Natural Movements
I love traditional martial arts, so don’t take this wrong. I am not saying common training methods are without merit. What I hope you will understand is that there exists a disconnect between the expectations of many new martial arts students and the reality of traditional teaching objectives.
All it took for me to get the bug for martial arts (like so many others) was to watch Bruce Lee dispatch a room full of foes with a continuous flurry of kicks. I started kicking everything in sight, and my parents decided to get me some lessons (read discipline).
After spending weeks and weeks learning the most awkward positions I had ever seen, I started wondering when I would get experience in hands-on defense. I was told that I needed a firm foundation in the basics before “advancing” to scenarios involving actual attackers. I accepted that answer (sort of) for the time being.
That’s when I started to notice that almost nobody in my school practiced in a practical way. This showed in the way sparring sessions (even with the black belts) devolved into a brawl that resembled amateur kick boxers. Where was the art we spent so much time “perfecting”? I asked my instructors why the art wasn’t more applicable in combative applications. Guess what? They didn’t appreciate my criticism.
Go figure. People don’t like it when you punch holes in an endeavor they have spent years of sweat and effort in. When I eventually watched the first UFC fights, my concerns for realism in training were validated.
What’s the point?
Application is everything. People turn to martial arts for defensive ability first and foremost. So I feel a burden of responsibility, as an Instructor, to give my students experience working with concepts they can use in short time to defend themselves.
I don’t mean we shouldn’t teach basics (stances, postures, etc.) as a foundation. In fact I think that is essential. However, there is no excuse for stringing along students for months. While they are learning the repetitive basics, they can engage in exercises and drills that utilize natural movements to fight violent attackers.
Natural movements are those that you already know, do, and can depend on under stress. Think about how you would react if someone hauled off and threw a punch in your face. What do you feel? Do you tense up, and where? Do you cover your head, or throw your hands up, palms out (and eyes closed)?
It’s important to know your true reactions today! Know yourself! You naturally shift your weight a certain way. You naturally rotate your elbows a certain way. You naturally push threats away, or you naturally grab and contain a threat. These are reflexes currently programmed into your very being. That means they are reliable. You are going to move.
Traditional styles have a very specific way of moving and transitioning that define the identity of that style. That’s great! But that means you have to break down natural movements in order to build brand new muscle memory, etc.
Beginners should be encouraged to embrace their natural movements in a way that provides them a means of defending against aggressive attacks right now. Then they can walk in confidence while they develop technical aspects of their chosen style. I think this is the best approach.
The ultimate gift we can give to our students is power and choice. Power to participate in life without anxiety. Choice in exactly what that means for each individual. I am not urging people to abandon traditional methods. On the contrary, my vision and passion are for the development of supplementary tactics that will allow students to fulfill their goals of martial proficiency throughout the entire journey of becoming an artist.
Pass it on…
Richard Moore
Founder/Chief Instructor
Applied Fighter
For more information about Applied Fighter and Instructor Richard Moore
Please visit http://www.appliedfighter.com/
