As we approach the end of a year and the beginning of a New Year, we hope that the New Year will bring about some positive changes in our lives. People around the world are filled with hope and anticipation of dreams to be fulfilled and goals to be achieved. The tendency to only look ahead at the turn of the year can actually limit our ability to be successful in the future. Ask yourself how many times you have made New Year’s resolutions that you never kept. Quite a few, huh? Don’t feel too bad, since you are not at all alone. It is not a personal defect or anything like that! It just has to do with how you approach the New Year and the resolutions you make. The most important thing, even before planning what you want to accomplish in the future, is to look back over the past year and imagine what if you had done all of the things that you had planned on doing.
The 7 Circles Blog is devoted to the principle of Wu-Te, we practice our martial and healing arts for the purpose of mental, physical, spiritual, and social development and well-being, so let me focus my end of the year comments on your training. This time last year you may have been thinking about how far ahead you wanted to be in your training. You may have thought about techniques and forms you wanted to master, Qigong and strength goals you wanted to achieve, or health and wellness lifestyle changes you wanted to make. If you failed to achieve your goals in 2011, all is not loss. Those 2011 goals can still play an important part in helping you to achieve your goals for 2012.
Here is what you do!
Spend some time meditating on each of the goals you did not achieve for 2011. Allow you mind (which needs to have blanks filled-in) to ask the question, What if I had done what I said I was going to do? What if? Permit your imagination (which loves stories) to fill-in the blanks that your mind is seeking to fill.
As you imagine all of the positive changes that could have taken place your nervous system will be drawn into your imagined experiences. Don’t be critical, asking a lot of why you didn’t do it questions. What you want to dwell on is the positive ways that things could have changed. You want a joyful and positive experience of the past possibilities, not the negative experience of their loss. This process will allow your body/mind to actually experience the biochemistry of success and this will motivate you to seek that feeling and experience by actually being more successful in meeting your new goals for 2012. Remember, your nervous system does not know the difference between an actually experience and something that is vividly experienced in the imagination. You can use this to your benefit.
After spending some time drinking in all of that positive energy from your What If Meditation set your short-term and long-term goals for 2012. Goals are very powerful wisdom! They act like high potency fuel and a directional guidance system. Great minds and those who accomplish great things (large or small) have been guided by goals. It has been said that you should not expect to get a different result if you continue doing the same thing. That means if you want some different results in your life during 2012 then you need to set some goals to bring about change. Take the time to review the Training Tips from my January 2011 Post.
A number of you tested for your initial ranks this month and I was pleased with the performances. Congratulations on taking the test! I look forward to your continued progress in 2012.
A BIG THANKS to Seifu Andrew for all of his teaching and support to our students throughout the year. I plan on completing some more videos for Youtube this coming year especially the 7 Circles Short Staff Form and our 7 Circles Twin Swords Form. Look for them in 2012. One of my goals looking forward.
Have a Great 2012! I hope to hear from you!
Live Wu-Te
Seifu Sharif
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Training For Perfection
Namaste!
What is the point of training if it is not to achieve perfection? Perfection is an illusive goal but without the magic of its call we would be lost in the world of mediocrity. Perfection is seductive in its appeal even with regard to small things. Your biochemistry and emotions experience a pleasurable shift when you feel that you have done something to perfection. Although perfection is not always achieved striving for it is the most important aspect of your training. It is the part over which you have the greatest control. Perfection is the condition, state, or quality of being free, or as free as possible from all flaws or defects. Striving for perfection is the action or process of improving something until it is faultless or as faultless as possible. If you love the martial arts as I do, your lifelong joy will be striving to perfect each of the techniques that you learn while studying the 7 Circles System. The same applies for my readers who are studying some other martial arts system.
Striving for perfection requires time and dedication. It requires that Humility, Kindness, Patience, and Diligence all be applied to yourself, to how you think about and treat yourself as you struggle to overcome your flaws and master each aspect of your art. In our system we use a simple but effective training formula to achieve perfection. We understand that it is not practice that makes perfect. Only perfect-practice can give birth to perfection!
Training Level 1: Slow, No Power
In level one your goal is to experience each anatomical aspect of the technique you are practicing. By moving slow you give yourself time to see and experience things that will slip into the void when the technique is applied full speed and with qi. You can feel the earth pushing back against your feet as your move. You can experience the movement of your joints, the alignment of your body, your balance, and your form at the final point of execution. When you train at Level 1 you are programming the fine details of the technique into your nervous system, each detail being progressively executed to flawless perfection. You can also use Level 1 training as an opportunity to infuse soft qi into your techniques by using proper breathing techniques and conjuring you qi as you move through the technique.
Training Level 2: Slow, With Power
In level two your goal is to train your muscular, skeletal, and respiratory systems to work together in perfecting the particular technique. Level two breathing method is the Agni (Fire) Breath that we use in our various Qigong systems. You are training, programming, teaching your nervous system exactly how you want the various parts of the technique to be coordinated. You are still moving slow, so again you have time to experience the tension in your muscles and how differently your joints move when your muscles are tense versus when they are relaxed as in level one. You have the opportunity to train your muscles to explode with the power of the breath at the precise points in the technique that you want it to occur. Your nervous system will remember this basic training.
Training Level 3: Fast, No Power
In level three your goal is to train your nervous system to execute the particular technique(s) with repetitive perfection and increasing speed. The technique(s) should flow through your body like the blood flowing through your veins, with an inwardly perceptible perfection. At this level you are giving the techniques over to your unconscious mind more fully. If you have truly practiced the technique(s) at levels one and two then you have done what you need to do under the direction of your conscious mind and you are ready to take a step into the realm of No Mind. With the techniques you have learned in the first few Chambers you are ready to begin our tradition of Fighting Dancing. Fighting Dancing is an excellent method of level three training that allows you to integrate all of your techniques while in the state of No Mind. You have one foot in the door now enter the mysterious room where perfection resides.
Training Level 4: Fast, With Power
In level four your goal is to add the power of your intention and your breath to the technique(s) you are executing. Your intention and your breath awaken your qi. The qi flows through you guided and directed by the silent message speaking to it from the realm of No Mind. Your breath sounds your intention. Your body movement declares the presence of strength and power. Your nervous system responds to imaginary opponents as your imagination confronts it from the realm of infinite possibility. You experience the harnessing and releasing of the tremendous power that you have the capacity to create. And most importantly, you get to taste one of the sweetest of life’s nectars, the taste of perfection.
As with most of what we practice in the Traditional Martial & Healing Arts, this method of Training for Perfection applies equally well to other areas of your life and your other endeavors
Live Wu-Te
Seifu Sharif
What is the point of training if it is not to achieve perfection? Perfection is an illusive goal but without the magic of its call we would be lost in the world of mediocrity. Perfection is seductive in its appeal even with regard to small things. Your biochemistry and emotions experience a pleasurable shift when you feel that you have done something to perfection. Although perfection is not always achieved striving for it is the most important aspect of your training. It is the part over which you have the greatest control. Perfection is the condition, state, or quality of being free, or as free as possible from all flaws or defects. Striving for perfection is the action or process of improving something until it is faultless or as faultless as possible. If you love the martial arts as I do, your lifelong joy will be striving to perfect each of the techniques that you learn while studying the 7 Circles System. The same applies for my readers who are studying some other martial arts system.
Striving for perfection requires time and dedication. It requires that Humility, Kindness, Patience, and Diligence all be applied to yourself, to how you think about and treat yourself as you struggle to overcome your flaws and master each aspect of your art. In our system we use a simple but effective training formula to achieve perfection. We understand that it is not practice that makes perfect. Only perfect-practice can give birth to perfection!
Training Level 1: Slow, No Power
In level one your goal is to experience each anatomical aspect of the technique you are practicing. By moving slow you give yourself time to see and experience things that will slip into the void when the technique is applied full speed and with qi. You can feel the earth pushing back against your feet as your move. You can experience the movement of your joints, the alignment of your body, your balance, and your form at the final point of execution. When you train at Level 1 you are programming the fine details of the technique into your nervous system, each detail being progressively executed to flawless perfection. You can also use Level 1 training as an opportunity to infuse soft qi into your techniques by using proper breathing techniques and conjuring you qi as you move through the technique.
