I made a New Year's resolution to write more about my experiences teaching and training, and though I teach both Bagua (and to a lesser extent the whole Yizong family of arts including Chen Pan Ling Tai Ji and Hsing-I) and Eskrima, I tend to write about the VCKE of Sonny Umpad.
Bagua has a teaching method that is very organized, and has a huge repertoire of forms, drills and fighting applications to work on. It also has a strong lineage and a history of over 150 years (Some would say 1000s of years).
As a counterpoint ... as I may have mentioned once or twice .... the Maestro left no 'system' as such (though there is plenty of history and tradition behind it) and was adamant that he was not teaching us, he was showing us what he did. He said that it was then up to us to take what we had learned, make it ours, and pass that on, and I guess this means that I have much more thinking about what I do in Eskrima, than in the structured setting of Bagua, and hence find more to write about.
For those who do not know much about Bagua, it is a beautiful art with a great understanding of human anatomy and physiology, relative movement, and physics, and it trains control of both mind and the body with as much focus on staying healthy as on breaking people.
I do Bagua because the movement and the core concept of continual change makes sense to me, Eskrima too. I feel good after I workout, both physically and mentally, and perhaps that is why I have gravitated to these 2 arts in particular. An added bonus is that I now have 2 most different learning/teaching methods to compare and contrast.
There is no conflict in the material which makes it easier - The circle walking forms and weird angles of Bagua help with the natural circling and evasion that occur in dueling, and the sword work in Eskrima has helped me see weapons applications within the forms of Bagua. Bagua footwork and twisting/spiraling concepts have helped me understand the matrix of angles in Eskrima, and Eskrima has helped me understand tactically what was going on in Bagua.
Both Arts say they can be added on to any background and improve what is already there. Luo De Xiu calls Bagua a 'machine' that you put raw material in which comes out the other end better. VCKE is like that too.
2 totally different methods with the same purpose. Interesting.
This is my teacher's website:
http://www.yizong.org
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Friday, March 11, 2011
Juking
The focus of training yesterday was practicing creating openings from weapon to weapon contact.
If the weapons are in contact both players are in range, so to avoid a Mexican standoff one option is to make your opponent feel compelled to defend themselves, and hence too busy to hit you. The opponent must perceive a real THREAT that they feel they must deal with otherwise it doesn't work, but if it does, there is the added bonus that this creates an opening that you can then take advantage of.
So 2 things are needed - the feeling of threat, and being in the correct place to take advantage of the opening that is created. (And of course some sword manipulation skills to actually do so)
The first requires the ability to 'express' an intent with the body and weapon - i.e. something believable.
The second requires an understanding of the center line, how to hold it, and the footwork to move when needed in any direction depending on what the opponent does.
Soccer and Basketball players do both all the time, it's called 'juking', though in these games the player's job is to protect the ball and score. The importance of the center line and the concept of the fake are the same, but of course in dueling the goal is different.
So a few more factors to deal with - you have a sword and the added hazard of your opponent trying to strike you, but at least you don't have a ball to worry about ....
Plenty great ones here. A nice clear example starts at 42ish secs:
If the weapons are in contact both players are in range, so to avoid a Mexican standoff one option is to make your opponent feel compelled to defend themselves, and hence too busy to hit you. The opponent must perceive a real THREAT that they feel they must deal with otherwise it doesn't work, but if it does, there is the added bonus that this creates an opening that you can then take advantage of.
So 2 things are needed - the feeling of threat, and being in the correct place to take advantage of the opening that is created. (And of course some sword manipulation skills to actually do so)
The first requires the ability to 'express' an intent with the body and weapon - i.e. something believable.
The second requires an understanding of the center line, how to hold it, and the footwork to move when needed in any direction depending on what the opponent does.
Soccer and Basketball players do both all the time, it's called 'juking', though in these games the player's job is to protect the ball and score. The importance of the center line and the concept of the fake are the same, but of course in dueling the goal is different.
