How to Have Supernatural Powers in the Martial Arts…
Supernatural in kung fu, refers to such things as reading minds, intuition, seeing when things are going to happen before they happen, And so on.
The reason people have such trouble in gaming this high level of martial arts is because of a basic misunderstanding of who and what they are.
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The body is an envelope for the spirit.
The mind is just a bunch of memory.
The spirit is the source of all supernatural ability in the martial arts.
The misunderstanding comes when people attribute their abilities to mental powers.
Memory has no powers, memory obscures he human being, which obscures a being’s natural power. Natural ability, what a human being can do once memories are put aside is actually what we call supernatural kung fu.
Thus to say Power comes from mental abilities is completely the opposite of what they should be thinking.
Think of it this way, A person trains his body and this creates discipline in the soul. In effect it bypasses the mind, which is to say the memories, which come between a person and his true power and ability.
Understanding this one must apply this to the martial arts.
One memorizes movements, Which creates a short-term memory. One practices the movements until the memory disappears and intuition remains. The bonus is at the long-term memory tends to disappear to, Or at least to get out-of-the-way of the martial artist.
So you memorize to give up memory and what is left is the awareness, the Spirit, the human being, the ‘I am.’
When you give up memory, your own abilities come to the fore. These abilities, Based in such things as intuition, actually frighten normal people. That is why so many people give up the martial arts at the brown belt level, for that is the level at which a person breaks through to intuition.
Unfortunately, most systems no longer bring a person to the edge of intuition, or push him through to intuition.
This is why I created matrixing. It makes the martial arts faster, it makes the jump to intuition easier.
Instead of spending years trying to figure out the confusion created by a laborious memorization procedure, the student learns logical moves, builds up no internal resistance to the memorization procedure, and slides smoothly into intuition.
Check out monstermartialarts.com, and especially matrix karate. Even if you have done martial arts for years, even if you know dozens of martial arts systems, once you experience the logic of matrixing, all those systems Will start to make sense and come together in a manner which you didn’t envision.
Yes, unbelievable but true, a young boy, who definitely didn’t want to go to Kung Fu class, has taken to wearing a tin skull cap.
The boy’s father apparently wanted to teach him good Kung Fu, and he would say things like, ‘if you don’t study Kung Fu you will have a weak mind, then the government will control you with their radio frquencies.’
The boy thought that if he wore a metal cap as protection against the radio waves he wouldn’t have to study kung fu. Which is to say, he wouldn’t have to have a strong mind.
Great book to start learning Kung Fu! Click on the cover!
The scientific truth behind this odd tale is that the body is a like a machine, and the brain is like a radio station.
Unfortunately, the radio station ‘brain’ is victim to so much static that it starts to generate its own static. The old ‘garbage in garbage out’ theory.
A study of Kung fu, focusing the mind on ‘one thing,’ will train the individual to ignore the static, and the mind will come under control, and then the radio frequencies broadcast by the government will pass right through the ‘empty mind.’
The static that is absorbed by the brain can actually come from several sources.
Drugs tend to unfocus the individual, encouraging a form of static.
The government puts out special frequencies at places across the globe in order to control mankind on a mass level.
Even education is a culprit in this sad saga, as modern education is so lacking in even basic common sense that the result is more confusion among students, rather than competence and clarity, resulting in an ‘educated’ population that will do as they are told, and not what is right.
Thus, the boy’s father was right, and the boy was wrong, but, if he persists in wearing a tinfoil beanie he will doubtless remain stupid and prone to distractions and become just one more ‘mind number robot’ having existence as a human being.
The solution? Study Kung Fu, or Karate or Aikido, or any other form of body discipline…for to discipline the body is to discipline the mind.
A good place to start would be the martial arts lessons available at MonsterMartialArts.com. They are very logical, easy to do, and will cause the body, and mind, to become strong enough to resist any form of distraction.
Remember, good Kung Fu results in strong human beings.
So how would you like your black belt certificate signed by Barack Obama? Cool, eh? I mean, the president signing your black belt certificate!
Except, you see, the president doesn’t know Karate. Or AIkido. Or Tai Chi Chuan or Krav Maga or…he doesn’t know ANY martial Art! He merely signed your martial arts promotion so you woujld vote for him!
Release of final volume of Matrixing Karate Series! Click on the Cover!
How valuable is your black belt certificate now, eh?
Now, we know this is satire, except, let’s look at a little history behind the martial arts satire.