Training Level 2: Slow, With Power
In level two your goal is to train your muscular, skeletal, and respiratory systems to work together in perfecting the particular technique. Level two breathing method is the Agni (Fire) Breath that we use in our various Qigong systems. You are training, programming, teaching your nervous system exactly how you want the various parts of the technique to be coordinated. You are still moving slow, so again you have time to experience the tension in your muscles and how differently your joints move when your muscles are tense versus when they are relaxed as in level one. You have the opportunity to train your muscles to explode with the power of the breath at the precise points in the technique that you want it to occur. Your nervous system will remember this basic training.
Training Level 3: Fast, No Power
In level three your goal is to train your nervous system to execute the particular technique(s) with repetitive perfection and increasing speed. The technique(s) should flow through your body like the blood flowing through your veins, with an inwardly perceptible perfection. At this level you are giving the techniques over to your unconscious mind more fully. If you have truly practiced the technique(s) at levels one and two then you have done what you need to do under the direction of your conscious mind and you are ready to take a step into the realm of No Mind. With the techniques you have learned in the first few Chambers you are ready to begin our tradition of Fighting Dancing. Fighting Dancing is an excellent method of level three training that allows you to integrate all of your techniques while in the state of No Mind. You have one foot in the door now enter the mysterious room where perfection resides.
Training Level 4: Fast, With Power
In level four your goal is to add the power of your intention and your breath to the technique(s) you are executing. Your intention and your breath awaken your qi. The qi flows through you guided and directed by the silent message speaking to it from the realm of No Mind. Your breath sounds your intention. Your body movement declares the presence of strength and power. Your nervous system responds to imaginary opponents as your imagination confronts it from the realm of infinite possibility. You experience the harnessing and releasing of the tremendous power that you have the capacity to create. And most importantly, you get to taste one of the sweetest of life’s nectars, the taste of perfection.
As with most of what we practice in the Traditional Martial & Healing Arts, this method of Training for Perfection applies equally well to other areas of your life and your other endeavors
Live Wu-Te
Seifu Sharif
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Our Perspective On Wu-Kung
OK, so this is really my October Post! Remember, I was late Posting for September. This seems like a good time to tie some things together with some practical knots. We practice the 7 Circles System of Southern-Northern Shaolin Kung Fu Wu Shu for health and performance purposes. Self-defense abilities develop as a natural consequence of the movements and techniques in the System. When we practice the 7 Circles System of Southern-Northern Shaolin Kung Fu Wu Kung our intention behind the movements shifts so that Self-defense becomes the priority. In the 7 Circles System most of the movements practiced for Wu Shu are also practical and effective for Wu Kung. Some of the requirements of training for Wu Kung are more demanding than those for Wu Shu. But one of the primary differences is that in Wu Shu training you are in complete control of your movements. When training for Wu Kung the goal is to be able to face one or more opponents whose own choices will also influence your movements and intentions. In other words, in Wu Kung you must control yourself and your opponents. You must not only act (as in Wu Shu), you must also react.
Wu Kung means fighting or self-defense. Now that we have covered Chambers 2-7 of the 7 Circles System you need to understand how to put those pieces together into a coherent and effective fighting style that fits you like a glove. Mastery of the System is a long journey with continuous challenges along the way but you will also experience many successes to keep you motivated and progressing everyday in every way. I have been training for over 40 years and hope to enjoy doing so well into my old age. Being a true devotee of the Traditional Martial and Healing Arts is a lifestyle change that requires humility, kindness, patience, and diligence.
Picture yourself facing one opponent! Assume that no weapons are involved except your opponent’s body. Now lets assess Four Aspects of the Situation.
The Threat
The threat in this situation comes from the opponent’s body. He (or she) can strike at you with the five extensions of the body, their legs, arms, or head. The legs can bend to make their knees into effective striking surfaces but not without first moving the legs. The arms can bend to make their elbows into effective striking surfaces but not without first moving the arms. That means that at the most basic level there are five (5) anatomical weapons that you need to be concerned about. With a more sophisticated opponent there are nine (9) anatomical weapons that your opponent can use to hurt or injure you.
The Eyes
Many students make the mistake of looking into the opponent’s eyes. This can be a costly mistake for many reasons.
A Quick Anatomical Comparison
Once you know that you are facing an opponent it is important to make a quick anatomical comparison. Is the opponent taller than you? How much of their height advantage is from the waist down (in the legs)? An opponent may be taller than you but have shorter legs and a longer torso. You could have a legs advantage even though they are taller. What is the reach advantage or disadvantage when comparing the relative length of your and the opponent’s arms? The quick anatomical assessment will give you your first hint of the parameters of the opponent’s movements that put you at risk of being hit.
Establishing and Controlling Range
As you strive to master what you have learned in Chambers 2 thru 7 you will become better able to establish and control the range between you and your opponent(s). Stances, Stepping, Turning and Shifting are the essentials for controlling the range between you and your opponent. Ideally, in one step or shift you want to be far enough away to avoid any damaging effects of the opponent’s attack; and in one step or shift you want to be in close enough to effectively counterattack. This ideal is not always possible but it is an important doorway into Chin Na, the Art of Seizing and Holding.
These Four Aspects of the Single Opponent Situation remain essential even when facing multiple opponents. Of course, Establishing and Controlling Range becomes much more challenging when facing multiple opponents. Good topic for a later Posting.
Live Wu-Te
Seifu Sharif
Wu Kung means fighting or self-defense. Now that we have covered Chambers 2-7 of the 7 Circles System you need to understand how to put those pieces together into a coherent and effective fighting style that fits you like a glove. Mastery of the System is a long journey with continuous challenges along the way but you will also experience many successes to keep you motivated and progressing everyday in every way. I have been training for over 40 years and hope to enjoy doing so well into my old age. Being a true devotee of the Traditional Martial and Healing Arts is a lifestyle change that requires humility, kindness, patience, and diligence.
Picture yourself facing one opponent! Assume that no weapons are involved except your opponent’s body. Now lets assess Four Aspects of the Situation.
The Threat
The threat in this situation comes from the opponent’s body. He (or she) can strike at you with the five extensions of the body, their legs, arms, or head. The legs can bend to make their knees into effective striking surfaces but not without first moving the legs. The arms can bend to make their elbows into effective striking surfaces but not without first moving the arms. That means that at the most basic level there are five (5) anatomical weapons that you need to be concerned about. With a more sophisticated opponent there are nine (9) anatomical weapons that your opponent can use to hurt or injure you.
The Eyes
Many students make the mistake of looking into the opponent’s eyes. This can be a costly mistake for many reasons.
- The eyes are not one of the five or nine anatomical weapons that threaten you (unless you make the mistake of looking into the eyes of a kung fu and qigong master or well trained practitioner).
- You have probably heard the expression the eyes are the window to the soul. There is another expression you should be aware of. The eyes can project qi! Just like the cobra a skilled qigong practitioner can distract and even hypnotize you with their deep penetrating stare whether they are looking into your eyes or not. The piercing emptiness in their eyes can make you lose focus on what is important. A moment of hesitation is all they would need.
- Depending on the relative height between you and your opponent, looking into their eyes can move their feet (legs) out of your line of vision.
- Depending on the relative range between you and your opponent, looking into their eyes can move their feet (legs) out of your line of vision.
A Quick Anatomical Comparison
Once you know that you are facing an opponent it is important to make a quick anatomical comparison. Is the opponent taller than you? How much of their height advantage is from the waist down (in the legs)? An opponent may be taller than you but have shorter legs and a longer torso. You could have a legs advantage even though they are taller. What is the reach advantage or disadvantage when comparing the relative length of your and the opponent’s arms? The quick anatomical assessment will give you your first hint of the parameters of the opponent’s movements that put you at risk of being hit.
Establishing and Controlling Range
As you strive to master what you have learned in Chambers 2 thru 7 you will become better able to establish and control the range between you and your opponent(s). Stances, Stepping, Turning and Shifting are the essentials for controlling the range between you and your opponent. Ideally, in one step or shift you want to be far enough away to avoid any damaging effects of the opponent’s attack; and in one step or shift you want to be in close enough to effectively counterattack. This ideal is not always possible but it is an important doorway into Chin Na, the Art of Seizing and Holding.
These Four Aspects of the Single Opponent Situation remain essential even when facing multiple opponents. Of course, Establishing and Controlling Range becomes much more challenging when facing multiple opponents. Good topic for a later Posting.
