Martial Power

Question 1

What are the three rules for principles?

Answer 1

First, the principle itself applies to all arts equally and without exception.
Second, principles will affect techniques positively when understood and applied or negatively when overlooked or ignored
Thirdly, All techniques can be explained by principles

Question 2

What is the principle of principles?

Answer 2

We must exercise all principles at all times to our highest understanding and without exception.

Question 3

What is universality?

Answer 3

Universality tells us that all principles are omnipresent. Permitting for exceptions, every single martial arts technique involves every principle in some form

Question 4

What is the pure objective?

Answer 4

1. Victory must be instantaneous.
2. Victory must be effortless.

Given a reasonable level of proficiency, does the technique in question hold the potential for a smaller person to effortlessly apply it against the larger person?

Given a reasonable level of proficiency, does the technique in question hold the potential to instantaneously bring a victory?

Question 5

What is the principle of control?

Answer 5

Affecting the aggressor is not the objective. The objective is to Maintain control of the self.
Approach every single technique as a riddle of control: how can we best to maintain control of ourselves in the situation? Only after successfully answering that question can we concern ourselves with how we might exploit our opponents lack of control.
Martial arts involves gaining/maintaining control over ourselves no matter how adverse the combative situation. We train first to gain control over our own bodies and minds – coordination, self-discipline, confidence etc. We then seek to maintain that control despite combative conflict.

Question 6

What is a principle?

Answer 6

1. A fundamental law or truth upon which other techniques and actions are based.
2. The natural way a thing such as the human body operates.
3. A philosophical or moral tenet.

Question 7

What is the principle of lengthening our line?

Answer 7

Approach technique not from the perspective of diminishing the attack – shortening the attacker’s line – but from the perspective of improving ourselves relative to the attack – lengthening the lines so as to make the attacker’s line shorter by contrast.
We will remain in control of ourselves not only under normal circumstances but when some outside force is attempting to exert physical control over us through violence.
Martial arts works on the very premise that we will in some manner be able to reestablish control over a combative situation.

Question 8

What is the principle of efficiency?

Answer 8

Every technique should in and of itself hold the potential to end a confrontation instantaneously and effortlessly.

Question 9

What is the percentage principle?

Answer 9

Any one body can generate only a finite amount of force at any given moment.

We must strive to employ the full percentage of the power we generate at any given moment.
If our strike represents only 25% of the power our body generated then it is not how hard you hit that needs work. What needs work is getting a higher percentage of our force to the target

Question 10

What is the power paradox?

Answer 10

1. True power feels, and actually should be, effortless.

2. That which feels like powerful exertion is not.

Question 11

What is the ratio principle?

Answer 11

The ratio principle concerns the relationship between energy and effect as manifested five different ways.

Effort versus yield.
Power versus yield. 
Movement versus yield. 
Time versus yield. 
Space versus yield.

We want all ratios working in our favor. Each technique should offer a positive effort to yield ratio, power to yield ratio, movement to yield ratio, time to yield ratio, and space to yield ratio.

Question 12

What is the principle of simplicity?

Answer 12

We can equate simplicity with the practice of grosser, more general techniques, techniques that closely mirror, or at least emerge from, the adrenaline induced state we might find ourselves in during a true fight or flight situation.
Yet those remain incongruent with some of the other court principles in this text.
So simplicity pertains to the application of a learned technique but not necessarily to the complexity of the technique itself. Simplicity must refer to keeping technique straightforward and of minimal moving parts.

Question 13

What is the principle of natural action?

Answer 13

While movements that are instinctive and/or come naturally are natural action, we are more interested in the movements that conform to the body’s way of movement.

As martial artists, we must concern ourselves with exercising the intrinsic power of the body, mind, and spirit – the natural. Yet intrinsic power does not refer to it as common; it refers to the ways in which the human being is anatomically mentally and spiritually powerful. In short, we much seek natural action of the human being not in terms of the most common action or the initial action, but the deepest inherent connection to power.

Question 14

What is the Michelangelo principle?

