Details, details, details ...
“If they did their bong saos THIS way, we’d have to take their Kung Fu seriously.”
--- Sifu Owen Matson
“BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!” --- Me
RE: Kung Fu details and why they’re so damned important
I often harp upon the importance of details in Kung Fu, mostly as a self-reminder. Mind you, those “details” go beyond physical stuff. Attitude and good judgment are of equal, or perhaps greater, importance. Last week we discussed the dilemma that many Kung Fu students face, when they discover that they now have a choice as to whether or not they want to tolerate someone else’s bullshit. What happens, for instance, when someone who is a pacifist becomes a martial artist, capable of ... well ... kickin’ sparks outta somebody’s ass, quite frankly? I’d imagine it’d be pretty easy to be a pacifist, when faced with no other choice, but now, as a martial artist, that luxury is no longer afforded. Choice has entered equation. Given the option of fighting, it wasn't long before the nature of fighting, in various regions of the country, came into the discussion.
Owen is from Iowa. In Iowa, when he was growing up, it was possible (OK, likely) that you could get into several brawls in a week’s time. You could get bloodied up, or bloody someone up, but nothing too serious. Things didn’t escalate past the “good ass-kickin’” stage. Detroit, however, is a different story, as are most urban areas. In Detroit, getting bloodied, knocked down, etc., tends to escalate things quickly. At this point, foreign objects, such as beer bottles, furniture, pepper spray, tasers, knives and guns tend to enter the fray, and a “good ass-kickin’” goes out the window and becomes a “life-threatening situation”. Therefore, one must assess any potential altercation with care. First off, due to the nature of Wing Chun, its students tend to look as if THEY are the aggressors, when defending themselves. It’s a risky proposition, but the Wing Chun practitioner may want to consider taking the first hit (or at least allowing it to be thrown), lest non-Kung Fu savvy eyewitnesses bring unwanted legal repercussions. Something to consider on a per-case basis, to be certain.
“Mine is the style of fighting without fighting.” --- Bruce Lee
Now, those of you who know me are painfully aware that, in moments of ire, I’ll be the first guy talking about kicking sparks outta somebody’s ass. How many of you have actually seen it happen? I haven’t been in a real fight, for about 16 YEARS. That’s not to say that the opportunity hasn’t presented itself ... several times. That is also not to say that I haven’t used my Kung Fu to END a real fight, in that time. I just haven’t actually had to kick sparks outta anybody’s ass yet.
There are a few recent examples I could cite, but the best case was in 1995 (not-so-recently), when a rather largely-muscled and reputedly very skilled female bouncer and I were on the verge of coming to blows over something stupid a friend of mine said at a local nightclub. (This is what I get for defending my friends when they do dumb shit, but oh well ... ) After this friend of mine said the word “Dikes” for the umpteenth time (Can ya guess which club we were at yet?), the bouncer in question, well within earshot, stood up with the intention of forcefully ousting my asinine friend blazing in her eyes. This girl and I weren’t exactly friends, but we were mutually aware of one another’s skills and reputations. I stared at her and she stared at me. Neither one of us was going to back down, our intentions were fixed and our courses were set. THIS WAS GOING TO BE A VERY UGLY FIGHT. There was no question that BOTH of us were going to end up in the hospital, if only by virtue of the whole mess turning into an uncontrollable Goth/industrial bar brawl. (OK, you better know which club we were at now!) In an instant we each, she and I, watched the other assess the outcome of the next few minutes and arrive at the same answer. Simultaneously, she relented, as I turned to my idiot friend and said something to the tune of “Shut the fuck up, you moron.” A win/win outcome, if one ever was.
Owen’s reply: “Now THAT’S good Kung Fu.”
Damn straight it is. To this day, I’m still not sure who would have beaten whom. And I guess that’s the secret to not finding that person who’s “better than you”, whom any wise instructor will warn you about, lest you rush out and get sparks kicked outta your ass.
