Tag Archives: tai chi chuan

The secret of teaching kids martial martial arts

The Value of a Mistake!

Okay, let me lay some truth on you.

This is a world that penalizes mistakes.
You make a mistake somebody will tell you,
might even call you stupid.
And then how do you feel?

BUT…here’s something to think about.

A mistake is an opportunity to learn.

So if you rip into a child for making a mistake
you‘re telling him (or her) not to learn.

In your child’s mind: Don’t make a mistake = don’t learn.

Here at the dojo we love mistakes.
Every time we see a mistake we get to teach,
to contribute to the growth of a better generation.

Why do you think,
every once in a while,
a child comes up and gives one of the teachers a hug?

Because we didn’t make them wrong, we helped them learn.

Mistakes are a god given opportunity to prove your worth.
for the child,
for the instructor,
and yes…even for you great parents!

So enjoy your mistakes, and…

SEE YOU AT THE DOJO!

Al

Martial Arts Master Instructor Tells the Truth…

Newsletter 913

Yet Another Martial Arts Master Instructor!

Congratulations to Sensei Alan Granger!
Here is his win!

First off thank you so much for writing this book! I have learned so much. I have learned something from every section. I will use the whole book. The things I will start right away with my students are the…(SSD teaching method)… It just makes so much sense. No one has ever shown me the body testing I have already started using it with my son. We take time to test each other a least 2 or 3 times a week. I have been looking at your stuff for about 8 or 9 months. I finally decided to download it. I am so glad I did. I just wish I would have done it sooner. It has been such a big help to me. I will be ordering more of your books and videos!

Thanks Greatly,
Sensei Alan Granger

Thank you,
Master Instructor Granger.
Your win really makes my day.
The teaching method he refers to is very simple.
Interestingly,
I learned it,
in an abbreviated fashion,
50 years ago.
I have been using it ever since,
and I am SHOCKED
that nobody knows it.
Honestly,
this one point,
this method,
is the ONLY way to ensure that your teaching
actually reaches the student.
In the past 50 years I have seen TREMENDOUS degradation of art.
I have seen people put aside methods
and go to boxing,
and call it karate,
or some other martial art.
Thus,
there is a whole generation,
or number of generations,
that have no idea what the martial arts are.
They wear black belts,
they talk and they teach,
and they don’t know anything.
Seriously.

So,
you don’t have to buy that.
You can make sure your art actually lives beyond you.
Of course,
you’re going to have to make sure
that you actually know a martial art in the first place.

Anyway,
the teaching method is there,
and it works,
and everybody who has taken the course agrees,
and wholeheartedly.

And,
thank you,
MI Granger,
share the wealth,
and congrats

So,
here is the link…
http://monstermartialarts.com/martial-arts/4-master-instructor-course/

and have a great work out!

Al

http://monstermartialarts.com/martial-arts/4-master-instructor-course/

http://monstermartialarts.com

The One Technique that Weakens All Martial Arts

Newsletter 907

The Martial Arts Concept That Will Get You Killed!

Behold the Poser!

I figured out the Poser like this:

I was an instructor in Kenpo.
Thought I was the deadliest SOB walking.
Then I met a kid who showed me some stuff.
Curious, I let him introduce me to his brother.
His brother happened to be a Hell’s Angel.
His brother also happened to know something of Kenpo.

“What would you do for this attack?”
He grabbed my tee shirt with two fists.
I was shocked,
incapable,
in spite of my training I didn’t know what to do.
“Why don’t you try ‘Flapping Wing?’
My eyes were round,
that was one of my techniques.
I taught it regularly.
Surely I could make that work!
So I locked his hands in place,
brought a forearm up to break his elbows.
He lowered his elbows,
which hurt my forearm.
Doggedly,
I brought my forearm around in a circle.
I smashed down on his radial nerves,
which should have paralyzed his arms,
and started to chop him in the throat.

He threw me through a wall.
Yep.
All the way through it.

Then he told me to grab his shirt.
I did so.
And he punched me…through the wall.

Twice,
in thirty seconds,
I went through a wall.

The night then became one of the most fascinating
question and answer period,
and I started to learn about the true art.
And I started to learn about posers.

