In some ways, that’s good. It means that the form has been learned and you no longer need to pause, scratch your head, and try desperately to remember what comes next. Unfortunately, that same momentum can carry you away and cause you to miss some of the finer details of kata execution.

 One aspect that is frequently overlooked is…looking. Often, when individuals perform a kata, they become transfixed on what their hands and feet are doing. They snap blocks, fire punches, and move crisply. However, throughout the entire performance, their head stays laser straight, looking ahead at all times.

 That sounds like a good thing, right? You would want to be looking in front of you if that’s where the bad guy is. The problem occurs in the directional changes.

 If we move our entire body without looking where we are going first, we’ve made a conceptual error. Although the kata dictates we go one way or the other, we need to visualize a real opponent in that place. As such, a real opponent can be unpredictable. We can’t simply shift and block and magically know where the attack is coming from and at what distance. We have to LOOK first. Once we spot the enemy, we can then act in accordance with kata.

 Often looking means turning our head slightly and shifting our eyes to the new opponent. We do this before committing to a stance or response, as is advisable in a real confrontation. Therefore, during training, we can take an entire pattern and make sure our eyes and head are moving before technique execution.

 Of course, as with any good rule of thumb, there are exceptions.

 Even though kata tends to turn in many directions, such movements do not necessarily mean a new opponent is arriving. Sometimes it can indicate that you, the defender, have trapped your opponent and are throwing them. Your body movement is then an ample method for creating that throw. If this is the case, you wouldn’t need to be looking all around – you’ll want to focus on the opponent at hand and execute the throw to maximum efficiency. After that, you can either strike the grounded opponent again or move on.

 The important factor here is knowing which method of visualization you are employing. If you are keeping your eyes straight ahead during a turn, is it because you are maximizing a throw? If not, and you intend to address a new opponent, would you be wiser to take a peek first?

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Note: This article contains many Chinese characters. If your computer can't read Chinese characters, you will probably see empty squares or question marks instead. If you want to see the Chinese characters but can't, refer to Wikipedia's guide to installing East Asian language support.

In the world of martial arts, China is incredibly influential. Unfortunately, few martial artists have taken the time to learn anything about the Chinese language. A surprising number of misconceptions are due to simple ignorance of the language. I believe that every martial artist should be a cosmopolitan martial artist, knowledgeable about a wide range of arts from across the world. With that in mind, I've put together this primer on Chinese. A little bit of knowledge about the Chinese language will go a long way to set a foundation for learning more about Chinese martial arts.

Names matter. It's very hard to learn about a subject without a name you can assign attributes to. Unfortunately, there is a lot of confusion over the names of Chinese martial arts. This is very bad, because when naming systems are inconsistent, it can disrupt the way your mind stores information. Suppose I read a book about Xingyi. In my mind, I file that information under the "Xingyi" column. Then I see a video about Hsing-I, and I file that information under the "Hsing-I" column. But Xingyi and Hsing-I are exactly the same art, just written differently. If I didn't understand that fact, I might even waste my time trying to find differences between Xingyi and Hsing-I.

With that in mind, there are three things that you need to know in order to understand the names of Chinese martial arts.

1. The Western World Doesn't Know How to Romanize Chinese

Chinese uses a non-Roman writing system. There is no alphabet, so any attempt to represent Chinese sounds with our alphabet is necessarily an approximation. For example, the characters  could be romanized as gong fu, kung fu, gung foo, and so on.

To avoid confusion, the Chinese government has adopted a standard Mandarin romanization system called Hanyu Pinyin, or "Pinyin" for short. Pinyin is a good system that is used almost universally by modern students of Mandarin, and is ubiquitous in mainland China.

However, the Western world doesn't seem to realize that there is a standard system. Westerners continue to use older romanization systems such as the Wade-Giles system, and that's when they use any system at all. That's why Chinese names are so inconsistently written in the West; the writers don't adhere to the standards.

2. Some Martial Arts Use Mandarin, Others Use Cantonese

Chinese is famously comprised of many dialects. Mandarin is the official dialect of China and by far the most useful. Both systems that I mentioned above - Hanyu Pinyin and Wade-Giles - are meant for Mandarin.

Cantonese is also important for martial artists. Cantonese is spoken primarily in southern China, especially Hong Kong and Macau. Most of us know about Cantonese because it is over-represented in the West, although it may only be the 3rd or 4th most commonly spoken dialect in China.

Because Cantonese is not the national language of any country, there is no standard way of romanizing it. Two common romanization systems are Yale and Jyutping, but there are several other systems in common use.

Cantonese is commonly used for southern Chinese martial arts such as Wing Chun and Hung Gar. However, any teacher is free to teach in whatever dialect he likes. It's not uncommon to see the same martial art under a completely different name depending on the origins of the teacher.

3. Chinese Characters Can be Simplified or Traditional

Chinese characters are the clearest way to express a Chinese name. If you can read Chinese characters, it's best not to translate or romanize them at all. But even then, there's a problem. In the 1950s, the Chinese government simplified the writing system in an effort to increase public literacy. Since then, there have been two sets of Chinese characters: Simplified and traditional.