Live Wu-Te
Seifu Sharif
Saturday, October 1, 2011
Keys to Lesson Plan 2: 7th Chamber – Blocking
I’ve been busy editing my publications into eBooks for the Google eBook store. This is really my September Post, a little late but no less important for improving your enjoyment and progress in your Kung Fu training. The 7th Chamber speaks of some of the most important things you can learn to do with your arms. Your arms and hands are your most instinctively based tools of defense. The speed with which your arms and hands can move instinctively to swat a fly away from your face is really quite amazing. Of course, sometimes you move so fast you end up hitting yourself in the face or head. Catching a falling object, bracing yourself from a fall, or reaching out to save someone else from a fall – they are all pretty incredible moments of mindless speed and dexterity if you think about it. The 7th Chamber is about harnessing that natural speed and dexterity into a series of movements that are designed to create a self-directed force field around the vital parts of your body.
Our Strategy, in the 7 Circles System is to develop a fluid and powerful force field capable of opening and closing doors. The Doors are the pathways to the vital and vulnerable areas of your body – your opponent’s targets. When a block closes a door to stop your opponent’s attack, it should also open a door or pathway to some vital and vulnerable area of their body. When you close a door with one arm to stop your opponent’s attack you should also be opening a door for your other arm (or your blocking arm) to attack. The 7th Chamber introduces our Two Basic Blocking Styles, Moving Barrier Blocking and Target Specific Blocking. The specific Systems are called Plum Flower Fist/Palm Blocking and Mighty God 8 Fist/Palm Blocking.
Lets look at Target Specific Blocking first!
Our Mighty God 8 Fist/Palm Blocking System uses the Conventional & Black Tiger Fist or the various Palm Hands to attack the opponent’s attacking arm or leg from any of the four (4) primary and four (4) secondary directions. Making contact with the opponent as they commit to their attack can redirect the energy of their attack back into them compounded by your own release of Qi into the contact point. Target Specific Blocking (TSB) can completely disable a limb from further use as a weapon against you. Remember what is happening! You are drawing energy from the earth through push-back and moving that energy through your body and arms, reinforcing it with your breath, and delivering it to the point of contact – a small spot on your opponent’s arm, hand, leg, or foot. An effectively delivered TSB can end the confrontation. The downside is that your target, a moving arm or leg is a relatively small target. The block is too easy to miss (mainly to the lower arms and legs) in a fighting situation, especially with multiple opponents. If it emerges from no mind, in the moment, and connects, you will be glad you used it. If you miss the cost could be high so we always reinforce a TSB with a secondary force field, something you will learn in class.
Low to the ground, spinning like the tornado, pushing and pulling like the tide, empty as the air, solid like a wave, moving on the currents of unseen forces, opening and closing doors with a mystical dance. This is the inspiration behind Moving Barrier Blocking Style and the Plum Flower Fist/Palm Blocking System. Although described as a four (4) direction blocking system Plum Flower Fist/Palm Blocking is really the first step in building a fluid and powerful force field capable of opening and closing doors. You should approach the one hand, two hand, and alternating hands training methods with good posture and a relaxed state of body and mind. Moving Barrier Blocking is about using circular movements (centripetal – toward the center, and centrifugal forces – away from the center) to redirect linear and other circular movements. MBB is about making space for fullness of the opponent to enter a void that you have created for it, and then filling the emptiness that is created in the opponent when they enter into the void.
Thousands of hours of perfect practice over the years will help you to develop a fluid defense driven by instinctive speed. Your arms and hands will begin to act like tentacles trapping, deflecting, and intercepting the opponent’s attempts to reach your vital and vulnerable areas. You will be able to open and close doors with grace, precision, speed, power, and effectiveness.
Live Wu-Te
Seifu Sharif
Our Strategy, in the 7 Circles System is to develop a fluid and powerful force field capable of opening and closing doors. The Doors are the pathways to the vital and vulnerable areas of your body – your opponent’s targets. When a block closes a door to stop your opponent’s attack, it should also open a door or pathway to some vital and vulnerable area of their body. When you close a door with one arm to stop your opponent’s attack you should also be opening a door for your other arm (or your blocking arm) to attack. The 7th Chamber introduces our Two Basic Blocking Styles, Moving Barrier Blocking and Target Specific Blocking. The specific Systems are called Plum Flower Fist/Palm Blocking and Mighty God 8 Fist/Palm Blocking.
Lets look at Target Specific Blocking first!
Our Mighty God 8 Fist/Palm Blocking System uses the Conventional & Black Tiger Fist or the various Palm Hands to attack the opponent’s attacking arm or leg from any of the four (4) primary and four (4) secondary directions. Making contact with the opponent as they commit to their attack can redirect the energy of their attack back into them compounded by your own release of Qi into the contact point. Target Specific Blocking (TSB) can completely disable a limb from further use as a weapon against you. Remember what is happening! You are drawing energy from the earth through push-back and moving that energy through your body and arms, reinforcing it with your breath, and delivering it to the point of contact – a small spot on your opponent’s arm, hand, leg, or foot. An effectively delivered TSB can end the confrontation. The downside is that your target, a moving arm or leg is a relatively small target. The block is too easy to miss (mainly to the lower arms and legs) in a fighting situation, especially with multiple opponents. If it emerges from no mind, in the moment, and connects, you will be glad you used it. If you miss the cost could be high so we always reinforce a TSB with a secondary force field, something you will learn in class.
Low to the ground, spinning like the tornado, pushing and pulling like the tide, empty as the air, solid like a wave, moving on the currents of unseen forces, opening and closing doors with a mystical dance. This is the inspiration behind Moving Barrier Blocking Style and the Plum Flower Fist/Palm Blocking System. Although described as a four (4) direction blocking system Plum Flower Fist/Palm Blocking is really the first step in building a fluid and powerful force field capable of opening and closing doors. You should approach the one hand, two hand, and alternating hands training methods with good posture and a relaxed state of body and mind. Moving Barrier Blocking is about using circular movements (centripetal – toward the center, and centrifugal forces – away from the center) to redirect linear and other circular movements. MBB is about making space for fullness of the opponent to enter a void that you have created for it, and then filling the emptiness that is created in the opponent when they enter into the void.
Thousands of hours of perfect practice over the years will help you to develop a fluid defense driven by instinctive speed. Your arms and hands will begin to act like tentacles trapping, deflecting, and intercepting the opponent’s attempts to reach your vital and vulnerable areas. You will be able to open and close doors with grace, precision, speed, power, and effectiveness.
Live Wu-Te
Seifu Sharif
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Keys to Lesson Plan 2: 6th Chamber – Fist Way
We started the year out with some Training Tips and the February Post on Mastering the Discipline of Breathing. This would be a good time to review that Post. We spent the last few months discussing the 2nd – 5th Chambers of Lesson Plan 1. You know now that your power comes from your ability to maintain a connection to the Earth that creates pushback and Earth Qi, and to control your breathing in order to access and control the forces of Heavenly Qi. You should now understand that when these two disciplines are put into harmonious integration qi will flow though your body and you can control the direction of its flow. You should also have a better understanding of why we put Stances, Stepping, Turning & Shifting, and Foot & Leg Way before Fist Way. Lesson Plan 1 teaches you how to connect with Earth Qi and Heavenly Qi and cause it to flow through you. Now you can direct the power of those internal forces outward through the various parts of your hands.
Lesson Plan 2 introduces you to the Five Basic Striking Surfaces of the Fist. Many of the techniques in our 7 Circles System are actually open hand or animal hands techniques. But the fist has a unique bone structure that sets it apart from any of the open and animal hand techniques. It is versatile, hard, and handy. It is your portable hammer if you happen to need one. And yes! Some of the Shaolin masters practice driving nails into wood with the various fist techniques. The head of the fist where the large joints of the index and middle fingers converge and protrude slightly is the most obvious striking surface and the one that that average street fighter will use and expect. Fist Way teaches you to multiply your advantage (muni ipa ifa – seize the advantage) by using all five striking surfaces of your fists, the head, the heart, the hammer, the back, and the eye. Since each of the striking surfaces attacks from a different angle the opponent has to deal with a much more complex array of possibilities. Add in your dynamic movements from your Leg Way training and your ability to move the qi however you choose and you become a force to be reckoned with.