The actual definition for a Poser technique is:
‘when the attacker has to not do something
so the defender can make the technique work.’

My kenpo consisted of wide circles and slapping hands,
his technique consisted of straight punches and brute force.

Now,
this isn’t to downgrade Kenpo.
There are many arts which make the circling of the arms work,
and well.
And Kenpo,
with a little bit of analysis,
can also be made to work.

Kenpo is not bad,
but there is a wide variance of ability
in the people who teach the art.

On the beginning levels of the martial arts
one learns how to streamline the straight line,
how to make it work.
Matrix Karate.

On later levels one learns circles and how to make them work.
Blinding Steel (Monkey Boxing),
for instance,
creates speed.

But,
I recommend that one learn the beginning levels
so that one learns how to generate power properly.
That power can then be used on later levels,
later levels which do not have those types of power building drills.

So,
a Poser can be a person who is a fake personality,
acts like he is something when he isn’t.
But,
in the martial arts a Poser refers to a technique
that takes too long,
doesn’t fit in with concepts of power,
looks fancy,
is often out of place
(could work if learned later on when certain principles of power have been learned)
And so on.

And,
the news…
Matrix Karate is the ONLY course that gives you techniques in the right order,
and that knowledge will help you discover the Posers in your own art,
and fix your own art.

http://monstermartialarts.com/martial-arts/matrix-karate/

Your art isn’t bad.
Heck,
it might be pretty good,
but once you know how to fix it it will become better than great.
My guarantee.

Onkey Donkey,
Not too late to give the gift that keeps on giving
(one of my matrix courses)

And,
HanaKwanMass to all,
and get ready for the Martial Artist’s
‘Night Before Xmas.’
I read it (via newsletter) every Xmas.
People groan and throw up their hands,
but I think it is art.
So there.

Have a great work out!
Al

http://monstermartialarts.com/martial-arts/matrix-karate/

Where Matrixing in the Martial Arts Really Came From

Newsletter 906

Is Matrixing actually New?

I get this question every once in a while.
Some fellow writes in, makes a comment,
and the question is:

Has matrixing ever been done before?

Valid question.
So,
let me give you a couple of instances
so you can totally understand whether Matrixing is new.

In the original hard bound ‘Aikido and the Dynamic Sphere,’
(not the soft bound or kindle)
by Westbrook and Ratti,
there is a fold out which sort of matrixes Aikido techniques.
It is actually quite brilliant,
but it is not a true matrix for several reasons.

One, it pertains solely to Aikido,
therefore, it lacks the viewpoint necessary to the whole art.

Two, it doesn’t provide for a gradient list of techniques,
advanced or basic, you figure it out.
This makes it VERY difficult to learn.

Three,
it doesn’t demonstrate the ‘basic-basics’ of Aikido
(those body motions which construct the basics themselves)
rather it espouses a singular concept (giving way)
this results in a student going down a singular path,
and not being able to develop certain attributes and tendencies necessary to quicker understanding,
if not more thorough understanding.

Another example of ‘almost matrixing,’
is in the book ‘Wing Chun Kung Fu’
by James Yimm Lee.
This book was supposedly authored by Bruce Lee,
but I’ve read nothing to substantiate this,
other than the fact that Bruce was teaching out of Jame’s house in Oakland.
So, who knows on this point?

The specific matrixing would be the ‘four doors and eight gates’ theory
with the resulting drills.
This is quite genius,
explains the blending of hard and soft admirably,
and in a mostly mechanical manner.

BUT…
One, it is, same as Aikido, specific to an art.
It is readily applicable to other arts,
but most people don’t understand the basics of their arts
well enough to understand the how and the why.

Two, it is specific to the Wing Chun method of controlling the contest through the arms.
Thus, several other theories are ignored, or at least not mentioned.

There are other things which influenced me,
but these two were key.
Important to note,
when you consider them,
is that I was studying several other arts at the same time,
writing extensive records (to be books) concerning them,
and really examining them from a ‘whole art’ point of view.

So,
is matrixing new and unique?

It is totally new and unique.

It is not just a new model of car,
it is a new and incredibly faster type of vehicle.

It’s like comparing a Mustang to a Tesla.
Really different.

