People have often argued that Shuo Shu is impractical and ineffective, hence the reason most of us don't want to get involved in some sort of a competition.

Well, most Shou Shu martial artists won't get into the ring to demonstrate their skills, and the reason is totally different from the assumption above.

For one, Shou Shu wasn't meant for sports or competitions. Its principles cannot work in a ring fight unless rules are relaxed. But if rules are relaxed, then there is no Shou Shu.

It's an efficient way of defending oneself on the streets. A student who learns Shou Shu is one who will equip themselves with Beast Knowledge because this martial art is translated to mean fighting way of the beasts.

Photo Credit: /commons.wikimedia.org/

The fighting style itself mimics the fighting motion of7 different types of animals. These are seamlessly combined to work harmoniously with one another so we can have a vast array of self defense weapons to rely on.

The fighting way of the 7 beasts won't mean anything to anyone who hasn't taken their time to study this wondrous art of fighting. It is total crap to the average Tom, Dick and Harry. But it is a golden knowledge to people who understand how effective and efficient those techniques can work together to achieve a common goal.

Each one of the animals exhibit a special motion when resisting an attack. Also, each one of the animals creatively utilize the laws of physics to generate immense power, although in different ways.

So when you have a combination of all the 7 animals' fighting motion, you get a system that creates an immense power that can be used to bring out a desired effect.

Each animal represents a complete martial art. Nevertheless, if you separate these animals so that they can act individually, this is not known as Shuo Shu. Instead, it's known by the individual animal's name.

Every fighting system is extremely fast and efficient. They are guided by strict principles, and this adds some sort of limitation to the equation. But also, it is for this reason that the fighting will seamlessly transition among the 7 animals.

A Shoushuer does not constrain themselves to a particular fighting style -- as popularized in many Kung Fu movies. Instead, he uses all animals because he is trained from the word go to utilize all strengths at once.

Obviously this reminds us of the weaknesses of the individual animals which make up Shou Shu martial art system. In as much as these animals have their own strengths, they also have weaknesses too, and that's the reason ShouShu must combine all their strengths to cancel out their individual weaknesses.

A fighter will therefore transition seamlessly such that it is not apparent which animal style they are using. Ultimately, this creates one effective system that exhibits a fighting style that none of the 7 animals are able to achieve. Because of this complex combination, new principles emerge, giving the fighter the advantage that could not be realized using one beast alone.

Martial art is not sport. In fact, the term martial art was used to refer to hand-to-hand combat in the battlefield. So in essence, martial art only refers to the skill of fighting a hand to hand battle -- as was the case centuries ago. For this reason, ShouShu will never be used as a sport. It will not be applied in a competition or anything close to that. It is purely for self defense purposes, or if you like, street fighting.

Most people treat casual punches as mere tools of asserting dominance. But I want to sound a fair warning out there to anyone who might think there is a safe way to punch someone. Truth is, there isn't. Unless you're participating in a mixed martial arts bout where a lot of parameters are formed with safety as priority, you should know that one punch can send someone to their grave. Worse still, it could see you getting prosecuted for murder.

Photo credit: https://commons.wikimedia.org

So, isn't all this worth it? Of course not, and here's why:

Punches occur everywhere around the world, and at least dozens of those result in deaths annually. Another research claimed that people are more likely to get punched in Texas than in any other state in the U.S. In my view,  I don't see any correlation or reason why you'd most likely get punched in Texas than in any other place.

Anyway, young, energetic men around the globe continue to be fooled with the idea that they can settle their differences with a punch. In the ideal world, it is thought that male dominance can be determined by throwing a punch or two on the offender.

Image credit: Pixabay

The idea of the movie fight myth has sunk into the minds of young men around the world. They believe that at worst, punches would only result in a few bruises and maybe drops of blood trickling from one corner of the lip.

This lie is further carried forward by the popularity of mixed martial arts today. You've probably watched it on wrestling, where two professional fighters last for between 3 or 4 rounds and emerging out of the fight with only few bruises, or if you like, minimal injuries.

Okay, that is for the professionals. But how about an amateur blow from a guy who has never stepped into any Karate, Wing Chun or Shou Shu class?

An amateur punch up ignores a lot of parameters that are often present in fights which take place on the streets.

