Beyond the gun, beyond the bow, the knife, a bat, there are tactics. The weapon is not the tactic; it simply carries out the tactic. The hundreds of techniques that you might learn in martial arts are the collection of weapons. But they are rendered useless without the tactics to lead them and support them…
Tag Archive: self-defense
Structure
Structure is the hose that water pours through. Without the hose, there is no possible way of transporting water in such a focused way. If the hose is weak, it breaks; if the hose is too stiff, it’s lack of pliability impedes its full use. Our bodies are similar to the hose. They are the…
Ignore Result – Follow Process
“Ignore result,” was a common mantra of Grandmaster Suh. He constantly reminded us to to “try to hard for power,” that power will come out of excellent training following principles — that if you try for power, you will lose it. This is such an important point that I should post it every day for…
Inch by Inch
When training a martial art, it is important to keep on mind that you are involved with an “inch by inch” endeavor — that it takes time to do something well; and, more particular, it takes time to undo what time has done! You could be 15; you could be 50: but those are not…
Something You Are
When you train kung fu/karate, you step into another world. You walk, kick, and punch through the hands and feet of the ghosts of the past — but you are actually becoming that past, now present. It is a spiritual step. It is a step of trust and ethic. It is a step of faith,…
Clarity of Mindset
There is this whimsical thought that one can mix and mash any style together through being creative and become better martial artists and fighters. This is seriously flawed thinking in my opinion. Technique represent more than just “hit him this way.” Technique, and the style it is embraced by, is not simply physical movement but,…
It’s Time to Unite and Defend!
5 to 10 years old . . . innocent children . . . and the loving adults who were the guardians and teachers . . . killed. “To Protect and Serve” is the dream of our police. A lot of good hearts join various police forces to make a difference. They try hard at their…
Take That Last Step
People commonly fail when they are on the threshold of success. So, nurture the end as carefully as the beginning. …… Another excerpt from the book Seeds of a Hermit (by Don Baird). The key is to always participate in your life to the fullest. It isn’t about talking; it’s about action. It isn’t about…
The One Hand Sets Up The Other
The one hand sets up the other. Either set up the feet. The one foot sets up the other. either set up the hands. Generally, the hands set up the feet… the feet set up the hands. Integration Coordination (Excerpt from Seeds of a Hermit, by Don Baird: All Rights Reserved – Ó Copyright 1986)
You Become What You Think
“You become what you think. In training, you become what you practice … techniques without a face … simply exposing themselves through you – a human expression.” (Excerpt from Seeds of a Hermit, by Don Baird: All Rights Reserved – Copyright 1986) All of the techniques are before us. We can’t see them: but, they…