Of course,
you won’t believe it till you’ve tried it,
and the best place to start is the basics,
as in Matrix Karate.
Not just the basics of karate,
but the basic theories of matrixing,
and a completely different way of looking at the arts,
of being able to combine all arts so that they make sense,
don’t fight one another,
and join into one whole art.

Here’s the obligatory link…

http://monstermartialarts.com/martial-arts/matrix-karate/

Oinkly Doinkley,
Next Monday is HanaKwanMass,
stay tuned for the yearly rendering of a Martial Artist’s ‘Night Before Christmas.’

Have a great work out!
Al

http://monstermartialarts.com/martial-arts/matrix-karate/

Martial Arts Technology Provides Incredible Breakthrough

Newsletter 898

Old Martial Arts Technology vs New

Good afternoon!
Let’s talk about the old martial arts technology,
and what it may be doing to you.

Old technology is drilling until your feet fall off.
Until your bones shake with fatigue
and your bone bruises are turning into calcium deposits.
Grrr.

Now,
to be truthful,
I like this method.
Heck,
I love this method.
I love to start a work out
and drive myself until I am ready to drop.
Like a tired dog my head droops,
and I know my teeth work just fine…

BUT,
what is new martial art technology?
Well,
let’s consider a few things.
A couple of hundred years ago,
there was no public education in China.
People learned how to talk by duplicating their parents,
and that was it.
No math,
except what you needed to barter.
And,
if you did get an official education,
in China it was the five excellences.
calligraphy, painting, poetry, t’ai chi, and medicine
No math to speak of,
nothing like physiology, grammar, science, physics,
etcetera, etcetera…
And the really rich people sent their children to western schools to get educated.
Sure,
I’ve probably overstated it,
but not by much.

So,
martial arts were learned by monkey see monkey do,
and nobody ever thought to examine other sciences
to see where they overlapped
and how those other sciences could be used
to understand martial arts.

When I matrixed I began using a form of logic,
a form based in Boolean algebra.
I compared body motion to angles and stresses in physics,
such things as building bridges,
flying airplanes,
and so on.
Of course,
at the core,
I still push the hard work out,
the do it till you drop dead approach.
But I propose that people understand what they are doing
BEFORE
they work out.
Understanding is the prime ingredient.
Would you become a world class musician if you copy catted
your favorite rock stars?
No.
You would just become good imitations,
at best.
If you want to become a good musician
you have to study such things as harmonics,
scales, and understand how vibrations work,
and so on.
Would you become the next Einstein
if you hand copied all his books and notes?
Nope.
Nothing new there,
just a repeat of what has been done.

To be a real artist you must be able to create.

So why don’t people do this in the martial arts?
And they really don’t.
They argue that their style is best,
without experiencing other styles.
They see a guy work out,
so they assume they know what he is doing.
Heck,
I even get people get upset with me.
They get angry when I show them a different way of doing things.
They are so regimented in old styles,
so ingrained with monkey see monkey do
that they cannot learn.
They can’t actually compare and contrast data.
They can’t see how the body can be made to support energy like a bridge,
using the same principles.
They believe in chi as a mystical thing
that people get when they get old,
if they are faithful copycats,
and they never see that chi
is a subject with scientific rules.
They can’t apply science to chi.
But they hold on to their last promotion
because it makes them an authority,
without having to really understand anything.

Now,
here’s the thing,
you doubt me.
Words like ‘snake oil’ come to mind.
Internet scamster,
another get rich quick scheme.
And so on.

I began selling martial arts by mail order
in magazines back in the 80s.
I went internet in 2002,
check the ‘wayback machine’
if you doubt.
I have a solid rep,
and offer a complete money back guarantee.
If a course is not as I describe it,
you get your money back.
Period.

Since the 80s I have refunded money maybe five or six times.
That’s all.
Not once or twice a year…
BUT ONCE OR TWICE A DECADE!
Now that is a statistic!

So,
check out the Matrix Karate page.
Read it carefully,
then order the course.
You will get more than you paid for.
You will get more than you expect.
You will get something you NEVER expected:
a scientific approach
that makes the martial arts ten times easier to learn.
You will get a way of looking at the martial arts,
that makes sense of ALL martial arts.

