is to find an established HEMA school with an instructor who has an excellent reputation, and see if you can travel to that school for a week to take some deep and immersive lessons. There is a growing number of professional schools and instructors to be found in North America and Europe, so if you have the money to spend, this course of action will both support a professional HEMA person and will give you a solid grounding in the system that you would like to learn. Thereafter, once you return home, you will know what to practise, what to avoid doing because of risk of injury, and you will have someone to whom you can reach out with questions.

You can also find a Facebook discussion group such as the HEMA Alliance group, the UK HEMA group, or the HEMA International Discussion group, where you can ask questions, or post videos of your practice to ask for feedback. However, bear in mind that Facebook is what it is: a platform where people are encouraged to make fast, throwaway comments; that is not designed for finding archived material or reading discussions that have taken place previously. Although joining a Facebook discussion group can be useful, it is by no means as useful as developing a real friendship or working relationship with a well-respected professional instructor.

Who is your favorite swordsman of history and why?

My favourite swordsman from history would probably be either Donald McBane or Donald Macleod. They were both soldiers in Highland regiments of the British army, on the cusp of the 17th and 18th centuries, and they both left memoirs.

McBane wrote The Expert Sword-Man’s Companion in 1728, including his story, a treatise on artillery and gunnery, and various short treatises on fencing with a variety of weapons.⁵ If ever there was to be a Hollywood film made about HEMA, it should be a film about McBane’s life! He was a soldier, a thief, a pimp, a gambler, and a fencing master. He fought in several duels, in many brawls, and in a variety of pitched battles and sieges; he took many wounds, was blown up a few times, and still kept going. At the age of 63, he fought his final duel: a prizefight against a young Irish gladiator. Needless to say, McBane won this fight, and returned happily to his retirement.

William Thompson was Macleod’s biographer (as far as we can determine); and in 1791, he recorded Macleod’s reminiscences in a book with the rather long title: Memoirs of the Life and Gallant Exploits of the Old Highlander, Serjeant Donald Macleod, who, Having returned, Wounded, with the Corpse of General Wolfe, from Quebec, was Admitted an Out-Pensioner of Chelsea Hospital, in 1759; and is now in the CIII.d Year of His Age.⁶ Macleod was a stonemason’s apprentice, and then he ran away to become a soldier. He fought across Europe and North America. His exploits are quite fantastic, and while it is entirely possible that some of the stories are embellished, there is evidence to suggest that he was a real person, that he did indeed serve in the army, and therefore that he probably did fight in the battles in which he claims to have fought – or at least, some of them. Once Hollywood has finished making a film about McBane, I think Macleod would be an excellent choice for their second foray into the life of HEMA characters.

If you had the chance to be trained by 3 masters of the past, who would you choose and why?

I would probably choose Sigmund Ringeck, Hans Talhoffer, and either Johannes Lecküchner or Andre Lignitzer.

Ringeck was a member of the “Society of Liechtenauer”, and wrote glosses for Liechtenauer’s Zettel, the somewhat-cryptic verses that set out and recorded Liechtenauer’s system for fighting. He clearly understood Liechtenauer’s method, and was also able to add some of his own material to the system in a fashion that fits quite well and does not seem foreign or out of place at all. He was the fencing master to the Dukes of Bavaria, so clearly he was a skilled and valued instructor. He would be able to teach me about the core Liechtenauer method of fencing with the longsword, which is my principal area of study.

Talhoffer was a shady figure. He was a fencing master who taught people how to fight in preparation for judicial duels, and also provided training to some noble families. He authored several manuscripts on the subject of fighting with a variety of weapons. He was also an assassin and had more than one run-in with the law.⁷ He was clearly no academic studying just the theory of fighting: he dealt with the gritty details and fallouts on a day-to-day basis, and I think it would be fascinating to see the difference in his approach to fencing and violence compared with the approach (and health and safety consciousness) of modern practitioners.

