Timing

You win battles by knowing the enemy's timing, and using a timing that the enemy does not expect.

- Miyamoto Musashi

Broken rhythm. When working our sparring drills this is the common thread. Be an unpredictable moving target. When we work Escrima stick counts we work a steady rhythm so that we learn to move in harmony with our partner. We learn to read and adapt to our partner's timing and rhythm. If we can read our opponent's timing and rhythm, we can exploit it.

When sparring we can use rhythm and timing to mislead opponents. Lull them into thinking they know our pattern then we use that against them. It is all a strategy, a game of chess, played out in fractions of seconds.

If you are interested in learning Kung Fu call us - we are currently training via Zoom, while we are forced to isolate:

(253) 268-2874

Freedom Martial Arts Academy, 2908 Meridian East, Suite 107, Edgewood, WA 98371

Outside is Inside

One day as Manjusri stood outside the gate, the Buddha called to him, “Manjusri, Manjusri, why do you not enter?”

Manjusri replied, “I do not see myself as outside. Why enter?”

- Zen Koan

Let's be honest, we are westerners. Even if we abandoned everything and trained nearly every waking hour of our lives, we would never be considered more than westerners. We could never actually learn Kung Fu.

But regardless of what others think, where is your mind? Are you outside the gate? As ridiculous as it is, I have always imagined myself as a Shaolin monk every time I've trained. I know I will never even be a fraction of a fraction of a Shaolin Monk, but I put myself in that mindset. Like the Koan, I am within the gate, so why enter?

Foundation

Keichu, the first wheelmaker, made two wheels. Each had fifty spokes. Suppose you cut out the hubs? Would there still be a wheel?

Zen Koan

I often refer to stances and basics work as being akin to mathematics. Knowing the foundations is critical. The more you train, the more important the basics are - strangely enough. And yet not so strange at all. Look at Jenga. If you have a terrible foundation, but stack upon it only half of the pieces, it might be fine, however the more you stack upon the bad foundation the more likely it will all collapse.

The more solid our foundation, the more solid our advanced training will be. Never neglect your basics. They are your foundation.

If you are interested in learning Kung Fu call us:

(253) 268-2874

Freedom Martial Arts Academy, 2908 Meridian East, Suite 107, Edgewood, WA 98371

Obsessing

Tanzan and Ekido, two monks,  were once traveling together down a muddy road. A heavy rain was still falling. Coming around a bend, they met a lovely girl in a silk kimono and sash, unable to cross the intersection.

“Come on, girl,” said Tanzan at once. Lifting her in his arms, he carried her over the mud.

Ekido did not speak again until that night when they reached a lodging temple. Then he no longer could restrain himself. “We monks don’t go near females,” he told Tanzan, “especially not young and lovely ones. It is dangerous. Why did you do that?”

“I left the girl there,” said Tanzan. “Are you still carrying her?”

At the end of every training session we remove our sashes, quickly fold them, and tuck them into the back of our uniform. We do this as a symbol of leaving any negativity we have behind. We can become frustrated with ourselves or with others. If we don't let it go, we carry it with us.

I often carry with me embarrassing moments in my life. When I say dumb things they haunt me for years. This is a perfect example of how we can take our Kung Fu out of the Kwoon and into our every day life. Just as I leave negativity behind at the end of a training session, so also I should leave negativity, self doubt, guilt, anger, and other destructive thoughts and emotions behind in everyday life.

Be more like Tanzan.

Learn Learning

The Zen Master poured his visitor's teacup full, and then kept pouring.

The visitor watched until he could no longer restrain himself.

"It is overfull. No more will go in!"

"Like this cup," the Zen Master said,

"you are full of your own opinions and assumptions.

How can you learn truth until you first empty your cup?"

- Zen Koan

You've likely heard that we are to be perpetually learning. I am a huge fan of striving to remain humble and keep a student's mind. The koan above illustrates the importance of this principle beautifully. You are not a Kung Fu master unless you are dead. If you are not dead, there is more you need to learn.

