Tag Archives: pa kua chang

Here’s How the Martial Arts Were Destroyed!

Newsletter 886

New Professional Martial Arts Instructor!

Congrats to Professional Martial Arts Instructor…
Michael Guthrie
Here’s Michael’s win…

Thank you Al.

I appreciate the fact that this was a difficult test and that you set it up to insure that the knowledge would be legitimately understood.
Your test was by far more complicated and way more detailed than the American Sport Associations. I didn’t even study for their ‘Martial Arts Trainer’ certification and passed it with flying colors. It was obviously about the $99 fee, as it was just way to easy and it was clear that they do not care about actual knowledge. Which in my mind is dangerous. Thankfully, I decided not to pay the fee after the test….I wanted something that was legitimate and required real knowledge. You supplied that and if people want a legitimate certification process, concerning the martial arts, they should definitely take your course.

Thank You Shihan

Michael Guthrie

Thank you,
Michael.
One more person sharing the true art.

What is a true art?
One that doesn’t wobble,
where all the techniques fit together,
where the teacher actually understands what he is teaching.

Do you know how many people don’t actually know what they are teaching?
They simply do a move and have the student copy cat it.
They don’t know why the knee should be high on a kick,
or how to sink the weight on a technique,
or the seven secrets that will create perfect form.
The reason for this is simple.

Back the sixties people,
for the most part,
did understand why they were doing.
They read books on zen,
they were taught basic engineering principles in school,
they were not confused by a society filled with drugs and electronics.
Simply,
they could focus,
and focus well enough to ask questions,
and then to figure out the answer.
Then bad things happened.
I remember seeing these things first hand,
and on several fronts.

In 1969 I was at a tournament.
A white belt sat in a corner, and I heard his sensei tell him to just run across the ring and start punching.
So he did.
Didn’t know any karate,
but he knew how to fight,
so he won,
and karate died.
Over the years I saw this attitude infect tournaments
on all levels.

I opened a school,
taught a bunch of kids,
that was okay,
except that they needed to be entertained.
You couldn’t hand them a gentle knuckle sandwich
to prove a technique didn’t work.
You had to worry about self esteem
and parents that were unwilling to let their child experience life.
Over the years this attitude has gotten worse and worse,
until kids feel there are no consequences,
and only want to be entertained.
These kids don’t have the work ethic required to earn anything worthwhile.
They just need their teacher/parent/boss to pat them on the head.
Mind controlled zombies
with never a serious question.
That’s our educational system.

And other things like these happened,
the result is martial artists
that want to fight,
but can’t control their body.
I’m serious in this,
I try to teach these kids a simple form,
and they spin in circles,
jump up and down,
talk, talk, talk,
and don’t come back.

No focus,
no concentration,
no work ethic.

And,
that’s the kind of thing
that has happened to the martial arts in this country.

Now,
interesting thing,
do you know
how head and shoulders you are
above these poor monkeys?

You ordered a matrixing course,
you became intrigued by matrixing,
you actually want to learn something,
you’re thinking.
You’re not a mindless monkey,
copy catting some poor dufus who is,
himself,
a mindless monkey.

Now,
look,
I am NOT speaking harshly of these misguided souls
who have become society.
I am merely pointing out where they are,
what is wrong,
and advising them to do something about it.

And I am complimenting you,
thanking you.
Having taken a matrixing course
from MonsterMartialArts.com,
you ARE a real martial artist.
You’ll not only be a great fighter,
but you will grow in awareness.
You will know what color is
in a land of the blind.

So thanks.
And thanks to you,
Michael,
for being one of the true martial artists.

Here’s the link for this week…

http://monstermartialarts.com/martial-arts/2f-matrixing-the-master-text/

This is a massive work of art,
detailing how matrixing was born,
how it developed,
and all the research that went into it.

and have a GREAT work out!

Al

http://monstermartialarts.com/martial-arts/2f-matrixing-the-master-text/

http://www.amazon.com/Binary-Matrixing-Martial-Arts-Case/dp/1515149501/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1437625109&sr=8-1&keywords=binary+matrixing

go to and subscribe to this newsletter:

https://alcase.wordpress.com

Remember,

Google doesn’t like newsletters,

so this is the best way to ensure you get them.

