Martial Science signals the end of Martial Arts

Martial science is real, and it replaces martial arts quickly and easily. You do have to be willing to do one thing, and that obsessively. Fortunately, it doesn’t matter if you begin doing this thing in Karate, or while learning Kung Fu, or any other Martial Art.

One of the first Martial Arts stories I came across was of the old man beating a crowd of bullies using just two fingers. For those interested in such myths let me suggest ‘Secrets of Shaolin Temple Boxing,’ by Robert W. Smith. And for those of you who wish to attain such skill let me offer you the following concerning a true martial science definition.

The Martial Arts are dedicated to:

Analyzing and handling Force and Direction (Flow)

And the way to apply this datum is:

If the Force is greater Flow it,
If the Flow is greater Force it.

And the way to be an old man who can handle the Bully Boys with two fingers is to ‘Look,’ and specifically at this datum of martial science.

‘Look,’ according to the dictionary means: To see with the eyes. And, later and more important definition, to focus attention on.

The fellow outside the martial arts ‘Looks’ at the Art and says, ‘Gee, I’d like to do that. I’d like some real self defense!’

The beginner in the martial science ‘Looks’ at basics. Tries to figure out which leg to stand on, which move to do, how to breath, and so on.

The Intermediate martial arts science student ‘Looks’ at Forms, tries to figure them out, tries to cut reaction time, that sort of thing.

The Advanced martial science student ‘Looks’ at combat, tries to figure out how to apply the theory of Form to the chaos of combat, and so on.

The Expert student in a martial science ‘Looks’ at himself, tries to refine the Art, eliminate excess actions, polish thought, make logical sense out of the mass of data he has acquired.

The Master of a martial science ‘Looks’ at others. He is aware that he is not the only one in the universe. He appreciates his fellow man, and life is play. There is integrated martial science at work here, and all arts, karate, kung fu, taekwondo,, tai chi chuan, and so on, are coming together.

The Wizard ‘Looks’ at others ‘Looking.’ Concepts have broken free of language, and he is aware of communication far beyond the silly, linguistic type that earthlings use.

‘Look.’

To perceive with the eyes.

But not just with the eyes.

Ever feel somebody walk behind you? Feel the ‘Radar’ in your back charting distance and motion?

That’s ‘Looking,’ too.

A Martial Artist has several ways of ‘Looking’ inherent within the confines of the Art. Let me outline another sequence of ‘Looking’ for you.

The fellow outside the Art ‘Looks’ at other bodies moving. Something there…something there…

After one month he is ‘Looking’ at his fist. By placing it on another’s body you can ‘Feel’ inside that body. Where are the bones? Where are the muscles? Where are the tendons? Where are the organs.
This particular ‘Looking’ will continue for as long as the Artist practices the Art, and the sharpness of ‘Vision’ will be multiplied and enhanced like an inch cut into infinity.
But let’s continue with specifics in this type of ‘Looking,’ so as to chart an Artist’s progress, over the years, and to give you an idea of where you are and where you might be going.
After a year the Artist might be looking at the snap of tension within his body as he learns to align body parts.
After two years he might be ‘Looking’ at tightening only his fist.
After three years he might be ‘Looking’ at not tightening his fist, but extending the stick of his bones (arm) through the watermelon (body) of his opponent.
Intention.
Polish.
And so on.

Okay, here’s another type of ‘Looking’ that, in some form, will occur in this combined martial science I am describing, especially if you are in the Grab Arts.

‘Look’ at the hand that is grabbing you.

After a year you might ‘Look’ at the elbows as cranks to be turned.

After two years you might be ‘Looking’ at the shoulders as something to be unbalanced.

After three years you might be ‘Looking’ at the axis (the line running between the North and the South poles of the body) as something to be under or overturned, tilted, etc.

This brings us to an interesting point in this concept of a martial science.

First, you ‘Look’ at your body. Make connection from Tan Tien to fist, spine to balance, weight between the base of your feet, and so on.

When you reach a certain point you begin to ‘Look’ outwards (from introversion to extroversion). not only does the Art demand it, in order to be a functioning martial Art science, but part and parcel of playing at being both Attacker and Defender forces you to ‘Look’ both ways.