The streets don't present ideal atmosphere for performing mixed martial arts, let alone a single punch. It is not the punch that will kill you here, rather, it's the impact of the concrete you're most likely going to fall on that will inflict maximum damage on you.

If you smacked your head on a concrete as a result of a punch, it would be extremely disastrous, trust me. Many people have not liked the outcome either. It's pathetic, and sometimes lawsuits often get involved. I am sure you wouldn't want this kind of thing to happen to you irrespective of which side you were taking in the fight.

Why typical casual punches are different from those in MMA

If you have been trained in MMA or any other martial art for example, you wouldn't spar on the streets, right?

All sparring classes take place in a safe atmosphere where participants are not likely to get hurt in the event of one fighter sending the other one to the ground. So we cannot debate that street fights are not dangerous, and especially if you're not trained. Just keep off.

On avoiding street fights

A real street fight is often chaotic. Dynamics are not predictable here because a punch or punches could come from different dimensions.

A simple verbal confrontation could see you ''eating up'' an unexpected punch which could see you losing a tooth or worse still, hurting you in the process.

Apparently, in the situation where two young men are participating in a fight because either of them want to prove a point, there is never any form of order such as one that typically exists in an MMA fight. No one says, ''Okay, young boys, I want a good clean fight. Ready...... go!''

This is what I call a surprise attack situation -- where a weapon hits you off-guard. Surprise attacks don't always come from behind you anyway.

Also, you should keep off from ''drunken'' fights or those which young men engage in when out in the bar. With too many bottles of beer, your mind is probably intoxicated already. While alcohol may fool you into believing you're the strongest man on earth, that may not be necessarily the case, and thus a fight would cause a lot of damage on you (considering your status quo).

MMA fighters are often conditioned to take in hard blows. The same applies to every other sports fighter out there - if they've been trained sufficiently.

Natural pressures select them. Combat sports fighters generally don't enter the ring unless they've been through countless hours of training or hard sparring during which their coaches will determine if they are physically fit and capable of undertaking a cage fighting scenario.

Combat sports are highly regulated to eliminate a significant chance of injuries. For this reason, mixed martial art fighters will be matched up by their equal in terms of experience and weight.

Finally, if you don't have any self defense skills, it's dumb to try fighting or participating in some sort of fighting which, obviously involves punches. Otherwise, you'll be like a sitting duck to every punch that is directed at you.

P.S

There's also another issue that I have seen out there -- people rushing to find out why others are fighting, and they blindly enter the fight as if this fight was there's.

If you don't have any training, God knows whatever you're going to contribute in that fight. But as for me, I can assure you that your lack of training will be met by another surprise you least expected. You might fail to block a punch coming your way, or better still, you might end up pulling the flight, fight or freeze kind of response. Whatever move you make, you will most likely invite trouble.

Next: Flight, fight or freeze

Participating in MMA requires that you invest in decent MMA gloves before you can think of anything else. Irrespective of how good an athlete you are in this sport, if you don't have the right gear, your performance will suffer.

Perhaps MMA gloves should be treated as one of the fundamental things you should have before stepping into any ring out there. And since we're using the word ''must'' here, there's a strong possibility that these things will enhance your athletic performance.

First though, choosing the correct weight and material is essential to getting a good pair of MMA gloves that fit correctly without slowing your performance down.

Image: Pixabay

So, what is the right kind of material you should look for in any MMA glove out there?

Leather gloves

They are certainly the best and most expensive for that matter. But the reward is well worth it since they fit snugly and also last longer.

Also, the kind of material you choose depends on which purpose you're using the pair of gloves for. If you want MMA gloves purely for fitness purposes, you won't need to put so much emphasis on the material. But if you want a pair of gloves exclusively for training purposes, you will definitely go for leather instead.

Artificial leather

Starters who haven't developed their MMA skills would be fine going with artificial leather gloves. This also applies to kids who might want to participate in MMA.

However, the problem with artificial leather is that it will quickly wear out as the athlete develops speed, stamina and power.

If you're on a budget, I'd recommend these ones. But if you're willing to spend a few more bucks for the right kind of gloves, just buy leather instead.

Style of MMA gloves you're choosing

For students who participate in MMA sparring, it is better to go with simple gloves that don't require cumbersome work when putting on.