You can find all my books here!

http://monstermartialarts.com/martial-arts/

http://www.amazon.com/Matrixing-Tong-Bei-Internal-Gung/dp/1507869290/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1423678613&sr=8-1&keywords=tong+bei

Unique Method of Martial Arts Strength Training

Suspended Strength Training in the Martial Art…

And Who is Ernie Pyle?

Before I get into a rather interesting discussion
of real strength in Martial Arts,
and offer a different viewpoint
and training method
for strength training in the martial arts,
let me offer an anecdote of good wishes
and quality of life for this Thanksgiving.

how long does it take to get a black belthow to kill bookNot many people know who Ernie Pyle was,
but he was a war correspondent during WW2.

Now,
try this one,
Ernst Hemingway.
Everybody knows who he is.
and many even know
that he was…
a war correspondent during WW2.

Now,
bear with me,
Ernst Hemingway
wrote about drinking ancient wine
in hallowed corridors,
invading
and living the life.
Midnight samplings,
caviar,
a conqueror’s dreams come true.

Ernie Pyle wrote about people.
He’d talk about lone figures in a line,
marching into the dust,
half of whom wouldn’t come back.
He’d talk about starving soldiers
sharing their last ration with him
sitting in a foxhole,
heating the ration
in a steel helmet
with a candle.
Rubbing his hands together to keep warm
and seeing the look
in the eyes of the soldier with him–
just glad to be alive
and with another human being.

So
caviar dreams,
or humanity.

Well,
Hemingway blew his brains out with a shotgun.

But the soldiers Pyle wrote about
went on to create
the greatest country
in the history of this planet,
a country that believed in and shared
freedom.

And,
for all my friends in other countries,
bushwah aside,
that’s all us United Statians want,
freedom for all,
not because we’re better,
but because we can all be better,
and I hope that this thought,
my Thanksgiving thought for this yar,
can be shared by the world,
next year.

So let’s talk about martial arts.
and Suspended Strength.

The guy who can lift the most
is the strongest.
Grrr!
He wins.

Well,
uh…
have you ever heard of time?

Let’s say a guy lifts a hundred pounds.
He’s a young kid,
and this is a good lift for him.
But,
when you measure the time it took him to lift
he lifted 100 pounds in two seconds.
One second up and one second down.
so,
200 pounds.

Now,
let’s take his twin brother
give him 20 pounds,
and have him lift it 12 times.

Hmm.
240 pounds.
He’s stronger.

Oh,
you don’t like my math?
Well,
I’m just starting.

Let’s take that evil twin brother,
you know,
the one who cheated to become stronger by lifting less,
and let’s have him lift 20 pounds,
but take take 30 seconds to do it.
15 seconds up and 15 seconds down.
Do the math…
15 times 20…
300 pounds.
He’s stronger.

Not only is he stronger,
but because he didn’t stress his body
there is less chance of injury,
pulled muscle,
or even fatigue.

And,
I’m going to tell you something weird,
his strength is going to improve on a sharper curve
than the two second boy.

Now,
you think I’m talking Tai Chi here,
right?

Well,
sort of,
but sort of not.
Other arts than Tai Chi go slow.
And,
hate to say it,
guys who get old or injured
slow their stuff down.

The point here is that
power comes in different speeds.

Yes,
there is explosive power,
great stuff,
recommended if you want your art to work.
But there is also suspended power.
You won’t lift the most,
but you’ll lift longer,
last longer,
not have injuries,
be able to rehabilitate injuries.

I use to work out at karate hard,
an hour felt like eight.
But,
I can’t do that anymore.
But,
I can work out for eight hours
and make it feel like one.

I just do my forms slower,
and work on suspended strength.

Oh,
WARNING!
be careful when doing kicks or extreme positions slowly,
suspending the leg because you could throw out your back.

When you explode,
you see,
you only use part of your leg,
part at the beginning and part at the end (to stop it).
When you go slow you use all your leg,
and this puts stress on body parts
that never knew stress before.

Okay,
if you want to learn slow,
get stronger than an ox who’s been eating good,
then check out the Five ArmyTai Chi Chuan,

Actually,
there’s three systems on the course.
An easy basics system,
an intermediate system that just sort of explodes on the cerebral cortex,
and then there’s the classical eight animals.

Think about it,
three systems,
a book,
the ability to age gracefully,
a complete art,
only ten bucks a disk.
Whoa,
that’s a Fng deal!

Okay,
guys and gals,
you have the greatest week ever,
and remember
every time you work out
it’s one step closer
to the truth of you.
And,
man,
that truth is grand.

