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Foundations: Why the Basics
Aren't So Basic
by John Chang
Practitioners of the 8 Step Praying Mantis
style of Kung Fu (Ba Bu Tang Lang) emphasize “the
basics” as one of the most important, challenging,
and rewarding disciplines any style of Kung Fu has to offer.
Many advanced students reach a point in their training when
they grow bored with basic punches, kicks, and techniques,
and go in search of more techniques, more forms, even more
styles of Kung Fu. Although the quest for more knowledge
is admirable, this quest for “more” can conceal
the path to “better.” The practitioner who pursues
a deeper knowledge over a broader knowledge
of even the most basic techniques can tap into truly universal
Kung Fu principles that cross all style boundaries.
A lifetime of practice and exploration is required
to gain a deep understanding of the basics and universal
principles underlying all Kung Fu. Traditional 8 Step Praying
Mantis as taught by the late Grandmaster Wei Hsiao Tang
has only seven forms; yet, after thirty years of actively
practicing and teaching 8 Step Praying Mantis, I have never
suffered from a lack of forms or techniques. I continue
to learn, explore, and improve every day. Shifu Vincent
Chen (Chen Guo-Chin), a long-time student of Grandmaster
Wei and perhaps the most skilled 8 Step practitioner today,
has spent 30 years studying hundreds of forms in 8 Step,
Ba Gua, Hsing Yi, and Tai Chi. Today, Shifu Chen practices
less than 8 movements. According to Shifu Chen, “basic
movements are the heart of any Kung Fu system.”
What exactly are “the basics” anyway?
In 8 Step, Grandmaster Wei taught eight stances, eight steps,
and eight kicks as “the basics.” In addition
to these basics, I have added five basic punches and eight
combination techniques for my students to practice as basics.
Although the 8 Step style explicitly identifies techniques
as “the basics,” most styles do not make such
clear distinctions. Still, practitioners of any style can
identify the basics in their systems simply by looking for
repeated stances and movements used in various techniques
and forms. In principle, basics are seemingly simple stances,
punches, kicks, and other techniques that act as bricks
and mortar, while forms, advanced techniques, and combination
techniques are the houses and walls we build by connecting
the bricks and mortar.
What makes a martial art truly an art form
is the creativity with which these elemental bricks and
mortar can be put together, just as a few basic colors on
an artist’s pallet can be blended to create any color
imaginable before applying it to canvas. The art is not
in the canvas; it’s in the artist’s use of a
handful of basic colors. Likewise, the art in martial arts
comes less from forms and advanced techniques than from
the martial artist’s creative application of the basics
when on the mat.
To cultivate a mastery of the basics, “practice”
is the magic word for the student, while “detail”
is the magic word for the teacher. To get a punch or kick
right, a student must practice at least one thousand times.
But practice alone will not lead the student to a deep understanding.
The teacher must go into great detail about each subtle
movement and feeling the student should attempt to recreate
when executing a technique. A seemingly simple straight
punch can be broken down into a dozen or so sub-movements,
each of which is vital to the success of the punch.
When a student lines up all of the subtleties
of a technique and executes them just right, the student
gets a unique and identifiable feeling that tells the student
at once that the technique was executed with jing (“power”).
Many martial artists know that jing can be generated by
using the back leg to push the ground, but jing is often
lost somewhere between the foot and the fist. The most common
reason is a lack of relaxation and proper alignment, particularly
in the shoulder, elbow, and hand—the connection points
where jing can be lost en route from ground to fist. Stretching
and relaxing techniques can help overcome the loss of jing
at these critical connection points. Once the teacher has
guided the student to experience and recognize the feeling
of jing, the student’s practice can begin in earnest.
With each punch, kick, or other technique, the student’s
goal is to recreate jing consistently.
Achieving jing requires exceptional patience
and consistent practice. My beginning private students typically
spend their first three months learning little more than
stances and the straight punch. Few commercial schools take
this approach to teaching, for fear that students will become
discouraged when they see little outward progress from all
their hard work. The dedicated student is well advised to
seek more detailed instruction than what is covered in the
standard curriculum. Instructors would do well to distinguish
between patient, dedicated students from students who need
more immediately visible signs of progress, providing the
dedicated students with more detailed instruction than the
standard curriculum.
Training in the basics should be focused on
internal feeling, not appearance. The subtle feeling produced
by jing is not externally visible to others. Likewise, only
feeling can tell a student when balance, stability, fullness,
and emptiness have been achieved. When students concentrate
on recreating the correct feeling rather than their appearance,
different students may properly perform the same technique
in ways that appear slightly different, because their bodies
are shaped and weighted differently.