Some fight gloves are designed with a lace mechanism to tie on the hand. This normally gives the athlete a snug fit onto their hands.

Typical gloves will have some sort of padding on the knuckles with a closing mechanism. You could also go for gloves built with Velcro enclosures too.

The benefit of Velcro enclosures is that you can tie them up or remove them without the help of another person. In fact, if you're just an average MMA fighter, you could go with gloves designed with Velcro enclosures since they are a good fit for regular training.

Weight of gloves

Gloves come in weights that vary between 6oz to 20oz. Professional MMA matches will use 10oz gloves. But as for you,  12, 14 to 16 ounce will serve your training purposes well. On the other hand, if you're concerned with more protection, you could choose to buy 20 ounce gloves instead.

However, there's a secret you need to learn when it comes to using MMA gloves. If you're preparing to participate in a 10 ounce gloves MMA fight, you might find sparring with heavier gloves quite useful since it will significantly increase your speed when it comes to fighting with lighter ones.

Here's a breakdown of all the weight specifics to look into:

16oz ---- for professional MMA fighters
14oz------ Ideal for sparring
120z------ good for starters
10oz------- starter size for both men and women, can also be used in competitions
8oz------Ideal for women and teenagers
6oz----- Ideal for kids between 7 and 5 years

Color

Color is a matter of personal preference, sponsor or club requirements. Therefore, I would advice that you pick a color that keeps you happy.

Safety of an MMA glove

Modern gloves come with a safety feature known as thumb lock. This feature is useful because it prevents accidental eye gouges or thumb injuries that might happen during a match.

Also, make sure you find a suitable MMA head gear for your sparring sessions. These too are available in different materials and colors to suit your preference.

The terms civilian defense and self defense are often used interchangeably to mean the same thing when they mean totally different things. It is until recently that I begun understanding the meaning of civilian defense in relation to self defense.

It's clear that Civilian defense is used to distinguish martial arts from what military people do.  Yet again, it is used to distinguish what we do from martial arts as a sport. In fact, the dynamics of military and sport fighting is quite different from those of civilian defense. 

Image Source: Pixabay

The real world scenario

People often use the words ''real fight''. You will hear them talk about how so and so engaged in a real fight with another guy outside a pub.

But whenever they use this term, they often refer to a situation where two guys throw punches at each other inside a pub or bar after a disagreement over a girlfriend or whatever else they're fighting for. They are never talking about a struggle that could have potentially led to death -- such as one that typically happens in a war-tone country like Somalia's Mogadishu, Baghdad and so on.

To put it in a better perspective, I'd refer to what Thomas Hobbes once said. He talked about man being reduced to ''the state of nature'', and by using that phrase, he was talking about the kind of physical resistance that makes man brutish, nasty and care-free when they live in a place where life is short!

And you don't need to visit Somalia or any other country with some form of unrest to witness what am talking about here. Look at the appalling stats of crime rates in your town right now. You realize that crimes which have led to loss of lives are often committed with some form of brutality.  There is no empathy anywhere!

But this might lead you to asking me one question: Does this apply to where I live too?

The answer is yes, it applies, but in a subtle way. The society now appears very comfortable watching extreme violence in the media. You can see it in movies and computer games.

In fact, with certain events like MMA now allowing ''ground and pound'' form of fights to the extent of seeing it as light entertainment, we can confidently conclude that we've slowly began accepting the way of violence into the society.

So, what exactly is civilian defense in relation to self defense or military defense?

Martial arts such as Karate seemed to have developed at the same time other Chinese martial arts were developing. These arts were closely tied to some philosophical or religious trends of the ancient time.

If you look at some societies around the world, you realize that they have never had a structured form of community self defense training despite the need to equip persons with those skills even when they live in the most peaceful places on earth.

As a matter of historical fact, I can say that the act of ''grappling and striking'' was taken into civilian defense systems back in the 18th century.  This happened in the far east where such practices originated.

So what I can say is that the primary deference between civilian defense and military combat lies in the root intent.

A military guy in a war zone will hit back with an intent to neutralize an enemy even if it means putting an end to the life of that enemy.

On the other hand, civilian defense is primarily meant for avoidance as opposed to inflicting harm on your opponent.

