Animal Styles

Humans have been imitating other animals since the dawn of time. All our tools and weapons were crafted essentially to adapt some advantage another animal had over us. We honored animals in our primal dance ceremonies and merged our spirits with theirs to gain a deeper understanding of their mysteries and wisdom. As such, animal styles of martial arts could arguably be considered the most ancient of forms which have essentially been revived and adapted over the course of human history. In any case, practicing animal forms has many tangible health benefits. On a strictly physical level, these forms and movements make use of the entire body, building strength, flexibility, balance and coordination all at once. Forcing the body to move in an unorthodox manner provides a much more effective workout than does repetitive exercise using standard lifting, walking and jumping type movements. Also, because we are NOT repeating movements which we do thousands of times a day, we are also empowering our brains by forming new synapses and neural pathways, building entirely new nets of connections between motor functions- effectively making our bodies AND minds stronger and more agile. On a spiritual level, practicing animal forms could be seen as an almost shamanic exercise. It connects us to other creatures, so teaches us empathy and understanding. It lets us experience, in our own way, the body and mind of the animal, thus do our souls find a connection with their power. When practicing animal forms, you may begin to see the world through their eyes, gaining access to knowledge that cannot even be expressed in words. To be afforded such a glimpse into the world from such a wildly different perspective can also open our hearts to others whose perspectives we have difficulty comprehending. The gifts of knowledge, understanding, compassion, presence, health and vitality are endlessly given by way of embracing our kinship with these magnificent creatures. Following are the basic ideas which form a variety of traditional animal styles, just enough to whet the appetite and hopefully inspire some to seek formal training. Who knows, perhaps one of you will take the time to observe some other creature and devote yourself to the development of an as yet unknown animal style... Happy hunting

Tiger
Chinese name; Fu Jow Pai
Primary characteristics; Strength and ferocity.
Physical traits; great upper and lower body strength
Strategy; Direct charge with overwhelming force.
Signature weapon; Tiger claw- spread your fingers then bend them slightly. The muscles are kept relaxed but ready and the hand becomes solid only at the moment of impact. This allows for greater speed and versatility of action as the open hand can grab, deflect, claw, or strike (with the palm) without stiffening the muscles of the arm and hand, thus conserving energy.
Training; Hard exercises for strength and endurance.
Notes; qigong, iron shirt and iron hand training enhance this style. The not-so-secret "secret" of tiger style is that, while it seems to be extremely "external" in focus and application, it is actually the channeling of "inner" power which makes it so effective.

Crane
Chinese name; He Quan
Primary characteristics; Grace, subtlety, long reach.
Physical traits; superb balance and flexibility.
Strategy; Keep the opponent at a distance and strike at the very edge of your sphere.
Signature weapon; Crane beak- bring all of the fingertips together at the tip of the thumb. This is used to strike pressure points with great force while extending your reach almost to its maximum. Only the spear hand has a longer reach, but it sacrifices structural integrity, so, while the crane beak may look funny, it is akin to having a bullet with a brain, able to seek out and target your vulnerable points even in motion. Furthermore, the bent knuckles and even top of the wrist provide additional striking surfaces for other targets and striking angles, while the area below the hand forms a hook for deflecting attacks and setting up grappling and throwing techniques.
Training; Speed striking drills, plyometrics, flexibility (for long kicks)
Notes; the "crane stance" is not really meant to be a static stance, but rather a block with the leg which can also be snapped outward for a counter strike. Training in this stance builds balance and leg strength, both integral to the style, but it is not a pose you just assume in a street fight. He-Quan, crane boxing, was originally one all-encompassing system, but later broke into 5 branches;

• Su-He-Quan- sleeping crane- through timing, stillness, and focus, exploits openings created by offensive attacks rather than being the aggressor.
• ming-He-Quan- crying  crane- focuses on inner power. Uses breath and vocalizations to channel qi.
• Shi-He-Quan- feeding crane- utilizes the special "crane beak" strike to "peck" at vital points.
• Fei-He-Quan- flying crane- focuses on long-range fighting. Uses leaping and dynamic distancing to evade while delivering high kicks and sweeping "wing" (chopping) attacks.
• Zong-He-Quan- shaking crane- utilizes fa-jin, shaking power, for short range strength and qin-na grappling for in-fighting.

Leopard
Chinese name; Bao Quan
Primary characteristics; Speed, precision, simultaneous aggression and evasion.
Physical traits; exceptional strength and speed in the upper body coupled with strong, well balanced (though not "rooted" or fixed) stance that can quickly explode into a surprising leap if needed to close the distance and unleash an attack.
Strategy; Find a window, attack without hesitation, exploit vulnerabilities, get away. Better known as the "sting and move" tactic, only leopard stylists choose to "sting" at vital points to maximize effectiveness.
Signature weapon; Leopard paw fist- also called a half fist, this is formed by bending the fingers at the proximal interphalangeal joint, thus forming a "fist" of the intermediate phalanges rather than the proximal, as in a "standard" fist. The thumb is simply tucked in toward the palm, held parallel as in a ridge hand. This hand shape creates a hard striking surface which penetrates deeper and more precisely than a balled fist while also creating a strong back hand, ridge hand (thumb side) and knife hand (pinkie side) and solid palm, all valid striking weapons. While some force is sacrificed to protect the fingers when striking with the knuckles in the paw form, the smaller striking surface allows what force is transferred to be greatly intensified. Since this style targets vulnerable areas such as the kidneys, carotid sinus, and brachial plexus nerves, it makes for a more devastating attack than would simple punches.
Training; Leopard paw push-ups. Striking and footwork drills focused on creating a powerful stance while maintaining dynamic movement and delivering rapid strikes to small targets.
Notes; also sometimes called panther, this style is known for being technical and evasive while also fast and aggressive. Rather than block, it chooses to dodge and strike simultaneously at the opening created by the attack. One must be exceptionally quick of mind and body to achieve this. 