In Korea, back in the forties and fifties, the martial arts flourished. Some of the most powerful Karate int he world came out of that era. Then a fellow name of Choi Hong Hi decided that Korea needed its own martial art. So he invented Taekwondo. It wasnt’ very good, as evidenced by three facts.
One, the forms were changed after that, better forms were made.
Two, a lot of people wouldn’t go with the new system, they felt that it wasn’t as good as the old.
Three, in Korea Taekwondo is taught to people as sort of a baby system, and the real martial arts are taught later on, and, I hate to say it, in a lot of cases, only to people of the Korean race.
It’s true. A rank form of racism. In the martial arts.
But you will have a hard time proving it, the Koreans certainly won’t opt to it.
But, that is just one instance of a martial art being changed for political reasons. Something that really worked being thrown out (or reserved, in this case) while a lesser art is foisted upon people to create ‘nationalistic pride,’ among other things.
In communist countries, a few decades ago, only the military, or communist party officials and their family, were allowed to learn Martial Arts. Another instance of martial arts by politics.
Let me make a point here: in this country there a LOT of people who think martial arts should be regulated, and this goes down even to the selection of techniques that is taught.
And, here is the cruelty behind this bonehead reasoning…these people propose regulation so that the government won’t regulate us.
Regulation of art, of martial art, for politics.
Well, you know my opinion. As the owner of Monster Martial Arts I believe in going to a flesh smacking dojo and eschewing ALL politics. And, when you have your basics in, heck, as soon as you start, you should start exploring other options, and ordering a course from me, testing in the martial arts by video with me, is ABSO-FRIGGIN-LUTELY free of politics.
It’s the knowledge that’s important here, not who signs your certificate, or whetehre you have filled in the forms in triplicate, or whether you show proper depth of bow to some bonehead who stopped learning martial arts a decade ago, when he figured out he could get people to bow down and throw money at him.
Just my opinion of course. You’re certainly free to go get your black belt certificate signed by BarackObama…heck, it’s not like politics could really hurt the martial arts, right?
Check out Matrix Karate if you want a TOTALLY non-political martial arts system.
And don’t forget to subscribe to this blog in the sidebar.
Matrix Karate is a system of martial arts,
but it is a system of logic as well,
and you can apply this logic to ANY other martial art.
Simply do Matrix Karate,
then take the basics of your system,
and I don’t care if it is krav maga
or tai chi,
or even something concocted by Lieutenant X,
and plug it into the forms and techniques
and you will have an instant Matrix of your system.
Now,
that is not the end of it,
but the beginning.
because as soon as you see your system logically,
ALL sorts of other doors are going to open.
And then the classical system that you have been studying
is truly going to become a VERY advanced form of Karate.
You won’t have those mysterious ‘hidden techniques’
holding you back.
You won’t have the political bushwah
that destroyed your system
in the way any more.
You won’t have any less than adequate instruction
that you might have received,
in your way.
Simply,
you will understand how everything fits together,
and then when you take another look
at that classical system,
you will realize something:
if your system is unchanged enough
then you will truly benefit from the concept
of it being a closed combat system.
A closed combat system is one
which was designed by evolution of generations,
doing only what works,
until you have something truly rare,
a true masterpiece,
something that can evolve the human being.
And,
if it is changed,
then you will have the tools
to RETURN it to
a closed combat method
once again.
I don’t care if your system has been…
altered by politicians,
twisted by political organizations,
changed for tournaments,
diluted for kids,
designed to make money,
or whatever,
or ANYTHING else…
you will be able to fix it.
And,
I guarantee this,
even if you can’t see what has been left out,
you will be able to figure it out after matrixing.
Now,
Matrix Karate is that powerful.
But,
here’s something I run across.
I come across,
usually in forums,
the people who say…
I know what you did,
I know what you are doing…
I’ve already done that.
Here’s the cruel trap,
there are enlightened human beings out there,
and they well might have figured out
what the heck is happening,
and they might actually have insight into their own souls.
These guys might well be VERY powerful people.
BUT…
they did it without method.
Or,
the method they used is antiquated,
based on ancient hieroglyphics
or whatever,
and…
THEY CAN’T EXPLAIN IT!
Which means they can’t teach it.
They can’t explain what they are doing,
accept in the most obtuse and confused manner.
They will resort to sayings from the Tao,
which is a good book,
but not a science,
and can be very confusing in itself.