Mainland China and Singapore use simplified characters, while traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau, and many Chinese communities overseas. Both sets of characters are useful, depending on where you live or what you study.

Case Study: Tai Chi or Taiji?

"Tai Chi" is perhaps the best example of romanization problems. Let's take a look at how this is supposed to be written:

Hanyu Pinyin: Taijiquan

Wade-Giles: T'ai Chi Ch'üan

The name "Tai Chi" seems to be a bastardization of the Wade-Giles form. In other words, someone saw the Wade-Giles version but didn't understand the apostrophes or the umlaut. As a result, in the West you can see all kinds of variations: Taijiquan, Tai Chi Chuan, T'ai Chi Ch'uan, Taiji Chuan, T'aichi Quan, etc.

Some writers try to get around romanization by translating the name into English. This might work for simple names, like White Crane or Northern Praying Mantis, but Taijiquan does not translate well. "Taiji" is an ancient and complex metaphysical concept. "Quan" literally means "fist," and signifies that it is a method of fighting. Some English translations of Taijiquan include: "Supreme Ultimate Boxing," "Fist of the Great Ultimate," "Supreme Pole fist," etc. These are essentially meaningless translations, so the name is best left untranslated.

If you can't translate the name and Chinese characters aren't an option, then you had better pick a romanization system and stick with it.

Bring on the Names

What follows is a table of names for a variety of Chinese martial arts. Each name is written in English, romanized Mandarin and Cantonese, and both simplified and traditional characters. It is meant as an extended list of examples, not anything like an exhaustive list of Chinese martial arts. Names are sorted alphabetically by their common names, which are frequently inaccurate. When there are multiple entries in succession in a single cell, that means that there are multiple valid options.

If you'd like to know more about the information in this table, please refer to the FAQ at the bottom of the page.

Frequently Asked Questions

What do all of those numbers and lines mean?

They tell you the tone of each syllable. Both Mandarin and Cantonese are tonal, which means that the tone of a syllable affects its meaning. Mandarin has four tones - or five, if you count "neutral." Cantonese essentially has six tones, but it's a little more complicated. In Pinyin, tones are expressed with little lines above certain vowels. In the other romanization systems above, tones are expressed with numbers.

If you're only interesting in reading small amounts of Chinese in the West, tones may not matter to you. Most of the time, Chinese is not romanized with tones.

What does Quan/Ch’üan mean?

The word Quán is the most common suffix in Chinese martial arts names. It literally means "fist," but it's often translated as "boxing." In reality, it means something like "way of fighting" or "martial art." So to fully translate the name of White Crane(bái hè quán), you would actually end up with "White Crane Martial Art." This translation is redundant, although it's more accurate than "White Crane Fist" or "White Crane Boxing."

I don't think that we should translate the word Quán. "Fist" is a literal translation, but doesn't really make sense. "Boxing" is antiquated and inaccurate, chosen by translators who were under the false assumption that Chinese martial arts are analogous to Western boxing. If you want to preserve this part of the name, just say it in Chinese instead of English.

Are there other ways to romanize Chinese? Why did you pick these four romanization systems?

Of course, there are all sorts of romanization systems, but I picked the four that seemed most widespread. For Mandarin, this is an easy decision: Pinyin is standard in China, while Wade-Giles still clings on in the West. Cantonese isn't nearly so standardized, but Yale and Jyutping are both relatively well-known systems.

What about dialects other than Mandarin or Cantonese?

There are many dialects of Chinese other than Mandarin and Cantonese, some of which are more widely spoken than Cantonese. But Mandarin is by far the most common, and Cantonese is disproportionately well-represented among martial artists in the Western world. Most names of Chinese martial arts that you can encounter in the West can be traced to one of these two dialects.

How do I find the equivalent pronunciation in Japanese, Korean, or Vietnamese?

First, copy the traditional Chinese characters for the name you are interested in. Then paste the characters into an appropriate online dictionary. It's important that you find a dictionary that is dedicated to that particular language, not an all-in-one dictionary like Google Translate. You're not just looking for the English equivalent, you're looking for how it is romanized.

Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese all have multiple writing systems, so you may be required to use a specific search field for Chinese characters. Each of the following terms refers to Chinese characters:

Japanese: Kanji

Korean: Hanja

Vietnamese: Hán tu.

 Why did you choose these particular martial arts?

Chinese martial arts can be grouped together or divided infinitely. I've seen "exhaustive" lists and came away no better for it. With that in mind, I couldn't include them all.

I tried to include as many well-known arts as possible, but without too much redundancy. For example, I added Praying Mantis, but not Southern Praying Mantis, Seven Star Praying Mantis or Plum Blossom Praying Mantis. For the purposes of understanding names, I don't think it's necessary to include the latter three.

