Childish "warriors"

During the early childhood , parents are the whole world for the children .Small kids have totally uncritical view on their parents who are omnipotent , all-knowing . strongest, the most beautiful , in one word , perfect .

As we grow up we starting to understand that our parents are not gods, they have same needs and desires , same flaws as everybody else , in time we do come to understanding that our parents are not perfect. Of course , this is not an obstacle to love our parents as much as we did when we were kids.

Children will take very personal any “attack” on their parents, it is common thing to hear children arguing whose mom is more beautiful or whose dad is stronger. Any statement about parents which does not fit child’s view in them will be considered as an attack , and this is perfectly normal for this level of personality development . It is not normal to hear adults arguing whose parents are better .

Very small children also have noncritical view of reality , therefore they are completely dependent of their parents, they have complete trust in them and everything that parents say it must be true.

Small children up to the age of 5 are not completely able to separate reality from fiction, for example , if they hear a story about 3 little pigs they will believe that really happened . Later , children realize that fairy tale is just a work of fiction.

Later , during the adolescence , we realize that we cannot take anything in absolute categories, there is not absolute good or absolute evil ( or maybe it does in some cases) and how we will perceive some things depends much on our point of view , personality , cultural background, education, religious believes , political convictions ect.  For example , war in ex Yugoslavia can be viewed from two different sides. For Croatian people , “Ustashas”( same name of fascist organization from WWII who was responsible for killing 1 000 000 Serbs and Jews in concentration camp Jasenovac) were good guys , heroes who fought for freedom . From Serbian side these people are war criminals who killed 20 000 Serbs (mostly woman and children) ,30 000 Serbs still missing and 500 000 people were forced to leave their homes and escape to Serbia making Croatia ethnically purest country in Europe. No matter who is right or wrong it is obvious that two sides have totally opposite opinion and feelings toward same group of people and same events .

We also realize there are no absolutely good or bad people and if someone is good in one area ,for example science , that does not mean he is also good in all other areas of life . For example Wernher von Braun was brilliant scientist who sent people to the Moon , on the other hand he was a fascist who made weapons for nazi Germany.

Process of maturation leads us to complete understanding of life and the world we are live in ,and when we come to this understanding we are finally adults .

On the other hand , in the area of martial arts there is a very specific and strange phenomena . Adults , who can be very serious in all other areas of life have completely infantile affection for martial arts.

Just like in the early childhood , martial artists often see founders of some particular style or “old masters” the same way as they saw their parents. These people are omnipotent , they didn’t lose any fight , they are morally and ethically perfect . This goes even beyond worshiping a particular person, even the legends or creations myths of some style are taken as real historical facts although it is obvious those stories have no foundation in reality and they do not fit in cultural, economical, social pattern of the particular time.

These people will react in the same manner as young children when they are confronted with evidence which proves their believes wrong. They will refuse to even think about presented evidence and they will response with an anger ,often attacking the person who presented the evidence on personal level because they lack evidence to support their believes. Everything that does not fit in their view of things is wrong and it is considered as personal attack. They will defend “honor” of some people from the past just like that person is their father. Usually there is no even a smallest amount of critical thinking and logic in their view of the style’s history, founder, some prominent figure form the past.

While no one actually believes in stories about King Arthur or Robin Hudd , everything that comes from the East will be “swallowed’ in one bite and taken as an absolute truth. Funny but true .

It is not normal to hear adults argue whose dad is stronger , isn’t it?

There is an endless arguing all around the world whose style is more efficient , more effective , more ‘real” , more original .and whose founder is/was better fighter.

It is hard to believe that adult people talk about this things.There in an infinitive number of "warriors" ,'ninjas" , "bushido folowers" ect.

Adult person has no problems to see some founders of the style as he or she really was . Good fighter doesn’t mean that person is automatically good in all other areas of life (take Mike Tyson, tremendous fighter but as a person…).   

For adult person there is no reason to hide behind some “grandmaster” all his life, just as we leave our parents when we come to an age the same thing we should do with our martial art, we have to leave the teacher and continue on our own. Hiding behind some big names is childish and shows a great deal of personal insecurity. There is only one right approach to martial practice and that approach is not different form  approach to any other thing in our life , it should be logical , supported with critical thinking and evidence .

Taiwanese kung fu puppets

The story begins 400 years the past, when a demon warlord named Mo Kuei threatens the people to the extent that he will destroy all of Wulin, which had been the forest of residence for the warriors of Wulin.  The great sage, Su Huan-jen has summoned three heroes from different kung fu schools to help him avert this disaster. Together, the three heroes wait in ambush as Mo Kuei gathers his spiritual energy on the Tianji mountain peak.. The story continues onward in which Lord Jian almost becomes sealed by certain protectors of Wulin. Many conflicts follow this in which Jian loses all of his powers and lusts to find the Sacred Stone to regain his powers.