And these guys,
no matter how smart,
end up losing students
because they don’t have a good, scientific method.
And,
I ask them,
‘have you ever seen a matrix?’
And they say nothing.
Because they are holding on to the fact
that they know something.
They don’t undersdtand,
won’t understand,
that I am not trying to destroy their system,
I am only making it so they can understand it
and teach it,
and create a REAL golden age of Martial Arts.
Now,
I have made it REAL easy.
First,
there is the course itself,
available on MonsterMartialArts.com,
and a few other places.
Second,
there is an example of me teaching the course,
complete from white to black.
That is on Monstermartialarts.com
and a few other places.
Third,
if you want to understand Matrixing theory,
there is Matrixing: the Master Text.
That is available on MonsterMartialArts.com
and a few other places.
Fourth,
there is the Matrixing Karate series.
Five books detailing ALL sorts of stuff,
available on Amazon.
Now,
here is the funny thing,
you probably paid
$50 a month for your lessons,
maybe a lot more.
And the material here is less expensive than…
all the years of your lessons,
a movie and dinner with your mate,
a used tire,
a new Tokaido gi,
A TANKFUL OF GAS!
groceries for a week (if you eat a lot)
a few cases of beer (and better for you)
a pair of Nikes,
and all sorts of other stuff,
and you end up with
MORE KNOWLEDGE
than ALL your years of previous training.
Or,
at least,
the ability to make TOTAL sense
out of ALL your martial arts.
Okay,
thanks for letting me get that out.
I know it is a sales push,
but there is data in there,
and if we are going to have a REAL golden age of martial arts,
it really is necessary.
Okay,
it rained up here at Monkeyland,
so I have to replace an inverter,
clean out culverts,
chase the cows out of the crops,
and go look at the birds.
Saw the most AMAZING buzzard hawk today.
Truly magnificent.
Sitting on the highest branch
of the tallest tree
on the highest mountain here.
Heck,
maybe I better just move that to the top of the list,
Yes,
watch birds all day,
then go work on a ‘Buzzard Hawk’ form.
That’s what I have to do.
You guys and gals,
I really want you to have an enlightening work out,
really get into it,
really analyze the way you shift your weight,
keep your blaance,
and how that combines to create EXTRA energy.
Whenever I try to explain to people that there are 2 styles of Wing Chun, anyone that “knows” Wing Chun, tries to tell me that I am wrong, that there is no second style, only the variation being that of Moy Yat and Leung Ting.
The objection stems from the fact that most people do not know that soft-style exists. There are no “training” videos sold of soft style, and finding a video on YouTube is next to impossible.
Two sides, my friend. Learn them both if you want to be great!
Soft-style was only taught to a select few students, William Cheung learned both soft-style and hard-style. Bruce Lee, Leung Ting, Moy Yat and other famous Wing Chun Stylists either never learned soft-style, or chose never to teach it. Think of it like this, hard-style was taught to the outside world, and they guarded the REALLY good material and kept it only in the family. Because I do not know these individual people, I don’t know the reason their lineages don’t include soft-style, whether they wish to continue the secrecy, or whether they simply weren’t privy to it.
The Tan-sao is a perfect example, of the difference. Hard-style leans and drops it down so it is almost horizontal, soft-style maneuvers the body properly, and keeps the tan-sao up, the eyes just barely able to see over the fingertips. Bruce Lee threw out the Tan-sao because he said it was worthless, and indeed if the tan-sao is held low, it doesn’t block anything.
When comparing forms, you will observe hard-style people simply lean from one side to the other when performing chum-kil, while soft-style will actually take a full step.
Both of the videos below include Bil-jee, if you watch those variations of that form, you will see many more differences.
Some of the key differences between hard and soft Wing Chun are as follows:
Hard-style relies more on muscular strength, while soft relies on correct body alignment. As sensei says, “if you are leaning, you are falling”. This is true in all arts, and one of the reasons my Brazilian jujitsu instructor harps on good posture. If you rely on a lean ,you must rely on muscle.
Hard-style uses a more collapsed forward guard with no forward intention, under the assertion that in trapping your energy is harder to read. While the energy is indeed harder to read, the guard is easier to blast through. Such a guard and collapse and trap a guard that has no forward intention.
Hard-style Wing Chun is what Bruce Lee was unhappy with when he created JKD. Even so, he and many others proved it was incredibly effective, even without knowing the “family secret”.