Later…

Al

Is it Possible to have Perfect Martial Arts?

Chess and the First Move in the Martial Arts

I recently wrote on article on ‘Beyond Western Muscles and the Martial Arts,’ and in that article I mentioned an idea I had come across many years ago: that in a perfect chess game white will win for the simple reason that it moved first.

This has obvious implications in the martial arts. Two combatants edging towards each other, the perfect gunfight, searching for that threshold of distance wherein they can strike first and without getting struck.

Some people didn’t agree with this. I thought it a simple matter of extrapolating Einstein’s theory of relativity, and the resulting corollaries in subatomic physics, but, alas, I guess I was not…the first to move.

Then I had an interesting email wherein the fellow said that if two tai chi masters fight, the one who moves first will always lose.

Lord! Now I didn’t know what to think!

Except (aha!), if one understands that the perfect state of consciousness (awareness) is to consider oneself the center of the universe, and that everything revolves around oneself, and that there is no proof that anything (or entity) exists, except as is created by the being at the center of the universe.

This theory holds up to the concept that at the center of all motion is motionlessness. This theory finally achieves the concept of perfection in the martial arts, and in the whole universe!

In this realm thought ceases to be motion, and becomes the ultimate no motion.

Which brings us to the grand conclusion.

If one doesn’t move first, then one will win. This fulfills the highest goals of the the martial arts, defines the highest attributes of an individual, and results in the cessation of all wars for an everlasting reign of peace on earth.

After, of course, one puts a big juicy, raw steak on his eyeball.

If you want perfection in your fighting abilities you have to matrix your martial arts. Go to Monster Martial Arts and find out what Matrixing is.

If you like martial arts humor you should check out the Case Histories column at Monster Martial Arts.

The Arizona Spiritual Martial Art Workout!

Have a great work out from Texas!

Got here last night,

and immediately did a workout!

The only way to survive the insanity of traveling!

 

So,

I was in Arizona the other night,

and a couple of interesting things to note.

Upper Arizona is beautiful,

trees all over the place,

lots of wildlife.

 

Really gives a lie to anybody who says

we are running out of things.

Man,

there is so much space,

so much lumber,

so much wildlife…

there is no shortage in this world,

just crooked politicos who try to frighten you

by saying there is!

 

But enough ranting,

let’s move on to the good stuff,

let’s move on to that unique universe

of doing the martial arts in Arizona.

 

Lower Arizona is dry and dusty.

Wind blowing everywhere.

At first,

I was discouraged.

Then,

sitting up late at night,

listening to the desert,

I felt it…

 

Listen,

do you know how it feels

when you cram a bunch of people in a room?

100 people in a 20 by 20 room?

People knocking elbows,

bumping into each other,

sooner or late…

there’s going to be a fight.

 

And,

multiply that by ten thousand,

and you have a city.

People packed together like sardines,

not enough room,

everybody getting cranky!

 

So I’m sitting in the middle of the Arizona deseert

and there’s no people,

and I could feel the deep, deep spirituality.

The space.

The vastness.

 

The clouds overhead were surging with life.

I could feel elemental forces moving across the deseert floor.

And then there was me,

a mote,

a speck,

audience to this vast moving play,

this magnificent display of earth and element.

 

It was spiritual.

 

And,

moved,

I began doing my forms,

and I couldn’t stop!

Elements were moving me,

forces were shoving my punches,

nibbling at my stances,

making me feel ENERGY!

 

It was massive.

 

And,

of course,

I had a realization.

In truth,

I have realized this before,

but from different perspective,

which made it all the newer and more potent to me.

 

When you are starting out

it is good to be in a dojo,

to feel the bodies,

to interact with other martial artists.

But,

as time goes on,

you need space.

You are the center of the universe,

you need to look out,

to feel the massive space within which you sit.

 

Look,

your physical body is part of you,

but the real you is as far as you can see,

as far as you can imagine!

And that is space.

That is the true empty in empty hands.

That is the truth of you that is just waiting for you to…wake up to it!

 

Sitting in Arizona,

unable to stop doing forms,

I was in the middle of that realization.

Absolutely spectacular.

 

And,

it goes without saying,

I could see myself,

I could imagine myself,

doing my forms on top of Mt. Nipomo.

Monkeyland.

120 acres,

nearest neighbor four miles away.