Lecküchner was a priest who authored several manuscripts on fencing with the messer, the long knife that was often worn as a sidearm by civilians. Lignitzer was a fencing master who authored several treatises on wrestling, sword and buckler, fighting in armour, and fighting with the dagger. Both of these masters would be able to teach me valuable lessons about fencing with these weapons, and either would be an excellent complement to the team made up by Ringeck and Talhoffer.

We are now in the New Year. What resolutions do you have and/or goals for the year?

I spent most of the last two years not working particularly closely with the longsword source material. Instead, I tried to improve my fundamental skills, so that I would be able to perform the techniques and sequences described in these treatises. I had realised that while I knew a lot of theory, I couldn’t apply enough of it effectively when I was sparring. So instead of continuing to work on complicated things that I couldn’t make work, I decided to step back and work on the basics by improving myself as a fencer. I gave a presentation about this approach at the Iron Gate Exhibition event in 2015.⁸

This plan has worked well, and I am now considerably more competent than I was previously. I can apply more techniques in sparring, and I understand better what I need to do in order to make things work.

Therefore, my plan for 2017 is to return to the sources and spend more time involved with the books. I feel it is important to “touch base” with the sources, again and again, to ensure that we stay in the realm of recreating a martial art as accurately as possible, so that we do not stray into the realm of making stuff up. While some people enjoy making stuff up, in my opinion HEMA relies on source material.⁹ As I answered in question 5 above, disregarding the advice in the sources has led to pains and injuries, and to less effective performance in sparring and tournaments. So, why would I disregard source material and accept pain and injuries, and willingly choose a weaker and less effective performance of technical skills, if I can just follow what the sources say and avoid the pain and injury, and achieve better results in my fencing?

So, a return to the source material, spending a bit more time with the books again, letting new ideas and information percolate and then become part of my overall understanding; this would be my plan for the coming year.

Bonus Question

If you were a video game or fantasy character what weapon, magic and special skill would you possess?

I would have a sword, probably a longsword. It’s just too much fun not to have it in this sort of setting! I would have the special skill of finding enough trouble to make the story dramatic, but of not getting myself into inextricable or irretrievable situations. That would keep my life interesting without being too worried about dying. I think that sounds pretty good, on the whole!

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1 A sword with an extremely short blade, yet weighted to give the correct feeling of weight and balance of a real sword – very useful for training indoors with low ceilings! http://www.mblades.com/swing/

2 Charles Roworth; Ben Kerr and Keith Farrell (eds.). The Art of Defence on Foot, 1798. Glasgow: Fallen Rook Publishing, October 2014.

3 B. Ann Tlusty. The Martial Ethic in Early Modern Germany: Civic Duty and the Right of Arms. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, 2011.

4 D.A. Kinsley. Swordsmen of the British Empire. 1st ed. British Sword Fighters series, part 3. Lulu, April 2013.

5 Donald McBane; Ben Kerr (ed.). The Expert Sword-Man’s Companion, 1728. Glasgow: Fallen Rook Publishing, January 2015.

6 Keith Farrell (ed.). Memoirs of Serjeant Donald Macleod, 1791. Glasgow: Fallen Rook Publishing, May 2016.

7 “Hans Talhoffer: A Historical Martial Arts Blog by Jens P. Kleinau.” https://talhoffer.wordpress.com/category/a-life-like-that-of-talhoffer/

8 “IGX 2015 Lecture: Training Fundamentals, by Keith Farrell.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=voc_Txu7fYM

9 Keith Farrell. “What is HEMA to me?” Encased in Steel, 10th June 2016. http://www.encasedinsteel.co.uk/2016/06/10/what-is-hema-to-me/

10 Questions With Al Peasland

The Combative Corner is pleased to present self-protection instructor-extraordinaire, Mr. Al Peasland.   Al runs Complete Self-Protection in Milton Keynes and in the words of his mentor, the legendary Geoff Thompson, he’s “the most experienced instructor in Real Combat System and is one of the leading exponents and teachers of ‘The Fence’ in the world today.”  After recording a wonderful, hour-plus video interview & later found that the audio had glitches, Al was kind enough to put this interview (for the 2nd time) into words.  We thank you and our readers thank you!  Now, get to know the Man of the Hour… Mr. Al Peasland.