Snake
Chinese name; She Quan
Primary characteristics; deceptiveness, speed, twining movements and pressure point strikes.
Physical traits; supple muscles and a small frame can help with the effectiveness of this style.
Strategy; use body contact to redirect force, control the joints, strike quick, penetrating blows to most vulnerable targets.
Signature weapon; snake hand- fingers are held straight out while the thumb is brought to the center of the palm so the distal phalanx (thumb tip) contacts the point between the second and third metacarpals (lower bones of the middle and ring fingers) thus solidifying the structure. As with other kung fu hand techniques, the key is relaxed but poised muscles allowing the strike to be executed with maximum speed. The hand and arm must line up perfectly and become rigid at the point of impact, then, going "soft" again, the hand is retracted just as quickly. It is more like striking with a whip than a fist.
Training; tui shou, hand conditioning, speed and accuracy based striking drills, small circle exercises for throws and take downs. Pilates, isometrics, qi gong, ball training, and other such exercises which strengthen the core while building lean, flexible muscle and conditioning circular movement.
Notes; taiji is probably the best supplement to this style. Snake requires lean, but strong muscles to be used with fantastic control and precision. The slow, deliberate movements of taiji can train the body for all of that. Although the workout is low-impact, constant practice (at least once a day, if not 2-3 times) will have a surprising effect on the physical strength, as well as developing the all important internal power. Also, upon deeper analysis, you may see that the targets and strikes hidden in the seemingly peaceful and gentle movements of taiji are very similar to those used by the snake. That is, using the finger tips and whipping strikes to extremely vulnerable areas such as the eyes, throat, and groin. Or, when applied to limbs, not only divert the attack by redirecting force as is commonly portrayed, but actual conceal bone breaking and disjointing techniques.

Dragon
Chinese name; Long Xi Quan
Primary characteristics; Ferocity concealed with deceptive movements and snaking steps. Fluid transitioning between soft and hard style movement.
Physical traits; lower body strength with exceptional stance and footwork coupled with strong AND flexible upper body, particularly the arms and hands.
Strategy; Set up the attack then explode at close range with a series of brutal strikes.
Signature weapon; dragon tail kick- this is the favored "round house" of hollywood movies (a true round house does not involve spinning) wherein the rear leg is whipped at the target by rotating the hips 180 degrees as you spin to face the opponent from your other side. Also the dragon claw- like a tiger claw with a flatter, more rigid palm. Likened to palming a basketball. The fingers are used for ripping and gouging while the palm is used for striking, thus there is subtlety wherein even as the opponent is seized for a grappling attack or take down, the limb is struck by the hardened palm, shocking it briefly in order to better facilitate the intended technique.
Training; explosive power, dynamic movement, or any exercise which combines internal and external training together.
Notes; it is said that dragon style utilizes techniques of all the other classic five animal styles- leopard, tiger, crane, and snake. The constant shifting of yin and yang, softness and hardness, also make this one of the most balanced styles

Monkey
Chinese name; Hou Quan, also Da Sheng Men
Primary characteristics; compact and dynamic movement coupled with explosive strikes.
Physical traits; superb agility and leg strength, ability to maintain balance and focus in the midst of erratic movement.
Strategy; confuse, deceive, destroy, retreat.
Signature weapon; Monkey paw- a soft, semi-open hand used to deliver concussive slaps, but may also made hard at the moment of impact to be used for clawing and gouging attacks to vulnerable targets. The hou gun, or monkey staff, is a non-body weapon also associated with this style. It is a long stick used for striking at multiple levels and ranges as well as for limb control and joint locks.
Training; Di Tang Quan (breakfall Fist)- foot and body work to train the use of tumbling and momentum- also, strong stance work and plyometric leaping for surprising high attacks. Multi-level strikes and feints.
Notes; monkey style is actually exceedingly rare in its pure martial form these days. It is easy to find things calling themselves "monkey style kung fu" but most are really just performance arts masquerading as fighting styles. The nearest thing to acrobatics are "ukemi" type rolls (as seen in Aikido) and climbing the body of the opponent for devastating take downs and assaults to the upper anatomy, particularly the head and face. One unique principle of this fighting style is the use of "4 hands" or using the legs and feet for grappling and joint locks in a manner as similar to the hands and arms as humanly possible. Therefore, like dog fist, monkey has a strong ground game, targeting the legs and lower body to bring the opponent down. Martial monkey emphasizes limb destruction and a devastating barrage of multi level attacks which are both fast and strong, all while constantly moving and evading the opponent's attacks. Done correctly, the monkey seems to attack from all angles at once, and throws its entire body into every strike, using momentum to further augment the force when possible. Like crane, monkey has been divided into various schools as well;

• Drunken monkey- characterized by soft structure, attacks to vital points and low targets, heavy strikes, sacrifice throws and feints
• Stone monkey- the "hardest" monkey style which develops and utilizes iron body coupled with powerful attacks to weak points. Takes the hit to exploit the opening, using the defense as offense.
• Lost monkey- characterized by speed, agility, and feigning weakness
• Tall monkey- a long range style which, unlike other monkey styles, maintains a superior position. May “climb the limbs” as in moving up the body as openings are created (like in eagle claw), or literally climbing the opponent to drop down upon them, striking with gravitational force
• Wooden monkey- characterized by heavy movements and grappling. A balance of hard and soft.

Mantis
Chinese name; Tang Lang Quan (northern) or Nan Pai Tanglang (southern)
Primary characteristics; short/small circular movements, strong stance and footwork, patience, precision and inner power.
Physical traits; exceptional lower body strength and balance coupled with fast hands and arms. Well conditioned finger tips for both striking and gripping.
Strategy; redirect force, create a window, exploit vulnerable points. Tends to attack at angles and work to pull the opponent off balance.
Signature weapon; Mantis hook- like a combination crane beak and snake fang, the finger tips are used for striking vital points while the "hook" is used to guide and control the opponent's strikes.
Training; tui shou, footwork and precision drills, also hand conditioning for pressure point strikes
Notes; There are two main styles of mantis, Shandong and Shanxi. Shanxi style is "softer" employing more circular movements both in the hands and footwork. Shandong, alternatively, is "harder" and more linear.