When practicing the basics, concentration should
be focused on each of the following core principles to bring
them together at the same time in a balanced fashion:
- Application
- Stability
- Power
- Coiling
- Circles
All of these core principles are interconnected,
and the Kung Fu practitioner must strive to balance opposing
principles consistently. For example, the application of
a technique often relies upon stability for effectiveness
while also jeopardizing stability by moving the body’s
position. Power generation relies on stability, coiling,
and circular body movement. Linear movements, such as a
simple straight punch, rely on circular body movements for
power. No one principle can be applied successfully without
proper consideration of the other principles. Successfully
using all core principles in unison and with the proper
balance presents a tremendous challenge for practitioners
at any level. Doing so consistently, quickly, with fluid
motions, and while mobile all present still greater challenges.
Application – A complete
understanding of the various applications for a stance or
technique leads to an understanding of the countless details
that make a stance or technique truly well executed. For
example, in the classic Mantis Stance (aka Empty Hand Stance),
holding the elbow of the rear arm too close to the body
can give an opponent the opportunity to “glue”
the elbow to the body, rendering the arm temporarily useless
and giving the opponent the added opportunity to push the
entire body off balance. At the same time, holding the elbow
too far from the body gives the opponent an opportunity
to strike the lower ribs. The correct elbow position may
vary depending on body size and arm length. Ultimately,
the correct position is found not by measurements with a
ruler, but by finding the right feeling—the feeling
that the elbow is positioned to thwart an opponent’s
attempt either to glue the arm or to attack the ribs. Subtle
differences in the way a stance or movement is performed
can significantly influence its successful application.
Stability – An understanding
of balance and grounding is vitally important to successful
execution of the basics. Punches and kicks should not throw
the body off balance, even if the technique misses an intended
target with full power. Stances like the Bow stance should
be impervious to an attacker kicking the rear leg out from
behind, causing the body to lose balance. Techniques such
as stomping or turning the feet inward can help to ground
a stance both for stability and in preparation for generating
power. Height must be managed to avoid stances that are
so high that the body is vulnerable to throws, while also
avoiding stances that are so low that mobility is sacrificed.
These and many other details must be considered and practiced
routinely to develop an ability to maintain stability at
all times.
Power – Developing an
understanding of how to use the earth and body to generate
power yields greater results than relying on raw muscle
alone. Much practice and informed instruction is required
to develop the skill necessary to connect the weight of
the earth or the body to the end of the fist, foot, or other
extremity. Generating power quickly while mobile presents
even greater challenges. Only long hours of practice can
deliver these skills, even for seemingly “basic”
techniques.
Coiling – Understanding
the principles of coiling and uncoiling various parts of
the body is integral to producing jing and remaining prepared
at all times for a full range of motion. For example, many
stances offer opportunities to slightly coil various parts
of the body in preparation to attack. When performing techniques,
the body can generate exceptional power by allowing the
body to uncoil like a spring in support of the technique.
Even the act of coiling the body itself can be used to generate
greater power. A continuous flow of powerful attacks can
be issued by using a technique that uses coiling, followed
by a technique that uses uncoiling, and so on.
Circles – Fully understanding
the importance of circular motion requires much practice
and concentration. For example, the circular motion of a
hook punch may be obvious; less obvious is the twisting
motion in a straight punch, which can considerably improve
its effectiveness. The circular motion of the body, hips,
and legs when executing a punch is also integral to using
the entire body as a powerful foundation for the punch.
As an awareness of circular movement is developed, circles
within circles are revealed. For example, a single hook
punch and a single back fist may each require a circular
body movement for maximum effectiveness; yet, a continuous
flow from hook to backfist and back to hook again can be
executed ad infinitum making the combined punches into a
greater circle containing the individual circular movements
of each punch.
In any basic stance or technique, numerous
subtle details must be carefully considered and consistently
checked to develop a high level of skill and a deeper understanding
of universal Kung Fu principles. Traditional 8 Step Praying
Mantis practitioners place a special emphasis on the basics
for this very reason. Yet, the importance of the basics
is not unique to 8 Step. All styles of Kung Fu offer the
potential to tap into the core principles of Kung Fu itself.
Regardless of style, the path to this higher-level understanding
of Kung Fu is regular practice and adept instruction in
the basics.
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