The striking surface is the point on your hand where you will direct the qi. It is the end point of your delivery system. What you are delivering is energy, gathered in you, directed by you, and delivered by you from the striking surface of your hand to the contact point on the surface of your opponent’s body. Yes! Release the energy on the surface of your opponent’s body. In some systems the hands are hardened so that the practitioner can punch or strike into or through the contact point. That is, the hand pushes into the body compressing its surface. In the 7 Circles System we also train our hands to be hard not to penetrate the contact point but to focus and control the energy that we are releasing into the contact point. For us it more like breaking glass than punching through wood, a short snapping technique as opposed to a deep penetrating technique. We train to gather and release qi using our bodies as the conduit for that process.
Our Conventional Fist is used for penetrating blows and our Southern Stone Fist techniques. Our Black Tiger Fist is used for Qi Extension blows and snapping power to deliver qi to the opponent by touching the contact point we have chosen. If you practice creating snapping power with each of the Five Striking Surfaces of the Fists you will develop a skill the will serve you well in maintaining good health and in elevating your abilities at self-defense.
Live Wu-Te
Seifu Sharif
Support the Wu-Te Performance Troupe
Lesson Plan 2 introduces you to the Five Basic Striking Surfaces of the Fist. Many of the techniques in our 7 Circles System are actually open hand or animal hands techniques. But the fist has a unique bone structure that sets it apart from any of the open and animal hand techniques. It is versatile, hard, and handy. It is your portable hammer if you happen to need one. And yes! Some of the Shaolin masters practice driving nails into wood with the various fist techniques. The head of the fist where the large joints of the index and middle fingers converge and protrude slightly is the most obvious striking surface and the one that that average street fighter will use and expect. Fist Way teaches you to multiply your advantage (muni ipa ifa – seize the advantage) by using all five striking surfaces of your fists, the head, the heart, the hammer, the back, and the eye. Since each of the striking surfaces attacks from a different angle the opponent has to deal with a much more complex array of possibilities. Add in your dynamic movements from your Leg Way training and your ability to move the qi however you choose and you become a force to be reckoned with.
The striking surface is the point on your hand where you will direct the qi. It is the end point of your delivery system. What you are delivering is energy, gathered in you, directed by you, and delivered by you from the striking surface of your hand to the contact point on the surface of your opponent’s body. Yes! Release the energy on the surface of your opponent’s body. In some systems the hands are hardened so that the practitioner can punch or strike into or through the contact point. That is, the hand pushes into the body compressing its surface. In the 7 Circles System we also train our hands to be hard not to penetrate the contact point but to focus and control the energy that we are releasing into the contact point. For us it more like breaking glass than punching through wood, a short snapping technique as opposed to a deep penetrating technique. We train to gather and release qi using our bodies as the conduit for that process.
Our Conventional Fist is used for penetrating blows and our Southern Stone Fist techniques. Our Black Tiger Fist is used for Qi Extension blows and snapping power to deliver qi to the opponent by touching the contact point we have chosen. If you practice creating snapping power with each of the Five Striking Surfaces of the Fists you will develop a skill the will serve you well in maintaining good health and in elevating your abilities at self-defense.
Live Wu-Te
Seifu Sharif
Support the Wu-Te Performance Troupe
Monday, July 25, 2011
Keys to Lesson Plan 1: 5th Chamber - Foot & Leg Way
Now that you understand the importance and significance of the first four Chambers and now that you have learned how to root yourself to the ground to create push-back from a firm foundation, it is time to think about translating or directing the energy of push-back outward through the legs and feet. Students often wonder why in the 7 Circles System do we begin training our legs and feet before training our hands. If you have read the last few Posts then you now understand why. Whatever we are going to do with our hands it will be our legs and feet that get us into position by acting as a conduit for the force of push-back. Earth Qi (other than that which you consume in the form of food) makes first contact with your body at the feet and moves upward or in the direction that you choose to move it. When using the legs and feet for offensive and defensive techniques the energy of push-back first moves up the body and than downward again towards the legs and feet, and ultimately to the particular striking surface (knee, toe, instep, outside edge, inside edge, bottom, or ball of the foot). We could leave the toes out since they are such a vulnerable part of the foot.
Many of you younger martial artists out there, or those who have been trained in northern styles may enjoy the power of high-kicks that the force of push-back can generate. If it works for you and you enjoy it, stick with it! However, there is a strategic and tactical advantage to our approach of low kicks. The strategy is to weaken the opponent’s foundation and retard, frustrate, and thwart their means of movement. The 7 Circles tactic is to the attack the opponents’ feet and legs by kicking low and kicking fast. Consider the strategic logic of this approach. The human mind tends to go towards points of physical contact. Anyone who has had a fly land on some part of their exposed skin knows that their mind immediately shifted to that point of focus, no matter what they were doing. You may choose to ignore or disregard the information but it is impossible not to make note of the occasion (of contact). Likewise, when you kick to your opponents’ foot, his or her mind immediately checks in with the foot to see what the sensation was all about. When the opponent’s mind goes to his or her foot, it is no longer focused on the defense of the upper body. So, by employing tactics that move the opponent’s mind from upper to lower body (and vice versa) we create both pain and opportunity (openings).
Our system is 85% to 90% hands, but our training has a 75% to 85% Leg and Foot Way focus. The first five Chambers are essential to the effective emergence of the seven animals of the system. The Nine Low Kicks are the pillars of our kicking system. The Four High Kicks usually follow the Nine Low Kicks like a lady who gracefully moves through a door that has been opened for her. Our high kicks also emerge like a sudden gust of swirling wind with damaging consequences. It is important to practice throwing even your low-kicks high and stretching out your leg muscles. This will add even more explosive power to your kicks when you throw them to their low targets.
The 5th Chamber completes the materials required for testing to 1st Rank 1st Degree. Hopefully these Posts will assist you in acquiring a deeper understanding of the principles underlying the 7 Circles System and to fall in love with it as I have been for over 40 years.
Live Wu-Te
Seifu Sharif
Support the Wu-Te Performance Troupe
Many of you younger martial artists out there, or those who have been trained in northern styles may enjoy the power of high-kicks that the force of push-back can generate. If it works for you and you enjoy it, stick with it! However, there is a strategic and tactical advantage to our approach of low kicks. The strategy is to weaken the opponent’s foundation and retard, frustrate, and thwart their means of movement. The 7 Circles tactic is to the attack the opponents’ feet and legs by kicking low and kicking fast. Consider the strategic logic of this approach. The human mind tends to go towards points of physical contact. Anyone who has had a fly land on some part of their exposed skin knows that their mind immediately shifted to that point of focus, no matter what they were doing. You may choose to ignore or disregard the information but it is impossible not to make note of the occasion (of contact). Likewise, when you kick to your opponents’ foot, his or her mind immediately checks in with the foot to see what the sensation was all about. When the opponent’s mind goes to his or her foot, it is no longer focused on the defense of the upper body. So, by employing tactics that move the opponent’s mind from upper to lower body (and vice versa) we create both pain and opportunity (openings).
Our system is 85% to 90% hands, but our training has a 75% to 85% Leg and Foot Way focus. The first five Chambers are essential to the effective emergence of the seven animals of the system. The Nine Low Kicks are the pillars of our kicking system. The Four High Kicks usually follow the Nine Low Kicks like a lady who gracefully moves through a door that has been opened for her. Our high kicks also emerge like a sudden gust of swirling wind with damaging consequences. It is important to practice throwing even your low-kicks high and stretching out your leg muscles. This will add even more explosive power to your kicks when you throw them to their low targets.
The 5th Chamber completes the materials required for testing to 1st Rank 1st Degree. Hopefully these Posts will assist you in acquiring a deeper understanding of the principles underlying the 7 Circles System and to fall in love with it as I have been for over 40 years.
Live Wu-Te
Seifu Sharif
Support the Wu-Te Performance Troupe
Monday, June 27, 2011
Keys to Lesson Plan 1: 4th Chamber - Turning and Shifting
Namaste’ Students and Fellow Martial Arts Enthusiasts!
Stepping, as we discussed in my last Post, breathes life into our stances and makes them more dynamic. Likewise, Turning and Shifting elevates our stepping making it more dynamic and powerful. Turning and shifting also creates certain dynamic forces that are not generated (in the same degree) when we simply step from one stance into another. Turning is the act of moving or causing something to move in a circular direction wholly or partly around an axis or point (such as your center of gravity or center of mass). Shifting is the act of moving or causing something to move from one place to another, especially over a small distance. For example, shifting instead of stepping from a right-leg bow and arrow stance to a left-leg bow and arrow. All of the principles that apply to stances and stepping must be maintained during turning and shifting, that is, when turning and shifting one must maintain Center of Gravity, Balance, Foundation, and sense of Direction in order to control the Force of Momentum.