That said, it's not hard to add more to the list. If there's a name that you're curious about, drop me a line in the comments section.

What about martial arts with variations of the names posted above? (e.g. Bagua Quan vs. Bagua Zhang)

This is common. In some cases, it's the same martial art(or similar) under a different name, but there is no general rule. It may be helpful to know that Chinese martial arts tend to reuse a lot of the same words over and over. A lot of the time, the following words show up as suffixes:

Why didn't you include Wushu/Gongfu/Guoshu/Quan Fa/etc?

These are generic Chinese terms and not the names of specific martial arts.

Why isn't there an English translation for X?

It's not useful to translate every name. For example, Shaolin is just the name of a temple. It doesn't clarify the issue any further by explaining what Shao and Lin mean. Choy Li Fut is another example of an art which is almost impossible to translate. The first two characters are family surnames, while the last character refers to Buddha. It has been said that Choy Li Fut was a synthesis of three preexisting systems, and that each character refers to one of its predecessors. The name is therefore meaningful in Chinese, but gibberish if translated literally.

Some names contain references to complex philosophical concepts, like Taiji or Bagua. Bagua can be translated literally (Eight Trigrams), but that doesn't express the meaning behind the concept. Taiji is even more complex, and it's pointless to translate it.

Where do you get your translations?

I use the dictionaries at mdbg.net and nciku.com, although some translations are my own.

If you have any questions or comments, feel free to post in the comments section below.

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When I was a kid the public perception of a police officer was, positive.  He was an honorable and trustworthy protector of the public, who could be trusted with your most valuable possessions, even your life.  This perception was reinforced by movies and televisions shows such as “Dragnet” and later “Adam 12”.  As I grew older, my perception, and that of the public, became more realistic with police involvement in civil rights violations and excessive force becoming common knowledge.  Of course these issues were addressed and continue to be.  Through all that, Law Enforcement continued to retain the public trust, though we now know that officers do make mistakes and as in all professions, there are some bad ones.  But the bad ones don’t last long due to established safeguards.

For over 30 years I was one of those police officers (a good one).  After Viet Nam, I went to the Police Academy and my destiny was set.  I also became a martial artist, teaching Okinawa Kenpo Karate for nearly as long.   Because of my history and profession, I chose the more practical approach to Karate, focusing on combat and self-defense rather than the sport aspect.  It proved to be a wise choice and served me well over the years.  Retired now, my second career is full time teaching an art that saved my butt several times.

There is one issue that doesn’t fall into “normal” self defense or martial training.  That is; what do you do when your “Threat” is a police officer or someone impersonating one?

It’s a new day and wackadoos abound, gone are the days when a regular person can venture forth in public without at least some concern for their safety and well being.  Everyone needs to take certain precautions and increase their awareness to ensure their safety and the safety of their possessions.  Even trust in our police officers has eroded, unfortunately for some valid reasons.  Though perhaps not as valid as some might think.

Police Impersonation

I have been asked, “How can I be sure the police officer pulling me over is real”?  Due to the occasional rapist impersonating a police officer to isolate his victims, this is a very valid question.  There is also the question, “How do I know the police officer who stopped me won’t rape and kill me”?  Yes, that has happened.

I’ll address the impersonation of an officer first.  Uniformed officers in marked police cars perform the vast majority of traffic stops.  I have never heard of a rapist or someone intent on committing some type of random assault go to the trouble of reproducing the “police car” and “uniform”.  So, if you learn what police cars and uniforms look like in your area, you’re OK.  If someone in a Security Vehicle or is wearing something that doesn’t look like a uniform, tries to pull you over call the police and ask for verification.  Red, or Red/Blue, means Police, don’t stop for Orange or Yellow, and call 911 if someone with these lights try to pull you over.

Police do use unmarked vehicles and there are some marked cars that don’t have overhead lights.  If you are familiar with police cars these cars should be easy to spot.  If not, look for permanently mounted lights on the bumper or grill.  Is the officer wearing a uniform that you recognize?  Is he using the radio to call in his location, your tag number and description and reason for the stop?  Fake police officers don’t have anyone to call in to and would have to “act the part”.  Be cautious of a single “Bubble Light” on the dash.  They are used by police but rare for traffic enforcement, usually reserved for getting through traffic and not stopping traffic.  Police stop traffic offenders; did you commit a traffic offense?  If so act accordingly.  If you are pulled over by an officer, marked police car or not, if you see the word “Security” or any phrase that doesn’t contain the words “Police”, “Deputy”, “Sheriff”, “Law Enforcement”, drive immediately to a well lighted and public area calling 911.  Those words are exclusive to legitimate police officers.  Other words, meant to deceive include “Agent”, “Bail Enforcement”, “Officer”, “Investigator” and “Detective”.  These are not totally inclusive, just examples.  Security Guards, Private Investigators, and Bail Bondsmen use these legally, but that also makes them available to one whom would impersonate a Police Officer.