Eagle
Chinese name; Ying Jow Pai
Primary characteristics; poised yet brutal.
Physical traits; Exceptional speed and agility, being light and fast on the feet, coupled with superb grip and fingertip strength.
Strategy; strike from any range and on any level, but quickly immobilize and finish the opponent with devastating attacks to joints and pressure points.
Signature weapon; eagle claw- this is formed basically by making a tight C shape with the hand. It is used with a grip-twist-shake technique, whether for controlling limbs and joints, pinching nerves, or ripping muscle and soft tissues. A properly executed strike of this sort even to a seemingly innocuous a target like the love handles is enough to drop most people or get them off of you. An eagle claw to the trachea could potentially kill and certainly incapacitate for a period.
Training; stance work, speed and grip training.
Notes;  based upon the "108 locks" of legendary progenitor Yue Fei, this system heavily emphasizes the chin na. A key element of this system is that every attack on a vital point opens up another vulnerable point. Speed, maneuvering, and quick, decisive attacks lead to quick progressions or chains of attacks aimed at incapacitating the opponent by displacing joints, ripping muscles and tendons, blocking the breath or blood flow, or attacking the nerves. Death, unconsciousness, or temporary disability are what eagle claw aims for, not submission. This is an important element to understand.

Dog
Chinese name; Gou Quan, also DiShang FeiLong "dragon flying over ground"
Primary characteristics; unleashing a surprising barrage of attacks from a seemingly inferior position.
Physical traits; strong core and legs
Strategy; get the opponent to the ground and use the advantage of leverage to augment strength.
Signature weapon; unknown- this style is so rare that some refuse it even exists. While I have found sufficient evidence that it does, I do not, at this time, know of any signature moves or weapons unique to the style.
Training; dynamic positioning and stance work, chin na and grip training, circular movement (particularly of the legs and waist, but also snake-like entwining and throwing with the hands and arms) and body conditioning.
Notes; a subtle characteristic of this style seems to be the use of sacrifice throws (those in which you use the opponent's force combined with your own body weight by intentionally falling to the ground) WHILE utilizing entwining techniques so as to destroy the offending limb in the process of setting up your attack. Low attacks to the legs and groin are also common, again, with emphasis on limb destruction in the grappling technique leading up to the final striking techniques. Strikes seem less precise and more focused on speed and ferocity, which is fine considering the assailant is likely crippled at this point anyway.

My Style pt.2, Non-combatives and Philosophy

Overview-
Above all, I believe in Balance in all things. Ferocity is tempered with compassion, justice with mercy, hurting with healing. I have studied natural medicine and energy healing techniques for as long as I have martial arts, if not longer. I practice qi gong daily, and yoga as well, not only for my own health, but also to help me harness that "mystical" energy for use in healing others through touch, massage, and acupressure coupled with energy techniques. I put "mystical" in quotes because I find nothing supernatural about it, rather I believe it is an exceptionally natural thing we have gotten away from as our world has become inundated with the UN-natural. Energy techniques, such as those used in martial arts and healing, represent an organic technology we, as a species, were born to use, yet the cultural norms of today favor synthetic technologies like computers and manufactured chemicals put into convenient pills and syringes, thus making our natural, organic technology look like "hocus pocus". Harnessing and sensing chi, both in the body and in the world around you (including other people) is a fundamental aspect of my art. Visualization and meditation train us to tap into those (now) latent parts of our brain that have awareness and control of the subtle energy field. Physical practices like qi gong, taiji, and yoga help to cultivate that energy in the body while bringing it into balance and sync with the physical. Breath control is important too. I use the breath in all aspects of my practice. It is surprising how much something as simple as inhaling or exhaling can change the effectiveness of a technique or exercise. Remembering to breath out as you deepen a stretch allows you to go about twice as far as you would if you were inhaling or holding your breath. Exhaling sharply at the moment of contact with a strike or push has an outstanding impact on both speed and strength while inhaling and exhaling slowly before a technique can build up chi to be used in application. Pranayama, or "breath yoga" can be used even while standing in line or setting at a desk to energize, calm, or build internal power. I use it in conjunction with meditation, as well as to help manage panic attacks from PTSD. Energizing pranayama can be as effective as a cup of coffee in the morning, and without the side effects...

Once you have learned to sense, cultivate, and move chi energy within yourself, the next step is learning to sense and blend with things outside yourself. Plants, animals and stones are places to start. You will notice that each has a unique energy, and may have a different influence on you when you attempt to merge or bring some of its energy into yourself. Even without trying, after practicing internal chi exercises for a while, you will begin to become aware of the thoughts and emotions of people. "Seeing auras" is really just a bridge created by your mind to give your conscious mind a way of explaining and expressing what your sub-conscious (or supra-conscious, depending on how you look at it) mind is sensing. People expect this to be very dramatic, like some kind of psychedelic experience, or to have their aura "come out" so that other people see it without knowing how. In truth, auras are not always visual. It depends on your psychic strengths, but you may sense auras as feelings, shapes, even scents or sounds. Some people "just know" and that, too, is a result of sensing the aura. It is a natural thing that many people learn to do even though they are skeptical about all of this "subtle energy" stuff. The fact is, we are all beacons of energy, and that energy is ALWAYS broadcasting and interacting with other energy fields. It isn't something we start doing after developing this practice, but something we become aware of through this practice.

Sensing the energy of a person can give you an edge when there is a potential threat. Getting out BEFORE something goes down is always better than being caught in it and forced to defend yourself. Trust your instincts, especially after you have begun cultivating chi and sensing auras. Better safe than sorry. There is more to it than that though. Blending your chi with that of others not only gives you deeper insights into who they are and what their intentions may be, but can even allow you to influence their energy field through projecting and manipulating your own. You can give a person the impression you are a greater or lesser threat than you actually are (I have done it) or make yourself "invisible" by simply lowering your "broadcast signal" so as to pass by unnoticed (again, I have DONE it). You can also use this "blending" technique to help promote healing and remove blocks in the energy field of another which may be the source of a physical, mental, or emotional dis-ease. Connecting with another through the subtle energy field has many benefits and applications. Just as we focus on blending the physical energy in our techniques in order to successfully execute throws and deflections, we also learn to blend chi energy to exert greater force, or rob the opponent of theirs. At the same time, we learn to give energy back, to have compassion and understanding for seemingly "negative" energies of another because we can better relate to them and "feel" where they are coming from. In this way, we may resolve a conflict before it even begins, or escape before the danger even presents itself.

