What are "The Magical Qualities of the One-Inch Punch Trick?"

In my last set of postings I gave a personal opinion on the one-inch punch. This post is going to take it to the show for the magical aspects of this demonstration.

Magic is what it is and showmanship is the goal. In magic misdirection is a primary tool of the magician. Telling you to watch this hand while the other does something you are not aware of is a fundamental magic act.

You are told the greatest martial artist of all time is going to be at a tournament to demonstrate his art and you are already primed to beleive what ever is provided for entertainment when you get there. No one, especially Bruce Lee, wants to disappoint the audience - right? You are now predisposed to associate your expectations toward what you have perceived from other legendary stories that get around.

Next misdirection, your told that he is going to demonstrate the one-inch punch. He shows you his fist and then moves it into position while tapping it on the uke's chest where it will land. Your eyes are going to remain focused on that fist and hand so that you will not direct your awareness to the actual specifications that make the magical act work.

Take a look at the film again and ignore the fist entirely (note: one reason this worked so well was Bruce Lee's speed and economical motion; he had the principles of martial systems down - pat!). Go through it a few times and make note of the various parts of Bruce Lee's body. Things you may notice, his lead foot rises off the ground a bit; his body starts to move forward slightly; his body will lean a bit; his lead foot will not step down in a slightly forward motion along with the forward motion of his body. The hand and arm will flex forward slightly, the one-inch move that says this is a one-inch punch.

The fist seems to move only an inch by itself because the audience has been told to watch the fist/hand - not directly but by misdirection when he shows the hand, moves it to the target and then you remain focused on it during the actual event.

Now, take the same time and look at the uke. Look at the stance, the legs and the position of the feet. He is standing loosely in heiko-dachi facing directly forward to Bruce Lee. This is the absolutely worse stance to take in this situation for maintaining balance, etc.

Lets review an old post on stances, "Stance Effectiveness."

Graphic created from Marc MacYoung's book on martial systems.

The stance integrity for the uke is allow maximum ability to unbalance because the integrity line of the uke is the weakest from the direction of force applied vs., if he had taken a side stance with an integrity zone creating the greatest stability of the stance used. You can get the idea from the graphic in that post linked above.

As can be seen with analysis you begin to see a chain of traits and specifications that would promote maximum effect of the event to gain the greatest amount of entertainment and awe inspired showmanship. You can literally stand in front of the uke and use one finger to unbalance him. This stance allows Bruce Lee to actually use the old boxer technique of falling forward with a drop step to create power from the forward moving body mass into the fist.

The fist is not the delivery of that force but merely the conduit of the force as it travels along the path to that fist and into the uke.

Ok, all said and done so I want to express that this analysis is not to through disparaging remarks against Bruce Lee. Bruce Lee is a great martial artist and has accomplished great things in the martial world as well as in the movie entertainment world. I was inspired by him as a youth when I first say the "fists of fury" b-style flick. Really cool and I have not seen anyone who has mastered the moves he did then and now - some are very, very close but ....

Is there a "one-inch" punch?

I do not believe in the ability to apply power with a "one-inch" punch. I believe it is an illusion that fools the uninitiated and sometimes even those who supposedly know the martial arts. I have witnessed many high level experienced folks who fell into such legendary suppositions. You cannot no project "ki" and cause another human to fall and be knocked out and you still see these demonstrated in video's on youtube. If not for the cooperation of the students it would not work. It is just not possible due to nature, nature's natural laws and just plain physics.

If you can find the video of Bruce Lee's demonstration of his one-inch punch and observe it a few times with an open mind you will see how this particular trick is done. There are many factors that when changed and performed by unwilling or uncooperative participants you will see the one-inch punch fail - miserably.

There is no one-inch punch with the type of power you would come to believe is in  such a technique. It just ain't so.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2mxwIC8lrv0&t=1m42s

p.s. the secret is that this is not actually a punch that moves only one-inch, it is actually the entire body moving and that movement applies power to the extended arm thus giving you the impression that it is the one-inch punch. Yes, the hand/fist may only move one inch but what makes it impressive is his body movement for power and add in the fact that the target's stance allows for his falling back vs. changing it to a side stance of even a deep seisan-dachi changes the dynamics and would lessen the impressions of a devastating one-inch punch .... there be magic in this here world.

