Kuntao

Kuntao has no true form, varying from instructor to instructor and from community to community and indeed from country to country. The term rather is generic, meaning 'Way of the Fist', and is used to describe Chinese martial arts practiced in South East Asia (primarily Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and the Philippines) to distinguish them from the indigenous arts. In each locale the Chinese faced different fighting techniques and different weapons and had to adapt their own skills to combat the new threats, hence the wide variety of styles.

Traditionally martial arts were of concern only to the warrior elite, in the centuries before mass conscripting. Otherwise an art was passed down within a family, usually in great secrecy, owing to the fact that before laws were stipulated and a police force available to enforce those dictates, fighting was often grossly violent, even to the extreme of one or another of the antagonists being killed. Advertising to potential attackers your knowledge of an art was to surrender one of the greatest military advantages one could hope to enjoy: surprise. This martial art then also broadly describes all those Chinese arts that were passed down from father to son. Obviously in such circumstances there would also have been enormous stylistic variation.

Despite heavy personalization, certain elements are however witnessed to be repeated from one form to the next. First, it is a defensive style, emphasizing avoidance and circular blocking rather than a direct approach. That said, a practitioner will learn limited offensive movements. These movements keep with the Chinese approach of often simulating the postures and actions of animals, though there is no stipulation as to which animals may be used as models.

Training in Kuntao

Training involves the repetition of basic techniques until they become second nature. Stamina and strength are built up through the practice of forms and basic sparring exercises, rather than using supplementary methods to bring about development.

In combat the master seeks to defend his person first and counter strike as necessary. This is perhaps indicative of its origins as an art utilized by immigrants. Should a fight have broken out and the Chinese protagonist had emerged as the victor, local authorities may have been less likely to view this result in a positive light. By doing enough to defend himself, the practitioner could ensure he was safe both immediately and safe from future retribution. At the same time, the art ultimately has its roots in non-competitive, violent street fights and remains effective. This is underscored by the fact that the Indonesian government has banned all practice of this martial art.

The Way of the Enlightened Zen Warrior

Primarily I teach the life philosophy of The Way of the Enlightened Zen Warrior. This Way is an eclectic approach to combat, personal development and spiritual insight that is heavily influenced by ancient Asian techniques of fighting and self-discovery combined with modern techniques and philosophies. At its heart, Warrior Zen leads the agent on a journey to enlightenment, self-discovery and success in the secular world using a martial art (in this case, though other art forms and activities are appropriate too) as a way of life.

In order to more formally introduce my life philosophy I would offer this definition as an introduction to promoting understanding:

The Way of the Enlightened Zen Warrior is to live a moral, lawful life in accord with your true nature and the true nature of reality

I regard success as being the ability to do exactly that. Sure, I like the nice things in life too and I enjoy a sense of accomplishment, but I don’t place money and trophies (real or of the mind) above the integration of our selves and the integration of that unified Self with wider society or the Universe.

Essentially, what I am describing is a journey. It is a journey from the left (conceptual) hemisphere of our brains to our right (non-conceptual) hemisphere and back again. The latter point, so often overlooked by spiritual teachers and seekers, is of crucial importance. Your spiritual journey does not simply stop at the experience of satori (‘enlightenment’, but which I more accurately define as a brief moment of complete right hemisphere dominance with no left hemisphere interference).

You will notice that there are two primary components to the pursuit of The Way of the Enlightened Zen Warrior: one relates to a primarily internal quest of self-discovery and enlightenment (the discovery of your true nature and of the true nature of reality) while the other is concerned with the external world and living a moral and lawful life within the society and the Universe in which you live.

Unlike many spiritual teachers I do not teach or embrace the idea that the discovery of the divine trumps all else. I have no desire to ensconce myself in a temple somewhere and ‘be spiritual’. Spiritualism to me is an important part of one’s life…but it is only a part and should not be pursued at the expense of other areas of development or at the neglect of other responsibilities.

Similarly I am also opposed to the idea that success can be understood in the simple terms of accruing more and more (wealth, intellect, possessions, status, trophies and so on). I want all of those things, but I don’t only want those things. I want to gain those more tangible assets while being true to myself and while being a moral and lawful member of society and without being bogged down and confused with deeper questions along the lines of ‘What is the meaning of life?’. I am not interested in sacrificing my morality or in breaking the law to ‘be successful’; nor am I interested in neglecting my spiritual development. Nor am I particularly excited about doing something that is at odds with who I am as a person…at least not for a prolonged period of time; I do of course accept that I can’t do exactly what I want 24/7. Nor do I want to stumble through life blindly with a sense of wonder turned fear regarding the true meaning of life and the nature of reality.