There are certain principles of physics that apply to any object in motion including your body. Momentum is the quantity of motion of a moving body, measured as a product of its mass and velocity. When you step forward from a left leg bow and arrow stance into a right-leg bow and arrow, advancing in on your opponent, you create momentum based on the mass of your body and the velocity (speed) with which you move. As you reach the forward limit of that second stance and begin extending your punch the force of momentum of the body’s forward movement is transferred to the forward movement and momentum of the punch. As you master our strategic stepping techniques you will be better able to create the impetus gained by a moving object (body, legs, hands, weapons, etc.). Momentum is the driving force gained by the development of a process or course of events, in this case your stances, stepping (integration of stances), turning and shifting.
Generally speaking, stepping tends to move the force of momentum in straight lines, even though the straight lines may be in different directions. By using our turning and shifting techniques you are able to bend those straight lines into curves and circles harnessing the power of centrifugal and centripetal forces. Centrifugal force is the tendency for objects to move away from a center. By turning and shifting in strategic ways, for example crossing behind dragon or bow and arrow crossing over behind turning, we can generate centrifugal force taking an opponent off balance causing them to spin around and away from our center. You can also use a similar turning and shifting technique to create a twisting movement in our body, and a corresponding centrifugal force in our arm and hand, as you cross over behind turn into a back-fist or elbow strike.
The force of momentum can also be bent in the opposite direction creating centripetal force. Centripetal force is a force that acts on a body moving in a circular path and is directed toward the center around which the body is moving. Every time you make contact with your opponent you become the center of a circle around which you can force your opponent to move either in a centrifugal motion (around and away from you) or in a centripetal motion (around and in towards you). As you master you stances, stepping, turning, and shifting you will be able to move in such way as to cause your opponent to experience a centrifugal force acting on their body that suddenly changes to a centripetal force with destabilizing consequences, or vice versa.
Stances, stepping, turning, and shifting lay the foundation for all that you hope to experience and accomplish through your martial arts training. When these basic elements are well integrated your movements will become fluid, your body and mind will interact with greater harmony, and you will be able to defend yourself effectively even against multiple opponents. But there is more! Remember, Wu-Te! Behind each of these important elements is a deeper philosophical concept or idea that should influence other aspects of your life. Stance also refers to the attitude of a person or organization toward something or someone, a standpoint. Just as you must be mindful (and eventually mindless) about the stances you take in your martial arts training, you must also be mindful (and never mindless) about the stances you take in life. In fighting there are occasions when one must take a strong stance of resistance and then there are occasions when a less rigid stance is required. It is that way in life as well! Some positions are not worth defending and some attitudes are not worth maintaining or supporting.
Stepping not only refers to the movement of your feet during your martial arts training or when walking down the street. A step is a measure or action, especially one of a series of actions taken, in order to deal with or achieve a particular thing. Just as your martial stances and stepping require a sense of intention and direction, so too your life course requires that you know when and where to step, that is what steps you need to take in order to accomplish your life objective. We study the martial arts for physical, mental, social, and spiritual development. Each element of your training is conveying a deeper lesson about how to live life well. This is what we mean when we refer to the traditional martial arts, that is, the training and techniques are designed to carry hidden messages that aid in the development of the well-rounded and whole person.
Turning has its benefits as a martial technique and it carries a message about how to live life well. In life you must know when to turn away, turn towards, turn around, take-a-turn, transform or turn into, turn down (an offer, invitation, or temptation), or turn your attention to a different object of interest. As you practice turning in your martial arts training you are also conditioning your mind-body-spirit to be mindful of and open to the need to turn in one way or another in your everyday life. Likewise you can shift your physical position, your emotional state, your mental disposition, and your worldview as the need for change presents itself. The 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Chambers of the 7 Circles System are your four cornerstones for establishing an intimate connection with the earth, a strong foundation, fluidity of motion, and dynamic powers the you can generate through push-back, the force of momentum, centrifugal forces, and centripetal forces.
Live Wu-Te
Seifu Sharif
Stepping, as we discussed in my last Post, breathes life into our stances and makes them more dynamic. Likewise, Turning and Shifting elevates our stepping making it more dynamic and powerful. Turning and shifting also creates certain dynamic forces that are not generated (in the same degree) when we simply step from one stance into another. Turning is the act of moving or causing something to move in a circular direction wholly or partly around an axis or point (such as your center of gravity or center of mass). Shifting is the act of moving or causing something to move from one place to another, especially over a small distance. For example, shifting instead of stepping from a right-leg bow and arrow stance to a left-leg bow and arrow. All of the principles that apply to stances and stepping must be maintained during turning and shifting, that is, when turning and shifting one must maintain Center of Gravity, Balance, Foundation, and sense of Direction in order to control the Force of Momentum.
There are certain principles of physics that apply to any object in motion including your body. Momentum is the quantity of motion of a moving body, measured as a product of its mass and velocity. When you step forward from a left leg bow and arrow stance into a right-leg bow and arrow, advancing in on your opponent, you create momentum based on the mass of your body and the velocity (speed) with which you move. As you reach the forward limit of that second stance and begin extending your punch the force of momentum of the body’s forward movement is transferred to the forward movement and momentum of the punch. As you master our strategic stepping techniques you will be better able to create the impetus gained by a moving object (body, legs, hands, weapons, etc.). Momentum is the driving force gained by the development of a process or course of events, in this case your stances, stepping (integration of stances), turning and shifting.
Generally speaking, stepping tends to move the force of momentum in straight lines, even though the straight lines may be in different directions. By using our turning and shifting techniques you are able to bend those straight lines into curves and circles harnessing the power of centrifugal and centripetal forces. Centrifugal force is the tendency for objects to move away from a center. By turning and shifting in strategic ways, for example crossing behind dragon or bow and arrow crossing over behind turning, we can generate centrifugal force taking an opponent off balance causing them to spin around and away from our center. You can also use a similar turning and shifting technique to create a twisting movement in our body, and a corresponding centrifugal force in our arm and hand, as you cross over behind turn into a back-fist or elbow strike.
The force of momentum can also be bent in the opposite direction creating centripetal force. Centripetal force is a force that acts on a body moving in a circular path and is directed toward the center around which the body is moving. Every time you make contact with your opponent you become the center of a circle around which you can force your opponent to move either in a centrifugal motion (around and away from you) or in a centripetal motion (around and in towards you). As you master you stances, stepping, turning, and shifting you will be able to move in such way as to cause your opponent to experience a centrifugal force acting on their body that suddenly changes to a centripetal force with destabilizing consequences, or vice versa.
Stances, stepping, turning, and shifting lay the foundation for all that you hope to experience and accomplish through your martial arts training. When these basic elements are well integrated your movements will become fluid, your body and mind will interact with greater harmony, and you will be able to defend yourself effectively even against multiple opponents. But there is more! Remember, Wu-Te! Behind each of these important elements is a deeper philosophical concept or idea that should influence other aspects of your life. Stance also refers to the attitude of a person or organization toward something or someone, a standpoint. Just as you must be mindful (and eventually mindless) about the stances you take in your martial arts training, you must also be mindful (and never mindless) about the stances you take in life. In fighting there are occasions when one must take a strong stance of resistance and then there are occasions when a less rigid stance is required. It is that way in life as well! Some positions are not worth defending and some attitudes are not worth maintaining or supporting.
Stepping not only refers to the movement of your feet during your martial arts training or when walking down the street. A step is a measure or action, especially one of a series of actions taken, in order to deal with or achieve a particular thing. Just as your martial stances and stepping require a sense of intention and direction, so too your life course requires that you know when and where to step, that is what steps you need to take in order to accomplish your life objective. We study the martial arts for physical, mental, social, and spiritual development. Each element of your training is conveying a deeper lesson about how to live life well. This is what we mean when we refer to the traditional martial arts, that is, the training and techniques are designed to carry hidden messages that aid in the development of the well-rounded and whole person.
Turning has its benefits as a martial technique and it carries a message about how to live life well. In life you must know when to turn away, turn towards, turn around, take-a-turn, transform or turn into, turn down (an offer, invitation, or temptation), or turn your attention to a different object of interest. As you practice turning in your martial arts training you are also conditioning your mind-body-spirit to be mindful of and open to the need to turn in one way or another in your everyday life. Likewise you can shift your physical position, your emotional state, your mental disposition, and your worldview as the need for change presents itself. The 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Chambers of the 7 Circles System are your four cornerstones for establishing an intimate connection with the earth, a strong foundation, fluidity of motion, and dynamic powers the you can generate through push-back, the force of momentum, centrifugal forces, and centripetal forces.