Regarding the Art of tameshiwari: Is there some secret to breaking?ta

Yes and no. There is a so-called secret to selecting materials for breaking. I can tell you one of the greater Isshinryu breaking experts would bring his own bricks and not allow anyone from the audience to inspect the bricks.

There are some criteria used to select materials as well as set them up for the actual break. Where most breaks go wrong is incorrectly setting them up and ego and pride resulting in a karate-ka attempting to do something they never practiced or trained for in tameshiwari.

A quick example is with wood. If it is of a certain material and if the grain is not set correctly you can hit it all day long with a sledge hammer and it will never break.

Don't misunderstand, breaking is an art form from my view and has a purpose other than competitive breaking systems. Even with all the stuff you have to account for to make it work it still takes skill, training and spirit to do good breaking.

There are secrets, if you will allow that word, to performing good breaks. One more, there is a reason those two-by-two boards are so long and are broken somewhere midway between the tori's hold on them and the striking area on the wood and the leg or stomach.

The makiwara is to train karate-ka to break boards, bricks, ice blocks, etc. for demonstrations?

Again, caveat: I speak only from my perspective. :-)

No, an emphatic no. I cannot speak more about this than say no, no way, no how. The makiwara tool is useful in many ways and it may be generally viewed this way but it is not and was never meant to train karate-ka to break things.

Tameshiwara is an art form all unto itself and does use the makiwara training tool to enhance the ability to perform the art of tameshiwara but ...

Is the makiwara is used to train the karate-ka to have a one-punch killing capability?

Let me begin this answer by expressing this emphatically, "This is my viewpoint, my perspective and my belief so take it with a grain of salt."

The makiwara is not a one punch killer tool for karate. This particular tool has many facets and many purposes where I can say one singular function of this tool is to assist karate-ka in learning and applying the fundamental principles of martial systems. It is a fundamental basics tool for fledgling karate-ka as well as an ongoing training tool to remind those more experienced practitioners to remain focused on the fundamental principles and the systems basics. One transcends any one system while the second brings a system to the forefront of the person's mind - a basis for familiarity of all systems.

Second, although I believe attempting to develop the mind, body and spirit for the spirit of one stopping power of punches and kicks I have to say that the ability to actually apply and achieve a one-punch stopping applied in a fight or violence virtually impossible accept in a fluke of a situation - much like attaining a hole in one, cool and good if you are lucky enough to get one but rarely done.

Deep Stances, what is their true purpose?

The fact that I use this in the post does not mean it is not an effective stance.

Stances must be understood as a transitory thing in applying technique. They are a part of a whole which is that particular technique applied toward a particular instance of violence. There is not one for one but rather a hybrid or eclectic creation in chaotic encounters of violence.

If it is true that stances are transitory; if it is true that the fundamental principles of martial systems specifically "economic motion" so techniques and all their perts must meet a most economical principle than deep stances are not adequate in actual life application.

It true then the question of purpose becomes narrow. Deep stances are simply the result of pushing karate into a watered down physical fitness regimen for school aged young adults. When they pushed the system into the schools things like bunkai and technique were modified and stances were deepened to create a greater physical demand on the practitioners.

If you have to drop into a deep stance to apply a technique and then move out of that stance for the next encounter then your first adding more time to reach the deeper stance; your transition takes longer and thus affects the actual applied technique; your technique uses up energy as well as the time and effort taken to reach a deep stance; your technique then loses that energy which stays in the body and since deep stances must first be assumed and rooted to work you lose power to the technique.

Now, we have only half of the equation. The other half is the time, distance and energy used to get out of that deep stance so you can transition to another appropriate deep stance to apply another technique.

All of this telegraphs intent in a real fight and if this is a predatory violent attack you are going to be way to busy trying to figure out what deep stance to take to fight back - good luck with that one. Lets not forget that the assumption of deep stances to time to application of technique means an adjustment to the the technique causing it to take longer thus telegraphing.

Deep stances server the purpose of strengthening the legs, teaching body mechanics such as alignment, etc. and they also get the practitioner to learn the principles of the system BUT once that initial foundation is laid a practitioner must move beyond the fundamental basics such as deep stances.