Now admittedly, exactly what it means to be ‘moral’ or ‘lawful’ can be quite fluid and trying to find and define one’s ‘true nature’ can be discussed ad infinitum. These are rather imprecise terms. However, that is also an attractive point of the language I have chosen to use as it allows for multiple definitions that will vary from person to person, from society to society and from epoch to epoch. A core ingredient of The Way of the Enlightened Zen Warrior is that it is both a journey of self-discovery and external investigation and examination. It is not about absorbing and regurgitating information that I or some other person provides. It is about using the teachings of myself and others as ‘a finger pointing’. What it means to be moral is different for different people at different times and in different places. Recognizing this is as much a part of the process as anything else and formulating your own moral code, no doubt borrowed in part from wider society, is an important step. Then these factors are ultimately governed by your need to act as a lawful member of society (assuming you want to retain your freedom of course).

The moral and legal aspects of The Way of the Enlightened Zen Warrior are important to consider and weigh against living an authentic life in accord with your true nature. Following your instincts is not always the best approach; similarly following a pre-established moral or legal code is also not always where you want to be (I, for example, would have no problem spending 20 years in prison if that was the price to pay for protecting one of my children against harm). It is this constant, dynamic interaction between your understanding of your true nature and the true nature of reality (found in your right brain hemisphere) and your awareness of a world that is impersonal and that hasn’t been designed specifically for you to express your true self in (understood and recognized in your left hemisphere) that lies at the heart of The Way of the Enlightened Zen Warrior.

What I am teaching and what I will be writing about in more detail is the need to be both rational and intuitive; both self-expressive and self-controlled; both internally driven and externally motivated. Which aspect you emphasize will vary from situation to situation as per the demands made upon you. The Way of the Enlightened Zen Warrior then is a quest for both an understanding of the divine and success in the secular world. It is an investigation of both the right and left brain hemispheres. It is a quest for balance and harmony. It is about taking an holistic approach to the entirety of life and achieving happiness through this.

'Parting the clouds, seeking the Way' by Gichin Funakoshi

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Mizu no Kokoro Sensitivity Drills

In a previous article I argued that the most popular definition of mizu no kokoro - a mind like calm water - was insufficient in conveying a true understanding of this concept and that instead we are better off using a more literal translation (a mind like water) to fully understand and explore this concept. In the last article I detailed various guided meditations using the theme of water to help us better understand ourselves and our arts.

Since writing that first article I have presented a new definition and understanding of mushin (no mind) and argued that while Zen priests may have a romantic view of the ability of the mind to remain 'empty' (or calm and untroubled) in a fight, martial artists don't support that assertion. More recently the top female MMA fighter Megumi Fujii also announced that during a fight she too found it difficult to remain calm. Given this evidence I would therefore further reject the notion that a qualified (and useful) meaning of mizu no kokoro is 'a mind like calm water' and would continue to understand the phrase as 'a mind like water'.

In this article I would like to pick up on one of the central teachings I previously made, namely:

Water is reactive, not passive

Water is sensitive to the pressure applied to it and reacts accordingly. Similarly for us to experience mizu no kokoro (a mind like water) we must also learn to become sensitive. In this article then I will detail various drills designed to improve a practitioners sensitivity and ability to react to stimuli.

The following drills are designed and presented to aid martial artists pursuing particular disciplines that favor, for example, striking over grappling. However, as the ultimate aim of the drills is to improve one's sensitivity and ability to react to stimuli there is no reason why a fighter training in a striking art would not benefit from cross-training and doing the grappling sensitivity drill. A key component to long term development and involvement in martial arts is to challenge yourself and keep training interesting so I would therefore recommend that whatever your core style is, you would benefit from trying all the sensitivity drills detailed below.

Mizu no Kokoro: Sensitivity Drills for Strikers

1) Stand in a natural stance and close your eyes. Your partner will push you slowly and gently but firmly in your upper body, your arms or your head from any direction while he is facing you. The challenge is for you to stay relaxed while contact is made and react to the push without over-reacting. Your partner can halt his push at any time in which case you must be sensitive to it and also stop your reaction (your movement).

2) Repeat Exercise One from above but this time - while staying relaxed and reacting without over-reacting - use one or both of your arms to deflect the incoming push away from your body (your eyes will be closed while you do this). There is no 'correct' way to do this and this is not like basic blocking practice where you use a prescribed response. Your response depends entirely on the force being applied against you and it is up to you to choose the most expedient manner to remove the pressure. Perform this sensitivity drill in a slow and relaxed manner.