This guest blog was written by Paul Mann. I consider it a real gem of martial arts writing, and I think you will, also. enjoy.
Karate must be considered, in its final form and spirit, as an expression of your indomitable will to survive in the most direct, self-reliant manner possible, using only that which God gave you; a body, mind and spirit rigorously disciplined as an inseparable entity.2
Kyuhn literally means fist and is usually translated as fist, boxing or boxer. Kyuhn also has a much deeper, philosophical meaning: a person who is unified in body, mind and spirit. This is an implied meaning, which is derived from the fact that the component parts of your hand must be unified in order to form a fist. But, what is meant by unification of body, mind and spirit and how is it achieved?
Unification occurs when body, mind and spirit have been trained and are in harmony with each other. Unification of body, mind and spirit is accomplished by harmonizing the body, which will promote health and fitness; harmonizing the breath, which will result in an increased and harmonious flow of vital energy; and harmonizing the mind, which means controlling your mind and developing the power of concentration.
Harmonizing the Body (Tiuh San)
Before you can learn to defeat others, you must first learn to stand. Stance training is the foundation of all authentic Chinese martial arts. Physically, it strengthens the legs for stability, powerful footwork and kicking. Correct posture is developed to provide maximum results from properly executed techniques. Also developed are a focused, concentrated gaze for projection of fighting spirit as well as breath control and correct placement of the tongue. Mentally, it requires patience, refines the temperament and produces a tranquil mind. Therefore, be serious and devoted in your stance training, that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.3
Harmonizing the Breath (Tiuh Sik)
And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.4 There are several words5 in the Bible, which have been translated as spirit or soul. The actual meanings of these words are: any breathing creature; breath and, by implication, spirit; wind and, by resemblance, breath; a current of air, i.e. breath. As you can see, the Biblical use of the words breath and spirit are interrelated and virtually interchangeable.
In Chinese martial arts we use the word hei. The character for hei has several meanings. It can mean air, breath or spirit, but it is most commonly used to represent the concept of vital energy. It is a creative energy, the divine ‘breath’ in every being, which appears as active attention, concentration, and mental force.6
According to a research project undertaken by M.I.T. in 1978, there actually is an electrical energy field around the human body, which can be regulated and even intensified by controlled breathing exercises. In 1997, Liu Chang I was invited to produce a video tape on Fukien White Crane Karate. During the taping, studio technicians picked up a sort of rumbling, drumming sound. The sound engineer couldn’t figure out what was wrong with the radio microphone he had attached to Mr. Liu. “Oh! That’s my gung lihk (manifested vital energy),” explained Mr. Liu. The microphone was removed and taping continued without further incident.7
In one of the most amazing demonstrations of vital energy, Kirlian photography was used to film Teruyuki Yamada breaking a one-inch board. Now, there is nothing amazing about a punch breaking a board, but it is amazing that the punch never hit the board! Playing the film in very slow motion revealed that the board actually snapped when Mr. Yamada’s fist was still one inch away from it! What had shattered the wood was the pressurized force of the energy field between the board and the fist!8
The study of breath seems shrouded with mystery. Unlike the visible techniques of karate, breath and vital energy are unseen forces. They are, nevertheless, as much a part of cultivating the mind as developing the body.9 Though we could suggest any number of preliminary methods for unifying the spirit, directly speaking, uniform breathing and breath control are very important, and breath control is of utmost importance for progressing on the martial path. Success in spiritual unity and strength concentration depends on proper breathing methods.10
The art of breathing (hei gung) is characterized by deep abdominal breathing with your mind concentrated on the daan tihn, a point about three inches below your navel. Daily performance of daan tihn breathing will increase your energy level, produce explosive power and promote a positive, optimistic frame of mind. This is the source of the saying, if you know the art of breathing; you will have the strength, wisdom and courage of ten tigers.
Harmonizing the Mind (Tiuh Sam)
Part I Controlling Your Mind
Karate training will give you the ability to respond to an assault in such a way that the skills acquired through training flow naturally and freely, from knowledge to action without delay. No fear, no hesitation, only immediate, effective and appropriate action. How is this possible?
An untrained mind, like a drunken monkey, jumps around from one thought or emotion to another. One moment you’re thinking about the job at hand, and then about how hungry you are, the score of a ball game, an upcoming date, or any of the five poisonous emotions.11 These thoughts and emotions will rob you of the strength you need to face and solve your problems. Once you are able to divert energy from unnecessary thoughts and emotions and pour it into achieving goals, your power will be boundless and you will be able to achieve more of what you want to accomplish.