Exuding the essence of me through the discipline of the martial arts.

 

Heaven.

 

All the best of modern society,

but isolated,

alone,

with sufficient space

to truly delve into the martial arts.

 

Now,

that in mind,

when you do Tai Chi

the image is often of doing it on top of a mountain.

Alone.

Horzons beyond horizons.

Able to see everything.

 

 

One of the most impressive images I have ever encountereed

was a cheap wookd block carving.

It was a viewpoint of a mountain range…

from above.

 

But how could the guy get above to see that?

How could he see a yin yang in a mountain range as if from hundreds of miles up?

 

By being alone,

by doing the martial arts,

and getting so much discipline

that he was a pooint of awareness

outside of his body

high in the stratosphere.

 

So,

that was the train of my thought,

and how it related to martial arts

and to monkeyland,

and all sorts of things,

as I stood in the desert

and did forms…

and couldn’t stop.

 

So,

here’s the Tai Chi URL,

 

http://monstermartialarts.com/martial-arts/five-army-tai-chi-chuan/

 

in case you want to get started on being alone,

creating space,

finding the purest,

highest,

most elemental level of martial arts you can.

 

Mind you,

don’t give up that hard stuff,

or partners,

or the blessings of living in community of city,

and don’t give up your karate forms…

but,

do your martial arts at night,

alone,

slowly,

creating massive space.

 

Becoming aware of yor true body,

of the true extent of your awareness…

your imagination.

 

Take a hike,

find a mountain top,

exude yourself,

see if you can discipline yourself to greater and greater awareness.

 

Have a great workout,

and I’ll tell you about New Mexico Martial Arts Soirituality next time!

 

Al

 

 

 

Shaolin Kung Fu, from Choy Lee Fut to the Butterfly

Shaolin Kung Fu Spreads a New Set of Wings!

Shaolin Kung Fu is one of the oldest of the Martial Arts. It was started over two thousand years ago, endured through many changes, and is still important and powerful. The question we ask here is: can anything new be added to Shaolin Kung Fu?

The original Shaolin Kung Fu was started during the time of Buddha. Buddha came to the Shaolin Temple and began to instruct the Shaolin Monks in sacred texts. Unfortunately, the monks were of weak constitution. They fell asleep, they were easy targets for bandits, they just couldn’t cut it.

shaolin kung fu

Emblem of the Shaolin Butterfly

Buddha began instructing the monks in traditional exercises to help strengthen them. These were chi building exercises, and the things he was teaching them bears strong resemblance to martial arts drills. Thus, the exercises slowly transformed into forms and techniques that has come to be known as Shaolin Kung Fu. The bad guys in the area around the Shaolin Temple began to finding that the monks were no longer easy targets,and  began to depart the area.

Years passed, and Shaolin endured through many changes. Emperors came and emperors went, but Shaolin lasted, and people who learned the traditional Shaolin Kung Fu lessons came to be in great demand. They would leave the temple and teach the peasants how to protect themselves, train bodyguards how to fend off bandits, and even became involved in training warriors for war.

At last, the emperor had had enough, these Shaolin monks were causing too much trouble, and he ordered the temple destroyed.

Five monks managed to escape the destruction of the temple, and they began to teach martial arts on a broader level. Some of the styles that came about as a result of these monks were Northern Shaolin, Hung Gar, Wing Chun, and so on.

That brings us to the modern era, and the condition of modern Shaolin Kung Fu. While the art is alive and well in some areas, under the hands of dedicated instructors, all too often it has been transformed into tournament arts, flowery systems that mean little, and, of course, the Wu shu of the PRC, which is not true to the original Shaolin Kung Fu. This kung fu was made up by physical education coaches after the Great Revolution, and spread for the glory of the state; not because of a desire for understanding the spiritual teachings originally taught at the Shaolin Temple.

One of the modern systems of Shaolin, a trim and tight system that yet embraces the majority of the original teachings, is the Shaolin Butterfly. This martial art holds to the original principles, such as animal modes of fighting like the tiger, the dragon, the crane, and so on.

It is started with a study of six basic steps, which steps take on a twining, mixing personality, and which are then done upon standing bricks. Thus, the student has to keep balance, all while learning how to kick and strike, how to cling to an attacker, how to entrap and take down with a variety of locks and throws.

There is a science to this approach, a blessing of western culture, that augments the eastern origins, yet enables the student to learn much faster.

