OT: What do you tell the students about the street

Wai Jia: The Kung Fu Forum Kung Fu Forum
21

Greetings..

We train and play in the Kwoon.. we live in the street.. and, we can die in the street.. i tell my students to make every effort to avoid violence. If the issue is robbery, let 'em have your money, i can get more money, but.. you only lose your life once.. If the issue is macho domination, look frightened and cooperate.. if it is apparent that there will be violence, be more violent.. don’t be fancy.. and never run your mouth if you aren’t ready to back it up, right then and right there..

The street is real, no movie crap, no rules, no cooperating class-mates.. if someone brings violence to you they already have a plan, an intention, and a belief that they can prevail.. most people don’t attack thinking they will lose.. the next few seconds will determine the outcome.. if you get up in your head you are at a disadvantage.. you should have played-out these variables so many times that it is all internalized responses.. be aware of your environment, always.. notice escape routes, notice objects that can become weapons.. hostility is tangible, listen to your instincts.. if it doesn’t feel right position yourself at the advantage and look for options..

Respect the street dynamics.. seldom are you attacked by an individual..

Be well…

22

So, what method do you employ besides telling them to be subservient?

How do they “be more violent”?

How is “will” trained in your style? How can you train someone to have “spirit”?

I would forward that you cannot give person spirit. They have it or they do not have it. Force of discipline is a concept that needs to be understood and applied at the level of individual. there s no training method really that is 100% for sure workable to devlop this in a human.

My personal approach is that of hyper-awareness and pre-emptive action when it comes to being on the street.

There’s a lot of things you can do in this regard. Simple things. some of it so simple that it can be easily overlooked.

Things like - do not share the street with anyone. Walk across if anyone approaches and be aware of them long before they are in any position to tell you what their intentin is. IE: if they are a block away, cross now. If they cross when you do, evade and escape now before they close. If you are trapped, make yourself ready etc etc.

The part about will is up to them.

Verbal de escalation of conflict is useless when someone already has intention of making you a victim, escape or conflict are often the only variables open.

You can spend a lot of time trying to get the slack jawed complacency out of someone. A quicker route is to slap them across the face, but that’s not kosher anymore lol.

anyway, there are definitely methods within your own fighting arts taht can be used as your techniques of self defense on teh street. Doesn’t matter what your art is. A predator is a predator and fighting it is fighting it whether you choke the predator, kick it, punch it, stab it or crush it’s head agains the nearest brick wall. The thing is you have to be willing to do those things. And if you lack will, then yes, by all means, be a victim and try to get out as unsacthed as possible and good luck!

Learning attribute development and playing to your strengths when thrashing the living crap out of a street predator is not a bad thing. But awareness first, and definitely you need the will and intention in yourself already to carry out whatever deeds you are going to have to carry out.

23

I can teach you to shoot the gun in an hour. Whether or not you have it in you to shoot the deer is another matter. You may never have it in you. Which goes back to my other statement that martial arts is not for everyone.

The student I’m talking about will shield attacks succefully and ride them out… if we’re fighting outside he can do it almost forever and I pray he gets taken down to end it already and stop the boredom.

Inside he hits a wall and is forced to fight.

He has the ability already to defend. I don’t want him to defend. I want him to beat! He’s a good kid and very mellow, surfer type. Which I like. But in this field you have to smash someone.

24

Earth Dragon, are you willing to put your 16 years up against my 4 years? Let’s stop di(king around and get right to the point. If you train the way you’re making it sound like you train, I’m willing to bet my face and good health that I’ll go through you like a hot knife through butter.

I don’t mean this in a childish or arrogant way. Quite the opposite, all these words and implying that I’m being dishonest and talking “nonsense” is dishonerable between two adult martial artists.

Let’s cut to the chase. Buffalo is not that far away. I can take a train or rent a car and compare. One minute of action will replace days of threads.