Buddha_fist
07-02-2007, 06:38
Chasing hands with the Mind
By Ernie Barrios
There is a very popular catch phase in Ving Tsun, "don't chase hands, chase the man" or words to that effect. In theory, it's a wonderful insightful little gem. A very simple concept, it embodies the essence of what combat should be about; the essence of what WSLGLVT (Wong Shun Leung – Gary Lam – Ving Tsun) is all about.
Terminate the headquarters, and the remaining troops lose direction, thus drastically reducing their effectiveness.
This concept has been around as long as there has been conflict. It has been passed on in many different forms and phrases. For example, to kill a snake you must cut off its head, neutralizing the threat. If you do anything other then dealing with the true source of the threat (the head) and you focus your attention on the tail, you'll expose yourself to danger. You open a window of opportunity; a chance for the opponent to make use of your indirect action. By not using the most logical, simple, direct and effective path to deal with the problem, you are surely looking for trouble. In short, to show the enemy kindness is to invite cruelty upon yourself!
Think about it, does a Marine spend endless hours on a firing range, pouring out bullets, honing his accuracy, only to hand his enemy victory in the heat of battle by shooting around the general vicinity of the target?
This all sounds great on paper and there is a time when being non-direct is the most efficient path—a time when the curve beats the straight line, but there are only 2 things that are certain in combat: luck and uncertainty! With that in mind, we must then take an honest, critical and logical approach towards methods that may improve our chances for survival. Notice, I said survival, not winning. I am differentiating between a fight in the pavement arena and a contest or sparring match governed by controlled variables.
On the pavement arena, there are no ref's, time limits, weight divisions, rules or time to study and prepare for the big fight; hence the emphasis on surviving over winning. There is no room for ego, style, lineage, favorite techniques, marketing, history lessons, belts or certificates. The only trophy or accolade is that you get to live another day!
There is no room to chase hands; physically, mentally or tactically.
Many systems say they don't chase hands (in the physical sense of the word), yet they train technique after technique. They create lineage specific, “comfort bubble” type environments, with perfect little sequences to prove how their particular way is better than the other guy’s. They create lineage specific “comfort bubbles” to prove how their Sifu is a genius. This, in turn, validates why they're so smart for recognizing his genius and following him.
They say they do not chase hands, yet the very second they create a “technique” based environment—where things are supposed to happen in a predetermined way—they are, in every sense of the word, “chasing” hands. Not just in the obvious implication of the word by physically chasing a limb or position prior to taking a shot, but in the entire system’s general approach. The hunt for false environments; the need to create a feel good moment by trying to crystallize an organic, ever changing situation into frozen moments in time and say, “see, it works like this!”
What if Sifus, masters (or whatever they have you calling them) told the truth? What if they said, “stuff happens,” or, “well I really don't know, I have never experienced that first hand,” or, “that guy would clobber me!” Let us not forget the obvious “sorry to break it to you son, but… You are going to be hit!”
The fact is you are going to get hurt. Win or lose, fighting is a dirty business. But the business of selling and profiting vastly from pretend fighting is far worse!
Now, since I am a firm believer in honesty and also enjoy in partaking in the killing of sacred cows, I will openly admit that all styles or systems at one point or another chase hands. Why? Simply because chasing hands is just how the human animal instinctually reacts when confronted with an overwhelming situation. We either reach out and try and hold the threat, or shell up when sensory overload kicks in.
We can accept this and use it as a teaching aid—a tool to pass on—and try to point out bad reactions and program correct actions. The problem is when people become trapped, or worse make it a habit or a system based on those generic experiences. The “if he does this, then you do that” syndrome is when the cookie cutter mass marketing mayhem begins. Let me say this point blank—so there is no mistake: VT cannot be, nor ever will be, a mass production, assembly line training method. It is just a road map to individual skill development. Each individual, based on their depth of knowledge and passion to push the limits of personal experience, will dictate what they will draw from the training methods.
So we are left with a harsh reality. VT is not a style. For if you approach it from a stylistic point of view or a technique point of view, it falls into the realm of false truth - based on non realistic, generic experiences of the “what if” mindset. I tend to label this either suicide or fantasy. Sadly, when dealing with a real life situation and things don't go the way the brochure promised, the once confident chi sau/drill technique king is reduced to a quivering statue of indecision, or ***** force and blind emotion!