That is the history of Shaolin Kung Fu to present times, and while it is a rich history, it manages to sidestep the corruption of art due to influences such as tournaments, commercial interests, and so on.

Here’s a good bit of writing on Shaolin Kung Fu. If you would like to actually take lessons in this incredible art, check out the course at Monster Martial Arts.

Pa Kua Chang and Entering Insanity to Realize Sanity

Pa Kua Chang Makes People Sane!

Pa Kua Chang, or Bagua Zhang as some describe it, is a peculiar martial art where in one participatings in walking the circle till one locates the reality of one self.

Like a pooch chasing his tale till he discovers Buddha.

Like Black Sambo converting leopards into … liquid gold.

Like what, exactly, the race of man racing to?

pa kua chang walking the circle

Dong Hai Chuan was a likable fellow with a fascination for martial arts. He engaged in Shaolin Kung Fu, so the tale goes, and reached a point where he was so great he took to the road and started roaming, seeking instructors able to instruct him more.

His search led him throughout the Wudan Mountains of rural China, back where the mystic sanctuaries stood, and legends had it that old understanding existed in pure design. His search led him to a rare religious sect whose specialists thought that one could certainly uncover the reality of the universe by … walking the circle.

So Dong walked the circle, day in day out, in search of his divine nature. For 9 years he walked the circle, and one might well picture the taunts of passersby.

“Examine the old man chasing his shadow!”

“Hey buddy! Place it on a straight line and you could get somewhere!”

“Har de har har!”

Yet, rain or shine, under blazing sunlight and during freezing snow, Dong carried on his trek, looking for the reality of himself.

At last, some 9 years into his quest, he spoke about to the monks of the mysterious sect that … wasn’t it odd that … the tree he was walking around appeared to be chasing him? That the tree in fact appeared to bending over?

Was the tree bending over? Or was something in his mind bending over? Or was something in his mind simply coming to be … unbent?

The monks eyed one other, and one delicately put forward, “An additional 2 years.”

So on went Dong, round and round, circle after circle, nose after tail. And probably this is where he integrated his Shaolin with the never-ending walking of the circle. Maybe this is where the circle came to be imbued with the art of violence, and came to be not simply a repository of religious fanaticism. Probably this is where the creative mixture of self with the fanatical seeking of God comes to be … whatever it comes to be.

Did Dong at last manage to catch the reality of himself?

No reference of ‘the bolt out of the blue’ striking the formerly young lad is made in the histories. Just what is recognized, nevertheless, is that he accomplished a high degree of skills, that he was so profound at circle walking that he had the ability to defeat the Emperor’s bodyguards, and come to be primary teacher of that celebrated ‘clan.’ And there are tales of him fading away under the attacking hand, of tying up mighty warriors in fragile knots merely to view them fall, of contacting his followers even after demise.

Bolt out of the blue or skills, this author thinks that skills is the more valued. However, that stated, we visit the heart of the fable.

We understand not whether Dong discovered himself, however we do understand that an individual who walks in a circle is insane. Such purposeless endeavor, particularly in this godless earth, is the heart of insanity. Yet … is insanity not just a quality that others can not discover? Does not one have to go ‘in’ sane to discover real sanity?

The guy who pounds his palm upon a stone, hour after hour, day in day out, year after year … does he make solid the hand? Or at last divine that the universe genuinely is created of space?

That young child who will come to be old doing his kung fu forms, does he battle hordes and legions in his mind? Or does he clear his mind of all hordes and legends?

That acorn … will it actually come to be an oak?

The acorn could fall down a deserted gopher hole, and it may root into fertile ground … however it is time that makes the mighty oak, and the unlimited and insane urge to grub into the ground … merely to discover the sky.

We are all grubs … however have we discovered the earth? Will we see the heavens?

Trust Dong Hai Chuan for the answer to that one, yet only ask if you are walking the circle, if you are pursuing yourself with Pa Kua Chang, round and round, year after year, breath after breath.

The writer walked the circle, did Pa Kua Chang for 2 years, till individuals started to bend over, lightening filled his legs, and energy stripes barber poled out his arms … you can easily discover his Pa Kua Chang at Monster Martial Arts. Here is a great course called Butterfly Pa Kua.

 

Pa Kua Chang, Aikido, and Controlling a Mob!

Control a Mob Using Aikido, Pa Kua Chang, or Other Martial Art!