Answer 14

The point is not to accumulate techniques but rather chip away all the things we do that fail to conform to Martial principles in their purity.

Martial arts cannot be about accumulating practices that empower us but rather ceasing all practices that disempower us.

Sometimes you have to play for a long time before you can play like yourself. Miles Davis

Question 15

What is the principle of reciprocity?

Answer 15

The way in which we are strong is the opposite of the way in which we are weak.

With limited exceptions, if the human body is strong in one regard, it will be weak in the opposite regard.

Question 16

Explain the principle of “opponents are illusions”.

Answer 16

We need not and should not focus on what we do to our opponents but rather on our proficiency in the principles.

Question 17

What is reflexive action?

Answer 17

Martial art techniques must be practiced until instinctive. the fraction of a second it takes for the opponent to attack leaves no time for cognitive thought.

The only way to develop reflexive action in any technique involves repetition. practicing a technique repeatedly not only makes us more proficient it also literally trains are the neuromuscular system to act in accordance with our practice.

Question 18

Explain Physiokinetics.

Answer 18

The study of the mechanistic working of the human body. It not only teaches us to maximize the effectiveness of our own body motions, it’s simultaneously instructs how to exploit physiokinetic flaws in the opponent. Ultimately, PK becomes our master.

Question 19

Discuss posture.

Answer 19

When properly employing posture, our structure can support the force we exert and simultaneously exploit structural weaknesses in the opponent. Without proper structure, we must rely on strength, which only attacks strength. When there is proper posture, we can rely on structure, which in turn attacks structure.
Move with the arse.
Stack your blocks.
Allows the use of the weight of the whole body – heaviness – rather than the strength of the arms.
Breach of the opponent’s vertical axis is exploitable.

Question 20

What are equal rights?

Answer 20

Real attackers will do everything in their power to avoid personal harm. Thus, we must afford them the equal right to self preservation. Let them do what ever they want to. Let them be unpredictable, random, and crafty in their techniques because they’ll never be random or unpredictable in their principles.

Question 21

What is kobo-ichi

Answer 21

Every technique must be equally offensive and defensive.

Offensive techniques eventually will defeat defensive technique. And attacking can create defensive deficiencies.

Question 22

What is active movement?

Answer 22

Active movement defines movements that change our position relative to our opponent.
Passive movement will refer to motion that does not change our position relative to our opponent.
There is only one time to use active movement: when the opponent cannot compensate for it.

Question 23

Positioning

Answer 23

The inverse triangles of the triangle guard. The black areas.
Oriented towards the opponent.

Question 24

Angling

Answer 24

The 22 1/2° angle changes our positioning just enough to avoid an on coming attack but without sacrificing our access to our opponent’s primary targets.

Question 25

Leading control

Answer 25

Leading controlled means defeating the attacker by either non-opposition or encouraging the intention behind the attack.

Question 26

Complex force

Answer 26

We want to deliver the right kinds of force to the body, namely those which exploit vulnerabilities in human anatomy. To that end, we seek to exercise complex force – force that not only move forward into the opponent but also involves at least one additional form of motion, namely spiraling, scissoring, carving, vibrating, and sheering.

Question 27

Indirect pressure

Answer 27

Indirect pressure involves moving our body from a location other than where we connect with the opponent.

Question 28

Live energy and dead energy

Answer 28

Equates to the respective difference between getting hit by a bullet And getting hit by a sledgehammer. While the sledgehammer obviously can penetrate, it actually pushes more than it penetrates. This is a difference between momentum and energy.

Question 29

Torsion

Answer 29

Tension produced from twisting, as in twisting one end of a rope with the other remains fixed.

Question 30

Spatial speed

Answer 30

If your movements cover half the distance through economy of motion then they will be faster.

Question 31

Timing

Answer 31

The golden rule for timing concerns active movement. We must move when the opponent commits his intention to attack. Without the opponent’s commitment to a particular course of action we cannot exploit the opponent’s force, lack of balance, or the fact that he has become frozen in motion.
We can execute our response at the moment they intend to take a course of action, such as when they commit to throw that punch before the punch itself takes form.
As soon as the opponent cannot change his action, we can exploit the frailties of that action. Think defined.