No thought of thought is a martial term, which refers to a mind which is empty of all thought and/or emotion; a mind which is receptive, pliant and which allows you to react spontaneously to any situation, which may occur. So then, flow with whatever may happen and let your mind be free. Achievement of this concept in conjunction with deep breathing techniques will enable you to control your mind. The end result is a self-controlled person who is relaxed and effortless in mind and body; a person who sees things as they really are; a person who is fully capable of facing and decisively responding to any conflict, which may arise.
Harmonizing the Mind (Tiuh Sam)
Part II Developing the Power of Concentration
Once, long ago in China, there was an archer who trained daily to perfect his techniques. One autumn evening, the archer was walking home when, suddenly, he saw a flicker of movement in the shadows. It was a tiger, crouching and ready to pounce. Concentrating his mind, the archer fired off an arrow and scored a direct hit, right in the head. The archer hurried home without stopping to examine the dead animal. On the following day, he was curious and returned to the spot where he had slain the tiger. He searched everywhere, but failed to find the body of the tiger. He was about to abandon his search when he saw the arrow, stuck in a huge boulder. It hadn’t been a tiger after all, but his concentration had been so intense that the arrow had been driven into solid rock!
The concentrated mind can pierce through stone. It is characterized by “at yan” (indomitable spirit), a term which expresses a willingness to strive against all odds, to persevere under pressure, and to endure. It has an implied meaning of total commitment; of carrying on even when one is mortally wounded. The term is comprised of two pictographs, At and Yan. At is a pictograph of a hand restraining a germinating seed. Yan, the Chinese word for perseverance, depicts a heart pierced by a knife.
At yan, therefore, means concentrating your mind on one task, goal, problem or object and devoting yourself completely to discovering the solution or to finding the way out of your difficulty or to gaining your objective. It means to struggle, to grapple, to wrestle, to give your all and hold nothing back. It means closing with your problem or opponent and never retreating. It means no hesitation, advance bravely 12 with all you’ve got, again and again, until you achieve your objective.
Harmonizing the Mind (Tiuh Sam)
Part III Complete Awareness
The Chinese word for awareness, lauh sam, literally means keep your heart. Complete awareness (general, direct and specific) is the most important method of assault prevention. Your first line of defense is general awareness concerning yourself, other people and the surrounding environment. Pay attention, be alert and watch for conditions that might lead to a physical confrontation. Then, do whatever is necessary to prevent the confrontation from occurring.
Direct awareness13 (intuition14), finds expression in the saying no sound you can hear, no shape you can see. This ability to see the unseeable and hear the unhearable can make you more sensitive and receptive of the presence of other people’s energy fields. Any miscreant who intends to harm you will project a flow of energy which Chinese karateka call saat hei (killing spirit). Direct awareness is the ability to sense the presence of saat hei. When this happens, heed your intuitive alarm signals and take preventive measures before the danger manifests itself. In any situation which does become physical, direct awareness will enable you to act or strike decisively without conscious thought.
Your awareness must be more specific in the event that a confrontation does occur. Gaan is a Chinese karate concept which refers to “the space in between” combatants as well as an awareness of the potential ability of an individual to make offensive use of space, distance, timing and opportunity. Specific awareness (gaan) can help determine your success or failure by providing you with the information necessary for mentally establishing an imminent danger zone (ngaih gap yuhn).
Conclusion
The Chinese word for monarch is comprised of three horizontal lines centrally joined and intersected by one vertical line. Philosophically, the three horizontal lines represent the three essential elements. The vertical line symbolizes unification and control. The word for monarch, then, describes a person who is unified in body, mind and spirit, a person who is in control of his or her life. This concept is the heart and soul of Yushin Ryu Karate Do – the Way of the Courageous Heart. Let this be the emphasis of your training as well.
Check out the new website… http://bestkungfu.wordpress.com
Releasing the Fifth Volume of Matrixing Karate: Master
This is the official announcement that ‘Matrixing Karate: Master,’ has been released.
It was actually finished a couple of weeks ago, and it has had time to get up on Amazon, and it is in the createspace bookstore, so it’s time to make it official.
Release of final volume of Matrixing Karate Series!
The first volume of this pivotal Karate series was dedicated to fixing basic movements. Volumes 2 – 4 were aimed at explaining matrixng principles, introducing matrixing graphs, and so on. Volumes 1 – 4 were based on the Matrix Karate course available at MonsterMartialArts.com.