How did you get your start in teaching self-protection?

Well, I’ve been teaching martial arts in general for many years. Even when I was starting out and probably only 4 or 5 years into my Karate training under Geoff Thompson, I was helping to teach the weekly classes, especially when Geoff was away teaching seminars.  It was a great experience for me to jump into a teaching role at a young age.  More recently, Mick Tully and I decided to start up some weekly classes in Coventry and later in Milton Keynes. I had already written my Fence Concepts book and filmed the DVD with the help of Mick, and launched Complete Self Protection as the overseeing company, so it made sense for us to get a regular base from which to share our joint knowledge.
The self protection element of what we teach is actually only a small part. I am a big believer in studying the full art and then extracting the “self protection” aspects from that, rather than just learning those aspects in isolation.
After all, if all you do is study realistic and functional techniques for a street confrontation, you will have a very small syllabus, and will very quickly have to start guilding the lilly and ultimately, you’ll end up studying the “art” again, just branded as something “reality based.”  Having said all that. For me, the reason behind the CSP name was the first word of COMPLETE. Self Protection is not just about a fight on the street and should encompass all aspects of personal security, well being, confidence, emotional protection, the list goes on.  When we start to embrace this aspect, then ALL of our martial arts training can start to have a positive impact on our personal security, regardless of it’s “street effectiveness”.
In what way did your work with Geoff Thompson direct/inspire what you are doing today?
Geoff is my brother-in-law, my mentor, and probably one of my biggest influences.  Lets not forget that I met Geoff when I was 12 years old and just starting to go through some of my most formative years into adulthood.
At this time I was training 5 times per week with Geoff in the Karate classes and then, later, on a daily basis with Geoff as his private Uke.  I have been close by, whilst Geoff went through his biggest journeys of leaving the Doors, touring the country and the world teaching seminars, bringing Reality into self defence training and making it very topical and forging a way for all the other reality based instructors to follow.  Seeing Geoff chase his own dreams, getting his first book published, taking massively brave steps and facing his own fears and demons, all gave me the building blocks to do the same things.  It’s not about following the same path though, just using the same strategies and approaches.
What Geoff taught to me and the rest of our group, and packaged it as Real Combat, what works outside, I then tested for myself on the doors of Coventry.  Yes, I did follow Geoff’s footsteps on this one and Geoff actually gave me the platform, the necessary introductions and the right encouragement to do this.  I would have happily taken his word for it that what he taught me worked for real, but it was more about the fear and the test for me, not proving out techniques.
Geoff has definitely shaped me in terms of some of the material I teach, but I also have other big influences in my life now from the martial arts world.  Number one is Terry Barnett. My instructor in Integrated Arts, and someone who I have been privileged to train with in his private group for several years.  Mick made the introductions and it was simply the best gift he could have given me.  Terry has changed my game again, and certainly changed the way I teach and deliver my material, and also the way I now approach my training.  Rick Faye is another very large influence now and Mick’s own JKD instructor.  John Will – recently been very supportive.

Personally, what has been your biggest obstacles as an instructor?
A few things.  One is finding the time to train as much as I know I need to in order to be a good instructor.  For me, I believe, the more classes you teach, the more you need to train and continue to grow. As an instructor, you should lead by example and always remain a student as well.  I’ve also had to make sure that I set out my stall and have faith that, sometimes what I teach may not appeal to everyone, but that’s not a reason to change or offer something more palatable to the masses.  I think the other big obstacle is being able to market what I teach.  I have really struggled with being the humble martial artist whilst at the same time, being the businessman to market CSP and publicise how great we are.  I may have also been pigeonholed as the “Reality Based” instructor who teaches only the stuff that works outside and this is most definitely not the case, as I mentioned earlier.  Those who know me, know that I am always self deprecating and quite ready to tell everyone that i don’t believe I am anything special in martial arts.  So being prepared to look bad in front of my class is never a big obstacle, however, this is a great time to share something with you that I remember Rick Faye saying to the class, the first time I trained with him.
He said, as a martial arts instructor, it’s your job to teach everything you know of the arts, and not just the stuff you look good doing.  Because, just because you are not good at something, doesn’t mean your students can’t be. In addition, if you only teach a small percentage of the arts, and your students can only make a percentage of that work – gradually, the arts spirals smaller and smaller, when it should grow and grow.