I was reading a martial arts journal several years ago, I think it was Black Belt, and I stumbled upon this anecdote involving Morihei Ueshiba. O Sensei would go to different towns and put on Aikido exhibitions. I have no doubt the exhibitions were spectacular, however the thing that inspired the heck out of me was the tale his uchideshi (inside student) provided regarding O Sensei’s crowd walking procedure.

pa kua chang aikido

Build Unlimited Chi!

 

When traveling across a train station (for example) O Sensei would just walk straight forward, emanating his chi, and the masses would part. Individuals might turn and stare at this imperious titan, then the masses would close up. The Uchi deshi, packed with trunks and bags, would struggle through the closing people.

The thing that inspired me about this relating of event was not that a man could easily emanate effective chi and sweep back a masses, but that it reminded me of my very own crowd walking experiences.

When I was in eleventh grade I used to love to run through groups. I might be late for class, or merely playing tag with someone, and all of a sudden something would come over me and I would be in complete sprint. The halls would certainly be jammed, and I would be turning on the penny, scrambling full tilt, not able to be tripped (and a few of the teenagers would certainly make an effort). Young women might gasp and also offer little shrieks as I ran full tilt towards them, then turned and spun around them. The ground resembled a magnet to my feet, I never ever slipped, it was like I was flash, yet with magic glue on my soles.

O Sensei’s crowd walking blew me away, however it was so different from mine.

Emanating chi like he was a walking heater. It was the start of my martial arts calling, and control of chi in such outstanding way was yet a dream. Still, I had my very own strategy.

As time went on I acquired the capacity to exhibit chi, though not to the degree of O Sensei, yet, remarkably, I started to hold my very own approach up as perhaps not so scruffy.

The key, of course, was in engaging in Pa Kua Chang, in walking the circle. Particularly, I would focus on walking INCREDIBLY slowly. I would feel the chi go up and down the legs, and I started to comprehend a few things.

One, there was even more finesse in my procedure than merely turning it on and blasting individuals back.

Two, Pa Kua Chang in fact didn’t instruct individuals to crowd walk like I was doing it. Classic Pa Kua Chang was more into tricky hands, and not into fine tuning the walk itself. Walking slowly, concentrating the mindset on the generation and control of chi in the legs, made lightening in the legs. And this lead to the next understanding.

Three, I could show individuals ways to walk through crowds ten times more effortlessly and successfully, and there was a WHOLE LOT more contentment in the teaching.

Chi blasting a group is enjoyable, however it is pretty much a bully method.

Understanding ways to worm through the people at high speeds inspires the resourcefulness, it is subtle, it needs more entire body strategy. And this last is fascinating, and actually crucial to the expanding martial artist.

Contrast it to a musical instrument. Chi blasting such as O Sensei did is comparable to the opening chords of’ 2001: A Space Odyssey.’ (Thus Spoke Zarathustra). Crowd walking such as I explain and instruct with my unique Pa Kua Chang resembles playing Flight of the bumblebee.

One is spectacular, the other is elaborate. One is remarkable, the other is subtle. One is overpowering, the other is shading subtleties of colour unto infinity.

And, of course, when it pertains to crowd walking martial arts procedures, one shoujld understand both. Have the ability to be subtle, and blast at a second’s notice.

You can easily check into my specific Pa Kua Chang at Monster Martial Arts.

Martial Science of Neutronics Handles the Mugger!