Methods of movement-
Crescent step; or "Indian walking" as my dad and grandad called it. This step is performed by walking on the balls of the feet, lifting the knee first in an upward-forward motion, then letting the foot softly droop down as you trace a small "c" shape just above the ground before placing your foot and shifting your weight for the next step. This method of walking minimizes noise and allows you to feel for debris on the ground without having to look where you are stepping to avoid sticks or branches that may snap or trip you. It makes moving in the dark much safer, allows you to keep your eyes fixed on a target you are stalking (we used this a lot while hunting and trying to line up a shot) and trains you for balance, controlled movement, and full body awareness.
Mantis step; There may be another name for this... and it is difficult to describe without pictures (I hope to add some later) but it is a very low stance, nearly sitting on the ground, with the legs crossed at the ankles and feet pointing in opposite directions forming a sort of "zig-zag" shape. Each step crosses the following leg over the other in this configuration, and the body is kept low, with the knees deeply bent. This reminds me of the way a mantis walks along a thin stick or blade of grass. In similar fashion, the arms are kept up, at the ready and guarding the face, while the knees serve to protect the groin. This position can allow you to quickly turn to either side by pivoting on the balls of the feet and ending up in the same stance facing the other direction. It helps to train leg strength, balance, and rooting oneself in position. It is also away to walk while remaining low as in the "hunter's stance" to follow.
Hunter's stance; I call it this because it is a position I used a lot while hunting. It is simply a flat-footed squat with the head low, eyes up and alert, and weapon at the ready. It is a good at-rest position that allows you to quickly spring into action while remaining less visible when still. You can put your back against a tree to take some of your weight while also giving yourself some cover and camouflage, but you can just as easily use it with your back to a bush or other surface which would not support your weight. You can stand, turn, or roll from this position as well, moving in any direction you need to in order to avoid or initiate attack, or to seek better cover and avoid detection- This last one I have actually used in multiple real-life threatening situations. By staying low, I saw them before they saw me, and by rolling and sliding, I made it to cover of dense kudzu vines or escaped through ditches.
Frog stroke; Swimming out to collect and place jugs for fishing, I discovered that I disturbed the water less when swimming with just my head above water while bringing my legs and arms slowly forward and out to the sides, then down/back in a reverse movement- like the way a frog swims. I also realized that this made me harder to see in the water. People have actually lost track of me when I was swimming this way even though they were quite near and looked away only for a moment. Never had to use it in combat or infiltration, but it seemed worth noting anyway.

The dance of light and shadow-
When you are in the light, all you see is what is clearly visible and what is shaded. When you are in the shadows, however, you see varying layers of shadow, all that is hidden is revealed, and the light is a place of blinding. -Just meditate on that for a bit, pondering all its possible implications-
Leaving the esoteric to the side for the moment, lets analyze the material uses of this principle. Most people stick to the light, so will only see what is in the light, and just outside of it. That region of light shadow is called the "penumbra" and it is where, to someone who's eyes are accustomed to the light, things seem a little blurry, but still detectable. The deepest shadow, the "umbra" is clearly visible from within the shadow itself, but virtually invisible from the light. When moving in shadow, you want to stick close to the umbra, remembering that light cuts angles like a blade's edge and that venturing close to the penumbra, your body may be exposed though your feet seem to still be within the umbra. Step your foot at the edge of a tree's shadow any time other than noon and see whether your body is shaded or still in the sun. You have to be WITHIN the umbra to be covered by it. Shadow will not make you disappear completely, and movement, no matter how silent, will always make you easier to detect. For that reason, it is always best to move from cover to cover, and it is in this that we find our next trick, the use of light. I discovered this while squirrel hunting. Quite often, in the morning or afternoon when the sun was closer to eye-level, the little buggers would spot me and run right in front of me rather than away and toward another tree or hole to hide in because there was a closer and better source of cover- the sun. By positioning the body between the source of light and the one you are trying to evade, you force them to look at the light and be temporarily blinded. You, for a brief moment, are a slip of blackness against a blinding back drop which grows in size. Taking this moment to then duck into cover I would completely lose my quarry, and that is how I learned to hide in the light. If you are found in shadow, quickly make them look into the light, then vanish before their vision recovers. We see this tactic in a figurative sense all the time, when someone of supposedly high moral standing is caught doing something unscrupulous and attempts to shield themselves with righteousness. I say all the time "light is about what you see, darkness is about what you FEEL" for it is my belief that people are far too enthralled by principles of "light" and they ignore the obvious faults of that path. Light abhors ugliness, it is harsh and judgmental, amplifying superficial flaws while lauding superficial "beauty". In the dark, you are forced to suspend judgement and move past the superficial. You must know by listening, feeling, smelling and tasting, all of your other senses are heightened and expanded. They say "seeing is believing" yet, scientifically, sight is our most limited sense and the easiest to fool, I mean, street magicians do it for pete's sake so how trustworthy can "seeing" ACTUALLY be?!?! Darkness is far more sensual. She brings out the best in all our senses, and, I believe, in ourselves. Love for mother darkness has been the one thing that saved me when it seemed all else had failed. Walk in shadow, not just at the edge, but enveloped in the depths of the umbra, where that which was hazy becomes clear as day and the light is revealed for its harshness. Yet still, know when to use that harsh light to your advantage as you seek refuge, but do not linger in it. Let the foolish and fearful flock to the light as moths do to their fiery doom. Stick to the cool comfort of darkness' embrace and let yourself be guided not only by what you see, but all you sense. That's a bit of the philosophy behind this principle. Just a few final notes on the physical uses of this tactic- whether moving in the night or day, try to keep your eyes trained on dark areas. Not only will you see more that is hidden (detecting potential threats before they can make their move, for instance) but you will preserve your dark-vision. This is particularly important at night where most people tend to automatically look toward the brightest spots and walk in them as much as possible. This means every time you move out of the aura of light and into shadow, you are effectively blind, and there is a lot more shadow around you at night. Staying trained on the dark will make you able to see much, much more than those who instinctively look to the light. Resist this urge as much as possible. Lastly, twilight is another good place to be. Many animals are most active at dawn and dusk. That in-between time of dreamlike purplish light is very difficult for our predatory eyes to deal with. Yes, it is harder for you to see as well, but it is a good time to cover ground before having to go into hiding again.