Gichin Funakoshi once made a powerful statement when he put it like this -- Karate ni sente nashi. In English, that means there is no first strike in the art of Karate.

As far as my level of skill is concerned, (I train in Shou Shu anyway), I know that most martial arts, if not all of them begin with defensive skills rather than attack skills. I have carefully observed Korean or Japanese martial arts only to realize that all forms put emphasis on defensive skills first before anything else.

In Shou Shu Kung Fu, Yellow belt is the lowest level a student will achieve before climbing up the ladder. But even then, you find that students are mostly taught how to defend themselves as opposed to being the one to attack first.

In military defense however, there are no rules of engagement. Here, anything goes as long as it will inflict maximum harm against the enemy.

In short, there are all dirty tricks you might have had of. There is scratching, biting, gouging, including the use of lethal techniques or weapons.

Therefore, in a warfare atmosphere, relevant Geneva conventions apply and so do his or her own army's rules of engagement. However, rules are very minimal here, plus the intent is different. This is contrary to what happens in a civilian defense scenario where rules of engagement are too restrictive. In other words, your response to a threat has to be rational, appropriate and necessary. If you do otherwise, you will end up facing a judge in court.

In a civil defense situation, you will typically have the skills required to defend yourself. But no one will ever teach you how and to what extent you should use force. Instead, you will do it with reference to the law and society values.

I can say that most human beings are empathetic beings. We don't resort to drastic measures unless we have undergone some brutality in the past. But those individuals are very rare to come across, plus the instinctive empathy to preserve fellow human being is something that can't always be subsumed.

In short, we will be reticent to inflicting harm in the form of gouging eyes, biting or other drastic things. This is almost the same thing to what happens in a snake bite scenario. Most snakes know that venom is precious. It is used to maim a prey so it won't escape, thus it will be presented to the reptile as a meal.

But to use venom extravagantly would mean the reptile suffering extreme hunger and frustration. They wouldn't be able to kill a single prey, hence they have to learn to preserve venom by not wasting it, i.e biting everything they come across, including human beings. 

Bottom line is that self defense equips you with the skills you will need to react when attacked in a life-threatening scenario. But then, until you are attacked, you can never lift a finger on the attacker. Also, even if you're forced to react, your intent will generally be different from that of the military defense.

There are myriads of Qigong exercises to practice for their martial art purposes and health benefits as well. One practice that I have come to learn is the use of candle training to help develop concentration, Jin, Qi and other skills related to martial arts and overall well-being.

Whereas majority of people out there get mesmerized with the idea of putting out a candle flame with a punch, there is absolutely nothing to wonder about here. In fact, with some work, anyone willing to develop this skill will consistently put out candles by stopping their punches an inch or more away from the flame.

The reason why candles are used in Qi exercises is because candles used to be the main source of light in ancient Chinese society. Of course things have changed today, but the place of candle training and the idea itself hasn't changed anyhow.

Image Source: Pixabay

The following are examples of candle training (with Qigong exercises among them)

 

1 Concentration training

One aspect that Qigong exercises focus on is building concentration. Building your concentration is something that requires some learning and practice. You have to nourish both your mental and visual focus, and thus the use of candles is essential.

This is done by sitting in a dark room and concentrating on the candle light with a meditating mind -- calm and relaxed.

During this exercise, you should focus on the flame until you can trace how every piece of that flame is behaving. You can do this for at least 30 minutes to be able to build a specific level of concentration -- same thing that happens in Qigong training.

Until you can build this level of concentration, you cannot effectively participate in a fight where your concentration/awareness/sensitivity/accuracy and focus is constantly needed. 

This Qigong exercise will not present itself like a light training at first. But after you've trained consistently for a while, you will be able to reach your goals effortlessly. 

Nevertheless, this is just one face of learning, and the goal is to learn how to watch the candle flame with one focus and mind. Once you have mastered this art, you can move to placing the candle on a swinger specially designed for holding candles.

Now, the difference here is that you will be learning to place your focus on a moving candle instead of a stationary one. This focusing practice will help you develop the key fundamentals of Qigong training.

2 Qi training

In the study of Internal Martial Arts, the candle is used to develop focus of the mind and Qi. When you learn to focus on a higher level, you will develop a stronger Qi. 