If you suspect that the officer pulling you over isn’t legitimate let him know you see him and slow down a bit so that he knows you intend to comply with his stopping you.  Hand gestures and eye contact work well for this.  Legitimate police officers, especially those in unmarked cars understand this.  Drive to the nearest populated and lighted area.  Call the police and ask if this officer is legitimate, request another officer if they don’t know.  You may have a different agency on the phone that the one who’s officer is pulling you over.  When the officer approaches tell him you have the dispatcher on the phone to verify his identity.  A real police officer will understand, a fake will run.  On the outside chance you are accosted, drive off.  Tell the dispatcher where you are and keep them on the line.

Things Not To Do

Here are some things not to do.  Don’t have a bad attitude.  It never makes the situation better and anger is not fear.  If you suspect the officer is not legitimate, you should be afraid, not angry.  Anger tells me, and it should tell you, that you don’t really suspect the officer to be fake.  Don’t drive to any other location at the direction of the officer, except to clear traffic or get further off of the road.  Don’t be afraid to ask for credentials, identification, or another officer to be present if you are still suspicious.  Don’t be an unreasonable idiot, if the uniform is legitimate, the car properly marked, and he has all the appropriate equipment such as gun, radio (working), citation book, pepper spray, and black shoes.  It would be unreasonable to not comply with this person.  Do not let your opinion as to the validity of the reason for the traffic stop influence your “suspicion” as to the validity of the officer’s identity.  You may have committed an infraction that you were not aware of or he may have stopped you for some other legal reason of which you have no knowledge.  In most cases a simple question will result in a proper explanation.

I have arrested and successfully prosecuted a police impersonation/rape case.  It was a terrible thing and had several things in common with many such cases.  Solitary woman driver, isolated location, alcohol (the victim had been drinking), bubble light on the dash of a civilian car, uniform shirt with a badge.  Healthy skepticism would have prevented this case, but the first thing alcohol does to you is impair judgement, before anything else.  After this victim was pulled over she did become suspicious, but she didn’t know what to look for and how to react.

In all my years I only know of two cases that involve real Police Officers committing crimes such as Rape/Murder while on duty to random victims during traffic stops.  So the odds are very good that this kind of thing won’t happen to you.  But the horrendous nature of such a crime, who the criminal is, the vulnerability of the victim, and the law requiring compliance with a supposed trusted public servant, makes this an issue to be addressed.

On December 27th 1986, California Highway Patrol Trooper Craig Peyer stopped a woman on an isolated off ramp in San Diego and killed her.  On March 4th 1990, Florida Highway Patrol Trooper Timothy Harris stopped a woman on I-95 in an isolated area of Indian River County then raped and killed her.

The odds of even knowing one of these guys is so remote it warrants no concern.  So being a victim of an officer like this is nearly impossible.  But only nearly, there is no guarantee that it won’t happen again.  Life doesn’t work like that.  Years ago I worked with Harris when he was a rookie, and no, there wasn’t a clue to what he would ultimately do.

There are some common factors in both of these cases.  A lone female driver, isolated location, both victims were relocated to more secluded locations nearby.  Neither trooper called in the traffic stop.  Both troopers appeared to have some type of issues involving “power”.  Both victims were traveling greater distances and not near their home or destination.  Both crimes occurred at night.  The fact that both cases involve troopers of large state agencies whose focus is traffic only and that both cases were on Interstate Highways suggests a dynamic that is beyond my understanding.  Investigation into both of these cases revealed that both of these officers engaged in obviously questionable behavior in traffic stops and other incidents leading up to their ultimate crimes.  If at any time an officer acts inappropriately or overly personal, you should report this to a Police Supervisor as soon as possible.

Prevention Tips

Preventing this type of crime is best effective by the Law Enforcement Agency and the certification process of police officers.  But there are things you can do.  Avoid being a lone female driver or driving at night if you can when traveling.  If stopped in an isolated area, ask the officer to call for another officer to be present, especially at night.  If stopped, pull well off of the roadway making a request to move to a “safer location” unreasonable.  Turn off your radio/music but not your car, leave it running.  Check to see if the officer is using the radio to call in his traffic stop, if not ask for another officer to be present.  If the officer asks you to exit your vehicle, ask him to have another officer present. If you are uncomfortable for any reason, say so and ask for another officer to be present. If the officer refuses, call 911 and ask yourself.   Be reasonable, the odds that the officer will assault you are extremely remote.  But if he does, drop it in drive and leave, immediately and call 911.  But you have to remember; unreasonably fleeing an officer will put you in jail.  Unsubstantiated allegations will probably get you little sympathy from other officers, but an immediate call to 911 will verify, something happened and you were not fleeing police, just that officer.

