Tag Archives: kenpo technique

First Martial Arts Technique

Martial Arts Technique Number One

Hey guys and gals!
We’re into summer now
and I hope you decided to pick an art
and learn the whole darn thing before fall.
I mean,
why waste time?

I wanted to get into ‘The First Technique,;’
or ‘Technique Number one.’

I think I may have written about this before,
but it bears repeating.
After all,
nobody in the world understands this.
I’m serious,
nobody in the world knows what technique number one is
or why it is number one.
So, here we go.

A fly is buzzing in front of your face.
Do you do a high block?
Smash that fly with a high block?
Nope.
You swat it.
Simple.
Easy.
And,
in many arts,
and should be in all arts,
there should be a ‘preparatory’ slap
before you do the block.

That slap is technique number one.
Think about it.
You have NEVER seen a high block done in freestyle.
It’s a worthwhile block,
teaches all sorts of things about structure and timing,
but…
it is never used.
But the slap is used constantly.
It’s used in boxing,
jujitsu,
virtually every other art.
So the slap is Technique Number One.

After Number One you move your hand towards the block,
but before you actually block
you grab.
Grabbing is second.
Then, finally,
you block.
Blocking is the third technique.

Now,
it is important to learn blocking.
Like I say,
it teaches a little reality,
it teaches timing,
it teaches you how the body is structured
and how energy runs through the body.
BUT…
slapping is first.

oh,
you have various patterns,
and drills coming out the wazoo,
but EVERYTHING is based upon
that simple slap.

Now,
can a slap do damage?
Well, yes,
but that’s not the essence of Monkey Boxing.
If you put the steam on it,
you can break bones and even split skin with a good slap.
I especially advise people to learn
all about iron palm techniques
and how to slap the crap out of
a good, old bag of beans.

The purpose of the slap in Monkey Boxing
is not so much to do damage,
though that can EASILY happen.
The real purpose of the slap
is to guide the attack into a grab.

You see the slap is first,
but before you even start trying to to get to technique two,
or three,
you guide the attack into a simple grab.
A guy punches,
you slap softly,
so softly he doesn’t feel it,
and then he slides his arm right into your control.

You break, you guide,
you unbalance, you lock,
if you must,
you hurt him.

But try to control him before you have to hurt him.

So there you go,
a punch is slapped,
grabbed,
and finally blocked.

And,
you either try to stop something,
going man to man,
or you slip it,
guide it,
and control it.

And,
I have said it before:

While there is an art to destruction,
the true art is in control!’

And,
i would be sadly remiss,
and miss my chance for obligatory advertising,
if I didn’t tell you that there was a whole art
devoted to slapping?
It’s Monkey Boxing.
Yes.
And Monkey Boxing is completely taught
in the Blinding Steel course.

Here’s the Monkey Boxing Link…

4a Blinding Steel (Matrixing Weapons)

Have a GREAT work out!
Al

don’t forget to check out
Dale Gilliland’s great interview with me….

BTW
Have you checked out my novel?
Monkeyland?
It’s on Amazon,
but you’ll probably have to look for it.
Amazon tends to hide the good stuff.

Three Martial Arts Elements that are Crucial!

Newsletter 980

Martial Arts Elements for Survival

The Martial Arts elements that are necessary for survival are three.

The first martial art element is strength.
The forms and training will give one lots of strength. The stances are squats and lunges, and you will do hundreds of them during a class. Further, you will have real body resistance in your techniques when doing them with a partner, which will also aid your strength.
Strength, however, is not the most important attribute you should seek in the martial arts.

The second martial arts element is speed.
Speed comes from repeating movements endlessly. This repetitiveness will build a ‘zen’ frame of mind. One learns how to empty the mind sufficient to do the technique, to build more speed.
Obviously, speed is important when one is fighting; one needs to be faster than the other fellow, faster than the incoming punch or kick.
Interestingly, speed can lead to power, but strength does not necessarily lead to speed.
Speed, while an important second attribute, is not the most important element of the martial arts.

The third element is technique.
Technique is knowing how fast, how slow, how close, how far, how strong, how weak, how fast, how slow, and so on.
It is the appreciation of space around the body.
It is understanding what a punch (or kick) is, what it is comprised of, how it is built and delivered.
While some people may have a natural ability when it comes to speed or strength, there is no natural ability when it comes to technique. Learning the techniques of a fighting discipline, such as karate or jujitsu or kung fu takes time. And it takes time to improve them. And even more importantly, for those who are serious about learning a fighting discipline, the study of techniques will easily occupy a lifetime. Or three.

So the three characteristics that one should occupy himself/herself with in the martial arts are speed, power and technique. And of the three, technique is always the most important. Technique is the measure of a person, the measure of an art, and it is this study of space and time that makes the martial arts one of the most enjoyable activities in the universe.

Here’s the obligatory link to improve all three elements of the martial arts…

1d Master Instructor Course

Have a great and technically perfect work out!
Al

A WIN!

Hello Master Al
The Master Instructor Course has taught me to competently teach proper posture and changing positon by being perfectly balanced in natural stances.  To impart energy most effeciently by implementing CBM.
Thank you for teaching me to utilize the proper powers in the correct manner which in turn has caused me to be more confident in all of life.
Sincerely, Lori S

“Art calls for complete mastery of techniques,
developed by reflection within the soul.”
– Bruce Lee