Would You Stake Your life On It?

Nothing irks me more than Americans with less than stellar martial arts training, creating their own systems of karate, kung fu, etc.. The thought process may be a long evolution and blending the best techniques or uniform colors – you name it, but suddenly out of the blue, Sensei Joe Blow is 9th or 10th Dan (degree) Black Belt and has ads running in the local phone books, even the internet, proclaiming himself as Grand Master of his own make believe style. They are usually men in their late 40’s to early 60’s wearing some fancy uniform and often depicted in a deadly looking pose (or so they think). They list their credentials and they are holders of a minimum ranking of 1st degree black belt or higher in about 3 to 10 martial disciplines. In their vast travel itineraries and wide exposure to different martial arts styles – they are quick to create a goofy name – consisting of a combination of the syllables from each of the systems they have gotten a belt rank in and end up as the Founder, Grand Master and 10th Degree Black Belt in TaeNinJu-Ryu or translating (to them) as Tae Kwon Do, Ninja, Judo, and one of the Okinawan styles (they end in Ryu). Another commonality is that they are usually fitted in their overstuffed pin striped competition Gi’s with Red or Gold belts and have Biographies that are simply ridiculous, with many of their references coming from other bastardized systems. They sure look tough too! How can I take lessons from this guy? Today I was introduced to a 7th Dan in one of these bastard styles. Now this Master Instructor has studied intensively for 12 WHOLE YEARS to achieve this rank, where legitimate traditional stylists study and train for the bulk of their adult life and never even approach this rank. This author had begun training about 21 years before Master Blow and still is outranked by this 12 year prodigy. Where do I sign up? Do you offer long term contracts?

I have met a few of these National Treasures in my career and they are the type A’s (on steroids) who talk so much sh** that you can’t participate in their monologue and some were silent types whose quiet demeanor was merely a scam for their lack of knowledge when confronted by a group of high ranking black belts from tried and true Traditional Martial Arts Styles. Others have actually risen to the bait and were allowed (encouraged) to demonstrate their skills on a 3rd or 4th Degree black belt for our edification. In all of my life, I have met one “System Founder” who actually demonstrated his own system, worked with everyone who cared to, fielded questions intelligently and dazzled the attendees with his martial arts prowess – ONLY ONE! I will spare him a mention since his system unfortunately floundered as a result of being so sophisticated that his student membership to Black Belt ratio was very low and those who did attain a Black Belt in it, quickly seemed to diminish in both confidence and skill levels when their Founder re-located to another state. It couldn’t withstand the test of time without him there hammering away at his people. Translation: his style was himself and without him – the style he left behind was like an incomplete equation that quickly stumped, frustrated and finally ended the studies of it’s practitioners. Unlike a true and complete traditional style who’s essentials, by themselves, could equip anyone to defend themselves even if a small portion was mastered. A time tested traditional martial art style is like magnetic force – it will pull you along the desired path as long as you stay in close proximity (training the techniques) whatever your ranking might be.

I also watched this “home brew” martial arts style train today and they were using either an overhead or a lower X – Block, to defeat an attacker – armed with a knife. Sensei yelled “break” whenever one side (empty hands – no blade) “pretend chopped” to the skull or thrusted to the legs or groin and the defenders perfectly stopped the attacking arm with their X – Blocks. “Very good blocks” was barked out to all of those still frozen in the “stopped” position! Sensei knows of me, not really well but respected me by asking me to demonstrate a technique from my system to stop these types of attacks. I thought for a moment and walked before the class and told them they would be far better off to pick up a gun or a lightweight telescopic steel baton than to try and defend against a blade in that manner. Looks of incredulity spread across faces, smirks and sniggers were heard – but hey what the heck let’s give ‘em a show! Without belaboring anyone with my “blade credentials”, I simply asked for a husky 1st Degree Black Belt to remain on the mat as I walked over to meet him. It was obvious in his eyes that he appeared ready to trap my thrusts or possibly get hurt badly – I couldn’t say for sure.