Martial Science or Martial Art?
Martial Science is what it is,
but everybody thinks it is a Martial Art.
So what is the science behind the science?
What is the Neutronics behind Matrixing?
Matrixing is the analysis and handling of force and direction.
Actually
it is the analysis of the direction of force
so that you can handle it.
Neutronics is the study of motion.
martial artsOr,
to be precise,
it is the study of motion
from a fixed position.
Neutronics is based on three things
Protonic (going towards),
Electronic (going away),
Neutronic (nothing happens).
There is nothing else.
Now,
a guy is walking down the street
and nothing is really happening.
There’s nobody around,
he’s alone,
nothing is happening.
Then
a mugger appears,
does our hero go protonic or electronic?
Fight or flight,
our hero decides to be smart
and starts running.
But the mugger runs faster.
So our hero must zig and zag
and do everything in his power
to make sure
that distance doesn’t close.
He can’t run away,
he doesn’t want to run towards,
so he must maintain distance,
he must make sure that…
‘nothing happens.’
But it is a different level of ‘nothing happening.’
Our hero must control the universe
through his protonic or electronic maneuverings
to create ‘nothing happening.’
Can you do this?
Can you study enough martial arts
so that you have enough knowledge
so that you are creating ‘nothing happening’
and enjoying it?
The mugger is swinging a club and screaming,
and you are laughing and playing.
Eh?
Okay,
so you don’t have a mugger coming at you.
But,
the boss wants to cut your pay
the wife is so irritated she is burning the potatoes,
and the kids are playing with junkies in school…
can you move towards or away
from each of these people
in such a  manner that
not only do you laugh and play,
but they start to laugh and play?
That is neutronic.
That is maintaining a distance
so that everybody wins.
That is real Martial Arts,
that is knowing the martial arts so well
that they take over your life,
and that is going Neutronic.
And a correct study of the Martial Arts
is the only way to do this.
Now,
the sequence is this.
One,
you must learn enough martial arts
so that you have a discipline to hold yourself firm,
that you become a fixed position in space.
Two,
you must matrix those martial arts
so they make sense
and become intuitive.
Three,
you must understand how to use Neutronics.
Simply,
you must understand one and two
so well
that you no longer need the physical,
that you can just use the mental
to do your analysis and handling
of force and direction
and control the universe.
This is how you play with the mugger
get the boss to laugh while he gives you a raise
manipulate the wife’s irritation into joy
and go to the principle’s office because your son just beat up a drug dealer in school.
Okay, okay,
so maybe we missed it a bit on the kid,
but,
hey,
it’s not a bad miss,
right?
Grin.
Anyway,
that’s Neutronics.
It is an actual science
based on the motions of the universe,
and it is the science
behind the science of matrixing.
You can check out Matrixing at
ChurchofMartrialArts(dot)com.
But,
make sure you have enough martial arts discipline
to hold yourself firm,
and enough Matrixing to make it all logical.
Here’s the Matrix Karate course,
it has the basic Matrixing tables,
and the core theory to matrixing,
and will fix any other martial art.
All you have to do is take the matrixing tables
and plug your art into them.
And if you want to start your matrixing
in another art,
that’s okay, too.
Study what interests you.
That’s about it,
not much more to  say,
and it’s time to go work out.
Next newsletter is the infamous,
Monster Night Before Christmas,
so i’ll talk to you then.
HanaKwanMass!
Al
(Don’t miss the Monster Night Before Christmas! Sign up for the Monster Martial Arts Newsletter at…where else…Monster Martial Arts!)
This has been a blog about Martial Science.
martial art