The alternative,
what you get if you don’t check out Matrix Karate,
and all my other courses,
is the same old same old,
that people have been grinding at for hundreds of years.
Sure,
you will get better.
Slowly and surely.
And you might even achieve mastery
before you get too old.
Maybe.

The course is here…
http://monstermartialarts.com/martial-arts/matrix-karate/

Have a great work out!
Al

http://monstermartialarts.com/martial-arts/matrix-karate/

http://www.amazon.com/Binary-Matrixing-Martial-Arts-Case/dp/1515149501/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1437625109&sr=8-1&keywords=binary+matrixing

go to and subscribe to this newsletter:

https://alcase.wordpress.com

Remember,

Google doesn’t like newsletters,

so this is the best way to ensure you get them.

You can find all my books here!

http://monstermartialarts.com/martial-arts/

http://www.amazon.com/Matrixing-Tong-Bei-Internal-Gung/dp/1507869290/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1423678613&sr=8-1&keywords=tong+bei

Master Instructor Tells Truth About how to Teach Martial Arts…

Newsletter 897

A New Master Instructor Speaks!

Congratulations to Master Instructor Pat Cluse!
Here’s his win…

Dear Al.
I thank you for developing the Instructor’s Course. As an instructor, I invested in your course because you had said a few things that were of help to me, and I never miss an opportunity to learn.  I figured the price was worth any ‘risk.’
It did not take me long to accept that I had more than my monies’ worth.  Yes, many points you covered are not ‘new’ but were very refreshing and presented at a different angle.
I have modified how I teach, and consider your course notes as a prime reference.
The “SSD” drill has had the greatest impact on myself and students.  Of course I have done 1 on 1 many many times but the pull of other students in the class has impacted on the quality (of my teaching).
In the recent 2 months I have had a senior student run some combinations while I spent time with individuals.  With no ‘external’ pulls I found the process invaluable.  Not only showing the technique in mind, but able to get the student totally attentive, to be able to find/understand the words used, and also to incorporate more fruitful body alignment,  body movement coordination with the techniques, and points of power stress with immediate relaxation. In this short time, none of the students have reverted to pre-“SSD” drill.  The big thing is they now understand what I am teaching.  So I have improved as an instructor…
Thanks, Pat
Thank you, Pat,
and well done.
The drill Pat is referring to,
the “SSD” drill
is an incredibly simple drill,
yet no one ever does it.
It was used a little bit in Kenpo,
then it was dropped by the wayside.
In the Kang Duk Won
the whole system was set up around that drill,
without ever showing what that drill was.
Yet,
it you use that drill in your teachings,
the results are incredible.
Students get what you are saying instantly.
Nobody yawns,
everybody gets how the martial arts work and why.
Students become instantly better,
it speeds up your teachings,
stops people from dropping out (due to confusion, etc.)
and helps create a true art,
that is,
an art with proper alignment,
an art that is usable,
an art that works.
And it is only one drill,
in a course packed with info, data and usable gems.
And it is all scientifically based.

Well enough.
Again,
well done Pat,
and well done to your students…
The course is here…
http://monstermartialarts.com/martial-arts/4-master-instructor-course/
Have a great work out!
Al

http://monstermartialarts.com/martial-arts/4-master-instructor-course/

http://www.amazon.com/Binary-Matrixing-Martial-Arts-Case/dp/1515149501/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1437625109&sr=8-1&keywords=binary+matrixing

go to and subscribe to this newsletter:

https://alcase.wordpress.com

Remember,

Google doesn’t like newsletters,

so this is the best way to ensure you get them.

You can find all my books here!

http://monstermartialarts.com/martial-arts/

http://www.amazon.com/Matrixing-Tong-Bei-Internal-Gung/dp/1507869290/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1423678613&sr=8-1&keywords=tong+bei

The Secret to REALLY Good Martial Arts!

Newsletter 878

THE SUMMER OF SUPER MARTIAL ARTS!

Happy hot day to you!
Hot days are the best days,
the work outs sweat you hard
and you detox the body.
Do it!

One thing people should remember,
when it comes to the martial arts,
is that they are not all hard,
nor all soft.

Take a look at Morihei Ueshiba.
Guy studied some serious hard arts
before he came up with peace and love.