What do you enjoy most about what you do?
Obviously, being able to train and enjoy something I am passionate about, but then, Martial Arts is part of my life and not just something I Do, so that kind of goes without saying.  I enjoy the family feel we have in our classes and the wonderful people this crazy hobby has allowed me to meet and become friends with.  I’ve met and continue to meet, some of the most interesting, wildly diverse, unique, inspirational and beautiful people through my pursuit of martial arts.
I don’t know many other past-times where you would get such a diverse collection of people, all of whom become leveled when they put on their gi, or step onto the mat. It’s a privilege to be a small part of this and then, to top it all off, to have a small amount to contribute and offer to these people, is an honour.  I also enjoy the process of learning, the testing and the stretching my abilities and skill-set. I enjoy being the student and learning. I really love the thought that there will always be something new to learn, something new to study and something new to grow a deeper understanding of. And this is just stuff within me, we haven’t even started talking about the stuff I can learn physically.
In self-protection, how do you go about training the ladies? (anything you do differently)
Not especially, no.  I am a firm believer that women should be taught the same as men in all classes, with the exception of taking weight and strength differences into account in certain aspects of the session.  Ultimately, if we’re teaching a session on “self defence” then it makes sense that the women in the class are able to handle and familiar with working with larger, stronger, men.  However, I think it’s also important to be sensitive to the needs of all students, not just the females in the group, and by that I mean, taking into account any emotions that may be a factor.  For example, having a woman in the group who’s possibly been attacked or beaten in the past, it would be insensitive to immediately ask that woman to drill some groundfighting with other men in the group.  In terms of technique though, no – there should be no difference.  How a woman should punch, slap, or strike to generate power is no difference to how a man should do it – so they both get taught the same.
What (in your opinion) is something that is greatly overlooked in our profession?
Hmmm, this is a tricky one because, the nature of this subject means there is probably a lot of stuff that I have overlooked and will not be aware of – we’re all human after all.  Some things I do see that concerns me are the lack of etiquette in some Reality Based groups.  I was brought up and weaned on traditional martial arts and dojo etiquette was a major part of that.  I believe it’s this discipline, which leads to self discipline that can shape the martial artist. There seems to be some of this lacking in the classes which teach only MMA or Reality Based styles as they have dropped alot of the formalities and etiquette in order to spend more time training.
For example, I no longer wear a gi in any of my CSP classes, although I still do for my Judo training of course. But, I do still expect everyone to bow when they walk onto the mat. I hate to see people abusing equipment and throwing their gloves or pads around when they have finished their rounds. – just a pet hate of mine!
I also think that instructor fitness is overlooked a great deal. The idea of a “master” being out of shape and out of condition, does concern me.  Unless there is a very good reason, I don’t believe any instructor should use the fact that “fights only usually last for a few seconds” as a reason not to be in shape!  I only have to look around me at the likes of Dan Inosanto, Peter Consterdine, Terry Barnett, John Will, to name but a few, world class instructors who are all still impressively fit, active and probably still training alot harder than their students do, to know that, there is no excuse to be out of shape!
In a reality based type training, I also think the “reality” bit is sometimes overlooked. By this I mean, we attend classes where techniques to disarm knife or firearm wielding assailants are taught, without much thought to the actual reality that the student is living in.  As Mick so eloquently puts it. If you work in Macdonalds, you don’t have to train as if you’re going to be working on “Black-Ops” every day.  We need to put some perspective back into what reality actually is and then shape our training to better prepare ourselves for that, rather than just teach the stuff which looks great.
Many people neglect the art of Verbal Communication with their attacker? How do you feel about this skillset?
Yes, you are right. This is massively overlooked.  Even when I see The Fence being taught, it is something that seems to be thrown in as an after-thought.  Verbal communication doesn’t just mean, chatting to them to try to diffuse the situation. It can be using your voice in various manners to illicit prescribed responses from your attacker.  From being calm and confident, or assertive and instructive, or aggressive and threatening. Your voice is probably your most powerful weapon when it comes to self defence.  When we teach the Fence, we include the distracting dialogue to ask the attacker a question, engage the brain and then, if we have no other option, launch our pre-emptive strike.  The key is, there needs to be a slight pause between asking the question and throwing the strike – to give the attacker time to register and begin processing the question.  Unless we drill this question-pause-strike, combination in this sequence, and with the same timing we intend to use in the real situation, it is sadly quite likely to fail.  With the addition of fear, adrenalin, and the high stress of such a situation, the chance of being able to calmly and rationally deliver the question, then pause, then strike, is going to be highly unlikely, unless it has been drilled and drilled many many times in the comfort and safety of the gym.  This applies to any technique. We simply cannot expect it to work in the heat of battle if we haven’t trained it to death in the gym. Verbal techniques are no different.
What your thoughts about fitness, playing different sports, and it’s ability (if any?) in helping you become a better martial artist?