So a few more factors to deal with - you have a sword and the added hazard of your opponent trying to strike you, but at least you don't have a ball to worry about ....
Plenty great ones here. A nice clear example starts at 42ish secs:
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Levels
There is a real pleasure in flowing with someone your own level or higher, someone that can push you just past where you are comfortable yet keep the continuity going to explore more.
Obviously training with Sonny was like that, and if you ever see any video of me training, I'm often grinning .... apart from the times when he jumped a level, and then my mouth gets about as wide as my nose as I concentrate on keeping my focus and trying not to freeze or flail.
I always wondered how HE did it though - how did he keep interested playing with students all the time?
I don't think there was any of us that could give him a run for his money if he wasn't playing, and even when he was, he pretty much always chose when he let you get in. (After his brain surgery, in the last few months of his life I remember playing, him standing in the center of the room in house slippers and armed with a Sundang, and me circling, trying to hit him. I was kinda astonished that I couldn't get past his defense. I couldn't fake him out to make a big enough opening I could take without getting my fingers cut off or being impaled on his blade. Made me realize how much more he had left to show us.)
So I started watching him teach, and after watching him for many years flow with others I realized what he did was to handicap himself, and this is how he kept himself amused when he worked with people with lesser skills.
He was always looking for how slowly he could move and still get away with stuff, how little he had to move his feet to evade, or tilt his body or weapon to gain the advantageous angle. He was also looking at how each student could be 'played' .... This was a huge part of his entertainment, but also of how he kept improving his own skills over time. He learned from everybody that stood in front of him, and I am grateful for that lesson too.
Obviously training with Sonny was like that, and if you ever see any video of me training, I'm often grinning .... apart from the times when he jumped a level, and then my mouth gets about as wide as my nose as I concentrate on keeping my focus and trying not to freeze or flail.
I always wondered how HE did it though - how did he keep interested playing with students all the time?
I don't think there was any of us that could give him a run for his money if he wasn't playing, and even when he was, he pretty much always chose when he let you get in. (After his brain surgery, in the last few months of his life I remember playing, him standing in the center of the room in house slippers and armed with a Sundang, and me circling, trying to hit him. I was kinda astonished that I couldn't get past his defense. I couldn't fake him out to make a big enough opening I could take without getting my fingers cut off or being impaled on his blade. Made me realize how much more he had left to show us.)
So I started watching him teach, and after watching him for many years flow with others I realized what he did was to handicap himself, and this is how he kept himself amused when he worked with people with lesser skills.
He was always looking for how slowly he could move and still get away with stuff, how little he had to move his feet to evade, or tilt his body or weapon to gain the advantageous angle. He was also looking at how each student could be 'played' .... This was a huge part of his entertainment, but also of how he kept improving his own skills over time. He learned from everybody that stood in front of him, and I am grateful for that lesson too.
Friday, February 25, 2011
Hands
The first major target in dueling is the hand that holds the weapon. This is particularly important in bladed arts, and becomes even more important when the weapons used have no guards as is common in the PI.
Like the Machete, there is no need for a hand guard on a utility blade, so many Bolo, Visayan Pinute or Barong etc offer no protection for the hand.
This is awesome if you are target hunting - after all the opponent's hand is often the closest thing to you, and if it is extended, can negate the size advantage of someone who is taller than you.
This goes both ways though, and when you realize that every time you extend your own arm you are also in danger of having it damaged ... you have a problem that needs solving.
Yesterday in class we worked on the 2 ends of this equation - targeting and protection.
Sonny's random flow method lends itself nicely to both players being able to practice different pieces of the puzzle at the same time and works from a very basic premis that every question/problem has answers ... and that within each answer there are more questions/problems to solve.
For instance -
I want to strike my opponent. (It has to happen at some point. Pure defense does not work)
To reach them I must extend my arm to cut.
If I extend my arm, I am open and my hand is a target.
(My opponent takes advantage of being able to practice accuracy in targeting)
So ... Can I protect myself when I extend?