Question 32

Rhythm

Answer 32

Most martial arts truly become functional when deriving more actions per beat and the opponent.

Question 33

Reactive control

Answer 33

As long as we react to what Our opponent does, we cannot establish control. Therefore, we must be the ones to exercise reactive control, which means keeping the opponent on the defensive.
Keep the opponent in the reactive state.

Question 34

Mushin

Answer 34

No mind.
It is not reflexive action which can equally become a fixation of the mind, A programmed response, performing by rote.
If in response to a punch we launch into a reflexive, pre-programmed block and counter combination, we have effectively committed ourselves to saying “the rain in Spain falls mainly on the plane “all the way through, start to finish. This is fixational and is unresponsive.
A mind in Mushin remains completely uncluttered, free of programmed movement, reacting instantly and fully to everything happening at every second, and Unencumbered by its own training. It is devoid of desire, anticipation, a motion and expectation. It is devoid of programming.

Question 35

Kime

Answer 35

Refers to total focus or focusing on a single point. This does not mean you lack Mushin. The mind remains uncluttered, unfettered, and unfocused. You remain responsive. Alert. Aware. You spend zero attention on what occurred before and what might occur next.

Question 36

Non-intension

Answer 36

Action without mental fixation on the particular course of action. Every principle teaches us how to exploit the opponent’s mental fixation.

Question 37

The triangle guard

Answer 37

The essential anatomical structure for our arms. The apex at the tips of your fingers, your arms forming each of its sides, and the width of your back creating its base.
The body can generate and receive force with great efficiency because the triangle constitutes one of the most structurally sound geometric shapes.
The torso serves as a solid foundation.
The triangle guard reveals itself to be a collection of triangles that actually from a pyramid, and pyramids take the geometric strength of one triangle and multiply it by four.
The top, the sides, and the torso.
A sound anatomical triangle will defeat other structurally unsound physiologies.
The triangle guard receives force well and releases force well.
Slipping into the existing void of the negative triangle and decreasing the amount of movement, allows us to apply the void principle – fighting the opponent where the opponent lacks the physical presence to resist us.

Question 38

Centerline

Answer 38

As most vital targets are along the centerline of the body, we must protect our centerline while controlling the opponent’s. Control the centerline, control the confrontation.
Centerline Theory concerns controlling primary target lines and the most efficient routes to them.
You become positioned to strike targets that the opponent cannot defend.
It applies to kicking too

Question 39

The primary gate

Answer 39

Combat can be viewed as a simple battle for a control of space, meaning that if we control how our opponent accesses our own space while simultaneously controlling how we access his space, we win. When viewed from the perspective of the entire spatial mass of two human forms and the distance between them, the control of space can be daunting. Fortunately, we can distill much of combat, especially that within arms reach, down to a battle for dominance over a relatively small area, what I call the primary gate
The primary gate since roughly in front of the solar plexus or between the solar plexus and the chin.
Seize the gate when ever you see your opponent leaving it undefended
For the legs the primary gate is from groin to knee.
You need only wait for your Opponent to leave the lines of attack unprotected

Question 40

Spinal alignment

Answer 40

Ultimately, all power must be grounded, generated, and conducted through the spine.
The spine must function like a post.
What is critical to understand is that they must not only end on the centerline but also begin along it.
Punching in such a fashion both protects the centerline targets aligns power with the spine so that it can be supported by the legs. It Grounds force back into the spine using it as a post instead of a pivot.
Again it allows us to maximize our own power and simultaneously use it to exploit our opponents anatomy. So we must apply force directly toward the opponents spine. Doing so immediately Seizes control of the opponent’s entire body because all parts of the body connect through the spine.
This principal concerns aligning force between our spine and our opponent’s on a vertical plane.