Now there is good news.  The process to become a police officer takes a long time.  They don’t take just anyone. There is a lengthy waiting list.  A candidate has to pass a background check and a psychological examination to get into the Police Academy.  The Police Academy is designed to weed out poor candidates as well as teach.  There is another waiting list for employment at a police agency.  There is another background check, more detailed, and another psychological examination, also more detailed.  There is written, verbal, and physical testing, as well as oral review boards, followed by interviews by administrative heads.  All of this is designed to weed out the less than acceptable.  If a candidate makes it this far he may be offered a job.  This job is “probationary”, one year in some cases, two in others.  The new police officer now becomes the property of a Field Training Officer.  The training officer has two jobs.  One is to train and familiarize the new officer to policies and procedures, and to teach him how to be a police officer.  The other is to weed out the less than acceptable.  The likes of Craig Payer and Tim Harris are looked for throughout the entire process and I have faith that the system works.

After the “Field Training Process” and “Probation”, officers are still held to the highest standards.  Any complaint of inappropriate behavior is treated seriously, thoroughly investigated and appropriately dealt with.  Many times it is a misunderstanding, or a mistake that can be corrected.  Sometimes it’s not and the officer looks for a job more conducive to his character, not to forget that criminal acts result in appropriate prosecution.  Just remember that revenge for a citation is not a good motive for an officer complaint.  Providing false information on such a complaint is not only illegal and can result in you being prosecuted, you can also be sued for liable by the officer.

Being familiar with the contents of this article, paying attention while using common sense and logic while being stopped by that officer will result in a safe encounter, though maybe not an enjoyable one.  Nobody likes that citation.

Now imagine the best class you had in high school or college. The impact of that instructor has probably lasted well beyond your school days.

Teaching a martial art is a rare gift and responsibility, one that has an amazing amount of freedom. In the public education system there are layers of governing boards and protocols to funnel what can be taught and how it can be transmitted. In the martial arts world, the possibilities are much more varied.

Sure, most martial art organizations have criteria for what it takes to advance in ranking...but are there guidelines for how that knowledge should be transmitted? Unlikely.

It's possible of course to try and perfectly mimic your instructor's style, but that's rarely attainable (or even desirable). Personal experience, talent level, intellectual capacity, and philosophical beliefs will flavor everything you do in a unique way.

Therefore it's wise to examine your own teaching methods and decide for yourself how you might best help your students. Consider the following three strategies for imparting a martial art:

DICTATE

Being a full-on dictator is bad...but sometimes dictating is good! Dictating refers to the act of instructing students in a very specific and structured manner. The teacher tells the student where to step, where to block, how to balance, what degree angle to turn, etc etc. Dictating is a powerful tool, especially in the early phases of a young martial artist's career as he/she tries desperately to adjust to the rigors of training.

The weakness of dictation is a lack of creativity. Students are so busy trying to fit into the structure of class while avoiding technical mistakes that they rarely engage in critical thinking. Toying with technique, trial and error, and big-picture contemplation is not on the to-do checklist.

Of course, giving specific advice has been around since one caveman taught another how to sharpen a stick; there's no question regarding the value of detail transmission. However, modern teaching has taken dictation to a high extreme, resulting in formalized classes filled with one-way information and strict regimentation. A lot of that can be attributed to military influence.

When military men first arrived in eastern countries and learned martial arts, they often integrated the material they learned with the military methods they had been molded in. They did so for purely practical reasons. The stakes were/are very high in military and law enforcement work. Following orders with precision saves lives while creating higher probability of success for an entire unit.

The west wasn't alone in their military intentions; eastern countries like Japan and even Okinawa began teaching martial arts in larger group settings for the purpose of crafting young men into resilient, obedient soldiers. Strong dictation was a natural evolution of teaching style.

WAIT AND SEE

Perhaps the diametric opposite of dictating is the 'wait and see' approach. W&S involves demonstrating technique, kata, etc while offering no breakdown or explanation. The instructor performs and the students must watch and gather what they can. Discussion is not a big part of W&S.

W&S has been the method of choice for centuries in many of the eastern koryu arts. Due to the influence of Confucianism, eastern philosophy enforces the idea of quiet obedience and attendance when being instructed. W&S does not require the instructor to hold a student's hand through every detail.

The strength of W&S lies in it's focus and range of possibilities. When learning in W&S style there is no spoon feeding of information, and going on mental 'cruise control' is a very quick way to fall behind and eventually wash out. Furthermore, interpretation of what a student sees an instructor do can be highly varied. Since there is no specific guidance, the student is left to his/her own experience and critical thinking in order to determine how to achieve the same skill level as the instructor. W&S also has the benefit of being able to transcend language barrier.

The weakness of W&S lies in it's roadblocks and time frame. If a student gets stuck and lacks understanding, they can find themselves in 'learning quicksand'. Even if they do eventually struggle their way through a problem, it may have taken years longer than was needed. A few pieces of wisdom from an experienced instructor could have reframed perspective and fixed a wayward path, but with W&S there can be a lack of active course correction.

Another weakness of W&S is organizational. When an instructor allows students to interpret the art for themselves, each student will naturally come to different conclusions. When the senior instructor is not present, or has passed away, the result is chaotic and often results in massive splintering among students.