Live Wu-Te
Seifu Sharif
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Keys to Lesson Plan 1: 3rd Chamber -Stepping
Namaste'! Students and Fellow Martial Arts Enthusiasts!
Do you take the time to watch animals move? It is an enjoyable experience and you can learn much from your observations. After all, that is how our early Ancestors learned to move in a way that embraced all of the dexterity of their and our physical forms. Their observations naturally found their way into the hunting methods they used as well as the sparring and fighting systems that have come to be known generally as the martial arts. No system or style is effective enough for you to win without moving, even if it means shifting your weight. If a weapon is involved the odds against you go up significantly. And if there are multiple opponents and weapons turned against you, movement will definitely be required – most likely running. The 3rd Chamber provides certain principles that arise from those animals that fight on the ground.
Center of Gravity – is a point from which the weight of a body or system may be considered to act. In uniform gravity it is the same as the center of mass.
When a stance moves it must maintain Center of Gravity. Center of gravity is what keeps you from leaning to far and falling over, or from slouching your body. You can feel your Center of Gravity change position in each of our 7 Basic Fighting Stances. Envision an imaginary center of gravity line that runs through your body from the crown of your head to the point between your feet, as you are standing up straight. Notice how the mass of your body is distributed around that imaginary line. Now imagine stepping forward into a right leg bow and arrow stance. Notice what happens when you move from stance to stance. Your body mass, and therefore your weight redistribute around that center of gravity line between you and the earth as you move. Our feline relatives are the supreme masters of Center of Gravity on the ground. Of course even the Cats are hesitant to mess with the Dragon, another master of Center of Gravity when it chooses to fight on the ground. Understanding and mastering Center of Gravity is not an end in and of itself. Instead it is a key to unlocking another important treasure, balance.
Balance – is an even distribution of weight enabling someone or something to remain upright and steady.
When a stance moves it must maintain Balance. Balance must be maintained not only in the stances but also during the transition movements in between the stances, that is, during Stepping, the 3rd Chamber of your Lesson Plan. The balance that we are pursuing cannot refer only to your physical body. It must also include stability of your mind or feelings. When a stance moves there is intention. Where there is intention the breath must be in agreement. If the breath is in agreement the mind will be focused and feelings and emotions will become silent witnesses. Balance is like an amorphous entity hidden in your body, your movements, and your mind. When it is present in you, your posture, your ambulation, and your attitude give testimony to that fact. When balance is absent from you, your posture, your movements, and your attitude of mind leave you vulnerable to a fall. Balance is a condition in which different elements are equal or in the correct proportion for their purpose. Stepping has a purpose in your training. What is required of you as a martial artist and student of the 7 Circles System? What is required of you as a pugilist? What is required of you as the necessity of survival? You have to take all of the different elements of your life and put them into correct proportion, family, work, education, friends, training, and all of the other items on your must-do and want-to-do lists. You have to take all of the elements of your training and put them in correct proportion to each other. Balance is the art of design and proportion. The martial arts style that you ultimately choose to commit to should fit your body like it was designed specifically for you. The demand placed on your feet, legs, hips, back, neck, arms, and hands should be in proportion to your body type, flexibility, and your basic personality (instinctual survival tendencies). Center of Gravity and Balance are tied to each other. They feed from the same source and nurture the same offspring. That offspring is called foundation.
Foundation – is the lowest load-bearing part of a structure. It is the body or ground on which other parts rest or are overlaid.
When a stance moves it must reestablish foundation. In the 7 Circles System of Southern-Northern Shaolin Kung Fu, WuShu, and Qigong we practice according to the ancient philosophy set down by the Patriarch Da Mo, that is, Wu-Te, we practice the martial arts to attain higher physical, mental, social, and spiritual development. As an animal that fights on the ground your feet are the load-bearing part of your structure. In addition to Center of Gravity and Balance you must also align your feet so as to maximize the potential push-back from that particular stance as we discussed in a previous Post. Foundation also refers to the underlying basis or principle for something. As you move from one stance to another you are also moving from one foundation to another. How long you maintain a particular stance or foundation may vary but the underlying basis or principle of your movements is that there must always be a foundation to draw energy from the earth and to create push-back. With the principles of Center of Gravity, Balance, and Foundation well established in your stances and stepping you are ready to face your imaginary opponent(s). Where do you imagine that opponent to be? How are they standing? Contemplation of those two questions will help you to establish the fourth essential piece of wisdom from the 3rd Chamber, direction.
Direction – is a course along which someone or something moves (or intends to move).
When a stance moves a direction must be set. Each of the 7 Fighting Stances introduced in Lesson Plan 1 afford you the opportunity to defend yourself in a particular direction or range of motion while maintaining a stable foundation, and also to move effectively in a directional set (forward- backward, side-to-side, diagonally, etc.). Direction is the course that must be taken in order to reach a particular destination. Stepping without a sense of direction is worst than being blind, it is foolish. If there is intention in your movements then you must select the correct stances and transitional movements to take you where you want to go. Direction is the point to or from which a person or thing moves. If one opponent is attacking you then you may choose a stance to face him with the intention to move diagonally when they attack. But if multiple opponents are attacking you then direction will have to be fluid and your stepping will have to be more strategic. Direction also refers to the general way in which someone or something is developing (in this case the aggressive movements of your opponent).
Although our system is primarily Southern focused, meaning close quarter and hands, you have to be able to get within striking range of the opponent in order for your hands to be useful. Our complex stepping techniques are what enable us to accomplish an entry. Our straight-line, curved-lines, zigzag lines, and circular patterns of movement enable us to manipulate the energy of push-back in combat effective ways. Even after over forty years of teaching, my personal training still includes practice of basic and advanced stepping techniques. If you spend a half-an-hour training spend 15 minutes stepping and 15 minutes on everything else. If you spend one hour training, spend 40 minutes stepping and 20 minutes on everything else. Do this for your first few years of training. As you learn more techniques for using your upper body you will have the foundation to gain effective entry on your opponent. This is the meaning of Muni Ipa Ifa! To seize the advantage! (first through effective stepping.)
Live Wu-Te
Seifu Sharif
Do you take the time to watch animals move? It is an enjoyable experience and you can learn much from your observations. After all, that is how our early Ancestors learned to move in a way that embraced all of the dexterity of their and our physical forms. Their observations naturally found their way into the hunting methods they used as well as the sparring and fighting systems that have come to be known generally as the martial arts. No system or style is effective enough for you to win without moving, even if it means shifting your weight. If a weapon is involved the odds against you go up significantly. And if there are multiple opponents and weapons turned against you, movement will definitely be required – most likely running. The 3rd Chamber provides certain principles that arise from those animals that fight on the ground.
Center of Gravity – is a point from which the weight of a body or system may be considered to act. In uniform gravity it is the same as the center of mass.
When a stance moves it must maintain Center of Gravity. Center of gravity is what keeps you from leaning to far and falling over, or from slouching your body. You can feel your Center of Gravity change position in each of our 7 Basic Fighting Stances. Envision an imaginary center of gravity line that runs through your body from the crown of your head to the point between your feet, as you are standing up straight. Notice how the mass of your body is distributed around that imaginary line. Now imagine stepping forward into a right leg bow and arrow stance. Notice what happens when you move from stance to stance. Your body mass, and therefore your weight redistribute around that center of gravity line between you and the earth as you move. Our feline relatives are the supreme masters of Center of Gravity on the ground. Of course even the Cats are hesitant to mess with the Dragon, another master of Center of Gravity when it chooses to fight on the ground. Understanding and mastering Center of Gravity is not an end in and of itself. Instead it is a key to unlocking another important treasure, balance.
Balance – is an even distribution of weight enabling someone or something to remain upright and steady.
