Remaining Aware

 

 

 

Once upon a time I was teaching a seminar at a summer camp for a martial arts group.

 

I was presenting a mixed bag of applications from several arts, among them several empty hand uses for the Bando Short Stick form I taught. Additionally I covered a group of uses for several t’ai chi techniques.

 

The last one was a demonstration of the use within the Yang T’ai Chi Pull Back.

I explained it in great detail then showed it use.

 

When I concluded a young man from a different martial tradition challenged that I could not drop him with that technique.

 

He had just joined the US Marines and was home on leave. He was about 6’6”, taller than I was and he was in quite good shape.

 

So I accepted his challenge and asked him to step is with a vigorous strike towards my face.

 

He did so and I slam dunked him.

 

He had not paid attention to what I explained was within that movement.

 

As he started punching toward me, I simply stepped toward him and delivered a finger tip strike to his face, that stopped him cold. Then I stepped forward and executed the sequence I had demonstrated putting him down with control present.

 

As he got up I reminded him of what I had said, “Remember Snakes bite. “

 

His mistake was assuming what he saw and not listening to my description of what was taking place.

 

Unfortunate for him, I did remember what I said.

 

Another example.

 

 

One time I had 3 friends join my program. They had not been training long, but as I always kept my adult program members continually off guard, this evening I was showing how a striking potential from Aikido worked.

 

I had covered the technique in great detail. Not leaving anything out.

 

I did not expect they would retain what they were shown, more done to keep their minds alive than anything. I never wanted them to believe they could anticipate what was happening in class.

 

After class was finished, they went on the wrestling mats to continue to train.

 

One of them had fairly received brown belts in 3 arts. But because of life’s moves was unable to stay in place to complete training to black belt.

 

What I observed was he was demonstrating his jumping spinning crescent kicks toward them, and they far less skilled were always backing away.

 

So I approached them and suggested I they had been paying attention to what I had been showing them that night, they could readily stop his attack and put him down.

 

As beginners they were in disbelief at what I told them. The individual throwing those kicks even more.

So I suggested why don’t you come at me with those kicks and see what I mean.

 

He took up my challenge and began coming at me with his jumping spinning crescent kick.

 

He expected I would stay there, unfortunately I stepped into his attack and as he rotated with his kicks, my right hand struck out delivering an atemi flow strike into his trachea.

 

The result of which caused him to fly back away from that strike. Into the wall and then to slide down.

 

I made my point it was what they had been shown that night.

 

I guess you could say, once again the snake bites.

 

The lesson is not that I can make what I choose to work, it is the student must pay attention to what they were shown. Believe in it and of course practice, practice and practice.