NUDGE

Nudging is perhaps a middle ground of the previous two methods and involves monitoring a student's progress noninvasively, interjecting from time to time in order to enhance growth and understanding.

A nudge is not as concrete as dictation; if the instructor fixes the angle of a student's stance, that is a dictated correction. If on the other hand he/she asks the student why the angle of a stance might be better increased or decreased, that is a nudge toward understanding.

Nudging is a powerful tool, especially when instructing higher level students. Advanced martial artists can become stagnant and bored if they only receive dictated training year after year. That is why challenging them to draw their own conclusions and guiding them to their own level of higher understanding is so essential.

The problem with nudging is twofold: difficulty and structure. Students can become impatient and annoyed with a teacher who nudges all the time because they feel a simple straight answer would be a quicker solution to their needs. Furthermore, teaching in a nudge style can be extremely tricky. It's very easy to fall into a 'false philosopher' mode where the instructor simply projects student's questions back onto them without providing any real insight. For example:

"Sensei, what does this technique mean? I can't put it to any good use."

"My student, what do you think it means? Once you know that, you'll have your answer."

This exchange sounds wise and zen-like, but it doesn't provide any nudging.

The other difficulty is in structure. Instructors must navigate the complicated tapestry of tradition and ego. In some ways, it is an instructor's duty to pass along a style exactly as it was handed to him/her (best done through dictation). Meanwhile, the more students look exactly like the instructor, the better pleased the instructor will be due to subtle ego (since I know what I am doing, the students should look like me!). Thus, nudging requires a careful relaxing of those rules in order to let students find their own path to higher effectiveness.

How does an instructor maintain the integrity of a tradition while helping students explore their own path? That's the difficulty in nudging.

A Proper Mixture

I don't believe any one of the methods above is superior to the others. In fact, I think most good instructors find a mixture of all three with plenty of other tactics mixed in. A skilled instructor will observe what each individual needs on a case-by-case, day-by-day basis. In fact, teaching strategy can change in mid-class (or even mid-sentence).

The key, I think, is to recognize the tools available as a teacher and use them to their highest effect. Knowing when to take the reigns and when to loosen them is critical in helping students achieve that rare but essential goal of self actualization. Only then can a martial art start to grow into ikigai.

If you're a street fighter, you could see it on any given day.

There's something about the hook punch that is naturally ingrained in the human combative complex. When tensions raise and the body experiences a dump of adrenaline, some instinct in the primordial part of our brain knows how to throw a hook punch.

Of course, a lot of the panicked and sloppy "bombs" we see are hardly efficient, but that doesn't mean they're ineffective. Sure, a drunk street punk may sprain his wrist while swinging his fists wildly, but all that body weight and tension can hurt or kill if it connects.

What is a Hook Punch?

Let's step back for a moment and define what a hook punch is. I think this video featuring Anderson Silva lays it out nicely in just over 1 minute:

You'll notice the crucial element is that the strike engages the target from a side angle rather than straight on. The punching arc can range dramatically from ultra wide, to just slightly bent.

The modern day understanding of a good hook punch derives mostly from American Boxing. The footwork (pivoting the front foot, settling on the rear, creating a snapping action) is a hallmark of good boxers and fighters like Silva.

The major difference between good boxers and street attacks is the execution of the technique. Boxers keep the hands tight in and use the hook punch when in mid-close range. The punch snaps out and back in order to maintain proper coverage of the body. Street attacks are often deep, committed swings with lots of body weight behind them.

Why Are We Assuming Hooks Are So Prevalent?

As any good geometry student will tell you, the shortest distance between any two points is a straight line. Wouldn't it stand to reason then that most attacks occur in a linear path, like a lot of TMA striking?

The reality is...no. The arc of the hook punch feels strong to novices and therefore comes out more naturally. Furthermore, American Boxing is still a very deep part of western culture and most youths grow up with a dad/uncle/friend who is willing to show them a few moves. Therefore, in times of stress, people go back to the experience they have.

Don't take my word for it though, just observe a handful of untrained attacks (sucker punch and street fight). I think you'll notice a distinct trend (warning: real violence in the following videos. Nothing deadly, but caution advised).

I didn't have to dig deep into Youtube to find these videos. If you type in "street fight" or "sucker punch fight" you're going to see plenty of examples.

Why Is The Hook So Neglected In TMA Training?

The reality of the hook punch in real engagements, especially when sucker punching, is evident. Just as evident is the lack of proportional focus in traditional martial arts.

In a lot of TMA, we are taught the efficiency of linear striking. It stands to reason that when we work partner drills, we use those same linear strikes as a means to continue our training and development. The attacker strikes linear so as to practice his/her punch, and we defend in one manner or another.

Even TMA that are much more circular can fall victim to this because they maintain good technique when attacking. A powerful circular ridge hand or quick mawashi geri is not the same as a huge haymaker from a tense and lunging opponent.