Additional knowledge and skills-
Reading clouds, winds and animal signs; I learned to identify the different kinds of clouds and what they mean for the weather when I was very young. I was also taught to know what shifts in the winds may indicate, and to feel and smell the wind to sense for moisture, human or animal scents, etc. There was some esoteric stuff too, like west winds mean gradual change or transition, east winds mean clarity and revelation, north winds are stagnation or perpetuation while south winds are violence or dramatic and sudden change. "Asking the wind" was an early form of divination for me. Spirits were said to reside in the place from whence the winds came. The ancestors live in the west, the spirits of nature- keepers of the plants and trees, animals and stones- live in the east, the spirits of the north are aloof but just, and those of the south are passionate but chaotic. A question asked to the wind could be answered by the myriad ideas evoked by the associated concepts of the wind's place of origin. Animals, too, have meanings. Crows and ravens are the "lookouts" of the forest, and tend to cry out or flee when an intruder approaches, depending on the level of perceived threat. Being able to hunt in proximity to a crow without being "told on" was an achievement worthy of note. I was also taught to call crows and understand the basic meanings of their calls. For instance, one drawn out call followed by 5 short is a searching call, while one drawn call followed by 3 short is the response. Several extremely rapid calls in succession told of a threat, but a few moderately paced ones, usually while gliding, meant "this area is clear". There is an old rhyme about numbers of crows and their associated meaning. We spent a lot of time observing animals when I was a kid. I like to pass along this kind of knowledge as part of my art because it teaches both connection and adaptability.
Knowledge of plants and trees and terrain; foraging for food and medicine is something literally everyone can benefit from. It is ridiculous the amount of beneficial plant life that is murdered each year for the sake of useless grass and cosmetically "pleasing" lawns. People trample right over things that could heal them on their way to the pharmacy to spend their hard earned money on pills. Healthy food comes from nature, not wrapped in plastic and styrofoam. Natural food has more chi energy, especially if it is eaten fresh, only minutes after being killed. Respect for sacrifice is another big thing, by the way. I don't see any difference in plant, animal or human life. A life is a life, and death is part of it, but that is no reason to flippantly disregard the death of another species just because it does not speak our language. Killing plants for food and killing animals for food is killing either way. I don't believe in the virtues of a vegan diet, I believe in the virtues of respect for all life. Knowing how to feed and heal yourself in the field is an invaluable combat skill, or skill for life in general. Likewise, knowing trees has become a lost art I would see recovered. Knowing which trees give us food is only part of it. Knowing what woods are strongest for building tools, shelters, or weapons is also useful. Did you know all woods burn differently? Some woods, like elder, actually create noxious black smoke that hurts the eye and lungs. A brush fire of green elder could be used as a weapon. Pine burns bright, hot and fast. It will not sustain warmth, but it will start the slower burning logs like oak and elm. Sometimes you want bright flame to see by, other times, you want to keep it low-key. Knowing which woods are ideal to your purpose and how to source them is another valuable skill. Some trees like water, so standing on a hill and looking down (the direction in which water always flows) to find water loving trees can help guide you to the most likely place for this source of life. After all, you can go weeks without food, but only days without water, and, in the wilderness, water and food are always close to one another. Using areas where water flows is also a good way to cover your tracks while covering good distance, because flowing water will have cleared your path and cut a trench in which to hide. Knowing when rain is coming is another part of using this tactic, because you could end up just leaving a trail of tracks to be followed in the damp earth, or get yourself killed in a flash flood if your timing and weather predictions are off. Trees can tell you other things about the area they grow in too. For instance, pine trees make the soil very acidic. Between that and the litter of pine straw from falling needles, it makes it hard for many other plants to grow. The pine straw does make the ground soft, and having less growing on the forest floor means less for you to step and make noise on, but it also means there is less cover. This can work to your advantage or disadvantage, depending on the situation, so knowing these things ahead of time can help you to formulate a better plan.
Bushcraft; A general term which may encompass the previous two entries, but, in this case, refers specifically to using natural and salvaged materials to make tools and other items. Various ways of building fire forms the most basic of bushcraft skills. Building basic tools, traps and fishing equipment comes next. A variety of ranged weapons, such as the atlatl and survival bow (a temporary bow, of which there are several designs), javelins (spears are technically not meant to be thrown, javelins are), slings, bolas, and blowguns can also be made using bushcraft and may help to feed you. Some would say these would also be used for defense, but I wouldn't recommend it. By all means, if you are attacked, use whatever you have at hand, but there are better weapons for taking on humans and large predators. Staffs, spears, clubs, flails, and blade smithing are also covered. Temporary shelter making is another bushcraft skill I find valuable. I never really got into permanent shelters because my needs required me to remain mobile and undetected. Small, temporary shelters can also serve as blinds from which to hunt... or spring an ambush.

Symbolism-
If I had to pick a symbol or "totem" for my art, it would be shadow. People fear what they do not understand, but by pushing past that fear we come to see and understand things on a whole other level. Shadow causes things to merge and blur together. In our fighting technique, we merge our energy with the opponent, the lines between bodies become blurred as we become one form, then seize control of them through control of ourselves. However, there are no winners in a fight, and the best place to be in a violent situation is away from the situation. We can achieve this is through camouflage and evasion. The ability to appear as something else, or to "disappear" is also found in the nature of shadow. It retreats from the harsh forcefulness of light, seeking curves, corners and crevices in which it may be preserved. This also describes the way we redirect force while simultaneously seeking weak points at which to strike- concealing the attack within the defense. No matter how much light tries to impose itself on the world, there are always shadows. Lying in wait, they sit still and silent, creeping in and growing larger and stronger as the light naturally recedes, burning itself out as lights always do eventually. Light requires fuel to burn, but shadow will always prevail. Its strength is in its perseverance. Even though light may shine from all sides, there will still be one shadow, one point of darkness, right in the center. That shadow is you, the shadow within. People associate shadow and darkness with evil, but that is only the product of fear. By embracing the shadow, you overcome fear, you understand what can never be known from a place of light, you become the thing that is frightful, but you also become the nurturing and restful night wherein the natural miracle of renewal takes place. This is the essence of my art.