When a stance moves it must maintain Balance. Balance must be maintained not only in the stances but also during the transition movements in between the stances, that is, during Stepping, the 3rd Chamber of your Lesson Plan. The balance that we are pursuing cannot refer only to your physical body. It must also include stability of your mind or feelings. When a stance moves there is intention. Where there is intention the breath must be in agreement. If the breath is in agreement the mind will be focused and feelings and emotions will become silent witnesses. Balance is like an amorphous entity hidden in your body, your movements, and your mind. When it is present in you, your posture, your ambulation, and your attitude give testimony to that fact. When balance is absent from you, your posture, your movements, and your attitude of mind leave you vulnerable to a fall. Balance is a condition in which different elements are equal or in the correct proportion for their purpose. Stepping has a purpose in your training. What is required of you as a martial artist and student of the 7 Circles System? What is required of you as a pugilist? What is required of you as the necessity of survival? You have to take all of the different elements of your life and put them into correct proportion, family, work, education, friends, training, and all of the other items on your must-do and want-to-do lists. You have to take all of the elements of your training and put them in correct proportion to each other. Balance is the art of design and proportion. The martial arts style that you ultimately choose to commit to should fit your body like it was designed specifically for you. The demand placed on your feet, legs, hips, back, neck, arms, and hands should be in proportion to your body type, flexibility, and your basic personality (instinctual survival tendencies). Center of Gravity and Balance are tied to each other. They feed from the same source and nurture the same offspring. That offspring is called foundation.
Foundation – is the lowest load-bearing part of a structure. It is the body or ground on which other parts rest or are overlaid.
When a stance moves it must reestablish foundation. In the 7 Circles System of Southern-Northern Shaolin Kung Fu, WuShu, and Qigong we practice according to the ancient philosophy set down by the Patriarch Da Mo, that is, Wu-Te, we practice the martial arts to attain higher physical, mental, social, and spiritual development. As an animal that fights on the ground your feet are the load-bearing part of your structure. In addition to Center of Gravity and Balance you must also align your feet so as to maximize the potential push-back from that particular stance as we discussed in a previous Post. Foundation also refers to the underlying basis or principle for something. As you move from one stance to another you are also moving from one foundation to another. How long you maintain a particular stance or foundation may vary but the underlying basis or principle of your movements is that there must always be a foundation to draw energy from the earth and to create push-back. With the principles of Center of Gravity, Balance, and Foundation well established in your stances and stepping you are ready to face your imaginary opponent(s). Where do you imagine that opponent to be? How are they standing? Contemplation of those two questions will help you to establish the fourth essential piece of wisdom from the 3rd Chamber, direction.
Direction – is a course along which someone or something moves (or intends to move).
When a stance moves a direction must be set. Each of the 7 Fighting Stances introduced in Lesson Plan 1 afford you the opportunity to defend yourself in a particular direction or range of motion while maintaining a stable foundation, and also to move effectively in a directional set (forward- backward, side-to-side, diagonally, etc.). Direction is the course that must be taken in order to reach a particular destination. Stepping without a sense of direction is worst than being blind, it is foolish. If there is intention in your movements then you must select the correct stances and transitional movements to take you where you want to go. Direction is the point to or from which a person or thing moves. If one opponent is attacking you then you may choose a stance to face him with the intention to move diagonally when they attack. But if multiple opponents are attacking you then direction will have to be fluid and your stepping will have to be more strategic. Direction also refers to the general way in which someone or something is developing (in this case the aggressive movements of your opponent).
Although our system is primarily Southern focused, meaning close quarter and hands, you have to be able to get within striking range of the opponent in order for your hands to be useful. Our complex stepping techniques are what enable us to accomplish an entry. Our straight-line, curved-lines, zigzag lines, and circular patterns of movement enable us to manipulate the energy of push-back in combat effective ways. Even after over forty years of teaching, my personal training still includes practice of basic and advanced stepping techniques. If you spend a half-an-hour training spend 15 minutes stepping and 15 minutes on everything else. If you spend one hour training, spend 40 minutes stepping and 20 minutes on everything else. Do this for your first few years of training. As you learn more techniques for using your upper body you will have the foundation to gain effective entry on your opponent. This is the meaning of Muni Ipa Ifa! To seize the advantage! (first through effective stepping.)
Live Wu-Te
Seifu Sharif
Friday, April 15, 2011
Keys to Lesson Plan 1: 2nd Chamber - Stances
You have a natural gravitational connection to the earth. It pulls on you and it pushes back when you apply pressure to it. Imagine yourself pushing on the earth and the earth pushing back propelling you into the air for a jumping front kick. The harder you push down the higher you are propelled up because the earth responds to you based upon the energy that you send to her. Now imagine that instead of responding to the earth’s return push by jumping into the air, you guided and directed all of that energy to your upper body, arms, hands, and fingers. The same amount of energy that could propel you into the air is now being directed at your opponent at the point of impact. In theory, the two possible responses represent a difference between Northern and Southern styles of Kung Fu. The Northern releasing the earth’s push-back through the legs with high kicks, aerial techniques, and long range strikes while the Southern focus is to maintain a close connection with the earth and move the energy through the legs and hips, to the upper body and arms, and to the hands and fingers.
In both the Northern and Southern styles the key to push-back is Stances. In the 7 Circles System each of the Nine Basic Stances defines a particular relationship between you and the earth, from your feet to your chosen striking surface (head, shoulders, elbows, forearms, wrists, fists, fingers). Remember the Lesson Plan! Every Stance has its Center of Gravity, Balance Position, Ideal Direction, and Foundational Position of the Feet. Mastering these four principles of stances will allow you to maximize the force and power of push-back from the seven fighting stances in the set of nine.
The beauty and power of the Southern focus is that by moving the force of the push-back through the body we can control and vary the direction of the push-back to facilitate a very sophisticated system of stepping, turning, shifting, and integration of our stances, all things that we will discuss in future Posts. While practicing your stances always be mindful of how your feet connect to the earth. For each stance your feet should connect to the earth in a way that maximizes the push-back based upon the form and intent of the particular stance. If you take a stance and gradually exert pressure against an object (a wall, a tree, etc.) you should feel the push-back moving between your feet and your point of contact in a stable arc of energy running through your body. The feeling is easily recognizable when you get it correct.
As you begin and continue your training in the 7 Circles System of Southern Northern Shaolin Kung Fu Wu Shu you should remember that our system emphasizes the Southern focus.
Live Wu-Te
Seifu Sharif
In both the Northern and Southern styles the key to push-back is Stances. In the 7 Circles System each of the Nine Basic Stances defines a particular relationship between you and the earth, from your feet to your chosen striking surface (head, shoulders, elbows, forearms, wrists, fists, fingers). Remember the Lesson Plan! Every Stance has its Center of Gravity, Balance Position, Ideal Direction, and Foundational Position of the Feet. Mastering these four principles of stances will allow you to maximize the force and power of push-back from the seven fighting stances in the set of nine.
The beauty and power of the Southern focus is that by moving the force of the push-back through the body we can control and vary the direction of the push-back to facilitate a very sophisticated system of stepping, turning, shifting, and integration of our stances, all things that we will discuss in future Posts. While practicing your stances always be mindful of how your feet connect to the earth. For each stance your feet should connect to the earth in a way that maximizes the push-back based upon the form and intent of the particular stance. If you take a stance and gradually exert pressure against an object (a wall, a tree, etc.) you should feel the push-back moving between your feet and your point of contact in a stable arc of energy running through your body. The feeling is easily recognizable when you get it correct.
As you begin and continue your training in the 7 Circles System of Southern Northern Shaolin Kung Fu Wu Shu you should remember that our system emphasizes the Southern focus.
Live Wu-Te
Seifu Sharif
Monday, February 21, 2011
Mastering the Discipline of Breathing
It is revealing that many of the Sacred Texts (the texts of Christianity and Islam for example) refer to the Breath as an essential and empowering component in the Creation Process. In these sacred traditions the last stage in the animation of the human being is the Creator breathing the Breath of Life into us. In the Buddhist Tradition the breath is the key to the mastery of the mind, body, and spirit (including your emotions, appetites, desires, thoughts, and actions). It is the energizing energy form that fuels your efforts to escape the world of suffering and to achieve enlightenment and ultimately Nirvana (the final goal of Buddhism, the transcendent state in which there is neither suffering, desire, nor sense of self, and you are released from the effects of Karma and Samsara, the cycle of death and rebirth).
As a Traditional Martial and Healing Arts practitioner, knowledge of the science of breathing and the continuous practice of this knowledge is an essential part of your training. Through disciplined breathing you can learn to gather qi (Ase) from the atmosphere (and other sources) and to use that energy to revitalize your body. Qi can be moved inside and outside of the body for healing, defensive, and (if necessary) offensive purposes. We refer to this disciplined breathing as Qigong in the Asian tradition and Emi Bawi in the African tradition. There are four dimensions or qualities of breathing that you must learn to control in order to maximize your ability to gather and move the qi.