Remember ‘Feeling’ with the fist?

But thus far we have only extended ‘Looking’ from the point of view of one body. The Martial Artist will do this until he has sufficient sense of body that the body will begin to move as one unit (I call this CBMing, achieving ‘Coordinated Body Motion’).

 

To move beyond this you move into the world of the other person.

An insane person will not be able to do this, and there is no mixed martial science, because they do not believe in ‘looking,’ but rather in ‘beating.’

Because a person cannot do this does not mean he is insane.

It’s a matter of being able to ‘Look,’ and to use one’s own peculiar abilities to do this. Though anybody can be an scientific martial artist, not all choose to.

So, you ‘Look’ into the other person’s body.

In the hard Martial Arts, like Karate and taekwondo, we ‘Feel’ with the fist.

In the soft martial arts, like aikido and tai chi chuan we ‘Feel’ directly of the other person’s body.

Both are right, and both are halves of a whole.

If you do only the hard martial arts and never the soft your ability to ‘Look’ deeply will be curtailed at a certain point.

If you ‘Look’ only with the soft Martial Arts it will take too long, because you haven’t achieved a proper appreciation for the fist.

So you ‘Look’ with the hard until you CBM. Then you ‘Look’ with the soft.

You ‘Look’ through the grab, up the arm, through the joints into the body.

Question. Who drives the body?

The solution is to be had by doing technique until you ‘See’ the Thought Behind the Action.

Can you ‘See’ the Thought behind your Action? When you CBM you manifest Intention, and you may well be able to track the Intention back to the source.

Can you ‘See’ the Thought Behind somebody else’s Action? If you have CBMed and continue to practice you will be able to. Just find somebody else’s Intention and track it back.

Sincere practice in the Art of divesting yourself of violence will lead you to this. No violence creates no static of thought creates space through which perceptions flow freely without distortion.

Polishing is the fact of training yourself not to flinch, jerk twitch or otherwise reaction in the face of incoming Force or Flow.

Polishing is the creation of space, first through technique and form, then in Thought.

Thus, through Polishing you can see the Thought Behind all Actions.

Polishing is training yourself not to ‘React,’ but to move of your own determination without pattern except as prescribed by incoming Force/Flow.

If you have aberrated Martial Art training into a seeking for violence you will never understand this. At least not this lifetime.

So you have an old man. Or a young man who has understood what I have said here.

Eyes open, ‘Looking,’ sight not dimmed by threat of violence.

Perception outward, utilizing more systems than merely ‘Eyes’ to ‘Look.’
Threat.

Charting Flow so no Force can be created from impact. Keep body distance appropriate.

If Force does manage to impact upon you simply direct Energy into body part struck. Concentrate Energy until it feels as solid as matter. Fist bounces off a body integrated in such a manner. CBM carried to logical conclusion will enable you to have such an ability.

But they only strike you if you allow it.

Normally the Art is defined in small slices of inches, and you, by ‘Looking’ hard and long, control such infinitesimal pieces of the Art.

So you make his fist miss.

Slight pull on his sleeve, slight force up the arm,  you unbalance axis, the attacker falls.

Or slight touch with a fist that can ‘See’ where it is going. Intention between ribs, into organ, wave of Energy, Attacker falls.

Mystical? Nah. It’s just a Martial Science at work.

Just hard work over time with empty hands developing harmony of spirit that…

Get the idea?

But you can’t just do robotically. You have to ‘Look.’

If you ‘Look’ you will see, and thus become ‘Aware.’ And thus is perception and ability born.

You don’t believe me?

Believe me.

Three decades and it’s happening for me. Not all the time, but with enough empirical bent that I know it is true, and enough logical thought behind it so that I can transmit it to you.

Three decades, but you don’t have to wait so long.

Understand what I am saying, hang this article somewhere and read it every day. And do your martial arts forms, go to class, make your progressions through the stages of ‘Look’ that I have described.

‘Look’ and you will be aware.

‘Look….’

And that’s the secret of learning a Martial Arts Science.