As I eluded to earlier, the more you teach, the more important I think fitness becomes.  Sure, I don’t plan on getting into the cage any time soon, so I don’t exactly have to be fight-fit. But, training should be about longevity, heath, and enabling you to enjoy a safer and more fulfilling life. Health, fitness and well-being are a major part of that.  So my martial arts should include fitness, flexibility and all those good things.  If nothing else, the fitter I am, the longer I can train, which means the more I can drill techniques before I tire. This in turn means I can progress more quickly.  Cross training, for me, should include everything and not just adding something like Judo to your martial arts repertoire.  I often hear of instructors not wishing their students to train elsewhere, or study other arts. Mostly, I assume, through their own insecurities. But would those instructors worry if their student said they were also training in tennis or golf?  Both of which can offer great benefits to their overall martial arts game.  All sports offer something of benefit to your martial arts. Whether it be greater flexibility, fitness, balance, posture. Or improved body awareness for body mechanics and structure. It could even be a better internal understanding, the ability to concentrate and study deeper.
The key, for me, is doing something that you enjoy. Because, to be good at anything you need to practice it alot, and so, it makes sense to spend all that time doing something you actually enjoy.
Are there any special training exercise(s) that you think is an “absolute MUST” in self-protection training?
Relaxation drills.  For me, being able to hit hard is the fundamental requirement of physical personal security.  Power comes from relaxation and being able to hit accurately, quickly/explosively and this all comes from relaxation.  I am a puncher, it’s something I’ve done for years and so, it’s natural for me to punch rather than slap or palm heel or hammerfist, for example.
One drill I like to do, for anyone wishing to improve their punching power, is to have the students alternately slap, then punch, then slap, then punch.  The reason for this is to blend the relaxation that comes with a slapping technique, with the extra penetration and hardness of a punch.  As Dave Hazzard says, “a punch should be like a lump of concrete on the end of a piece of string, not a marsh mellow on the end of a stick.”  Only the hand should be clenched, the rest of the arm should be relaxed to allow the technique, the mechanics and the power to flow rather than tension which only restricts and holds power back.  However, more important that all of the physical training – the one thing I ask any students of self defence seminars to do is to practice Awareness  All too often, self defence instructors, when asked, will say the most important thing is Awareness. Then immediately go on to start teaching student’s punches, strikes and how to throw people over their shoulders.
So I like to spend more time and actually TEACH Awareness drills.
In one of our Roundtable Discussions, we asked our panel “What’s your New Year’s Resolution(s)? Do you make them, and if so, what are you goals for 2011?
This years resolution was not to make any new years resolutions. I guess I’ve broken so many in the past that I’ve given up now.  However, goals for 2011 are already coming to fruition.  We intended to move venues in Milton Keynes in order to expand our classes, and this is now happening.  We’ve been busy running lots of seminars and now my second half of the year I am actively slowing this side of the business down as I know it has taken time away from my wife Lou and my friends and family, who are all far more important to me than a business.  I do have more plans for more products in the second half of the year, new websites, more seminars and lots more exciting stuff to come.
I also intend to study Judo more and hopefully grade and possibly enter a few competitions, but nothing too heavy.

