Season of the Ghost First you see him (or her) then you don't as the Ghost disappears before your eyes. The days grow shorter, daylight too disappears before our eyes.
10-26-2001
This is the season of the Ghost technique.
I find our true worth rests with our friends. My closest friend is Ernest Rothrock a martial artists who resides outside of Pittsburgh, Penna. We all walk many paths, his represent an incredible number of studies. I've been fortunate that he is my instructor as well as my friend. As students go I'm certainly one of the least he's trained. But as a friend he has shown me depths I would have never found without his guidance.
One of the most fascinating concepts which I've been exposed to from our friendship is that of the Ghost technique. The ability to disappear in plain sight of your enemies. This can become true magic.
Now it didn't happen because he took me aside and drilled me in the secrets. In fact, I did it the old fashioned way (a la 'Five Fingers of Death'). Several decades ago he trusted me with a copy of an advanced manual for his senior students. The 'Fire Dragon Martial Arts Advanced Training Manuel', and therein was a page describing Ghost Techniques.
I was training in a variety of Chinese Forms from many differing systems in order to obtain an overview of the Chinese Martial Arts. This was in addition to my Yang Tai Chi Chaun studies with him. We did discuss some of the concepts of that manual, but as with many texts, it went on my self and sat for quite a few years.
I came to understand the basic concept of the Ghost Technique. In my words, you are using the focused awareness of your attacker to his or her disadvantage. The attacker attacks you where they know you are. Unless highly trained themselves, that focused knowledge can work against them if you shift away from where they 'know' you are so you aren't there.
No, its not magic, in fact I'm sure most of you have studies which parallel that training. In Japanese terminology it's the use of Tai Sabaki (body shifting) to evade the attacker.
Well one evening after I had moved to New Hampshire I was moved to review Ernie's manual. I started working through the techniques descriptions in my head, and decided that I should give this a try the next class. I decided on what I would try ( and it wasn't exactly as his manual described), and the next class I had a student attack me with a punch. He attacked, I moved and shifted and before he stopped moving I was standing 15 feet behind him. The rest of the group was falling down laughing from the expression on his face asking 'where did he go?', for as far as he was concerned I had disappeared, right in front of him.
Focused awareness is an interesting thing. Trevor Legett in his fascinating study "Zen and the Ways", describes the concept of Isshin (focused awareness) and Zanshin (wider awareness). [Forgive my very short description.] The perfect martial artists (IMVHO) would have both at the same time. Isshin focusing on the immediate task, and Zanshin to focus on the wider picture, too.
The funny thing, most attackers aren't that well trained, and their focus on you as the object of the attack, can be used with Ghost Techniques against them.
Once I understood Ernest's concept, I began to find examples everywhere. When I had a course in wrestling in college, I had learned to pull a whizzer, and spin out and away from someone riding me. A ghost technique.
Tris Sutrisno, in one of our early training sessions, used a technique against a punch (or a grab) of just moving slightly back, to be a hair away from the focus of the opponents attack (a somewhat similar concept is contained within Ernest Rothrock's form "Lung Lek Kuen - Supple Dragon"). They attack where you are, but as you are no longer there, then shift slightly forward into the space you created, and that creates an opening to be utilized. Heck I forgot, the same concept is found within the opening section of the Yang 2 person set demonstrated by Dr. Yang Jwing-Ming in his 2nd volume of Advanced Tai Chi. There, against an attack, you simply step back creating a void that pulls the attacker into the opening, creating the opening for your counter attack.
An attacker rushes you. Your response is to step aside and counter with an Isshinryu squat kick into their abdomen. They rush where you are, you sidestep out of their awareness, the ghost technique, and you respond by kicking into their entry into that void.
Of course, these are but several basic choices available to the Ghost.
Take the turning potential in kata, such as Chinto, Kusanku or Seipai to name a few, and use that turning to evade, control or set up the opponent. That is the beginning of advanced ghost techniques. I can give some other hints.
You might consider how the application of the evasions of Aikido techniques represent the Ghost. Correct entry into the Heaven and Earth Thlow against an attack is among the highest levels of Ghost Technique.
If you have M. Nakayama's Best Karate Series Volume 3, Kumite I, check out page 114 for penetrating tai sabaki.