The story is played on a miniature stage, dressed in traditional Chinese gowns, they move to a drum beat, speaking in disguised human tones, they fight , fly , love , hate , live and die bringing to life Chinese historical plays.

This just one of the stories played in Taiwanese Glove-Puppet Theater. Budaixi is a unique and intrinsic element of Taiwanese culture. It was brought by settlers in 17^th century from it’s place of origin, Fujian province and over time developed in very specific art which today ,can be found only on Taiwan .

Origin of the can be traced 300 years ago in the past .During the Ming dynasty, a v named Liang Bing-lin from Fujian province went to the capital to take an exam.  During his travels, he dreamed about a god telling him that he already had ‘fame’

inhis ‘palms’; therefore, he thought that he might have been placed on top of the exam. He didn’t pass the test to enter the ranks of government. He was very upset, but he had no choice but to return to his hometown .  He became a storyteller , and his sarcastic stories were aimed against government and politics . The content of his stories upset the government and he had to change the content of his stories. He did that , and not only that , he invented completely new way of theater which soon became very popular .

Not long after Budaixi was brought to life, early Taiwanese settlers brought it to the island where it changed and adapted becoming the art with longest lasting popularity of all Taiwanese arts.

The hand puppet play in Taiwan used to find its audiences in street or temple performances on the miniature outdoor stage. In the beginning it was a one man show , but gradually changed into a full theater with expert teams of performers. Musicians are in the back stage usually playing drums, flute, and strings served. One of two manipulators served as protagonist and singer on the main stage .

For over 300 years Budaixi was one of the most popular form of public art in Taiwan. The repertoire is mostly made of “martial” operas in which the stories were usually based on historical novels , stories of famous crimes and purely martial arts novels .

Today , it is not easy to find Budaixi on the streets of Taiwan although it can be found sporadically . Like many old arts, this one is disappearing along with older generations of people who were main public for this kind of theater .

Although it is disappearing from the streets , glove puppet theater found new life on TV where it became extremely popular among younger generations . Not only that , but performance is changed and adapted to the new environment extremely well . Heroes and villains now can shoot laser beams from their eyes , fly on a real clouds of smoke , have “real” magic weapons and many other things .Heroes of past are mighty and have powers equal to Marvel's superheroes , and that is one of the reasons of the popularity of
Budaixi among young population .

My thoughts on martial arts

There are two very important things in wing chun training , probably the most important. First , goals of training must be clear . practitioner must be completely clear what he wants from training whether he seeks martial skills , perfection in performance or something else . Second thing is , wing chun must be personalized , must be adjusted to person's needs and abilities . Being a copy of the teacher never led to high level of skill of any kind , only practitioner who can completely express him self through the art can reach true mastery of the art .

Do not allow knowledge to become a dogma , do not let believe to replace experience 

In kung fu , internal comes only after you mastered external , if you are soft form the very beginning , if you never experienced real hardness , you will never be able to fight 

We are not defined by what we do, we define what we do, which in return defines us in the eyes of others ,

It almost a rule in martial arts that people start their explanations with following phrase :"Some people are doing this in a certain way and I am doing it like this and mine is correct". I wonder ,why not explain things from biomechanical point of view , or from the point of efficiency and effectiveness ? That is what I do . Why people have the urge to put down others ,like if they discredit others ,somehow that will make them better? This phrase is a clear sign that I should avoid thous who use it

   
My dear friends , before you get mad at me when I say something you should check what am I talking about , there is a high possibility that I am telling the truth

In real fight 20 % is technique , 80 % in intent . If you are not properly trained , no matter how good your technique is you will never be able to fight .

If you practice any martial art more than 6 months and you are not able to fight, if you are not physically and mentally prepared for fighting you are wasting your time.If you practice any martial art more than 5 years and haven't completed the system you are cheated for money .

Kung fu is not about hurting someone, it is about stop someone to hurt you

A lot of people will say their kung fu is better , more original , more efficient ...it doesn't matter even if they are right , if you love what you are doing, if you found yourself in it, if you enjoy doing it , you have the best thing for yourself .

Kung fu is a personal thing , your expression of it must be unique , if you copy others you will never achieve anything

Friendly practice should be just that ,friendly practice , comparison of skills should be nothing more than that ,drills should help both practitioners to develop their skills . Too often ego takes over and people turn friendly practice into something else .It up to more mature person to deescalate that kind of bullshit . That is why I let people win , even if I am way better then them , there is no point to make infantile person feel bad , they can only envy me , which leads to hatred .If someone cannot realize how stupid his behavior is  it is not my job to make him realize that , I just leave that kind of people behind

There are no 'secret , pressure point"techniques ,I practice in that manner ,where ever I hit , that spot is a pain point

Two most essential things in any martial art are punching and footwork . If you know how hit and how to move you can win any fight.