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BONUS QUESTION

OUT OF ALL THE ATHLETES AND FILM STARS OUT THERE (LIVING OR DEAD)…NAME YOUR TOP 3 !!!
I could name alot of boxers who have all inspired me, but Muhammad Ali has to be the top of the list – I think that one speaks for itself – Sir Henry Cooper who sadly passed away – for his sportsmanship and attitude
I have always been a fan of those athletes who perform extreme challenges, and the most obvious one for me is Sir Ranulph Fienes. I’d love to meet him, and I think his exploits, his courage and his incredible life journey is one to be inspired by.
More recently, I have been enjoying following James Cracknell’s challenges. He’s a living demonstration of just what we can all achieve if we really set our minds to it. Some of the pressures he’s able to put himself under, when most of us would have given in long before, are simply amazing and we can all draw confidence and motivation from his achievements.
I tend not to be in awe of film stars as I think they are just people doing a job they love, and probably get far more press than other professionals at the top of their respective games.
However, I really like Sean Connery, both for the fact that he has come from humble beginnings and made his way to the absolute top, and also for the fact that he can play pretty much any character from any country and still get away with having his Scottish accent.
Lou suggested I should put down Tom Cruise as he is quite versatile and still steps up to the plate to do alot of his own stunts.  I know he is also very generous with his time when he’s doing the red carpet events, talking to fans, etc.  I also like Mila Kunis, a great actress, oh yeah….. she’s also hot.

FIN.

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Erle Montaigue: Remembering a Legend

No artist-teacher, in these early days of The CombativeCorner, garnered more inquiry than did Erle Montaigue.  It was with both shock and sadness that when I approached his son, Eli on January 26th to see if his father would be keen on doing a 10 question interview with us, that I would read the words, “You’re a day late… we lost him yesterday afternoon.”  Erle was a monumental fixture to many martial artists over the years for his lively, and thoughtful teachings of the internal arts.  In 1979, Erle burst on the scene with books, articles and videos and introducing people to something that many people became fascinated over, ‘Dim Mak’ (translated: The Touch of Death).  Erle, from his earliest days, was an honest and giving teacher and one that felt that it was important for serious students of the martial arts know the inner sanctum of its teachings, and not get washed away with the hype and mysticism that so many people place on the internal arts.

What was to be a “10 Question with Erle Montaigue” is now something completely ‘different.’ Which is probably how Erle would have liked it.  In this article I hope to both introduce Erle (to those who do not yet know him), and to ‘stroke the embers’ of Erle’s teachings so that we do not lose sight on what’s important.  For more articles on Erle, his articles, books & dvds, music and more, please click on the above image.  For more information on Erle’s second passion, music, click the link –here-.  A friend of mine did an article on Erle in his blog, Nagual Time (“The Real Deal“).

So, without further ado… some ‘snip-its’ from the writings of the “Bad Rock Musician of Neigong.”  You will be missed but never forgotten sir!

Friends, students and family of Mr. Erle Montaigue – we’d love to hear about your experiences with Erle.  Please use the comment box below and tell us all just what impact he had on you.

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Are shortened-forms bad for you?

The main aim in our Tai Chi practice is to try to emulate the internal flow of energy with a set of natural movements. So we do a posture that works upon the Colon, then we do a movement that works upon the Lung etc. So if we change these postures around, and our movement is linked to our internal Qi/energy, we will upset that balance because our movement is no longer flowing from one organ to the next. And we then become ill over time, allowing external pathogens into the body because we no longer have protections.

(read full article: here )

Are the internal arts meant to be soft?