I try to simply absorb new teachings. I strive to soak them up without any filter or mental commentary. I can analyze later. But initially I strive to approach new techniques as though I were a white sash on my first day (Minus all the terror I felt at the time :) ). Remember back then? You had no idea - really - what to expect. You were full of excitement and that feeling of a journey just beginning. Leaving home for a vacation. Everything is bright and exhilarating. I try to bring myself back to that mindset. That is how you continue to learn. That is how you become a student again.

Student: "Teacher, how many years must I train before I am a master?"

Teacher: "All of them."

If you are interested in learning Kung Fu call us:

(253) 268-2874

Freedom Martial Arts Academy, 2908 Meridian East, Suite 107, Edgewood, WA 98371

No Mind

When one goes to Obaku temple in Kyoto he sees carved over the gate the words "The First Principle". The letters are unusually large, and those who appreciate calligraphy always admire them as being a masterpiece. They were drawn by Kosen two hundred years ago.

When the master drew them he did so on paper, from which the workmen made the large carving in wood. As Kosen sketched the letters a bold pupil was with him who had made several gallons of ink for the calligraphy and who never failed to criticise his master's work.

"That is not good," he told Kosen after his first effort.

"How is this one?"

"Poor. Worse than before," pronounced the pupil.

Kosen patiently wrote one sheet after another until eighty-four First Principles had accumulated, still without the approval of the pupil.

Then when the young man stepped outside for a few moments, Kosen thought: "Now this is my chance to escape his keen eye," and he wrote hurriedly, with a mind free from distraction: "The First Principle."

"A masterpiece," pronounced the pupil.

- Zen Koan

One aspect of teaching martial arts that I struggle with is repetition. We need to be working our techniques over and over. A thousand times, and then a thousand times a thousand. It is difficult to balance keeping students engaged and inspired, yet working the repetition they need.

Our goal is to make our techniques a natural reaction. When we are startled we jump, when we burn our hand we pull it back. And these actions are done far faster than movements we intentionally choose to do. This is what we want our techniques to be. A punch comes at you and you have already dealt with it - before your mind can even make sense of what is happening.

The goal is to work our techniques with no-mind. In sports this is called being in the zone.

If you would like to train with us, call:

(253) 268-2874

In Everything

Kung fu lives in everything we do. It lives in how we put on a jacket and how we take off a jacket. It lives in how we treat people. Everything is kung fu.  

- Jackie Chan

Martial Arts training is different for everyone. We all approach it with different goals, different ideas about what it will be like, or should be like, and differing priorities in our lives. The ideal attitude toward Kung Fu is it should be holistic.

Your 'Kung Fu' is part of everything you do. You practice your art not only in the Kwoon but when you study, when you do physical work, when you create, when you face challenges. Every day is a chance to grow and learn.

You may have heard the saying "How you train in the gym is what will come out in the street."

Shouldn't this apply not only to self defence? Do you not learn many other things during training? We learn to embrace pain and endure physical hardships. We learn to be centered. We learn stillness. We build physical and mental endurance. Can't these lessons be applied to our daily lives?

We all have a worldview that defines us and how we live in the world. It affects how we see things, how we behave and treat others. It flows from our faith or worldview, into all aspects of our lives. I believe Kung Fu is the other side of that coin. We can allow every aspect of our lives to flow into our Kung Fu. To contribute to it and improve our training, improve us.

How very Yin Yang as one flows out and the other flows in and both work together.

If you are interested in learning traditional Kung Fu, or would simply like to observe a class, we are in partnership with Freedom Martial Arts. Feel free to contact Mr Sauers and let him know you are interested in the Kung Fu program.

(253) 268-2874

Freedom Martial Arts Academy, 2908 Meridian East, Suite 107, Edgewood, WA 98371