How about Tai Chi?
Those soft moves
are backed up by some brutal moves.

So what does this mean?
It means you have study both the hard and the soft.
You can’t study one without the other.

Now,
eventually,
if only by age and injuries,
your hard art will soften up.
Then comes enlightenment
and a profound appreciation for both sides of the yin yang.

But why wait forty years?
Why risk not making it to forty years
and not even discovering the other side of the art,
of yourself?

I’ll tell you the truth here:
when people ask me why my karate punches are so effective,
I tell them Tai Chi.
When people ask me why my Tai Chi is so effective
I tell them Karate.

That’s the truth.
Because I know what a hard punch is,
I have been able to develop tai chi to handle them.
Because I know what sensitivity and balance are
I have been able to develop Karate beyond simple muscles.

Okay,
I know I’m preaching to a a few of the choir here,
but there are others out there
who need to know this.
Who need to do some Tai Chi or Aikido
to go along with their punchology.
And there are others
who need to beef up their punches
with some good old karate or kung fu,
if they are going to evolve
their sweet and sensitive side.

Here’s TWO links…

http://monstermartialarts.com/martial-arts/temple-karate/

http://monstermartialarts.com/martial-arts/five-army-tai-chi-chuan/

If you order the DOWNLOAD ONLY…
(Not the physical disks!)

I will give you two for the price of one.
Simply order one of the above courses,
Temple Karate or Five Army Tai Chi,
DOWNLOAD ONLY,
and write to me,
say you want the two for one deal,
and I will send you the passcode for
the DOWNLOAD ONLY.

Let’s see,
it’s wednesday,
so let’s make this offer good through Sunday, July 16.
Come Monday don’t bother to whine and grovel,
it’s gone.

So do it,
take advantage,
I don’t make offers like these often.
In fact,
can you even remember the last time?
So do it,
and make this the summer of super martial arts,
study and master BOTH sides!

Have a great work out!

Al

Here’s TWO links…

http://monstermartialarts.com/martial-arts/temple-karate/

http://monstermartialarts.com/martial-arts/five-army-tai-chi-chuan/

If you order the DOWNLOAD ONLY…
(Not the physical disks!)
ONLY GOOD UNTIL SUNDAY, JULY 16, 2017!

http://www.martialartsinstructortraining.com

http://www.amazon.com/Binary-Matrixing-Martial-Arts-Case/dp/1515149501/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1437625109&sr=8-1&keywords=binary+matrixing

go to and subscribe to this newsletter:

https://alcase.wordpress.com

Remember,

Google doesn’t like newsletters,

so this is the best way to ensure you get them.

You can find all my books here!

http://monstermartialarts.com/martial-arts/

http://www.amazon.com/Matrixing-Tong-Bei-Internal-Gung/dp/1507869290/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1423678613&sr=8-1&keywords=tong+bei

Perfect Martial Arts

Newsletter 865

The Key to Finding Perfection in the Martial Arts

Happy Santa Anas!
The Santa Ana’s are the big winds here in LA,
it’s fun to work out with them whistling through you.

Ok-a-ley dok-a-ley,
it’s time to find out what perfection in the martial arts is.

Had a great talk with a bunch of students the other day,
and I mentioned finding perfection in the martial arts.

So what is perfection in the martial arts?
It’s an interesting question,
one that nobody ever really asks,
they just talk about it,
and assume they know what they‘re talking about.

It’s when you can ‘one punch/one kill’ somebody.
It’s when your form is perfect.
It’s when you understand the secret of the universe.
But nobody knows what perfection really is.

I do.

I defined it in The Master Instructor Course,
and tell you how to get it.

But here,
let’s talk about the short version.
Let’s talk about one of the things that I learned
way back when
that put me on the path to,
or at least understanding
what perfection is.

I was in an aikido class,
and the instructor said,
‘The perfect art cannot be felt.’

Man,
that was zen.
you know?

And it started me thinking.

He was talking about blending your defense
with the attack.
He was talking about moving your body
totally in synch with the incoming attack,
so that the opponent didn’t actually feel you
even when you took control of his body.

And he was talking about a high level of energy,
profound spiritual awareness,
etc.

But,
there’s more to it.

