Become the Ghost

Every year at Halloween we have some special training, based on very serious black belt studies. It is how to disappear before an attacker. Not by magic, but based on the principle most attackers believe they know where you are, and because they know where you are, they aren’t really looking at you. So you move to where they are not looking and disappear before their eyes.

In ancient Japanese legends there are stories that Goblins taught these techniques to ancient warriors. They are called ‘Tengu Ashi’ which translates into ‘Goblin Steps’ or translated into more modern English “Ghost Techniques”.

While today Okinawa is part of Japan, not so in the distant past, yet part of karate is based on the same principles.

As I mentioned this is a very serious Black Belt study, but we are going to look at the first steps tonight.

Ghost Techniques or How Not To Be There.

For this practice each attack the attacker steps forward with their right foot and throws a right punch at your center line.

1. The first Ghost Technique involves stepping back from an attack.

Right foot steps back with a crescent step, avoiding the strike.

2. The second Ghost Technique involves side stepping from an attack.

Step to the left side with your left foot, Slide your right foot over and parry with your right hand sweeping right, your left hand held at your solar plexus.

Step to the right side with your right foot. Slide your left foot over and parry with your left hand sweeping left, your right hand held at your solar plexus.

3. The third Ghost Technique involves stepping away with a surprise technique and walking away.

Step with the left foot ot 45 degrees left (away from the strike), spin counter-clockwise with your right foot, then walk away on the diagonal line.

Of course if there is time, you can practice doing this to the right, using mirror image of the first technique.

4. The final Ghost Technique involved stepping forward outside the attack, then stepping forward with the other foot and spinning so you are behind the attacker.

a. Then you can Moon Walk away from them, and avoid conflict.

b. Or if tightly done, end up behind them to counter their attack from the superior position.

Step forward with the left foot (as close to their strike as possible), then crescent step forward with your right foot (placing it behind their position), spin clockwise with your left foot to end up behind their back.

This can be done paired, to work on the movement and to work towards increasing speed, After the spin movement, both people slap hands together. It almost becomes a duel to see who can do it faster, Using the slap to strike their body instead of their hands where both are using the same speed,

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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.

This is the season of the Ghost technique.

I find our true worth rests with our friends. My closest friend is Ernie
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 Ernie'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 foucs of the opponents attack (a somewhat similar concept is
contained within Ernie Rothrocks form "Lung Lek Kuen - Supple Dragon"). They
attack where you are, but as you are no longer there, they 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 Flow 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". Pae 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 feet, 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 Tom Stoppard's "Rosencrantz and Guilderstern are Dead"

"Rosenâ€¦..Guilderâ€¦.. Well, now you see me and now you â€¦â€¦â€¦â€¦.."