Take a look at the Okinawan styles the use deep stances and watch what happens to the more senior karate-ka, the stances in kumite seem to disappear for the more advantageous transitory natural stances necessary for effective application of karate techniques.

Make sense? Yes? No? Maybe?

What words of advice would you give a beginner karate student?

Michele of the "Just A Thought" blog asked a question and I wanted to post my comment to the question here:

The question: "Words of Advice for Beginner Karate Students." posted "Just A Thought" blog by Michele; post dtd Thursday, September 22, 2011

My comment:

In a word Michele, "Patience, patience, and when you feel like you have patience - get more patience." Any new endeavor humans enter into is new, exciting and wonderful.

When you mention how "eager they are to move on to the next " I think that this is the most difficult lesson for any martial artist to learn. To learn that this eagerness, although admirable in people, is the biggest detriment to learning the foundation of all martial systems, the fundamental principles of martial systems which includes such things as basics, kata, weapons, etc.

I might add when talking to newbies, "Take some time, relax, let things come in the way of nature - slow, easy and completely." Take your focus away from the future, don't give any time to the past and remain in this present moment learning this particular aspect of your system completely, thoroughly and with awareness.

This is the type of advice I would give to a newbie - patience, patience, patience!

How much of the martial arts are tied to the belt system?

Interesting question. I suspect that in this country a good deal is tied to the belt system with the ultimate goal of achieving a black belt. Symbolism is meant to represent some thing, some times an intangible thing. A symbol is usually attributed to some idea or quality. An object or some facts. It expresses some meaning or expression of  an intangible by means of a visible, tangible, object, picture, etc.

What has occurred in modern times is the loss of the symbol where it becomes the goal. Goals are all fine and good. They provide us a means to set or processes and achievements such that a goal or goals become realized while allowing additional goals to be created during the process.

There is also some need that humans apparently must have that validates how they feel when the do something - a symbol of accomplishment. This is subjective in today's martial art world simply because there has been no solidarity in a view that all can accept as to what requirements are needed to earn a level symbolized by some colored material worn around the waist.

We go even further when we allow the "symbol" to wear in use to some faded representation of another idea that builds on the original. The faded and worn belt thus symbolizes age, length of time in practice, of a practitioner.

Then what do we do when humans subvert the symbol into something that is less than it is originally purported to be? What would happen to the martial arts or systems if suddenly there were no colored belts, no designation as to rank, rate or level by some colored belt and that actual proficiency in applying the system moved to center stage?

If a person walked into a dojo, donned a uniform or simply wore a sweat suit and then simply practiced for the benefits of practice, would that end the martial arts? Would enrollment suddenly disappear? Would there be a mass exodus out the dojo door? What would be said if no one could profess to the honor of wearing a black belt?

How would that change you, your abilities, your knowledge, your efficiency, your proficiency and your ability to apply it in all facets?

My Postings

As you can see my posts are a mixture of my thoughts, my thoughts that are inspired by my reading of books, and my thoughts as inspired by other blog postings such as Rory Miller's Chiron, Sensei Kane and Wilder's blog, and many others like SueC's and Vesia Sensei's blogs.

If ever I utilize a topic from your sources, i.e. your books or blogs, etc., and you are not pleased for any reason please comment. I want to make sure all the material I use is acceptable to the person, their work, and their philosophies as to their intent. I am not trying to steal, borrow, abscond, hijack your material.

I want to write, as a touch dominant person this is really the best self-teaching tool, and I want to learn from that writing so I tend to read others material and then try to morph it into my own thoughts and by that method encode it and by that method learn and apply it in my practice, training and life.

If you feel I trespass on your efforts comment or send me an email directly to let me know and I will either stop using your stuff or with your ok send you the post for approval before posting to the blog. If I don't hear from you then I cannot take your feelings and such into consideration, If I do hear from you I will accord you the respect you deserve.

This also goes for giving credit. I attempt to do so as is proper by either adding name and source to the end of a quote or by bibliography at the end. If I miss it please remind me and I will correct it quickly.

Thanks!

If sense mode is so important, how to I tell which I am? How do I tell which my students are?