How Matrix Martial Arts was Born

matrix martial artsI was going over various things
having to do with matrixing,
and I realized something,
many people are coming in late,
I’m talking about the latest things,
and they don’t know anything about
the beginnings of matrixing.
So,
I need to fix that.
One of the first wins I ever got
was from a fellow name of John Champion.
Most people never heard of him,
but he produced the old TV series
McHale’s Navy.
And,
the old television series
Laramie.
Before that he produced movies
worked with people like Audi Murphy,
Linda Darnell, Joel McCrea,
Sterling Hayden, Ward Bond,
and a slew of other big time names
from the fifties.
Before that,
he wrote screenplays,
directed,
and all sorts of other stuff.
When I met him he had had a heart attack.
Actually had something like a quarter of his heart removed,
Here’s his win.
March 6, 1985
Dear Al:
Having suffered two severe coronaries, resulting in an inoperable condition, I am forced to take eighteen pills a day to stay alive. As a result, at 62, your training methods seemed to have nothing to offer me. In fact there appeared to be genuine risks in my getting involved in any rigorous physical discipline.
I’m pleased to report I was wrong on all counts.
After only ten work outs with you, my condition has improved greatly. Something else amazes me even more. I’m able to grapple with and frequently solve mental problems that were completely defeating me six weeks ago.
Thank you for your invaluable help.
Sincerely,
John Champion.
Now,
I taught John The Infinite Fist
from the Create Your Own Art Course.
Honestly, he was so weak and fuzzy brained
it was a work out
just to get him to move.
But,
the logic pulled him through,
and by the time 20 lessons had passed he had done
pretty much everything on the Create Your Own Art course.
We didn’t get into big takedowns,
but we did go into weapons a bit.
This because he walked late at night with his wife
and wanted self protection.
One day he held out a golf club,
asked me if that was a good weapon.
I said something like,
‘not for blocking.’
He held it over his head with two hands,
told me to hit him with one of my wooden swords.
I laughed,
took the club out of his hands
and snapped it in my hands.
We laughed as he realized that
if I had swung my heavy bokken at him
he would have massive head injuries.
Eventually,
he looked at one of my scripts,
offered to buy it,
and then he told me that he would make me a producer.
I wasn’t interested at all,
I wanted to do martial arts,
not produce movies,
which actually seemed to upset him.
He couldn’t understand how I could turn down
the chance at riches and power and gorgeous movie stars.
I couldn’t understand
how anybody could be waylaid
by such superficial things.
Anyway,
he was a tremendous fellow.
Now,
the Create Your Own Art course
has the original research I did.
In the beginning
I wrote long lists,
I filled hundreds of notebooks with lists of techniques from various arts
and combinations of arts,
just trying to make sense out of it all.
Eventually,
I stumbled across the actual formula,
the matrixing table
which made all lists obsolete.
Simply,
a couple of matrix tables
created all the techniques I had been tried to sort through,
and I ended up throwing away a couple of hundred spiral ring notebooks
filled with lists of techniques, forms, drills,
and everything I knew,
but couldn’t make sense out of.
Matrixing provided me with the logic
to see everything…
everything in the martial arts
could be fitted into a little matrixing.
So Create Your Own Art has the three arts I used,
it has a couple of the old lists I used,
and which had proved particularly helpful
in making the first matrix tables.
The problem with it is the grainy, ancient video technology.
You can understand what I am saying and doing,
but it is blurry.
The other problem,
if you consider it a problem,
is my youth.
Simply,
I was not polished
as a writer or public speaker,
and I tend to judge myself for that.
Still,
the thing to remember is that
my lack of personal polish is not what we are looking at,
what we are looking at is my enthusiasm,
an enthusiasm that was so overwhelming
that I turned down Hollywood offers
just to do the martial arts.
Now,
to be truthful,
I usually recommend Matrix Karate
as the first course,
because it has the matrix tables in it.
But,
there is incredible value
in seeing the source material,
getting a look at what I was doing
and what led to me figuring out
the matrixing tables
and how they worked.
That’s the story,
and I’ll probably write a lot more on these early days.
Heck,
I like thinking about the fun I had,
I like sharing it,
and I know it helps people,
gives them some reality on what I went through
to figure this stuff all out.
Now,
as I said earlier,
turkey day is past,
time to work out,
get rid of the fat
before Xmas comes
and we get fat all over again.
Thanks,
and I’ll talk to you later.
Al

The Three Geometries of the Internal Martial Arts

When one is defining the Internal Martial Arts they are, of course, speaking of Tai Chi Chuan, Pa Kua Chang, and Hsing i. These arts are considered soft, and they are designed to build chi power. Interestingly, while there is similarity, there must be difference, and the differences can better be understood by examining the specific geometries of each fighting discipline.

baguazhangTai Chi Chuan is the art that most people know of. It is done slowly, and attention is paid to the circulation of chi through the internal organs. This gives a ‘body of steel wrapped in cotton.’

Then there is Pa Kua Chang, which is a circular art in which chi power is said to spiral through the limbs and torso.

Last is Hsing i, which is more straightforward, developing the soft, internal power fist.

Now, Tai Chi doesn’t go anywhere. One deals with an attacker with subtle motions, not giving way, but rather redirecting force, then utilizing one’s own power.

Pa Kua goes in circles, which is a lateral motion.

Hsing i comes straightforward, more of an aggressive attacking sort of art.

The point here is that Tai Chi is the point on the ground, Pa Kua, though circular, describes sideways motion, and Hsing i creates forward and back motion.

Thus the three geometries create  plus, or a cross.

While this is not mystical, it does tend to create three methods of combat strategy which, when put together, create a wholistic fighting method.

If the attack is delivered with irresistible force, the tai chi student can shift to pa kua and move aside.

If the attack is not aggressive enough, one can shift to using i and mount a quick but penetrating attack.

Thus, fight or flight, slip or shift, the student who knows all three arts will have much more combat potential than the fellow who doesn’t. And that is the summation, be it a sketch it should still be handy in the overall viewpoint, of the three geometries of the Internal Martial Arts.