The study of bunkai for demonstration has increased the problem as well. In order for bunkai to look orderly and organized, the attacks must be laser accurate and in time with the defender. Slapping and windmill punching from the attacker would be troublesome for the demonstrator, and disrespectful to boot.

Traditional training can be beautiful, but it can also distract from reality at times.

How Can We Avoid the Neglect?

If we conclude that the hook punch is an oft used weapon in real violence, then we should make an effort to improve our ability to handle it. Doing so is fairly easy if we take the time. To integrate more hook punch practice into your martial arts life, follow these steps:

1. Assess the amount of time you spend dealing with the hook and determine if you could benefit from more practice.

2. Learn how to throw a hook punch well...and poorly. Use the videos above and elsewhere online if you don't have an expert in your dojo.

3. Communicate your desire to focus on the hook punch with your partner, show them the proper& improper ways to throw it, and have them attack you with it.

4. Attack slow at first so you can begin to analyze which of your techniques work and which are dangerously ineffective against the new arcs of attack.

5. Increase the speed and impact of the attack so as to feel the body weight and momentum.

6. Receive the attack from unspecified hands and at unspecified times. Remember, a sucker punch is tough to see coming so you want to practice natural response defense, not just thoughtful defense.

Now that's a neko dachi you can set your watch to!  Back foot at a perfect 45 degree angle, front foot with the heel raised in a high pointed fashion.  Both knees unlocked.  Most of the body's weight being supported by the back foot, allowing the front foot to kick quickly.

This is a great stance...but a little obvious, don't you think?

One of the most important parts of traditional martial arts is hiding intent and technique.  An opponent who is given no clues as to your next action has little chance to defend against it. This is true in both sparring and street self-defense.

If you drop into a perfect neko dachi, what does this tell your opponent?

Why telegraph both aggression and intention like that? Instead, it's much wiser to drop the heel back down to earth and make a more subtle shift of body weight onto the rear foot.

This guy is just hanging out...or is he?  Now granted hands-in-pocket is a bad idea, but our focus is more on the stance.  This gentleman is just as prepared to kick as his karate counterpart, but could easily fit into any public scene without sending signals.

Q: So why train in the photographic, heel pointed fashion?
A: Good habit development!

If white belts were trained to be casual right off the bat, they might not grasp the proper weight distribution and heel alignment.  The instinct to balance themselves evenly or improperly would be very strong.  By keeping the heel up and the knees flexed, instructors can analyze from across the room how good a stance is.

Unfortunately, it's easy to get stuck in that mindset and never play around with adapting neko dachi into your day-to-day life.

Here's something fun - in normal conversations with people throughout your day, try setting prime kicking distance, and settling into the natural neko dachi that I've shown above.  Hypothetically, if the person you're talking to suddenly made a move (secret ninja attack!), you should be able to stick them right in the floating ribs or knees with a solid front kick. If you're getting weird looks from the people you're talking to, you know you aren't casual enough yet.  Keep tweaking it.

final thought - what we've got here is karate training everyday, outside the dojo, that improves technique, distancing, timing, and mindset.  What a beautiful thing!

Base level bunkai is very useful and shouldn't be over looked.  By base level I mean: a block is a block and a punch is a punch.  If kata tells you to block down three times in a row, that's exactly what you do.  You block a left kick, a right kick, then a left kick.  After that you finish up with a punch, or whatever else kata tells you to do.

Deciphering base level bunkai for kata can take a very long time as many of the moves will seem cryptic and unwieldy.  There's no reason to be concerned by that, and no reason to rush it (as I explained in a previous post).

But sooner or later, you'll probably find yourself scratching your chin and saying 'yea...but what else can I do!?'

This is the rut I speak of, and just like with writer's block, it can be tough to pull yourself out without an external nudge.  I figured I might present a nudge here that tends to help me think outside the box when I need to.

Opponents: One or One Hundred

How many opponents are you fighting when you practice your kata? One?  Two? A handful? More than you can count?  This is a very important question as it will change the entire dynamic of how you perform your kata.

One Enemy

Imagine that you are facing just a single opponent.  While keeping alert for other dangers around you, you are free to orient yourself entirely on that opponent.  That means you can afford to be a little more stationary, and make small moves with your body to adjust for the maai (distance from your opponent).  You can then use your techniques to slip slight angles as your aggressor attacks and counterattack with ease.

For example, let's say you have a kata that blocks on the left 45 degree angle, then the right 45 degree angle, like so:

(Yea the guy in the picture has a giant head. so what.)

With a single opponent, you can use those techniques to intercept and retaliate:

 **entering maai**

You'll notice our brave combatant in the black intercepts the red attack and cuts the angle inward, reorienting himself/herself for a vital point strike to the temple, eyes, throat, or anything else he pleases.  This small shift in angle clears him from the oncoming second punch of his opponent.

With a single opponent, this "block, block" becomes an invasive disruption.  Since it's just one attacker, the next step in your kata, whatever that may be, should be used to take this opponent out, or at least to the ground.

Two Enemies

One opponent was nice, but now you've started trouble with two guys.  What did you do??