Again, this Qigong exercise is very simple. Sit in front of the burning candle and form your hand in the sword secret.

This is done by extending the middle and second finger while touching the ring finger. This kind of formation allows for Qi to flow through your fingers. 

When applied with a candle, you simply put your extended fingers a few inches from the candle flame. This way, you can coordinate your breath and Qi beyond the fingers, and this will somehow make the flame move.

Bio-electricity and Qigong exercises are strongly related (research has showed it). The visible manifestation of Qi are as a result of the effects of bio-electricity in the atmosphere. It is a kind of electricity led through the fingers to create some disturbance in the air, ultimately wind. This wind is responsible for making the flame move.

3 In Jin training

When you want to learn how to develop penetrating and focused power in martial arts, one of the tools you will use is candle light.

You will light up the candle and use it as a target for Jin. For the start, your punches should stop as close to the flame as possible. You have to target that flame with your punches by directing your focus towards it. If there is no focus, you will not put out the flame no matter how hard you struggle.

If you have trained consistently, you can feel free to increase the flame distance. If you can put out the flame within a distance of one foot, then you should know that your punching power is focused and penetrating. In this case, your punching power will penetrate deeper into the internal organs of your attacker.

P.S

I have used the 3 examples above as a point of reference. There's always room to be creative when using candle light in training around those areas.

Of all the self defense classes I have seen, I have never come across an instructor who gives his students lessons on how to minimize panic moves for better results.

You generally make panic moves without thinking. You don't focus on the target ahead of you. It's kind of a reflex action that happens subconsciously, hence it is ineffectual in most cases.

A good example is when you lash out in the general direction of your opponent, trying to land a strike on them, hoping to really hit them. But I can assure you that invariably, the strike will be weak and way off in terms of accuracy.

If you do this and somehow manage to hit them, you will be lucky. But chances are that you will never land that strike where it's supposed to land on. You will miss your target because you blindly lashed out without focus.

Panic moves can also happen in the event that you were taking too many strikes from your opponent and you subconsciously decided to move forward to close the gap and grab them halfway, hoping to subdue them.

Image Source: Pixabay

Again, I can assure you that when you do this, you will probably find yourself in some sort of a wrestling match, getting hit faster and harder than before. In fact, both of you would go to the ground and more panic would ensure. You can see where this is going.

If you're panicking under real threat, it's forgivable. But the same thing doesn't apply in training. Unfortunately, I have seen students enter the panic mode as soon as they are subjected to the slightest pressure during training.

Let's take the example of a student learning any self defense move in a Shou Shu studio. The instructor tells them to free their wrist from an opponent's grab, pull them forward slightly and kick their groin before finishing the matter with their right elbow.

The trainee will often perform the first step correctly. However, the subsequent ones will invariably be performed with haste and panic in an attempt to complete the steps quickly. And the results would be loss of power and effectiveness. They might even end up losing their balance in the process, although we highly emphasize on the use of centerline principle.

The subsequent but incorrect moves performed by the student are almost a sure indication of that student being in panic mode. In other words, they are not centered well on the target as they strike.

And the danger is that if this habit isn't eliminated from the student as soon as possible, it will be hard to break it. Panic moves will become a significant hindrance of their training as they encounter more pressure, hence they will not be able to achieve the kind of results they want from their self defense training.

So, what's the way to avoiding panic, unfocused moves?

Your move should be an assured one. You want to make assured moves more than you make panic moves. Using the term assured may not be appropriate here, but nonetheless, it gives a clear picture of what I am trying to communicate.

You want more focus, control and eventually power. And the secret to developing assured moves in self defense is to take your time training  in those moves no matter the prevailing conditions you find yourself in.

In fact, to avoid falling into the trap, you will need to learn how to take your time with whatever you're trying to master. Your mind has to be centered on the target no matter how much pressure you're facing. And the secret resides in how your mind controls your body.

If you let your mind dictate your action, (if it's a mind that's under pressure), you will panic when you try thinking of what needs to be done quickly. Your body will resonate with your mind, hence a panic move will ensue.

On developing the skills to kill panic moves

 

Take your time and tell yourself that you will not rush through what needs to be done. When you do this, you are in total control of your mind rather than your mind taking control of you. Just focus, breath and make sure your mind isn't focusing on the outcome you desire to achieve.