How?
Alternate question -
Can I make my opponent extend their arm into target range?
(Then I can practice my accuracy in targeting)
What would tempt them?
How do I make that happen?
What happens when we both play the same game?
Alternate question -
Do I need to extend my arm to strike them?
Can I lure them close so I do not have to extend?
Why would they want to close on someone holding a sword?
How do I make that happen?
Each "How?" Of course presents a tree of questions and answers that can go in many directions, and depending on who you play with, the questions will have slightly different trees.
Cool 8-)
Like the Machete, there is no need for a hand guard on a utility blade, so many Bolo, Visayan Pinute or Barong etc offer no protection for the hand.
This is awesome if you are target hunting - after all the opponent's hand is often the closest thing to you, and if it is extended, can negate the size advantage of someone who is taller than you.
This goes both ways though, and when you realize that every time you extend your own arm you are also in danger of having it damaged ... you have a problem that needs solving.
Yesterday in class we worked on the 2 ends of this equation - targeting and protection.
Sonny's random flow method lends itself nicely to both players being able to practice different pieces of the puzzle at the same time and works from a very basic premis that every question/problem has answers ... and that within each answer there are more questions/problems to solve.
For instance -
I want to strike my opponent. (It has to happen at some point. Pure defense does not work)
To reach them I must extend my arm to cut.
If I extend my arm, I am open and my hand is a target.
(My opponent takes advantage of being able to practice accuracy in targeting)
So ... Can I protect myself when I extend?
How?
Alternate question -
Can I make my opponent extend their arm into target range?
(Then I can practice my accuracy in targeting)
What would tempt them?
How do I make that happen?
What happens when we both play the same game?
Alternate question -
Do I need to extend my arm to strike them?
Can I lure them close so I do not have to extend?
Why would they want to close on someone holding a sword?
How do I make that happen?
Each "How?" Of course presents a tree of questions and answers that can go in many directions, and depending on who you play with, the questions will have slightly different trees.
Cool 8-)
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Imagination, Boundaries and Blind Spots
Had an awesome weekend training and shooting the shit with Rory Miller.
One of the biggest themes that came up was how often we limit ourselves by a lack of imagination, or using our imagination to set up boundaries that do not 'exist' - physical or ethical.
Of course we can't see these until they are pointed out to us from the outside, or by someone else ... through a real life experience, or by a teacher.
You can't see what you can't comprehend might be there, or has become so familiar it becomes invisible.
Sonny said that the one that you don't see is the one that'll hit you, so best 'see' as much as possible in training. Of course in a literal sense this means being blind sided by an unfamiliar strike or angle, but it can also extend out to any blind spot - real or imaginary.
The really cool thing about flow training, one step, or scenarios, is the experience of being able to interact with a variety of people, all who have a personality outside yourself.
If you can try to let go of who you think you are already, try to let go of the truly imaginary boundaries you think define your possibilities, and use the training to try to find blind spots instead, it can be very powerful.
A great teacher can help too - thanks Rory.
One of the biggest themes that came up was how often we limit ourselves by a lack of imagination, or using our imagination to set up boundaries that do not 'exist' - physical or ethical.
Of course we can't see these until they are pointed out to us from the outside, or by someone else ... through a real life experience, or by a teacher.
You can't see what you can't comprehend might be there, or has become so familiar it becomes invisible.
Sonny said that the one that you don't see is the one that'll hit you, so best 'see' as much as possible in training. Of course in a literal sense this means being blind sided by an unfamiliar strike or angle, but it can also extend out to any blind spot - real or imaginary.
The really cool thing about flow training, one step, or scenarios, is the experience of being able to interact with a variety of people, all who have a personality outside yourself.
If you can try to let go of who you think you are already, try to let go of the truly imaginary boundaries you think define your possibilities, and use the training to try to find blind spots instead, it can be very powerful.
A great teacher can help too - thanks Rory.
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