Well, whatever you did...they are looking for trouble.  Let's look at the same technique with two individuals coming at you in quick succession (or even at the same time)...

This time our hero in black has to move his body around a bit quicker.  The subtle angles he used with one opponent aren't as applicable because he can't afford to get tied up with in-close fighting while the other opponent rushes in toward him.  Instead, he uses a simultaneous block-strike motion as he shifts into each fighter.  Many times in kata we find ourselves blocking or striking.  Really, why have one hand in motion while the other remains stagnant?  Many movements in kata have inherent counterstrikes built in; we just have to allow ourselves to use them in quick time.

Multiple Opponents

The last situation is that of multiple opponents.  The exact number of opponents isn't really important, but it's obvious that there are a whole bunch.  Let's say they are pretty smart too, and manage to partially surround their target (our hero).  Using this same technique, it would look something like this...

Our fighter is using a very wise strategy - get out of Dodge. The first thing he does is analyze as quickly as possible the largest hole in the encirclement.  He recognizes that the right side, where the brown attacker is, is very cluttered.  Instead, he breaks for the red opponent.  Using the same kind of technique as before, he blocks and strikes to the face violently at the same moment.  This time, he uses his angling to shift to the outside of his opponent and pushes the red attacker into the blue attacker.  Bundling up the two closest individuals, he escapes as quickly as possible.

Final Thoughts on Opponents

When doing bunkai, it's important to think about your opponents, especially regarding how many there could be.  If you train in-tight against single opponents all the time, you might leave yourself tangled up with them too long for multiple opponent use.  However, if you are constantly floating around to different attackers, you might miss the more intricate uses of technique and how they can result in takedowns and groundfighting.

Be wary of leaving opponents too soon.  If you've successfully blocked an opponent, but haven't dealt them a severe strike or takedown, it is probably unwise to move on to a new attacker.

Be careful not to get stuck in the habit of using 8,9,10 attackers in a kata.  You may be moving around and facing different directions, but that doesn't necessarily mean every technique is intended for a new person.

***

I hope this was helpful.  It's just a method I use to expand the parameters of bunkai, but it can be a great way to add realism to your kata.

On the other hand, it is extraordinarily difficult to unlock those deeper layers, and very easy to get caught in the routine of base level kata.  Ultimately, staying stuck in base level for too long can produce negative effects and even counter-intuitive habits.

Base Level Kata...1,2,3!

Base level kata is what we do when we are first learning a kata.  Sensei will stand in front of class and carefully break down every technique for the students to see.  This is often accompanied by a calling out of movement or number.  For example:

"Step in, block left.  Punch right.  Punch left."

or

"1. 2. 3."

All in all, it ends up looking something like this (and please enjoy my stunning artwork):

All the students in class dutifully follow along, checking every minute tidbit of their stance and technique.  This is a fantastic training tool.  The students are learning how to properly form a punch (be it corkscrewing, vertical Isshin style, or any other), checking their knees for proper bend, and making sure they aren't off-balance.  The more advanced students can toy with koshi, hip movement, to employ more power into their technique.

Years of training in this fashion can produce very solid kihon, or basics...and as most instructors (including myself) will harp - KIHON is KEY to GOOD KARATE!

But, as years progress, it gets easier and easier to slip into an unexpected malaise; in other words, you quietly slip into "a box."  Once inside that box, it's very difficult to see outside it, and takes a great mental and physical leap to adjust habits that are so tightly ingrained.  That is why it is up to each us to eventually stare into that great void of kata exploration.

One concept that can help shine a little light on those cavernous expanses of kata is condensed timing.

Condensed Timing...12-3!

Recall the picture I showed you earlier - the kata dictated block, punch, punch. 1,2,3.  Why should we wait so long to act?  If our opponent is throwing a punch toward our chest, must we block it before counterattacking?  Of course not.  That sounds silly when considering a live, highly agitated opponent.  So why do we allow our kata to stay slow?

Instead, the block and initial strike should be done simultaneously.  Blockpunch, punch.  12,3.  As such:

As the opponent closes in with his/her attack, we are blocking and striking in one movement.  The momentum of the opponent meets our accelerating fist and the damage is multiplied.  Furthermore, the snap of our koshi helps drive our body weight into the attacker, instead of just helping us produce a nice *crack* with our gi.

RIght now, can you think of a few places in your kata that demand these kinds of block-strike-strike, block-block-block, block-strike-block series?  I bet you can.  And I bet if you think about it for awhile, you'll uncover A LOT of these series.  Next time you get a chance to train alone, try condensing your timing (but remember, when in the dojo, stay with your Sensei as he/she leads a class. Getting ahead can be misleading for beginner students and is a bit disrepectful to the instructor).

***

You'll also notice that the figure in the second picture punches at two different locations.  This introduces another one of those elusive kata concepts (wo mid-level punches in kata doesn't necessarily mean two mid-level punches in kata).  But more on that later!