The fifth and final volume is a bit different. It is based on a series of manuals written over the years, and upon the ‘Create Your Own Art’ video course.
The thing that makes this final book so important, and sets it apart from even the books it was based upon, is that it goes through the history and concepts of Matrixing and details exactly where each concept came from.
Thus, you are taken on a journey, from the first martial art studied by the author, Kenpo Karate, through each and every martial art he studied. This includes detailing concepts from separating two arts successfully (Kang Duk Won and Kwon Bup) and developing a third based on those two. (Outlaw Karate: The Secret of the One Year Black Belt). It goes into the exact influences that resulted in the development of matrixing, including the original matrixing lists from the 70s and 80s, and leads right into the creation of the Matrix graph.
One thing that may be surprising to students of the martial arts is that the author developed matrixing without the matrixing graph. Instead, he used lists of techniques, reworking the lists for every concept he encountered. This actually entailed, literally, thousands of lists. Thus, the development of the Matrixing Graph is a bonus to the martial arts of unparalleled value.
The book may be found on Amazon. It is paperback, and students of the martial arts are encouraged to get the earlier volumes first, that they may better understand the import and significance of this volume.
The following is a guest editorial from Alaric Dailey
Being a student of traditional Karate-Do, when I make mention to a school owner or martial artist or parent of a child taking classes somewhere that “martial arts is more than punching and kicking, there is more to being a martial artist than simply being a fighter” I get a blank stare. At this point, I have to explain the following.
The Wudan Assassin, on kindle or paperback…click on the cover!
These days, tradition is often poo-pooed with some comment like “if it doesn’t make me a better fighter than I don’t care”. But being a fighter doesn’t make you a good person, in fact, simply knowing how to fight can make you arrogant, or worse, a bully.
This is often evidenced in “fighter” gyms, people walking around with bad attitudes, all about testosterone and ego, injuries abound because people are always trying to prove they are the king of the mountain.
The way of the warrior, Bushido, is about being a gentle soul, learning not only to punch and kick, but to help others, to be calm and humble.
In other words, learning all those “useless” things, like the language, the manners, the meditation, the discipline, reciting Dojo-kun are not useless, they are about expanding your mind, and making you more than a fighter.
In my original dojo, my sensei not only give us the meditation and such, but would also tell us stories of the Samurai, and give us pieces of Bushido that most westerners never hear. “Ikebana (flower arranging) is a great way to clear your mind”, and “self-defense is not just about punching and kicking, it is about avoiding and defusing danger in the first place” were words of wisdom that we often heard from sensei.
When the Japanese would teach an art, they would distinguish whether or not it included only fighting techniques, or would give you “the way”. If you have “the way” it is a Do, Karate-Do, Ju-Do, Aiki-Do, etc. If it is purely fighting techniques it was Jitsu, Karate-jitsu, Ju-jitsu, Aiki-jitsu, and Nin-jitsu.
As a side note here, you will notice there is no such thing as a “Do” for Ninja fighting techniques. This is because the ninja weren’t fighters, they were assassins, their skills included, poisons, escape, evasion, not being seen, killing techniques etc. Being a hired killer, and being a better person have nothing to do with each other.
and 3 more associated virtues
Filial piety (孝 kō)
Wisdom (智 chi)
Care for the aged (悌 tei)
I see it as a great loss that so many have thrown away history and tradition, the Do, in favor of the more testosterone fueled (and MMA fanned) jitsu. It is a sad state of affairs that our children grow up idolizing real and fictional people who push the ideas “might makes right” and “the ends justifies the means”, never once mentioning justice and mercy.
I just finished a book, Matrixing Karate: Master, which is number five, and the last, of a series on how to Matrix the Martial Arts. It should be up on Amazon ina couple of days or so.
One of the last things I wrote I figured I would share with you. Hopefully whet your appetite for more; for the precise method as to how to get to this level of thought.
You can’t speak and listen at the same time.
Go on, try it.
What you’ll get is a garbledegook where you have to rely on memory, or mocking up the confusion you just experienced, to describe what you ‘heard.’ And whatever you said was premade and ejected without thought.
So, in the martial arts, you can’t attack and defend at the same time.
Physically, by the technique, you can.
But the frame of mind leading up to the attack or the defense, you can’t assume both frames of mind at the same time.