I took what he said
and applied it too ground rolling.

A perfect circle has no corners.
Because if you have a corner,
something will thump on the mat,
and then there is no perfection.

I spent a lot of time
figuring out how to roll without making any noise.

And it translated as:
the perfect art has no sound.

And I took that and applied it to karate.
I learned to move
without being heard.
My feet didn’t slap the mat,
not even my gi rustled,
and the only sound
was the smack of my fist hitting flesh.

Interesting.

The other night I came across the 1935 video of Morihei Ueshiba.
There was no sound.
He threw people,
and the only sound was them hitting the mat.
But of him,
there was no sound,
no foot fall,
no grunt,
no whisper of motion.

The perfect art can’t be heard,
or felt,
or,
for that matter,
even seen.

And that is the sort of thing I endured
to figure out the seven principles of the body,
and the six secrets of how to make ANY technique work,
which are all on The Master Instructor Course,
along with a lot of other nifty stuff.

Here go…

http://monstermartialarts.com/martial-arts/4-master-instructor-course/

Have a great work out!

Al

http://monstermartialarts.com/martial-arts/4-master-instructor-course/

http://www.amazon.com/Binary-Matrixing-Martial-Arts-Case/dp/1515149501/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1437625109&sr=8-1&keywords=binary+matrixing

go to and subscribe to this newsletter:

https://alcase.wordpress.com

Remember,

Google doesn’t like newsletters,

so this is the best way to ensure you get them.

You can find all my books here!

http://monstermartialarts.com/martial-arts/

http://www.amazon.com/Matrixing-Tong-Bei-Internal-Gung/dp/1507869290/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1423678613&sr=8-1&keywords=tong+bei

The Secret of Strong Martial Arts Muscles

Newsletter 863 ~ Don’t forget to sign up for the newsletter and get some FREE BOOKS!

The Secret of Strong Muscles in the Martial Arts

And there is a secret.
Before get to it,
let me go over the basic understanding
of how muscles work in the martial arts.

First off,
the forms are calisthenics.
The horse stance is a squat,
the front stance is an almost lunge,
and so on.

And,
every time you snap the muscles,
close them violently to a focus,
you are using plyometrics,
plyometrics is contraction and expansion of muscle
designed to increase strength.

And everybody knows
how studying the leverage of muscles,
and using those muscles,
when throwing people around
is fantastic exercise for the body.

After a lifetime of doing forms,
tossing people around,
striking and kicking,
I am in top shape.
I shake my head in dismay
when I see people younger than me,
tottering around on canes,
clutching walkers,
hauling oxygen bottles.

All that stuff could be avoided.

A little fun in the martial arts every day.

Just playing tag with your fists,
gotcha with kicks,
and a little grab and toss with bodies…

And, it’s not too late!
You can eat right,
exercise right,
and turn your age back.

Anyway,
I promised you a secret.
and it’s good one.
One that I’ve never heard anybody talk about.

At first,
you work out hard.
You build your strength,
you push yourself until you can do those techniques
without any problem.

And,
when it isn’t any problem
you stop working so hard.
In fact,
you start to go backwards.
you use less and less muscles.

The work outs you do won’t be as hard,
but the mental focus is greater,
until you don’t use muscles at all.

Effortless martial arts,
putting somebody down with a finger.
Isn’t that a great ‘death strike?’

Or tossing somebody with a shrug,
everybody stares at you and says,
‘What’d he do?’

And what you do is simple,
you use muscles
until you don’t need muscles.

The fact of the matter is
there are three aspects to the martial arts,
Speed…Power…Technique.

Speed and power diminish with age,
but technique done right,
will never fade.
Good technique uses the muscles less and less,
until you don’t need them.
A weak guy can throw a strong guy.
If a guy was actually to stay weak,
after doing some intense martial arts.
Grin.

But that’s the secret,
do your techniques,
put awareness into your techniques,
until you don’t need muscle,
you just know the angle,
and your correct body alignment
lets the energy flow.