Of course the highest level I personally experienced, was when Tris Sutrisno disappeared before my eyes when I was trying to strike him. His response was to stand on my shoulders, before I finished moving forward, jump off with a flip side technique to my face and land with a grin. Personally that was one of the true scary moments I've faced in my life, for I had no idea how he got up there, and None of his Black Belts in attendance watching the whole thing, understood how he did it either. Full disappearance before everybody. [I'm sure I'll live to regret mentioning this again, most likely giving Ernie some idea of trying something else new on me. Would that I could disappear myself
when needed.]
In many senses this might be among the highest level of our arts. It makes more sense not to be there when attacked, than to be the toughest monkey on the block.
I don't think I've ever asked Ernie where the term Ghost Technique came from. I've often wondered whether it was related to the Ninjutsu techniques of Tengu Ashi (Demon Steps) where at least the concepts of the names sound similar to me.
I don't think I'll be any more open about these techniques at this time. Certainly I wouldn't give out Ernie's own as that is his right. And my own studies, well I'm getting older, slower and creaking. I've got to keep something up my sleeve, at least for now.
What I will do is close with a similar concept from "The Sword & the Mind, translated with an introduction and notes by Hirotaki Sati. This comes from the Heiho Kaiden Sho (Family Transmitted ook on Swordsmanship) from the 1500's and the 1600's of Japan. There in there is a section of scrolls titled "The Goblin's Selection: Eight in All". Page 43.
"Tehiki (also know as Eiibo): Entrapment
When parrying appears to be leading nowhere, feign sudden withdrawal by lowering your fists. The moment the opponent takes the bait and strikes at your fists, quickly reverse the positions of your f eet , forward and backward, jerk your fists to the right to dodge the coming blow, and strike to his fists."
Yet another vision of the Goblin or Ghost .
To close from the play of Tom Stoppard, " Rosencrantz and Guilderstern are Dead " .
" Rosenâ ¬ ¦ . . Guilderâ ¬ ¦ . . Well, now you see me and now you ..... "
Victor Smith
Bushi No Te Isshinryu
Date: Tue Oct 31, 2000 10:20 am
Subject: RE: [bunkai_unlimited] Season of the Ghost - errrr dragon ?
Greetings - all, Victor San,
Last night while training I was given a double complement by one of the Goju black belts I train with, this related to your disappearing post (It will take a minute to set this up). We were practicing the bunkai of Kakuha-sho (created by Seikichi Toguchi sensei), this is done in one continuous drill between two people, alternating Uke and Tori. At the end of the form is the same movement that is at the end of Seiunchin kata, (cat stance, circle the arms up and drop the elbows down and then outward) rather than use this as a defense for a lapel grab we use it as a defense for a double leopard paw strike (like Ippon ken but done with all four knuckles, (someone have a better term for this ?)) to the ribs,(or better yet just below the breast nipples),
This is the same movement that we use in Saifa kata (instead of the double punch, just before the low circular hammer fist strike into open palm),
Anyway, this is the end of the form so we generally improvise
the finishing movement, As the double leopard paw strike came in I retreated in a cat stance dropped both elbows downward and separated his strikes, then circled my hands to the outside, pushed his right arm up and across his body, ducked under is arm (and struck his ribs on the way through) and passed him turning 180 degrees and ended up behind him, stomp kicked his leg and grabbed his face from behind (gentle like).
He said "You have the spirit of the dragon in you", Being a Isshinryu practitioner this was more of a complement then he knew, (I view IR as Tatsuos style) what he was actually referring to is the ability (or characteristic ) of the dragon which allows it to appear and disappear at will, he said that I just disappeared and it surprised him, when I attacked from behind him. This fit right in with previous posts.
Question is do dragon style techniques really exhibit this type of characteristics ? Is it a part of the nature of the movement is what I'm asking. anyone have a comment ?
I think this movement worked for me because he is larger then me, 5-6 inches taller, a weight lifter with a lot of muscle mass. when I lowered my stance , moved closer and pushed his arm near his shoulder upward, I completely disappeared from his normal range of vision,by the time he figured out where I went it would have been to late . (another great use for a quick turn and kick in kata , passing the opponent and attacking from the rear, which I seldom think of while solo practicing).
nice r.t. ^..^
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