There really aren’t any translatable words for ‘soft’ and ‘relax’ in Chinese. Both of these words need a sentence or two, in order to say what they old masters really meant. And you must also take in to consideration that when the old masters spoke about Tai Chi ch’uan for instance, they weren’t only talking about the slow form but rather the whole shebang of training methods that are present in all internal systems. What most ‘masters’ only ever teach and actually know are the initial basic beginner’s forms and when we stick the two words ‘soft’ and ‘relax’ over the initial basic forms, and especially if those masters then teach that those forms are used for self defence, you get a somewhat different view of what the old masters actually meant!

(read full article: here )

What do you think about the practice of Fa-jing?

Fa-jing is the motor of tai chi, it is what makes it go and is the reason that tai chi’s translation hold the lofty name of “Supreme Ultimate Fighting or Fist”. The Yang tai chi form that Doc-Fai Wong (regarding an article from Kungfu Magazine July 2004)  mentions not having fa-jing is only the very beginner’s form where one learns about balance and timing and begins to get his or her internal workings in harmony with the external movement. This is of course essential to any healing or self defence art. As one progresses, slowly, the fa-jing is introduced teaching the student that they have great power locked within their body that can be accessed with this fa-jing or “explosive energy”. If a student were to practice fa-jing too early, they might cause damage to their skeletal structure unless they have been doing some other martial system where their body is used to rigorous movement.

(read full article: here)

How do you get your Qi to sink?

The trick to getting the Qi to do what you want it to (to SINK) lies hidden in a phrase that I always remember, told to me by one of my teachers way back. In fact it was one of the very first things he told to me, thus: “Qi is like a shy girl; she looks at you from behind a tree when you are not looking and you see her out of the corner of your eye and she disappears. Then you TRY to see her every day after without success until you are not trying and then swhe will appear again when you least expect it.”

And this is the total secret to your advancement and understanding of your Tai Chi practice. Simply DO IT! No silly mind games, no thinking low, or I must sink my qi, no thinking of honey rolling down your body etc., or the many other games that we are told to play as these are all CONSCIOUS thought and another important classic saying that I was told way back was that: “Conscious thought will block the Qi”.

(read full article: here )

Is there Pushing in Pushing Hands?

When I first began my training in Taijiquan, I too was impressed with masters who could push people several feet away. I trained and trained until I too could do this. But my first real confrontation in the street showed me that I had been wasting my time and had to revert back to what I had previously known in order to defend myself! I then began investigating real Taijiquan rather than giving it up altogether and I am thankful that I did not give up as I met my main teacher who did not teach any pushing during push hands, he only struck!

I would ask why he struck me (rather hard) from such short distances as I would find it almost impossible to defend. His answer was that fighting happened HERE (in my face) and that if I could almost defend myself against his close attacks, then I would have no problem in the street.

(read full article: here)

What do you do about the Taiji ‘Doldrums’?

The (taijiquan) form causes us to feel good, so good in fact that there comes a time when we begin to slow our practice until we are not doing any practice at all! The good feeling lasts a little longer so that we then make excuses for not practicing as it is after all time consuming and take some effort, especially in the early mornings. One great excuse is that how can this set of physical movements help me in any way. Surely it is just a lie or some invention by someone to make some money! So even the masters begin to doubt whether Taijiquan is actually able to help and put it down to just the simple exercise that it brings to the body. So, some take up walking or swimming as a substitute and this works for a time.

However, over time, the body and especially the mind slips right back into normal Western living patterns where we become depressed, drink lots of coffee (as a substitute for Taijiquan as it makes us feel good) which causes the depression to worsen. Eventually, life is just not good anymore, especially if you are over around 45. Everything seems like there is no purpose and we become just like everyone else on the planet with the same depression diseases!

…Once you know that it is the Taijiquan alone that is healing you, you will then practice every day no matter how great you feel as you will realise that it is this simple set of movements that is causing you to be in this great area of health and well-being.

(read full article: here )

How ‘intense’ should Taijiquan be?

Probably, like just about 90 percent of the western martial “arts” community, you will be contemplating on words like, peaceful, running brooks, soft music, ballet, yoga, calm, Taoism philosophy, non-violence. If those words did come to mind, then you, again like most of the western martial arts world would be dead wrong.