3) Again, repeat Exercise One making sure that you are reacting without over-reacting but this time your response will be offensive. React to the stimulus by launching your own attack (eyes closed still). For example, if your partner pushes your left shoulder, you may withdraw that shoulder while moving your right shoulder forward into a punch. As with Exercise Two above there is no 'right' or 'wrong' way to respond, you simply respond as necessary.

This exercise should still be done slowly and in a relaxed manner. For further safety wear pads and / or a head guard if you deem it necessary.

4) Repeat Exercise Two but this time after you have deflected the push away from you follow up with a trap, a lock or a wrench. Keep things slow and relaxed.

5) Repeat Exercise Four but after trapping, locking or wrenching your partner's arm follow up with an offensive striking technique. Continue to work through this sensitivity drill in a slow and relaxed manner.

Mizu no Kokoro: Sensitivity Drills for Grapplers

1) One person starts this exercise on his back with his hands tucked into his belt at the front. The second person takes Side Control over the person on the ground with his hands held behind his lower back or also tucked into his belt behind (in this case be careful if / when you are rolling during this exercise).

The person pinned down - without the use of his arms - must escape the pin. The person in side control must attempt to maintain his position. Perform this exercise for a set period of time before alternating roles.

2) Repeat Exercise One but this time have the person on the ground start the exercise face down with his training partner over his back.

Mizu no Kokoro: Sensitivity Drill for the Clinch

1) To complete this exercise you will need a Swiss ball. One person starts with his back against a wall (or the ring / cage). The second person places the Swiss ball between the two training partners and leans his weight against the Swiss ball applying pressure through the ball to the person pinned against the wall.

From this position the person pinned against the wall attempts to escape while the one doing the pinning attempts to keep the Swiss ball pushed against his training partner.

For this exercise you can disallow either person from using their arms, allow both to use their arms or have only one or the other able to use their arms.

Summary

These are some basic sensitivity drills that you can start using in your training immediately and investigate to whatever depth of expertise you wish. The aim is to gain a better understanding of mizu no kokoro and to realize that a mind like water is reactive to the stimulus provided rather than being simply passive and backing away from pressure. Keep the exercises safe, relaxed and productive and approach them as an interesting and challenging addition to your normal training.

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Bruce Lee - Pierre Berton Interview

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Bruce Lee - Pierre Berton Interview.

Lee was interviewed by Pierre Berton in 1971, giving his first English language television interview. This was before the kung fu phenomena had hit in the West and two years before Enter the Dragon. Later interviews of all kinds would focus on his movies and his fame. Pierre Berton, a noted Canadian non-fiction author, caught Bruce before the glitz thereby giving Lee the chance to express his philosophy and the deeper, more thoughtful side to his personality.

Lee says 'To me a motion picture is motion; you have got to keep the dialogue down.'

When asked if he can break five or six boards Lee shows his humility and replies that he would probably break his hand.

Lee talks about doing his own fighting in his Hong Kong movies, teaching his actor friends as a means to them gaining self-knowledge.

Lee describes a martial art as the art of expressing the human body in a combative form. A martial art harmoniously combines natural instinct with control.

Lee in this interview also begins to express his rejection of styles and the 'classical mess'. Lee rejects 'the gospel truth' of a martial arts school and instead examines how can he, as a human being, express himself totally and completely.

Bruce Lee continues his explanation of Tai Chi practice, praising the practitioners for taking care of their own body. Lee explains the idea that running water will never go 'stale'.

Lee next talks about his famous students, citing Steve McQueen as being the best fighter; James Coburn as the one most in touch with the philosophical aspect of the martial arts.

Pierre Berton next makes a very perceptive point: that in the West, not since the Greeks, have we unified art with philosophy with sport. Bruce Lee comes back with a superb observation in turn: that to truly express oneself is very difficult and it requires training...but that we can indeed express ourselves through a martial art.

Lee talks about his support role in Longstreet. Lee gave a good, solid performance and was able to express himself to the great satisfaction of the audience.

Lee re-enacts his role, talking about emptying one's mind and becoming formless, like water.

Lee demonstrates that he doesn't want to be known as a 'superstar' but rather as as 'super actor'. He continues, saying that he intends to find success both in East Asia and in the US. Why? Because he has made up his mind to do so...a display of consummate self-confidence. Lee's intention was to show something about the true Oriental in Hollywood.

Next Lee deals with the difficult question of whether or not an American audience is ready for an Asian hero. Lee suspects not and explains that this is why The Warrior will not be made. The Warrior program mentioned was the working title for the later Kung Fu TV series starring David Carradine, a role that apparently Lee was upset he did not get. At the time of the Pierre Berton interview however Bruce Lee seems quite philosophical about the whole thing, understanding that it was business first.

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