Next to that would be a circle. Circles are used so much in my practice. Force is absorbed and re-directed back at itself, like the ouroboros serpent biting its own tail. We step in circles, constantly shifting the center or line of aggression. Even our strikes and holds incorporate invisible circles... When I strike with a fist I drive in and twist my wrist downward ever so slightly, drawing a vertical circle... When I execute a pressure point lock, my thumbs or fingers are continually tracing tiny circles on their targets, keeping the pressure variable and thus preventing the body from adjusting to the pain before I execute my finisher... I favor curved blades, which use circular slashing and hooking motions... Even my favored stick weapon, the "dan bong", is swung with a snap of the wrist, causing the tip of this small, straight rod to move in a circle. This is the key to its bone-shattering capabilities. You see, the circle is the natural shape of the universe. Planets and stars are spheres in space. Galaxies are circular, spiraling, or elliptical masses of many spheres. Even the atom, the building block of all things, is but a collection of sub-atomic particles constantly circling, held in place by invisible forces. We use invisible force (chi) to engage with the natural, circular movement of energies within and around us. This is not only a principle of combat, but of how we think, live, and carry ourselves. The individual is meaningless. A life is but a barely perceptible blip in the vastness of time and space. We must not think in terms of I and ME because that is just one finite and limited being with a finite and limited existence. Time is an illusion, a construct used to measure points of causality within a limited scope. Have you ever stopped to think that the universe was here immeasurably long before you were born, and will remain immeasurably longer after you die? Do you think the universe measures time? If anything, seconds, hours, minutes, days, months, years, are all just a way of measuring the space between your birth and your death. By recognizing time as an illusion and dissolving the lines between self and not-self, we may expand beyond these limiting concepts and understand that time and existence, like atoms and galaxies, also move in circles. Does the tree mourn when it loses its leaves and lament the long sleep of winter? No. It simply goes dormant only to be renewed by spring's warmth and moisture. The body must die as all bodies eventually decay, even celestial ones, but through our practice we become aware of ENERGY, and energy is eternal. In training we dance along the boundaries between ourselves and our partners.We work to transfer energy from one to the other and back again. We work to harness the energy in ourselves, and sense the energies in nature. The more we become aware of this, the more we move beyond the self and into the infinite. The simple circle reminds us of this fundamental principle, not just of our art, but of the universe itself, everything is cyclical.

Basic Characteristics of My Style

Premise- 
"Nihil sub sole novum" I am not the first to discover what I am about to present. I am not the originator or father of some grand martial art. I have simply pieced together elements of what I have learned from training, study, and a lot of trial and error. Necessity is the mother of invention, and I have had the misfortune of necessity to learn to defend myself, often against persons much, much larger and stronger than me. I am sure someone else's style may be found within my techniques, and I am sure I am doing some of them in an inferior way to what the true masters would do. I will never stop learning. To me, there would be no point to life if I did. I think martial arts should be an ongoing process, not a series of tests to obtain a certain rank to decorate your ego. I cannot say that what I do is in any way perfected, only that it works for me, and that it is the best version I have come up with so far. If it can help someone else in a desperate situation, as it has me many times, then my suffering will not of been in vain. I cannot possibly teach my entire system in a blog, but I will present here some of the fundamentals and defining characteristics to at least help guide readers and give them an idea of what I am talking about when it comes to my techniques and fighting style.

This post will focus on the physical aspects. I will take the time to get into the more philosophical and esoteric stuff another time. For now, the basics.

 *Divergence From Tradition*

A key difference between what I do and more traditional Aikido (which, as I've said before, accounts for the bulk of my formal training) is our approach to "atemi" or striking.

in more traditional aikido schools, atemi is taught to be used as a sort of distraction, or to force the opponent to shift their attention and weaken an area of the body which the aikidoka wishes to affect. I have even heard that some schools teach NO striking at all is the true and "enlightened" aikido...

This is where the qin-na comes in with me. While the bulk of qin-na (chin na) is grappling, it does also include dian xue (also known as dim mak, but I try to avoid the term because so many frauds have tainted it), or striking of vital points, which I emphasize just as heavily as grappling techniques, if not more so.

 

Where traditional aikido aims to control, I aim to neutralize, as I shall explain in the next section. The bottom line is that locks become breaks and atemi becomes a focused and precise art to be well practiced and refined rather than glossed over, or exempt completely from the curriculum. 

The core technical principles (not so much the philosophical principles) of aikido remain more or less intact. In many ways you could compare the style and techniques to taijiquan (tai chi) which operates on the same fundamental "energies" and methods of applying them, but where taijiquan is very refined aikido is more utilitarian. Rather than a whole library of specific individual techniques, aikido has a handful of techniques with an unlimited number of variations. Where taijiquan has a variety of stances, aikido aims to have "no stance" or a natural, relaxed posture which lends itself to equally natural and relaxed footwork which makes techniques effective with minimal effort.

Traditionally, taijiquan and qin-na do go hand-in-hand. Aikido utilizes the same essential principles as taijiquan, and also employs joint locks and limb control, even with the use of vital points and striking, which is essentially it's own version of qin-na. All I have really done is taken what was already present a few steps further, as it is found in what may be seen as a "sister art" in China.

Beyond more advanced seizing and striking, the major differences between Hatchie-Ryu Ninpo and Aikido are the extensive weapons, wilderness/survival skills, and holistic healing curricula. Rather than just fighting and philosophy, I teach tactics and life skills as well. This, I feel, is more in keeping with the traditional, "old school" budo (warrior way). So, what some may see as a "break with tradition" I see more as a return to it.