Ving Tsun (however you chose to spell it) is just a training method based around a few logical ideas and concepts. It is a method that tries to cultivate and develop habits supported by natural human body mechanics that just might increase your chance of survival in a violent altercation. By having realistic expectations of what the training can help you achieve, you can approach the strength and weaknesses of the method with open eyes! You, as an individual, can make educated decisions and avoid the pitfalls of marketing propaganda and outrageous claims.
There is undeniable logic in the concept of not chasing hands. But don't take my word for it. Research it on your own. Look at your actions in your current system. Are they simple? Meaning, when the fight happens, when your mind is racing and your fine motor skills have gone out of the window, will you react with a simple, clear action that has been burned in under pressure or will you suffer a mental “log jam” of countless techniques. Is your action direct? Are you attacking the attack, instantly directing your energy towards the core of the assault? Or are you trying to insert multiple techniques, chasing hands, legs or some static illusion created by the fallacy of techniques and drills?
You see the concept of chasing hands goes beyond just following the limbs. If you need to adopt a particular stance or structure (yes even VT ready posture) before responding to the threat… then you are chasing hands. If you need a certain range... you are chasing hands. If you need to make a bridge, as in some people’s misinterpretation of Chum Kui (you should eventually be able to set up or sense an advantageous position without initial contact), you are chasing hands. Any predetermined step, be it physical, mental or emotional, that you need before you can react is, to put it bluntly, chasing the hand, and as such, inherently flawed.
Ving Tsun, as it has been exposed to me, is a path to self-knowledge, self-honesty and, most importantly, the cultivation of freedom and personal expression. By shedding and peeling away the layers of unnecessary technique, lineage restrictions and ego, and by getting to know the real you, with all your fears and idiosyncrasies and genetic limitations, you can train and focus the one and only constant in a fight that you might be able to control: yourself!
By not chasing hands in any way you can use the simple tools and concepts that Ving Tsun offers you. The first step though, is to make an honest assessment of your current method and ask yourself, “Are you chasing hands with your body, your habit, or your mind?” If you are, do you have the honesty and courage to step out of your comfort zone, take responsibility for your own personal growth and make a change?
By Ernie Barrios
There is a very popular catch phase in Ving Tsun, "don't chase hands, chase the man" or words to that effect. In theory, it's a wonderful insightful little gem. A very simple concept, it embodies the essence of what combat should be about; the essence of what WSLGLVT (Wong Shun Leung – Gary Lam – Ving Tsun) is all about.
Terminate the headquarters, and the remaining troops lose direction, thus drastically reducing their effectiveness.
This concept has been around as long as there has been conflict. It has been passed on in many different forms and phrases. For example, to kill a snake you must cut off its head, neutralizing the threat. If you do anything other then dealing with the true source of the threat (the head) and you focus your attention on the tail, you'll expose yourself to danger. You open a window of opportunity; a chance for the opponent to make use of your indirect action. By not using the most logical, simple, direct and effective path to deal with the problem, you are surely looking for trouble. In short, to show the enemy kindness is to invite cruelty upon yourself!
Think about it, does a Marine spend endless hours on a firing range, pouring out bullets, honing his accuracy, only to hand his enemy victory in the heat of battle by shooting around the general vicinity of the target?
This all sounds great on paper and there is a time when being non-direct is the most efficient path—a time when the curve beats the straight line, but there are only 2 things that are certain in combat: luck and uncertainty! With that in mind, we must then take an honest, critical and logical approach towards methods that may improve our chances for survival. Notice, I said survival, not winning. I am differentiating between a fight in the pavement arena and a contest or sparring match governed by controlled variables.
On the pavement arena, there are no ref's, time limits, weight divisions, rules or time to study and prepare for the big fight; hence the emphasis on surviving over winning. There is no room for ego, style, lineage, favorite techniques, marketing, history lessons, belts or certificates. The only trophy or accolade is that you get to live another day!
There is no room to chase hands; physically, mentally or tactically.
Many systems say they don't chase hands (in the physical sense of the word), yet they train technique after technique. They create lineage specific, “comfort bubble” type environments, with perfect little sequences to prove how their particular way is better than the other guy’s. They create lineage specific “comfort bubbles” to prove how their Sifu is a genius. This, in turn, validates why they're so smart for recognizing his genius and following him.