You either have to be in the attack mode, or the defense mode. You can’t be in both.
Go on, try it. If you succeed, it will be because of mental gymnastics, and not because of clarity of thought and calmness of mind.
What this does is make the universe into a binary experience; it makes it black or white…depending on whether you can isolate the difference between speaking and listening.
And, for most of us, this means you have to shut up.
If you don’t have to shut up you are going to be classified a ‘beta’ personality by the people in charge of labels, and life is going to be a frustrating experience of you being a victim.
But, if you can be ‘alpha,’ and I mean while you are actually ‘listening,’ then the universe is going to peal back for you and give up its juicy innards.
Most people, you see, are so confused, so garbled, that they run around screaming and shouting mindlessly, and then wonder why everybody in the world is so stupid that they can’t listen.
So you have to do your forms, calm your mind through this ritual, through this pattern of circuitry (I know, a bit redundant, but it is better said that way).
And you have to make yourself not speak, except in the most gentle and precise sense.
When you go into a hamburger stand, don’t ask for no pickles and extra ketchup and could they toast the bun not so much…just ask for a number one. And whisper, so that the girl actually has to listen to you.
When you teach, don’t speak. Remember, teaching by speaking is not listening, speaking too much while teaching and you won’t have any idea of whether your students get it.
Instead, summarize the teaching in one sentence, a short sentence, and then watch, observe. Listen. See if the student gets it. If you have to use two sentences then your teaching is lacking.
Okay, that’s how you do it. Though, to be sure, I certainly recommend getting a course on Matrixing, and the five book series, available on Amazon, called ‘Matrixing Karate,’ and further divided into white belt, green belt, brown belt, black belt, and Master appellations, is the latest and best way to get where you are going.
And where are you going?
To the truth. If you can just shut up long enough to hear it.
Have a great work out!
Al from monstermartialarts(dot)com.
If you want to check out Matrixing Karate (the series), then go to Amazon and type in
Right from the first block you ever learned…
the low block.
First off,
people are trained to block kicks with it.
Not a great idea.
Yes,
it is for kicks,
but you have to be careful in how you use it.
It is actually better for low punches.
It fits,
it makes sense.
And if you use it on a kick,
before you are ready,
you can hurt yourself.
Like…
break a bone hurt.
So here’s the deal,
Kicking is a certain range.
Punching is a certain range.
And so on.
If somebody kicks at you,
you should step back.
They are at their longest range,
a simple step back
keeps the range extended,
makes them reach,
makes them have to overcommit
if they want to get anywhere.
So you step back,
side step,
and just watch.
Calm your mind,
take your time,
and observe.
Finally, they will over commit,
and here’s the trick.
When you do the low block
DO NOT
block a fully extended limb.
Full extension means full power.
So you have to block their kick before it reaches extension.
This means sliding in to punching distance,
blocking,
and launching your counter.
If you counter a kick with a kick,
you will both have bruised shins,
and the fight will go on.
But if you counter a kick with a punch,
you are closing the distance,
and making him blink,
jamming his space and threatening him.
He now has to recalibrate.
He has to reset his thinking.
Set his body up for a whole new potential of motions.
A simple change in range will do that do an attacker.
I remember really messing with people’s minds,
simply shifting my weight an inch forward,
or an inch back,
right in the middle of their kick.
If they kept kicking,
they would be jammed, or overextended.
A kick is that slow,
that you can do that.
Especially if you calm yourself,
sit back,
and watch.
I would do this,
jamm or back back up,
just a little bit,
and people would stumble,
almost fall,
from trying to keep up with such a small motion.
So here’s the key,
for leg attacks,
which are further away,
and slower in coming,
you simply change the range.
Shift forward or back,
lift the leg as if preparing to kick,
but not kicking,
and just throwing the guy’s general sense of timing
into the dumpster.
When he closes,
a low block is what you do for a punch.
Don’t block a bigger bone with a smaller bone,
until you have enough experience.
Instead,
mess up his distance,
which will mess up his timing,
(Time is a measurement of distance),
and save the low block for the lower level punch.
NOW,
let’s say you’ve got the experience,
and it is time to use the block on the leg.
Remember,
time is distance,
and if you practice your forms and techniques
you will reach a stage,
where your sense of time is different from his sense of time.
He kicks,
and you will feel time slow down,
and you will be able to slip your arms forward
and block the kick
in the middle of it all.
You won’t block bone to bone,
but rather move in on his slow and predictable motion
and block as if apart from his sense of time.