Approach-

The idea is to neutralize the threat in three moves or less. That may seem like a boast, but, in my experience, most real fights only last a few seconds, and, though every second seems an eternity in the heat of it, the longer a fight goes, the more likely something bad is going to happen to you, which is why I aim to make every movement count. If I am standing and they go down face-first, a solid stomp at the base of the skull should sever the brain stem. If I go for a choke, I form a scissor with my thumbs, pressing the tips into the carotid while crushing the trachea in the V between them. Elbows are swung in an arc like a scimitar, knees are thrust like spears, punches and kicks are thrown as if the intention is to break my own leg or hand... as I say often,"overkill is underrated" of course, the law disagrees and "excessive force" is always a concern, which is why there is also emphasis on evasion and escape, but more on that later. The "three moves or less" thing is accomplished in three steps- step 1 is initiate a neural override, this means doing something to make the brain revert to a primal defensive state by attacking the senses. This could mean boxing the ears, gouging the eyes, causing dizziness and disorientation by striking the head or one of the knockout points, attacking the trachea or diaphragm to affect the breathing, or attacking nerve centers, sending sparks of electrical energy to the brain which basically make the body think it is in more danger than it is. This gives you a brief window of opportunity to seize control, which is step 2. Gaining control is usually done by initiating a joint lock or uniting your own center of gravity with that of your assailant. Weapons are dangerous from a distance, whether that weapon is a gun or a knife or a fist does not matter, you want to take control of the weapon, and that means being behind, not in front of it. Moving in and gaining advantageous footing is the first step to initializing a throw. Every vital point you attack will always, always, always, open up another. Know your targets and strike/seize them without hesitation. Whichever way you go, for a throw or for control of the body, the final stage will present itself duly. Step 3 is the finisher- neutralize the threat. This can be done by way of kill (permanent neutralization), knockout (moderate neutralization) or by limb destruction (practical neutralization). A possible fourth option is disfigurement. It is not guaranteed, but this could result in "psychological neutralization" by way of making the person not want to fight. Having one's ear in ripped off, losing an eye, or having their face "fish hooked" open may have that affect on some people... Submission holds have been suggested, and they are certainly an option following the previous steps, but unless you are a cop and able to cuff and shackle them, or have one on hand to do so immediately, most people, in my experience, are only enraged by being held down, and, eventually, you will tire or your grip will fail. Realistically, you should only go for submission in a domestic situation where you do not want to seriously injure the person, they just need to calm down, or in a professional situation, like if you are doing this as a security guard or bouncer. If you are attacked on the street, or by an invader to your home, chances are that person means to do you serious harm, so you should reciprocate that intent. There is every probability that an attacker will come back for you with a group of well armed friends. At the very least, you want to make a strong enough example that will make them think twice about pursuing you as a target. Now, unexpected things can happen in a fight. Situations can change in an instant, so you must be dynamic in your approach. "Three moves or less" works in a sequence. If that sequence is disrupted, you must be able to change it and continue to press the attack. You may end up restarting the "three moves" sequence a few time before you are successful, but the point is we do not waste time with excessive and elaborate movements when we are learning our techniques. That way, when the time comes to actually use it, your body is trained to react in the most efficient way possible.

Movement-

Almost all techniques are executed in such a way as to move the body off the line of attack, or to position a guard between yourself and likely direction of counter attack, the guard itself also functioning as a secondary attack whether a counter is thrown or not.

 Example; The opponent punches with the right hand toward your face. You deflect the punch with your right arm while stepping to your left (to the "outside" of the punch) and in toward the attacker (in aikido this movement is called "irimi"). There are two options here. One must be on guard and aware of upper and lower body at once, so the "guard" will take the form either of the left leg being raised in a "crane stance" type fashion to protect the groin, abdomen, and right leg, or the left arm will cover the face should they attempt to throw a punch over their own arm. Usually their hips and/or shoulders will tell you where the immediate threat is. As you begin to seize control of the right arm, your left will either protect your upper body from a punch or you may use the elbow to strike any of the vital points of the head, neck, or face while pulling the right arm into position. Your left leg may guard the lower body, knee the opponent's ribs, or you may shoot a kick out from your guard (chamber) to weaken or take out the opponent's knee. In either case this should serve to further unbalance the opponent while you twist and extend their right arm to gain control. Depending on what position you end up in after this sequence you may swing the left arm into the opponent's throat (spiraling back from the elbow strike, for instance) to knock them back while simultaneously pulling their right arm into your torso and stepping slightly back with your right foot to put pressure on the elbow while grabbing and choking the neck with your other arm (this may result in unconsciousness within 30 seconds and death within minutes if the hold is not released) OR you may continue to turn your hips (as in following up from a kick or knee attack) as you press your left arm into their right shoulder, spiraling out as you extend and rotate their right arm, then fall sharply to the ground and bring their now locked elbow over your right leg, bent at a right angle, thigh parallel to the ground, as you send your weight through your arms into either end of the opponent's arm. This should rather easily break, or at least severely injure the offending arm, and bring them down with the side of the head and neck exposed, in which case a well aimed "leopard paw" to the carotid sinus or "ippon ken" to the asterion (temple) should put them down and out. In extreme circumstances, bring the now injured arm behind the downed assailant's back, keeping it fully extended. Put your left knee on their shoulder and rotate your body from the hips to keep control of the arm and leverage it over your left leg, leaning into it with the weight of your whole body as you wedge the arm against your torso. Lift your right foot and stamp it onto their neck as you lean in and shift your weight as though you were going to stand up. In a few seconds this will crush the trachea, cut off blood to the brain, and kill the assailant.

When I cannot step around the opponent, off the line of attack, then the circles and spirals come inward and become smaller. By this I mean I start to look at the opposition in terms of levers and fulcrums around which to move those levers. Which ways can the pivot and which ways will make them break? By controlling the center of gravity I can pivot the entire body at the hips and roll them over my body, throwing them to the floor. If the body is extended, I may pivot them at the foot, using the head as my contact point, thus maximizing the mechanical advantage of the lever and making them fall fast and hard. The hand, the arm, the leg, all become levers as well, and I may pivot them at the joints to break or stress them, or I may use them to pivot the body into a throw. One key trait of my "style" is using the full weight of their entire body, plus anything that I can generate through my own body, to attack joints and bones of a falling opponent. Extending the energy in a full circle, rather than a "pie slice" so to speak, is key to effectively accomplishing such techniques. In short, most people hold back. Don't. The human body in an adrenalized state is very resilient. Take techniques to a point of absolute completion. Be sure you have completely neutralized the threat before you break contact.

Kicks- 

Kicks are rare and aimed low. I don't do high or flying kicks. Most fighting, in my experience, happens at extreme close range, unless there are weapons involved, and, if they are, it is likely to be a gun, and unless you can traverse over 300 yards in less than a second, you want to CLOSE that distance as quickly as possible, getting on the "safe" side of that gun. If I use a kick it is likely to be in a stomping, sweeping, or whipping type motion. In other words, circular, or spiraling. In kicks, striking is done with the ball, blade (opposite the arch) or heel of the foot, as well as the knee or shin, but never the top or arch of the foot, which are both vulnerable unless highly conditioned. The toe may be used in the rarest of occasions, namely for groin kicks so as to effectively strike vital points (more than just the gonads) in that region. As with all techniques, power is generated from the lower dan tien and the strength of the entire body is put into the kick. Hooking techniques may also be executed using the backs of the legs and turning the hips. I prefer to stay upright as much as possible, but if I must go down, or if it behooves me to do so for some reason, I am a big fan of the "scissor" take down because this lends itself quite naturally to a subsequent leg lock, which can then be turned into destruction of the ankle and/or knee, and a crippled assailant can't pursue you. Other "sacrifice" throws are used as well.