Now, go play more Siu Lim Tau. I’m outta here.
--- Sifu Owen Matson
“BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!” --- Me
RE: Kung Fu details and why they’re so damned important
I often harp upon the importance of details in Kung Fu, mostly as a self-reminder. Mind you, those “details” go beyond physical stuff. Attitude and good judgment are of equal, or perhaps greater, importance. Last week we discussed the dilemma that many Kung Fu students face, when they discover that they now have a choice as to whether or not they want to tolerate someone else’s bullshit. What happens, for instance, when someone who is a pacifist becomes a martial artist, capable of ... well ... kickin’ sparks outta somebody’s ass, quite frankly? I’d imagine it’d be pretty easy to be a pacifist, when faced with no other choice, but now, as a martial artist, that luxury is no longer afforded. Choice has entered equation. Given the option of fighting, it wasn't long before the nature of fighting, in various regions of the country, came into the discussion.
Owen is from Iowa. In Iowa, when he was growing up, it was possible (OK, likely) that you could get into several brawls in a week’s time. You could get bloodied up, or bloody someone up, but nothing too serious. Things didn’t escalate past the “good ass-kickin’” stage. Detroit, however, is a different story, as are most urban areas. In Detroit, getting bloodied, knocked down, etc., tends to escalate things quickly. At this point, foreign objects, such as beer bottles, furniture, pepper spray, tasers, knives and guns tend to enter the fray, and a “good ass-kickin’” goes out the window and becomes a “life-threatening situation”. Therefore, one must assess any potential altercation with care. First off, due to the nature of Wing Chun, its students tend to look as if THEY are the aggressors, when defending themselves. It’s a risky proposition, but the Wing Chun practitioner may want to consider taking the first hit (or at least allowing it to be thrown), lest non-Kung Fu savvy eyewitnesses bring unwanted legal repercussions. Something to consider on a per-case basis, to be certain.
“Mine is the style of fighting without fighting.” --- Bruce Lee
Now, those of you who know me are painfully aware that, in moments of ire, I’ll be the first guy talking about kicking sparks outta somebody’s ass. How many of you have actually seen it happen? I haven’t been in a real fight, for about 16 YEARS. That’s not to say that the opportunity hasn’t presented itself ... several times. That is also not to say that I haven’t used my Kung Fu to END a real fight, in that time. I just haven’t actually had to kick sparks outta anybody’s ass yet.
There are a few recent examples I could cite, but the best case was in 1995 (not-so-recently), when a rather largely-muscled and reputedly very skilled female bouncer and I were on the verge of coming to blows over something stupid a friend of mine said at a local nightclub. (This is what I get for defending my friends when they do dumb shit, but oh well ... ) After this friend of mine said the word “Dikes” for the umpteenth time (Can ya guess which club we were at yet?), the bouncer in question, well within earshot, stood up with the intention of forcefully ousting my asinine friend blazing in her eyes. This girl and I weren’t exactly friends, but we were mutually aware of one another’s skills and reputations. I stared at her and she stared at me. Neither one of us was going to back down, our intentions were fixed and our courses were set. THIS WAS GOING TO BE A VERY UGLY FIGHT. There was no question that BOTH of us were going to end up in the hospital, if only by virtue of the whole mess turning into an uncontrollable Goth/industrial bar brawl. (OK, you better know which club we were at now!) In an instant we each, she and I, watched the other assess the outcome of the next few minutes and arrive at the same answer. Simultaneously, she relented, as I turned to my idiot friend and said something to the tune of “Shut the fuck up, you moron.” A win/win outcome, if one ever was.
Owen’s reply: “Now THAT’S good Kung Fu.”
Damn straight it is. To this day, I’m still not sure who would have beaten whom. And I guess that’s the secret to not finding that person who’s “better than you”, whom any wise instructor will warn you about, lest you rush out and get sparks kicked outta your ass.
Now, go play more Siu Lim Tau. I’m outta here.