Getting to Fight

As there is no day without night, so there is no peace without war. Once upon a time I was almost a pacifist, but this Taoist evidence stopped me from taking such a bodily leap into the land of Yin. One of the hardest things we can do, IMHO, is come to terms with violence.
There is no point refusing it, pretending it isn’t there or that it will go away. There is no point thinking it is “wrong” (though of course it might be misplaced). The key question to start with is “why”. Why does a particular act of violence occur? One should remember that we tend only to remark the out of place – the violence of cats fighting is not something the good citizens think is unnatural and wrong. Most often, we notice violence when it is out of place, according to our own point of view (and sometimes that of “society”).
I have always been quite violent. I remember breaking all the ground-floor windows of our house when I was about 5, and I remember the beating I got for it. Violence begets violence, and when the only tool you have is a hammer every problem starts to look like a nail. Although in most of my life violence is not an issue, in the nice furry world of Tai Chi Chuan, my violent nature has often been remarked – it is out of place, apparently.
Sorry sweet chicks but we’re not doing the same thing – violence is part of fighting, and fighting is part of martial arts, so my violence is very appropriate: it’s just that you guys are neither fighting nor practicing martial arts.
Dan says that to fight you need Shen (spirit, heart), Gong (capacity, ability) and Quan (technique) – in that order. Cheng Tin Hung told Tong Chi Kin to take a wide guard with one hand to the rear, since he was a vicious fighter (you’d have to knock him out to stop him) but had very weak technique. You can develop technique, and I know a number of people who have lots of it – but that’s not going to help you faced with a steamtrain or mad max. Nevertheless, this is where everyone must start, building up technique, because then you can channel your violence into something that helps you overcome it.
If you want to use Tai Chi Chuan to fight, then you start off learning applications with “one-step sparring”: one attack, one response. Most often, this is the only “martial” stuff people will learn, because their real interest is forms. With lots of practice, of all aspects of the art, the applications start to become integrated, natural reactions, executed with minimal stress even when the attack is relatively fast. So:
One-step sparring:
- start slowly and see how the technique works
- work the technique from different directions, using footwork to change distance and timing
- increase speed and power (this is where it can get a bit dangerous).
Together with one-step sparring, the potential Tai chi fighter should also be looking to develop his/her tui shou skills, following the 5 step strategy of course and avoiding resistance. Exercises such as “gyrating arms” and “5 element arm” should also be practiced. It is very important at this early stage to work on “jiben gong” so that you know how to kick and punch, and how to roll with them. You are establishing a physical and technical base on which to work.
After this initial stage where we’re putting the building blocks in place, we can start actually making things. This second stage is normally marked by Bai Shi and the start of the nei gong training. The Yin exercises help the body to heal and grow stronger, both of which are important when you start “mixing it up”. In pushing hands, it’s time to look at competition formats, especially moving step formats where throws and leg grabs are allowed, since these are key techniques for Chinese full-contact. It’s also good to practice more ‘martial’ push hands formats – for example reeling silk at speed and with real slaps to the face, fixed step with soft face strikes (open or closed hand), freestyle with closed hands.
In terms of applications, the Tai Chi fighting apprentice will be working on
- combinations and sequences
- two-step sparring (counters to counters)
- dealing with surprises
- understanding techniques from other styles and how to defend against them
- strategies and tactics
- understanding/dealing with injuries
It could well be that now we’re ready to fight – after all, you don’t want to wait until you’re forty! The key things to add to the above would be 1. the question of equipment (gloves and groin protector only, or headgear as well, foot protectors maybe?) and 2. the nei gong status. There is no doubt that the Yang exercises are extremely useful in developing striking Kung Fu. Indeed, punching weights and nei gong together constitute the key basic training in the Wudang style – Dan once told me that the first skill to develop for full-contact fighting is the ability to produce a KO with a single punch.
The process that I’ve outlined here where you’re getting to fight can take months or years, depending on the person and the amount of time they have for training. And, at the end of the day, it’s mostly about Chuan and Gong. No-one can teach you Shen – but you won’t get very far without it. I believe there’s a lot to be said for just diving in, and doing as many competitions and fights as you can find, alongside the training. In free sparring with protections, you can learn to apply technique and force, and to receive it. But nothing compares to the ring, or to the street, for solid functional learning. It’s just that that approach is rather risky. In any case, fighting is risky. But what’s life without violence?