Unfortunately, the danger of focusing on results is that your mind will begin thinking of all the things that could be at stake.

But the answer to this challenge is to focus on what you're doing and know that you have the ability to do it perfectly. If you practice taking your time when executing those moves, you will find them not only effective, but powerful and reassured.

Perhaps you're thinking this is some sort of a complex mental process you have to undergo in order to deliver assured strikes.

No, it's not. It's only a matter of re-evaluating yourself first to ensure you're correctly centered on your target before making any move. This is a process that should happen within the split of a millisecond.

You should practice this with simple drills, and then carry on with the practice until you're able to handle complex drills where you typically don't have much time to consciously direct your focus on the target.

With a bit of practice, you can learn to develop assured moves into your subconscious nature, and they will become automatic responses. Therefore, cultivate your moves to make them as precise as you can.

Just like what happens in a real market where products and services are sold, con men and women exist in the martial arts world as well.

Wing Chun has been the subject of criticism among different martial artists across the globe. They say most Wing Chun masters are hesitant when it comes to testing their skills with a resisting force in front of a camera for the world to see how effective they are.

There are many martial arts studios across the globe. But not all of them are genuine in what they teach. Most of them charge a small fee to get them running the facility efficiently.

When I started practicing martial arts, I was first introduced to Karate classes because they were (and still are) the most popular in my area.

I encountered a white-haired old man who was supposed to be my master. He was skilled in what he did and trained his students.

On the walls of the studio was a big poster portraying him breaking a board with a flying split kick. However, with the wisdom of age, I have come to realize that such a poster was probably made up at a local portrait studio, although the man strutted like he was skillful in fighting even an unlimited number of attackers. Never did I see him teaching or demonstrating the split kick I saw on his poster.

Image Credit| Pixabay

This reminds me of the fact that only an extremely thin number of Wing Chun fighters know the real version of the martial art. This is probably between 15 and 20 people at most -- all belong to the Chinese origin.

The rest of the people who practice Wing Chun know the fake version of the art. This fake version was designed by a master of Wing Chun some few decades before the world was introduced to Ip Man. The reason why he created the fake version was to fool a man whom he believed was spying on him as he trained his sons the real thing.

It is safe to assume that Ip Man was responsible for teaching 99% of Wing Chun students the fake version of the art. On the other hand, he discretely taught the true version to a very limited number of people who in turn taught it to one or two guys at a time. That's the reason I say true Wing Chun fighters are numbered between 15-20 people at most.

Also, this makes me conclude that the rest of the Wing Chun masters we know around the world are only fakes. Reason being; they were taught the fake thing which was passed from one generation to the other. 

Most Wing Chun masters practice and teach it ignorantly. A good number of them don't trust their skills or ability either, and are therefore teaching it for pure profit.

I know this might lead to asking who are the real Wing Chun masters in the world 

 

Today, the real version of the art is only known and practiced by the minority (like I mentioned above). The real version is taught without charging a single cent, plus whoever is being taught is always kept a secret. You can never distinguish a true Wing Chun fighter from a fake one by observation only. 

The fighting god sales tactic 

 

It's a fact that just about anyone with some martial arts background can set up a studio, advertise himself as the best Wing Chun master and get a handful of students to teach. He might even set up a blog dedicated to Wing Chun and he will smile all the way to the bank, trust me.

This works best when they proclaim to be some sort of a fighting god -- the reason why MMA is on the rise these days. 

If you've been around for some time, you probably know which fighting styles are effective and which ones aren't. 

Some instructors charge up to $300 a month. That's because students are being trained by a real professional MMA fighter, and there's also a good chance that they will watch this coach in competitions.  What this means is that students will know upfront how much of a professional fighter they are paying for. But if students don't trust what they've learned, they could get into a fight to see how this goes.

Very few people are able to claim Wing Chun as their main discipline while backing it with a championship belt. This is the reason some people have labeled Wing Chun as an impractical art of fighting.

But for the simple fact that Wing Chun is associated with Bruce Lee, some practitioners and martial arts fans will go crazy on the mention of those two words -- Wing and Chun, even if they will never encounter a real Wing Chun fighter. You should therefore ask yourself questions when a fighter in this discipline is never willing to participate in Chi Sau drills.