Question 41

Axis

Answer 41

The axis principal essentially comes down to a simple premise: when rotating, we must make a rotation small and fast rather than big and slow. Nearly all technics require at least some rotation of the body, and so if we can devote less time to rotation it frees up more time to take other actions

Question 42

Heaviness

Answer 42

Exercising our anatomy in such a way that we not only maximize the use of our weight, we actually apply weight to techniques.
We want no opposite reaction. Deadweight does not and cannot incur the reaction to its own action. Every bit of reaction in our own bodies results in less reaction in the target.
The remedy involves replacing muscular power with weight in motion – heaviness.
Structure is important and leaning foreword causes the back and stomach muscles to tighten to fight gravity, lifting a portion of our weight making us lighter.
Our weight does not change with posture, but our ability to apply that weight – heaviness – does.
Situate the center of gravity close to the arm while exercising proper structure and then drop our weight Straight down.
Centering the weight on one leg instead of two encourages a straight spine, sound structure, and the tight axis.

Question 43

Relaxation

Answer 43

Relax because tension both traps power and consumes it.
Power comes from places devoid of tension
You cannot move when tensed, and without motion, there will be no power.

Question 44

The Void

Answer 44

The opponent cannot fight/resist us where the opponent is not. Hence, always attack of the void.
Look at combat through the perspective of the photographic negative. We need to learn about martial arts not only by paying attention to our physical selves but equally by recognizing the function of the spatial emptiness immediately around us.

Question 45

Wave energy

Answer 45

Wave energy explains that power begins in the legs and hips and moves through the body until released through the arms.
Wave energy spirals upwards from the lower body, with the upper body merely it’s conduit. A whip serves as a good analogy
We must think of the body as a cartoon firehose. Most readers have seen the cartoon images of water pumping through a hose, which shows large blobs of water moving down its length.
The hose it self does not move only the blobs of water do. Force travels up the body in the same way.

Question 46

Convergence

Answer 46

Convergence reconciles the fact that two opposing forces produce any strike. The first force is wave energy. The second is heaviness.
The rising wave energy collides with the dropping of our weight, but the two opposing forces do not cancel each other out. Instead, they combine!
As long as dropping force and rising force are harmonized, we can deliver considerable power to our opponents.

Question 47

Centeredness

Answer 47

Acting as a unified being.

We want to take our bodies entire weight and condense it into a marble located at our physical center of gravity.

Question 48

Triangulation point

Answer 48

The point in the void which when joined with the two legs completes a triangle
Our two legs cannot support us in all directions at all times.
Anytime we stand in opponent’s TP, we help the opponent because we cannot throw them into the TP and we allow the opponent to use us as a leg for additional support.

Question 49

The dynamic sphere

Answer 49

We can view Martial combat as a clash of geometric shapes, and this is an important concept keep in mind when considering the geometric shape of the sphere. Combat involves the clash of two spheres of action. As long as both spheres remain intact and each combatant maintains his or her own centeredness and control of his or her own full being. However, once one person becomes absorbed into the other person’s whirling sphere, the latter gains control of the former.
He ceases acting as the center of a sphere and instead becomes part of the circumference of your sphere.

Question 50

The body – mind

Answer 50

The state of the mind effects the state of the body; the state of the body affects the state of the mind.
The capacity for mind to react decreases in proportion to its intent to attack.
The mind locates itself in the body when acting on/through the body.
The mind becomes consumed by the thought of grabbing. In effect, as his hand becomes clenched so does his mind. Worse, to try and resist the choke from the point of the joke; they fight against the strength of the arm rather than employing proper technique.

Question 51

Centripetal force

Answer 51

Water spiraling down into a drain offers an excellent example of centripetal force – force of spirals inward rather than outward.
We must manifest a void for centripetal force to Emerge. We also must note that the opponent already possesses a natural void, that being the triangulation point.
Any and all locks, throws, and takedowns maybe functionalized by drawing the opponent into ourselves and then removing ourselves from the space we occupied, thereby spiraling the opponent downward like water into a drain.

Question 52

Sequential locking

Answer 52

We can access otherwise distant, and accessible points of the body if we manipulate close, accessible ones properly.
If we think of sequential locking as a matter of taking up the available slack in the opponents body, then we see how it applies to virtually all techniques not just joint locks.