INSIGHTS: Base Realities: We are all aware that Dr. Wong's teachings have consistently emphasized "Gong Fu for health and peace of mind." This phrase has virtually become the motto of the Ching Yi Kung Fu Association, and I have discussed its broad-ranging and deeper implications in previous writings. This time, however, I will address the hard-core realities of human combat.
CYKFA Black Belt S. Leonard cites three "mindsets" that can get your butt kicked: 1) needing to be liked by everyone (one becomes paralyzed when his/her usual "charms" do not work on someone); 2) not aligning with the Universe (showing off, provoking conflict, acting like a fool, deserving to be beaten); and 3) assuming that repelling a cruel savage with an intent to destroy you will be technically like training in the gym, only at a more elevated level.
I am convinced that all great fighters have come to terms with these problems in their own way. My "Brother" in the arts, Remy Amador Presas, the "Father of Modern Arnis", and I had a long conversation late one night in Aspen over 16 years ago about the realities of combat. Remy said he would never lose a fight because he would always be "right with God". Any action that he took would be justified because he had just cause. Mr. Leonard suggests the motto "I do not deserve this" can go a long way in fixing one's resolve to vanquish an attacker. In the world of nature, this principle works on many levels. A mother will go to any length to protect her offspring, knowing that however ruthless she must be to save the life of her child, the subject is not open to negotiation. A cat in its own territory can usually drive out a much larger and stronger cat, whereas he will almost always lose when encroaching on an other's turf. He is not "right with God."
You should examine yourself for the three pitfalls Mr. Leonard listed above. Eradicate them from your psyche and prepare physically, mentally, and philosophically to handle any aggression that may come your way. The preparation itself can go a long way in repelling or preventing an attack. It is a well-known fact that murderers, rapists, thieves, and bullies will consciously avoid selecting a victim from people who have a confident bearing and a look of resolve.
Finally, on the physical level, I suggest the following tactics drawn both from my own experience and from classical martial arts teachings.
1) Do not practice too many different techniques. Select a few things that you consider most effective for combat and drill them over and over thousands of times, until you can react without thinking. Twenty years ago, one of our CYKFA Black Belts engaged in a high-speed chase, rescued a young women who had been kidnapped, and found himself in the middle of the street facing a large, enraged felon with a black belt in Taikwondo. Although he repelled multiple assaults from the kidnapper without injury, until police arrived and took the offender away, he said later that he was seriously disillusioned by the fact that his mouth was dry, his whole body weak and shaking, and he couldn't issue any power whatsoever. Dr. Wong summed up the problem in one statement, "You know too much Gong Fu, causing you to have to think what to do rather than simply doing it."
2) Don't overlook Chin Na. Every form we do contains multiple techniques of seizing and immobilization. Some are obvious, some more subtle. Find them in the forms, isolate them, then practice them over and over. Get a partner and conduct drills of grasping an opponent quickly and surely until you can do it with lightning speed and crushing power. Dr. Wong once told me that Chin Na is mostly a self-taught art. Just identify the way a human joint moves, then take it the other way (with GUSTO!). Use seizing an opponent's arms, hands, head, clothing, hair, etc. as a "force multiplier" by pulling him into your counter strike and/or forcing exposure of his vulnerable body parts.
3) MOVE IN - and move in with commitment. I prefer not to concentrate on purely "defensive" techniques. CYKFA forms are chocked full of moves that combine a block or deflection with a simultaneous strike. Use them. Dig into your opponent with the intent to totally overwhelm him. Anything he throws should be simply knocked out of the way as you strike.
4) Aim to finish it quickly. I favor the old Xing Yi maxim, "fight as if your clothes were on fire." My friend, C. C. Chen, who fought over 100 full-contact, no-limits, no-protective gear matches in Taiwan, and retired undefeated by age 18, told me that an engagement should never last more than 60 to 90 seconds. Ken Fish said his instructor in Taiwan, the legendary Chang Chun-feng, taught him that when conflict was unavoidable, to quickly and resolutely jump into the fray and "strike and strike until nothing stands before you."
5) Finally, come to terms with the fact that you may have to seriously injure or kill another human being in order to survive or to ensure the survival of your loved ones. Think about it and think about it hard. If your personal beliefs cannot allow for this possibility, you must live your life with the knowledge that you are fair game for the dregs of the world, who's path is preying on others.