By your own sense of time.
That’s when your low block will start to work for blocking kicks.
This is really a zen thing,
a mushin no shin thing
(Mind of no mind),
and the way to get it is not by fighting,
but by doing your forms and techniques,
endlessly,
and analyzing fighting.
Examining fighting,
looking at it,
until it stops being fighting
and starts being a science of motion.
Okey dokey,
you guys and gals practice.
The Matrixing Karate series
has four volumes published,
white belt, green belt, brown belt, and black belt,
and you can find them on Amazon.
Go to the Testimonials in the menu and do a search for your martial art!
Hi Sensei Al!
(On the Black Belt Course) Everything is working great! Thank you for the quick responses. I am enjoying the one on one videos. It may be cliche, but I do feel like I'm there. I also like the conversational style and the way you explain how you're teaching and why. You've got a new student for life. Thank you. ~ Daniel
What's interesting about Al Case's writings and teachings is there isn't any emphasis on 'the unknown' or 'mystery' behind martial arts. Al will slam this information in your face! Quite frankly the data isn't hidden, you'll find you're blind. ~ WG
Al Case is a powerful presence to be around, but if you can confront it, then you will not be sorry, for there is no one like him, and it is an extreme privilege and honor.
I used to read your articles in Inside Karate and was excited when I found your web site. ~ RV
As an old timer with thirty-five years of experience I was really bored, but your works have peaked my interest and shown me that there is much more to learn. I Thank You Again, Sincerely ~ CC
Where was this information 24 years ago? This course is one of the best things to ever happen to me. Thank you Al Case for the gift of knowledge!
Be blessed my teacher, ~ Rev. Ernest R
I bought the Infinite Fist tape YEARS ago and you know? I Keep going back to it! ~ KS
You are a master. You have opened me up to things that I have never thought of before. ~ KFM
I purchased your course on "Create Your Own Martial Art" and absolutely love it. I believe that your matrixing system is very unique. ~ DW
In my entire experience twenty years as a student and an instructor since, no one has contributed more to my martial arts education than you have. I started following your works twenty years ago and although I was young then I knew you had the True Art it was obvious to me even then. ~ Charles C
Students will know longer be slaves of poor instructors and practitioners. ~ Lonnie M
Win from Master Instructor Course
Let me start out by saying thank you. Thanks from all the martial artists who asked why. Al, I'm in the Security and Law enforcement field and carry Instructor credentials, so effective methods in combat and teaching them is what I constantly look for.
Win from Matrix Aikido
I just had to write to you to say WOW. Your INSTANT AIKIDO is great!!! ~ SD
My students have started coming up to me after class telling me how much more they are enjoying it, and that the classes have stopped being so ridged and now flow in a kind of give and take between me and them. I have stopped being a task master and started having fun and letting them teach me as well.
I did the Master Instructor Course and it hit me. The Basics that are so concisely communicated in this course including the Matrix principle IS the solution. It doesn’t matter what “style” I call my art, because all styles follow these same principles. It doesn’t matter how hard I train or how many repetitions I do if I don’t train the right way. And I would never become a master if I didn’t know how it all fits together. Now I do! I can honestly say that I am now on the path that I have always sought as a martial artist. Thank you Al!
I conducted a Matrix Aikido training class for a Security Team at a local manufacturing plant. I tailored the training according to their Use Of Force policy. As you know they need control and takedown skills. I knew Matrix Aikido would be the answer. The training plan you shared was boss. The class went so smoothly. The participants learned very quickly. By the end of the class you could see techniques of Monkey Boxing coming through. They were also able to create their own techniques. There was one female officer in the class who asked to become my private student. She was throwing, locking and taking down guys twice her size. The Security Supervisor wants me to come back and with more participants! I'll keep you posted. ~ L M
Have found your books and dvds excellent. My background is mainly in medical qigong but I practice Sun Style Tai CHi, BaGua and HsingI as well as Eagle Claw, Snake Style Kung Fu and several Wudang weapon styles. This is the first time I have had the underlying principles so clearly explained and in a way that they are immediately workable and demonstratable. I have worked through the Master Instructors Course, Aikido and Butterfly Bagua and have started to breakdown the Sun Hsing I using your matrix method. I was even able to teach a 70 year old friend of mine with no martial arts background your instant aikido where she was able to do some very accomplished locks and throws after the first lesson
Search the testimonials for your martial art!
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