I know the answer because I tool the test Dr. Elgin provided in the below book. It has a short one for touch sense and another that provides a clue to whether your sight, sound, or tactual/touch sense dominant. This is the first of all her books that actually gives this big clue. I suspect it was because the burden of recognition falls on the touch dominant person as I feel those are the people most confused as to why things go the way the go for them while sight and hearing tend to fit into the society preference.

I could try to copy the questions here but I feel that would take things a bit to far. It seems that in this case it is best the curious person get the book and read it. There are a lot of things that if taken our of the context the test is given in this book it could lead to confusion. After all, I am not accepting my analysis blindly. I intend to continue my studies to make sure. I suggest this wholeheartedly.

In addition, it is not a polite or acceptable thing to use this test on others. She explains why such things are misinterpreted and misunderstood leaving false impressions of the person. If someone had come up to me and said they believed I was difficult due to being a touch sense person and all that explanations that go with it might have met resistance ergo locking me into my primary sense mode resulting in a huge reality gap for adequate and acceptable communications benefiting us both. Not good.

If you are curious, get the book(s) and read for yourself. Gain the knowledge and see what it brings.

Bibliography:
Elgin, Suzette Haden, Ph.D. "Try To Feel It My Way: New Help for Touch Dominant People and Those Who Care About Them." New York: John Wiley & Sons. 1997.

The Eyes, The Ears, and The Touch Modes

Open up your eyes, perk up those ears and let your mind touch your heart because what I am posting today is critical to the art of avoidance. This warrants my changing my copy of the ken-po goku-i by adding an ninth line to the overall paragraph so that it includes touch sensing.

"The mind must grasp all the warm and fuzzy data not seen or heard in all directions and on all sides."

This involves communications because although we are predominantly influenced by the accepted normalcy in society of first sight and secondary hearing we have removed the sense of touch almost completely. I have been informed that this is a recent phenomena. We included all three as major sense modes long before the last century - most of history has all three.

If this is true then we might hypothesize that at least a few fights might have been avoidable if we could be aware when a person drops down into a primary sense mode of touch. Since the majority are classified in sight and hearing when a touch person gets agitated/stressed then when they fall into a strict touch sense mode while all the rest remain in sight sense mode the reality gap is strong and wide. This gap then can only be spanned if one or the other are able to determine the touch sense mode and then assume it as well for all avoidance/deescalation processes.

If this is true how do you know when you are facing a sense mode, especially a touch sense mode? Good question. Since touch has become a taboo topic today you will have to first become aware that a lot of folks are touch sense dominant even if we function in a normal sight/hearing sense world. Once you are aware they exist then learn about it. "Try to Feel It My Way" by Dr. Suzette Haden Elgin, Ph.D.

This also applies to Sensei for mentoring practitioners. Discover their primary sense mode and try to gear your instruction and guidance toward that mode of communications. Recently a blogger posted on that very subject where no matter what they did the Sempai could not adequately convey to that person what it was they were trying to teach. The person got very frustrated while the sempai just kept in that sense loop that was not the persons primary sense mode. A reality gap where the person walked away with out that new knowledge.

If the sempai has been aware of and sensitive to sense mode of the person they might have devised a means to convey the knowledge where that person would learn and not become frustrated, etc.

As for the taste and smell, these tend to be non-existent regarding a communications primary sense mode.

What is the most important question any martial artist can ask?

Learning anything comes with a lot of questions. Questions for the Sensei. Questions for the Sempai. Questions for the practitioner. It is an exchange of information that promotes progress through ability, motivation and attitude.

I find that the most important question is derived from many other questions. There is one generic question that can fall into that one ultimate important question, "Does it work?" Such a simple question that takes a great deal to answer.

Show me a technique and I will ask "does it work?" Does it work in a fight? Does it work for self-defense? Does it work if attacked by a predator? You ask and find the answers. The answer determines its value in regard to other questions.

If I focus on sport then I want to know, "does it work," as to scoring points and winning the contest. It may not work anywhere else. It will work in this context according to the other questions.

Other questions come and go, change and adjust, and are either relevant or not; all depending on the question that drives the ultimate, important, relevant question, "Does it work?"

In your system, does it work?

Why aren't we changing the kata?