First is Purification of the Breath
Purification is performed by moving the diaphragm downward with a deep inhale (through the nose) and then moving the diaphragm gently upward with a complete exhale (through the open mouth) while expressing, thinking, and feeling the sound of AHHHHH! This sound should be experienced physically as a release of unnecessary tension from the body and mentally as a detachment from all that is not relevant to the moment.
Second is Extension of the Breath
We achieve Extension of the Breath when we slow our rate of breathing and when we elongate the pauses in between the two halves of the cycle of a complete breath. Try beginning with an 8-count breathing cycle and then move to a 12-count cycle with a 2-second pause in between each 4-count half-cycle.
Third is Expansion of the Breath
Expansion of the breath is like filling a bottle or jug to its brim. The breath is guided to fill the respiratory cavity from lower abdomen to upper thorax allowing the diaphragm to go through its full range of motion downward (stomach expanding slightly) and then expelling or exhaling the breath from upper thorax to lower abdomen (stomach contracting slightly) like pouring liquid from a jug.
Extension and Expansion should be practiced as an integrated discipline. When Extension and Expansion of the Breath are combined the lungs and blood receive more oxygen and the body can generate and harness more qi.
Fourth is Rhythm of the Breath
The ancient wisdom teaches that everything in creation exhibits and follows the Law of Rhythm. Every major shift in your psychological and emotional state produces a corresponding shift in your breathing (a different rhythm). Qigong or Emi Bawi is the practice of riding this principle in reverse so that by controlling your breathing you are able to manage your psychological and emotional states and affect the overall health of your body-mind-spirit. To give rhythm to your breath you must maintain a constant timing and movement (expansion and extension) of the breath that is comfortable to perform, easy to maintain, and pleasant to experience.
By integrating Extension, Expansion, and Rhythm into your Emi Bawi (Breathing Discipline) you will be able to unlock your own abilities to experience, potentiate, and move the qi. Breathing Discipline should be practiced everyday and should become integrated into your everyday behavior and personality. When practicing breathe control always inhale through the nose. You can exhale through the nose or the mouth in different exercises. The forces that your breath are able to unlock can be as accessible to you as your next inhalation and exhalation.
Live Wu-Te
Seifu Sharif
As a Traditional Martial and Healing Arts practitioner, knowledge of the science of breathing and the continuous practice of this knowledge is an essential part of your training. Through disciplined breathing you can learn to gather qi (Ase) from the atmosphere (and other sources) and to use that energy to revitalize your body. Qi can be moved inside and outside of the body for healing, defensive, and (if necessary) offensive purposes. We refer to this disciplined breathing as Qigong in the Asian tradition and Emi Bawi in the African tradition. There are four dimensions or qualities of breathing that you must learn to control in order to maximize your ability to gather and move the qi.
First is Purification of the Breath
Purification is performed by moving the diaphragm downward with a deep inhale (through the nose) and then moving the diaphragm gently upward with a complete exhale (through the open mouth) while expressing, thinking, and feeling the sound of AHHHHH! This sound should be experienced physically as a release of unnecessary tension from the body and mentally as a detachment from all that is not relevant to the moment.
Second is Extension of the Breath
We achieve Extension of the Breath when we slow our rate of breathing and when we elongate the pauses in between the two halves of the cycle of a complete breath. Try beginning with an 8-count breathing cycle and then move to a 12-count cycle with a 2-second pause in between each 4-count half-cycle.
Third is Expansion of the Breath
Expansion of the breath is like filling a bottle or jug to its brim. The breath is guided to fill the respiratory cavity from lower abdomen to upper thorax allowing the diaphragm to go through its full range of motion downward (stomach expanding slightly) and then expelling or exhaling the breath from upper thorax to lower abdomen (stomach contracting slightly) like pouring liquid from a jug.
Extension and Expansion should be practiced as an integrated discipline. When Extension and Expansion of the Breath are combined the lungs and blood receive more oxygen and the body can generate and harness more qi.
Fourth is Rhythm of the Breath
The ancient wisdom teaches that everything in creation exhibits and follows the Law of Rhythm. Every major shift in your psychological and emotional state produces a corresponding shift in your breathing (a different rhythm). Qigong or Emi Bawi is the practice of riding this principle in reverse so that by controlling your breathing you are able to manage your psychological and emotional states and affect the overall health of your body-mind-spirit. To give rhythm to your breath you must maintain a constant timing and movement (expansion and extension) of the breath that is comfortable to perform, easy to maintain, and pleasant to experience.
By integrating Extension, Expansion, and Rhythm into your Emi Bawi (Breathing Discipline) you will be able to unlock your own abilities to experience, potentiate, and move the qi. Breathing Discipline should be practiced everyday and should become integrated into your everyday behavior and personality. When practicing breathe control always inhale through the nose. You can exhale through the nose or the mouth in different exercises. The forces that your breath are able to unlock can be as accessible to you as your next inhalation and exhalation.
Live Wu-Te
Seifu Sharif
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
New Year 2011: Training Tips
We have transitioned into a new calendar year and perhaps a new beginning. New Year’s resolutions have been made, many are off to a good start, and some have already been broken. It is important to set goals in the pursuit of the hopes and potential that lies dormant, untapped within you. As a martial artist, striving to achieve small realistic goals offers you the opportunity to experience many successes. This constant flow of success in turn builds your confidence and skills. The increase in your confidence and skills enhances spirit and power. All of these developments together help you to achieve Peaceful Space and in turn to Create Peaceful Space for others. As a martial artist you strive to constantly present yourself with new challenges for the mind, body, and spirit. New Year’s resolutions are good for setting one or two long-term (one year) goals. One or two things that you want to focus on this year like, stretching more or finally mastering a particular set of forms. But don’t set too many of the long-term goals, don’t be overly ambitious because then you will set yourself up for dealing with a sense of failure instead of the many little successes.
Live Wu-Te
Seifu Sharif
For the beginning martial artist my tips for the year are:
- Spend some time at a few different schools to get a sense of your comfort with one school and system over the other.
- Ask questions and see how you are treated.
- Look for a price range that you can manage so you can continue once you start.
- Learn the basic stances, punches, kicks, blocks, and movements of your new system and never stop practicing them. Over time they will reveal things to you that you did not see before and they will strengthen all of your advanced movements and techniques.
- Learn your teacher's system of Qigong (breathing exercises) and practice Qigong diligently. It will improve your health, internal strength, vitality, and power (and much more).
- Make sure that you enroll in a Traditional Martial and Healing Arts Program so that you are exposed to all of the character building wisdom of the culture and tradition from which you system was developed.
- Pay attention to details! In the martial arts, details matter!
- Make a training schedule or calendar to keep you on engaged and focused on your process. Being a martial artist is not just about what you do; it is also about who you are becoming.
- If you are a parent (or not) you might decide to read Wu-Te: A Guide to Parents – Why Teach Your Children The Traditional Martial & Healing Arts? (Preview in separate window)
For the aging martial artist my tips for the year are:
- Strive to review all of what you know cyclically, once per month, quarter, biannually, or annually.
- Soften the wood! That means allow yourself to become more flexible, unorthodox in how you execute your techniques.
- Continue to perform every movement of your everyday life as if it were a martial movement. (Sweeping the floor, getting something out of a cabinet, getting in and out of the car).
- Stretch! Stretch! Stretch! Some of us are naturally flexible and some of us are as stiff as dry wood. But dry wood can be softened. Stretching is a way of soaking the aging wood of your body so that it maintains or enhances softness and pliability.
- Practice some form of Qigong every day!
- Eat to Live! Don’t live to Eat! Reassess your dietary habits to make sure that they are consistent with how your body is working at your present age.
- Teach someone!
If you are a martial artist who falls somewhere in between beginner and aging then my tips to you for the year are simple:
- Train like you are a beginner, always practicing your basics.
- Train in anticipation of becoming an aging martial artist.
- Taking your training seriously
- Paying attention to details
- Being diligent in your practice
- Choosing good training partners
- Choosing a system and style that is best suited to your personality and body type
- Choosing a good Traditional Martial & Healing Arts teacher
Have a safe, fun, and productive year of training!
Live Wu-Te
Seifu Sharif
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