Sure, Taijiquan has the above aspects simply because the body must be relaxed, or as the Chinese put it, in a state of sung, but for the most part, Taiji is a very violent martial art. In fact, I always tell people when they are looking for a Taiji class, to look for violence in that class. If it is not there in the advanced classes, then leave that class.

(read full article: here )

Can anyone learn the Dim-Mak (or Death Touch)?

Anyone is able to learn the very basic Dim-Mak strikes and make them work. We in the original Dim-mak arts such as Taijiquan call these strikes, the “Children’s Strikes”, those that are taught to children so that they can protect themselves very quickly not requiring any real training or power. These strikes include those to the back of the head using an open palm slap, those to the ST 9 point (carotid sinus) which works upon the physiology of the body to maintain a relatively even blood pressure. When struck, this point, which is located directly over the carotid sinus, causes the brain to think that extremely high blood pressure is present so it sends a message to the brain which in turn sends a message to the heart via the vagus nerve to either slow right down or to even stop! This is how this strike works. And literally, ANYONE can do it on a ‘sitting duck’, those who make themselves available in seminars for instance, to a teacher who thinks nothing of damaging those students just for a boost to his own ego. There are however, many other points on the body that also act to lower the blood pressure like those associated with the gallbladder, intestines and the urethra. The stomach for instance has nerve endings in the lower part of the stomach coming from the vagus nerve which when struck also cause the knock out from a sudden lowering of blood pressure and heart slowing.
Those strikes to the back of the head using an open palm shock the brain when even light pressure is used, often causing a knock out. Strikes to the back of the neck will also cause the ‘easy’ knock outs by the action upon the ‘brain stem’ or reptile brain when it is kinked. This is a medical fact that when the brain stem is kinked, the brain goes into knock out.

(read full article: here )

What role does the mind play in performing Gung-fu?

Imagine that you are holding a big yellow juicy lemon in your hand. You must SEE the lemon in your mind’s eye, you must feel the waxy texture and that little lump at the end. Take a big knife and cut the lemon holding one half up to your mouth and squeeze the juice into your open mouth.

What happened? Your mouth produced saliva didn’t it. You really didn’t have a lemon, you were only imagining it. Your mind however, still caused your body to do what it would have done had you a real lemon!

It is the same with the martial arts. When we practice our forms or katas, we imagine the opponent in front of us. Provided that you have a good imagination, your sub-conscious mid will be doing all of those self-defence applications as you go through your forms. The good thing is however, that you do not have to imagine the applications every time you practice. Only once or twice do you have to be told what the applications are and only once or twice do you have to go through the whole form imagining that you are performing those applications. After that, those movements go into your ‘long term’ memory and you no longer have to think about them, they will just happen sub-consciously. IT does not take long for a ‘short term’ memory to become long term.

(read full article:  here)

What do you think of teachers that teach you how to knock someone out?

Even the proverbial little old lady is capable of knocking someone out after being shown how and where to strike. But put her in to a situation where she has to defend herself and she will of course not be able to use her newly found knock out methods.

No one is able to knock someone out who does not wish to be knocked out. One of the first things I tell people at my seminars is to ask if anyone would like to try to knock me out. Of course they expect me to just stand there and allow them to strike me. I do not do this and of course they are unable to even get close enough to touch me let alone knock me out.

Now this is nothing special as I have known experienced kick boxers who have challenged some of the better known knock out specialists to KO them when they are simply covering up as they would normally do in a match. The ‘expert’ was in all instances unable to get anywhere near the recipient. For this you have to have the ‘opening techniques’ using fa-jing or explosive energy.

My advice is always find out what you are going to be taught at any knock out seminar. If you are only going to be taught what points to strike, then do not waste your money. If however, you are going to be taught HOW to knock out a good fighter who is not allowing you to do so, then go. And in my years as a self-defence instructor, I have never come across anyone who was able to show exactly how to knock someone out who was not a willing subject. You might as well go to a physiology lesson with a good doctor and learn about the carotid sinus and other points on the human body which will cause the recipient to be knocked out when struck.

(read full article:  here )

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