Change kata? Blasphemy man, you don't change the kata. This is the blueprint on how the master's who created these systems taught the kata and you just don't do that - change the kata, blasphemous dude, hang him from the highest yard arm!

The kata practice in Isshinryu is the kata  taught that is watered down to fit the school systems where karate was implemented at the turn of the century, i.e. early 1900's. We can say that this is not true and the kata are simply displaying the kicks and punches of this system which is thought of in some circles as only an impact system - not true in my view.

We can say that those deadlier techniques originally taught in Naha, Shuri, and Tomari Ti systems is hidden behind those fundamental punches and kicks, not true. The techniques were simply removed so that it would not cause concern when taught in the school systems on both Okinawa and Japan.

So, if this is true then those few who have re-discovered the deadlier defensive techniques of the kata should convert said kata back to its more effective and proficient techniques. If a down block is actually a means of grappling a threat to the ground then it should reflect the true bunkai.

How come we tend to remain in a mode where the traditional kata are still practiced and the defensive aspects are "extrapolated" from those generic moves? This seems open to error. Isn't this why kata has fallen from grace? The kata were taught watered down and may or may not have included the actual effective aspects thus leaving those ignorant to reality and thus propagate incorrect and ineffective marital systems such as karate.

In a nutshell, those who have achieved a more defensive fighting aspect from their traditional kata have the information, skill and knowledge to change the kata back to the classic practice/versions. Is it attributable to a dogmatic doctrine of "don't change the masters system, teach it the same way he taught it" forever?

I say, take the kata back to the classical form and leave it intact. Let those more commercial systems or sportive systems use old man or school children versions for the form in competition - pretty, pretty; point, point; win trophy, win trophy. If kata reflects the true defensive fighting bunkai then you can extrapolate additional defensive fighting bunkai from them. Makes sense to me!

Caveat: never change kata for change sake. change must come from long experience, knowledge and ability in the forum it is practiced. If for fighting, then it should reflect it. If for sport, then it should reflect it.

Is there really advanced training in the marital arts?

No, there is simply training. The mind tends to assign labels to things so when one achieves black belt and when one starts to learn complex techniques they may seem to be advanced. In reality they are simply new things that are not familiar and the brain has no ready references to associate to the activity. This makes it seem complex and difficult until the mind encodes the activity.

There are levels of training. Consider being born and as you observe the world you perceive things which are encoded in the mind and when the mind encounters like stimuli it takes the encoded information and either uses it or modifies it along side other stimuli encoded to form new responses. As you continue to experience through the senses the encoding builds, adjusts, and creates.

In karate or any martial system we begin and build as we progress. It is a matter of building on each level to create many responses to many stimuli to act accordingly. Only the human mind can achieve such wondrous things. If some event occurs the mind finds a response and in the absence of an appropriate one it continues to retrieve things that make up what it perceives is a proper response. Sometimes it is accurate and sometimes not - training can massage a built-on-the-fly response into one appropriate to the stimuli.

It may seem like your learning an advanced technique. It may seem that way because your mind may believe that it is so simply because it is not allowed until you reach a certain belt level. I have seen higher level black belts practice what is believed to be advanced where other systems actually provide the same in lower level non-black belt instruction.

In Isshinryu some have come to believe certain kata are advanced kata in other systems which are taught to kyu grades in Isshinryu. This simple statement promotes a belief that Isshinryu at its fundamentally basic teachings is more advanced than other systems - NOT.

Fundamental basics of any system are simply encoded responses, etc. that are then used to build and expand on adding to your knowledge, understanding, and proficiency - nothing advanced about it. Look at learning the fundamental principles of martial systems as basics. Look at them as you gain experience over time and practice as strengthening those fundamental principles. Or, if you wish think of this as basics to advanced fundamental principles. Reality says they are not changed. The words seem to promote basic and advanced learning and training.

Humph! Think of what Morpheus told Neo, "Do you believe that my being stronger or faster has anything to do with my muscles in this place? Do you think that's air you're breathing now?"

Free your mind. Lose the terms basic and advanced. Spend the time, effort, and energy just learning your system.

Do you have a plan when you mentor martial artists in your dojo?