Well,
there’s a lot more to it,
I’ll talk more about this stuff on this blog
at MonsterMartialArts.com

In the meantime,
if you’re interested in some very streetwise stuff
that really works the muscles,
fast changes
lots of good, clean fun,
and exercises that will build muscles
until you reach the stage
where you don’t use muscles,
try this:

http://monstermartialarts.com/martial-arts/3a-blinding-steel-matrixing-weapons/

It’s a weapons course,
very logical and quick to do,
and, heck,
the guy who comes after you on the street
will likely have a weapon.
Might just as well learn how to swing a little quick weight at his head,
eh?
Grin.

Happy Easter!

Al

http://monstermartialarts.com/martial-arts/3a-blinding-steel-matrixing-weapons/

http://www.amazon.com/Binary-Matrixing-Martial-Arts-Case/dp/1515149501/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1437625109&sr=8-1&keywords=binary+matrixing

go to and subscribe to this newsletter:

https://alcase.wordpress.com

Remember,

Google doesn’t like newsletters,

so this is the best way to ensure you get them.

You can find all my books here!

http://monstermartialarts.com/martial-arts/

http://www.amazon.com/Matrixing-Tong-Bei-Internal-Gung/dp/1507869290/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1423678613&sr=8-1&keywords=tong+bei

Perfection in the martial arts

Newsletter 859

Perfection in the Martial Art

May you have Perfect Art
in your Perfect Work Out!

Perfection.
Interesting concept.
After you read this newsletter
it will be easy to attain.
If you can count every blade of grass in the field.

Perfection means
free from flaw or defect.

Most people don’t even know what a flaw or defect is in the martial arts.
They hit and focus on how hard they hit.
Or they box and exult when they make a good punch.

These things are not even close.

When I was doing Aikido
way back when
the instructor said an interesting thing.

The perfect circle has no corners.

Hmmm.
The context he was talking about,
the technique we were involved in,
was a simple shoulder roll.

We would roll,
following instructions as best we could
and we would hit a hip,
or flop a foot at the end,
or find any of a thousand other ‘corners.’

So we worked and we worked until our rolls were silent.
A silent roll is a perfect roll.

Interesting concept.

But how do you apply that to the rest of the martial arts?

In aikido it is easy,
if you have impact with your partner
while doing a technique,
you knock him out of harmony,
you knock him out of the perfect arc of the technique,
instead of merging with his lunch,
you nudge it out of true
and the technique fails.
The technique has corners.

And,
you can apply the concept of silence to this,
a silent technique has no flesh slapping,
no bones knocking,
no collisions,
either with each other or the floor.

But that’s aikido.
How do you apply this technique to other arts?

You look for silence.
Don’t slap the feet on the floor.

Don’t ‘collide with an arm when blocking,
rather cut it effortlessly.
You are silent…he goes ow!

Now,
obviously,
there are times when you will make sound.
Say you hit the floor with your foot to supercharge a technique.
There is sound there.
But is the sound of the foot hitting the floor the only sound?

Is the sound of the kiai,
when you deliver a punch,
the only sound?

Does your fist hit and create sound?
But sound is excess energy
thrown out from a technique that isn’t truly pure.

Can you see where I’m going with this?

The interesting thing is trying to move with no sound.
I sometimes work out late at night,
everybody asleep,
and I try to work out with no sound
except those that are part of the technique.

When you can punch somebody with no sound
the impact is pure,
the transference of weight from one body to another
is pure.

So think about it.
I wouldn’t worry too much about it in class,
it’s one of those work on it…in silence.
By yourself,
exploring how little you can do
to do a lot.

Anyway,
probably the best art
for learning to create silence in your technique is Tai Chi Chuan.

http://monstermartialarts.com/martial-arts/five-army-tai-chi-chuan/

Have a great work out!
Al

http://monstermartialarts.com/martial-arts/five-army-tai-chi-chuan/

http://www.amazon.com/Binary-Matrixing-Martial-Arts-Case/dp/1515149501/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1437625109&sr=8-1&keywords=binary+matrixing

go to and subscribe to this newsletter:
https://alcase.wordpress.com

Remember,
Google doesn’t like newsletters,
so this is the best way to ensure you get them.

You can find all my books here!
http://monstermartialarts.com/martial-arts/

http://www.amazon.com/Matrixing-Tong-Bei-Internal-Gung/dp/1507869290/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1423678613&sr=8-1&keywords=tong+bei