They say they do not chase hands, yet the very second they create a “technique” based environment—where things are supposed to happen in a predetermined way—they are, in every sense of the word, “chasing” hands. Not just in the obvious implication of the word by physically chasing a limb or position prior to taking a shot, but in the entire system’s general approach. The hunt for false environments; the need to create a feel good moment by trying to crystallize an organic, ever changing situation into frozen moments in time and say, “see, it works like this!”
What if Sifus, masters (or whatever they have you calling them) told the truth? What if they said, “stuff happens,” or, “well I really don't know, I have never experienced that first hand,” or, “that guy would clobber me!” Let us not forget the obvious “sorry to break it to you son, but… You are going to be hit!”
The fact is you are going to get hurt. Win or lose, fighting is a dirty business. But the business of selling and profiting vastly from pretend fighting is far worse!
Now, since I am a firm believer in honesty and also enjoy in partaking in the killing of sacred cows, I will openly admit that all styles or systems at one point or another chase hands. Why? Simply because chasing hands is just how the human animal instinctually reacts when confronted with an overwhelming situation. We either reach out and try and hold the threat, or shell up when sensory overload kicks in.
We can accept this and use it as a teaching aid—a tool to pass on—and try to point out bad reactions and program correct actions. The problem is when people become trapped, or worse make it a habit or a system based on those generic experiences. The “if he does this, then you do that” syndrome is when the cookie cutter mass marketing mayhem begins. Let me say this point blank—so there is no mistake: VT cannot be, nor ever will be, a mass production, assembly line training method. It is just a road map to individual skill development. Each individual, based on their depth of knowledge and passion to push the limits of personal experience, will dictate what they will draw from the training methods.
So we are left with a harsh reality. VT is not a style. For if you approach it from a stylistic point of view or a technique point of view, it falls into the realm of false truth - based on non realistic, generic experiences of the “what if” mindset. I tend to label this either suicide or fantasy. Sadly, when dealing with a real life situation and things don't go the way the brochure promised, the once confident chi sau/drill technique king is reduced to a quivering statue of indecision, or ***** force and blind emotion!
Ving Tsun (however you chose to spell it) is just a training method based around a few logical ideas and concepts. It is a method that tries to cultivate and develop habits supported by natural human body mechanics that just might increase your chance of survival in a violent altercation. By having realistic expectations of what the training can help you achieve, you can approach the strength and weaknesses of the method with open eyes! You, as an individual, can make educated decisions and avoid the pitfalls of marketing propaganda and outrageous claims.
There is undeniable logic in the concept of not chasing hands. But don't take my word for it. Research it on your own. Look at your actions in your current system. Are they simple? Meaning, when the fight happens, when your mind is racing and your fine motor skills have gone out of the window, will you react with a simple, clear action that has been burned in under pressure or will you suffer a mental “log jam” of countless techniques. Is your action direct? Are you attacking the attack, instantly directing your energy towards the core of the assault? Or are you trying to insert multiple techniques, chasing hands, legs or some static illusion created by the fallacy of techniques and drills?
You see the concept of chasing hands goes beyond just following the limbs. If you need to adopt a particular stance or structure (yes even VT ready posture) before responding to the threat… then you are chasing hands. If you need a certain range... you are chasing hands. If you need to make a bridge, as in some people’s misinterpretation of Chum Kui (you should eventually be able to set up or sense an advantageous position without initial contact), you are chasing hands. Any predetermined step, be it physical, mental or emotional, that you need before you can react is, to put it bluntly, chasing the hand, and as such, inherently flawed.
Ving Tsun, as it has been exposed to me, is a path to self-knowledge, self-honesty and, most importantly, the cultivation of freedom and personal expression. By shedding and peeling away the layers of unnecessary technique, lineage restrictions and ego, and by getting to know the real you, with all your fears and idiosyncrasies and genetic limitations, you can train and focus the one and only constant in a fight that you might be able to control: yourself!
By not chasing hands in any way you can use the simple tools and concepts that Ving Tsun offers you. The first step though, is to make an honest assessment of your current method and ask yourself, “Are you chasing hands with your body, your habit, or your mind?” If you are, do you have the honesty and courage to step out of your comfort zone, take responsibility for your own personal growth and make a change?