There is a belief that kung fu is somehow a way of  enlightenment . I do not agree , there is no way to be enlightened trough learning and practice to inflict pain and injuries , let's be honest , martial arts are made for self defense or warfare , in their essence is fighting and there is no fighting without hurting someone . Hurting others or yourself is not a way of enlightenment

It is not about what style you practice , it is about how you practice it . 

When people are leaving some school, teacher often talk about betrayal and  loyalty . Remember people do not leave without the reason and those who talk about betrayal and  loyalty the most are most often people who betray others and have no sense of loyalty .

Simplicity is the key to effectiveness and efficiency

Today , I see many people who never went to war teach other people how to go to war . I have been in war , fought in the first line of fire and do not have courage nor the face to teach other people how to go to war because I have not enough experience . 

At the end it is all about honor , you have it or you don't 
 

I can learn from everyone , from some what to do , from others what not to do .

There are two things which are true for kung fu and for people . Without good foundation and good structure there is no good kung fu or a good man  

Kung fu is a catalyst , it makes good person better and bad person worse , at the end it can make a good and bad person perfectly good or perfectly bad  

There is no greater thing than happy laughter of children, that is why I practice martial arts, to protect that thing greatest of all 

If you don’t practice every day , you don’t practice at all

You cannot measure things by \ standards of your own intelligence , there are people way smarter than you

Knife/gun defense , yeah ..right …

 

You love kung fu or you don’t know anything about it 

Today , kung fu is a way of life , in the past , kung fu was life its self

 People who don't fight with their kung fu tend to over theorize and make their systems too complicated . Kung fu supposed to be simple 

Often , people say "My kung fu is so deadly but cannot be expressed if I wear protective gear , that is why I don't participate in competitions " My question is , if you cannot fight in controlled conditions how can you fight in real life threatening situation?

Kung fu is not for stupid people

I often hear "you don't have to strong if you want to use your kung fu , you don't need strength ..." What a load of crap , the truth is , you don't have to be big , but strong ,yes , strong and fast

Kung fu is a personal journey , as long as you don't walk your own path you don't do real kung fu

When someone is under 70 and has a title of "granmaster" , only grand thing about him is his ego

 Practicing kung fu without sparring is like learning how to swim without ever going into the water

Arts that do not change over time are arts in the hands of people who do not understand them and they are afraid to change anything .True kung fu changes, grows , evolve , adapts ...and true teacher will teach his students to take the most form his art and , if there is a possibility to even surpass his art and him self .

There is a big difference between performing master and real kung fu master ,

Ego is the only thing that can truly kill kung fu

If there is no power , if it doesn't hurt while practicing ,if it doesn't make you feel uncomfortable , if it doesn;t challenge your ego , it is not martial art , just a fitness program.

There is no "internal" without external , "internal" to be useful in fight must be practiced under pressure until it becomes fighter second nature , until it becomes the only way fighter's body respond to a fighting situation , otherwise , it is a waste of time 

Sometimes people have religious affection to their kung fu. It cannot be more wrong than this . Kung fu is a science , measurable , provable , experiment based scince . Kung th is ,,knowing" not ,,believing"

The only truth you can believe is the one have proved by your self , all other "truths'" are not to be trusted 

Forgiveness is the hardest part...

The more you understand , the less you judge

Long time ago I've met man who practice magic, and believe in it . I asked him can I become a magician , can I learn magic . He said something interesting. Magic is not what people usually thin it is , magic is freedom , to be brave enough to think independently , to be different , to change the world for better one step at the time , to stand when everyone else are on their knees , to live here and now ,to open your mind and your heart together. That is a true magic , a path of personal growth in all aspects of life , not some funny rituals and search for supernatural powers


There is a simple way to determine whether some kung fu is good or not . If what you see looks attractive it is a worthless bullshit ,on the other hand if what you see is simple ,direct and totally unattractive you are on the right place .

I am reading lately a lot of "wise" quotations about being a warrior. Two things caught my attention.First , all that bullshit was written by people who never experienced war, second , level of immaturity of people who wrote and sharing this "wisdom" is incredible. What warriors do ? They kill other people . How glorious is that , to be a murderer ? Sometimes violence is justified , when you defending your country , your family , your self .Still , no matter how just violence it may be , that doesn't change its nature.
STOP GLORIFYING VIOLENCE . 
It is easy to be a "warrior" on FB , in real life things are somewhat different , think about it before you share some of thous "warrior wisdom" again

The biggest problem in wing chun today (besides ego) is the fact that people do not progress in fighting abilities but in number and complexity of drills ,, applications" and ,,techniques" . The whole art ,with rare exceptions , seems to be directed toward pleasing visual perception instead to combat effectiveness

When people say something like ,,I practice martial arts for several decades" to prove their competence I always laugh. So what if you practice something for 20 or 30 years? If you do not practice properly or you practice some bullshit what is that experience worth? It is like someone lifts 5 kilos weight for two decades and that makes him an expert in weight lifting .

Opinion is like an ass, everybody has one