I have witnessed and actually performed instruction to practitioners with no plan, procedure, or process but to "shoot from the hip" when I walk onto the dojo floor. I was using bad form, bad instruction, and bad etiquette.

I have discovered that many of those dojo that seem to provide knowledge and experience in martial arts usually follow this way of passing that knowledge and experience on to the deshi. It is a wonder that these types of efforts continue and flourish.

I can say that my luck, my karma, was good when running a dojo. I actually started to see and hear things that led me to research and change my ways. I only had this epiphany because I had a lot of experience teaching Marines where you didn't step in front of a group without a plan, procedure and process.

In my work today, in the technology field, I am seeing a greater misdirection than ever before in my career. It is driven by customer and technological requirements. Both are now driven by a need for instant gratification, instant profit, and instant need to technological bells and whistles. What do I mean?

I mean that our humanity is far outdistanced by technology and our humanity has no chance to evolve and catch up with technology. The next best greatest technological bell and whistle pushes humans into a need to get the latest and greatest and bestest of technological wonders. It runs us instead of us running it.

That same technology pushes us to ignore the natural order of nature and humanity to achieve things that seem to be good and end up being not so good and thusly discarded quickly.

We tend to put the cart before the horse. My work is pushing out services with out a plan, procedures, and processes. It looks great, it comes quickly solving the instant gratification needs driven by those services and technologies. It then fails to go the distance when services in support of those services fails to deliver simply because no one plans, implements procedures and processes to support that model.

In the dojo the same thing happens. Practitioners push hard to get to the so called good stuff. They allow ego and pride and the excitement of such things as MMA to say in their perceptively governed mind, "Hey, I gotta be just like them and I gotta be them right now!"

It then promotes lessons and training and practices that quickly gloss over the fundamental principles of martial systems and those basics along with things like kata to get to the good stuff. The good stuff is simply a few combinations that may or may not win a competitive event to either gain fame and glory fast or hit that wall where many, many just quit.

The moral of this post, there is no short cut, no instant gratification that will last, and no way to become skilled in a martial art regardless of its classification, i.e. sport or combative.

Why should I study the kenpo gokui?

On the surface the tendency to take each of the eight on its own seems logical. In actuality the eight are separate and distinct for teaching purposes. Like the fundamental principles (fundamental principles of martial systems by Steven J. Pearlman, i.e. the Book of Martial Power) are written distinctly in a separate manner to promote teaching, learning, and understanding.

The eight goku-i (Ken-po Goku-i for short/brevity) are separated and numbered only for this purpose. What is not been made clear to those who study the system and the goku-i is once you learn the fundamentals of the eight you remove the separateness of them and merge, meld, morph them into "one."

The "wholehearted way" of Isshinryu is the "one way" or "one heart way" of Tatsuo Sensei's system. One being the key feature of the entire system. Wholehearted brings the heart of the practitioner, the spirit if you will, into the system separately and with distinct parts that must be assembled into "one whole" system - the one heart system.

The eight into one may indicated that it speaks of the mind, heart, and body. Those three spoken separately. Those three merged, melded, and morphed into the one complete and whole person.

Learn the goku-i - separate and distinct. Learn the goku-i - meld, mold, and morph. Learn the goku-i - the one and wholehearted way of Isshinryu. Remove the child references - numbers, orders, and separateness. The great tai chi is the one which then separates into the two - Yang-n-Yin. The two separate into the four into the eight trigrams. The trigrams continue to separate into the hexagrams - the sixty-four.

The separation into the sixty-four are to teach man how the Universe relates to the Earth. How the Earth relates to humans. The three, Heaven-Human-Earth then learn from the separation of the great Tai Chi how to meld, morph, and merge the separate back into the "one." The way of Humans is to see, hear and thus perceive how all the myriad things of the Universe are connected and return back to the great, the one.

This is the method and purpose of following the way in martial arts. This is the method and way - wholehearted - of Tatsuo Shimabuku Sensei in his teachings through the physical of Isshinryu and the Spiritual of Ken-po Goku-i. Physical training is the yang of the great tai chi while the ken-po goku-i is the yin of the great tai chi - the one, wholehearted way.

The ken-po goku-i is the fundamental principles of the spiritual wholehearted way of all martial systems.