Without quotes: I asked if anyone had ever really been in a knife fight where one or both combatants have a blade. No one raised their hand as the variables that my question introduced, spread like a brush fire across their faces. Now I can hear pins drop – they’re ready. I asked for one of the shiny new training knives I saw earlier in the odds and ends box. It was brought to me “chop chop”! I told this young man, I’ll slowly thrust down toward your skull or face area and you trap me in the X- Block and freeze – I’ll take it from there – he nodded his head. So, I made the slowest, largest, circular motion that I could with my wooden Tanto/knife. As I had shuffled in deeply, the defender stepped back to maintain distance (A+) and executed the perfect X-Block (A+), which gently stopped my swing at the wrist. I then relaxed my wrist which slid past the block and then re-stiffened the wrist and proceed through the block – illustrating the loss of blood and probably life that would ensue as the blade edge was drawn down and into the wrists of both hands of the blocker. Completing the circle brought the training knife to the right side ready position where it shot straight into the blockers chest and stomach with multiple stab wounds being inflicted. Of course, we repped this several times to acquaint the students with reality. It doesn’t matter if you hold the knife blade up or down – it still cuts the block to shreds – only the follow-through cuts change a bit. Next I told my demo partner to prepare for a straight thrust to the bladder area and he nodded. I again shuffled in – boxing style footwork – and oh so slowly pushed the Tanto forward toward his # 3 area as he perfectly executed the X-Block. As I felt the contact and pressure, lightly pushing down on my blade hand, I quickly slid deeper into him and wrapped my free hand across his crossed arms (to stabilize them) and after using my empty “check hand” to control the arms – I turned sharply at the waist and drew the blade up into his “crossed” wrists and pulled it out quickly – effectively severing everything in his wrists/hands with subsequent multiple stab wounds to the body. I explained that an experienced knife fighter will use that blade like a snake uses his fangs to nail you when given any opportunity. C’mon we’ve all seen snakes nail expert handlers from the most unexpected angles and positions. Where a man may see 1 mm of “free space” the cobra or the blade sees “opportunity!

Sensei was teaching “month 6″ blocks and for the wrong applications! He immediately piped up that the technique was undeniably not viable the way I exposed it – but what if the blade was one sided and not of the dagger or bayonet style? Ok, “what if we go with one edge” – my preferred blades are BOTH so let’s see? My Uki defended the slow motion thrust to this bladder so as I slid forward to trap his arms (trap is too strong) momentarily disrupt the movement of his arms, I again torqued away at the waist (no muscling involved) and withdrew the Tanto up and sharply back – after – turning the live edge clockwise with my wrist and pulling my right elbow toward my center (this causes a slight clockwise rotation of the blade as well) the defender was again opened up like a ripe tomato as the live edge was now turned about 160+ degrees opposite of it’s starting point and now was in full play again to cut the X-Block to bits. I explained for a few minutes about what had taken place and why. The students – about a dozen – mobbed me after class with knife questions which I politely fended off until they retired to the floor to play with their Tantos after class. I sat down with my senior in rank but a babe in “time in training” and explained to him that particular block should never be employed against an edged weapon for the reasons I showed and was hand to hand stuff. I further explained that if, as a last ditch scenario, one might find himself defending that very technique with the incorrect defense – trust me it happens – then don’t stop your students and freeze them in that incorrect position, but have them release quickly and re-engage (if absolutely necessary) in hope of gaining a better position when the attacker strikes with his blade again. Never ingrain bad positions/wrong techniques into your student’s heads since we play the way we practice. I cited the “up or down, double or single edge blade” scenarios and explained that we’re trained to always have the “live edge” in play no matter what direction we’re slashing or thrusting from. No matter if we have a double edge knife in our hands or not – it’s rare to find the wrist ‘not’ rolling over as if it were a single edge knife when watching an expert with a blade going though his paces. It wasn’t the student’s fault they were practicing bad technique and I’m not sure it was their Teacher’s either. They were just another home brew, spin-off style, created by an entrepreneurial Black Belt who decided that what he did – in the aggregate – was a real Martial Arts Style and left them an incomplete system. I lay that blame at his feet.