Stomp kick; Lifting the knee high and coming down with extreme force with the cutting edge of the heel, or the blade of the foot, depending on position. This kick is targeted at the kneecaps and sides of the knee joints, the pressure point at the top of the foot between and behind the first and second toes, the many small bones of the top of the foot, and any vulnerable areas of a downed opponent, such as the wrist or back of the hand, elbow, temples, jaw, brain stem, tail bone or lower spine. This is one of the most common finishers in my techniques. Using the side of the foot with this kick is handy when stepping around the opponent too. Targets include the top of the calf, just below the bend of the knee (from behind), or the upper shin, just below the knee, when positioned to the side of the opponent. Either of these is designed to break the leg or dislocate the knee.

Push kick; Bringing the knee up and pushing out with the leg, remembering to bring force from the core and putting the whole body behind it, not just the leg. This kick is aimed at the diaphragm and belly region, mainly designed to shove the opponent back and put distance between you, but if you can bruise internal organs or knock the wind out of the opponent in the process, all the better. This kick can give you a brief window to recover from a blow or set up a more powerful attack. You can also aim this kick at the lower back if you are behind the opponent.

Circular kick; Swinging the leg around from the side, as if drawing a circle around yourself. I believe this is properly called a roundhouse, but movies have confused that term with a spinning kick which turns the body full circle, and I don't like turning my back to an opponent EVER so I do not use full circles when using this kick. It is a circular motion, not actually turning around in a circle. In my style, this kick is aimed at the floating ribs, the pressure points in the thigh (such as the one from the "charlie horse" game when we were kids), and the points just above and just below the sides of the knees. Contact is made either with the shin or the ball of the foot, depending on range and target.

Forward snapping kick; again, I may be using the wrong term, but this is how I think of the kick. It is simply bringing the knee up and snapping the leg up, almost like cracking a whip vertically. This is mainly a kick to the groin, either using the shin or the ball of the foot to make contact. If you have the assailant in a joint lock and they are down on one knee or bending with the head forward, you may also use this kick to target the head, jaw, neck, or chin. If your position is not so advantageous, you can use this kick into the armpit to strike pressure points there. Twisting a bit from here can dislocate the shoulder if executed correctly.

Hand techniques- 

Crane beak; All of the fingers are extended with tips bunched together, meeting at the tip of the thumb. Striking may be done with the top of the wrist, back-handing with the knuckles, or "pecking" with the "beak" or finger tips. Hooking techniques may be executed using the area of the lower wrist and inside of the hand. This is a versatile technique, but care should be taken to condition all areas of contact well because any one of them can result in broken bones if not. Even with training and conditioning, this is used only to strike vulnerable points which require minimum effort to be effective. Examples; using the wrist to strike the knockout point under the chin because this point is best activated with an inward-hooking motion as opposed to a straight uppercut, and the wrist gives a finer point than the broad fist does. Using the finger tips to strike the eyes, thus minimizing the risk of finger injury compared to a single or double finger strike, and even if the opponent turns their head you can still strike the pressure point at the top of the cheek or behind the earlobe (depending on how they move). Furthermore, this hand technique can quickly transition for quick follow-up strikes, such as using the rising wrist to strike the chin, as described before, then immediately going into a "panther fist" and pressing into the point between the nose and upper lip, thus driving the already disoriented opponent to the ground.

Modified knife hand; The little finger is tucked under ring finger, strengthening the whole hand and creating a bony point at the lower knuckle for more precisely striking pressure points. The thumb is tucked too so that striking with the other side of the hand (ridge hand) does not damage it. Instead, it is the lower knuckle of the first finger that hits the pressure point. Rarely, the finger tips may be used in this configuration (spear hand) to strike soft areas like the trachea.

Hammerfist; Strike using the bottom or back of fist. Along with elbows, knees, and palm strikes this is the main way of attacking the body. If you are being assaulted by a barrage of strikes, keep your arms up, protect your face and head, and swing out a hand with a cutting motion to make contact with the bottom (meaty) part of your clenched fist and hope to make contact with something. Throw knees and elbows at close range and continue to protect yourself while seeking a window of opportunity for a throw, lock, or ender. Use the back-fist only on fleshy parts of the body, as collision with the skull, shins, forearms, or elbows may injure your own hand. Cracking the jaw with a sweeping back-fist, on the other hand, could be devastating. The cutting/sweeping motions have the benefit of deflecting potentially unseen blows while executing your attack. This is a characteristic of my style as straight-on attacks will always open you up to counters. If you swing your right arm from left to right, and the opponent throws a straight punch in response, you have only to continue the motion and deflect the blow. Combining this with footwork (stepping off-center and in toward your target) you may then counter his counter with an elbow to the throat, for example.

Twist punch; This is done by turning the fist at about a 45 degree angle to the ground, or just so that the ulna and radius are lined up parallel to one another. If you press into your arm with your other hand you can feel this. Striking is done with the first two knuckles primarily, so the fist is bent ever so slightly downward so that they line up, more or less, with the bones of the arm. This is used for striking pressure points that require deep trauma to be effective, such as those in the arm or leg which may be buried deep within layers of tissue. It is NOT ideal to strike the head with this technique. Palm strikes are preferred for that because they can provide more concussive damage with less risk of self injury.

Panther fist; Extend the fingers and bend at the second knuckle, tucking the thumb into the palm, bent at the first knuckle.This position allows you to strike with a backhand or ridge hand as well as with the knuckles. This configuration is not only used to strike smaller targets than would be easily hit with the fist (such as pressure points in the armpit) but also for exerting pressure on vulnerable points which respond better to digital force than striking force. The points on the inside and outside of the elbow are good examples, as well as the aforementioned point below the nose.

Phoenix eye fist; This technique extends the second knuckle of the first finger and reinforces it with the tip of the thumb, which is tucked into the void created by extending the finger. Note that the thumb is NOT bent in any way for this technique but is held stiffly against the underside of the hand and the first finger wraps itself over the tip. This is an improved (in my opinion) hybridization of the "ippon ken" extended knuckle strike and the thumb strike. It is ideal for striking points locate within hollows, such as the one behind the earlobe, as well as applying digital pressure to those that don't respond to striking and may be too deep or small to reach with the panther fist. I actually found this to be more effective than the traditional two fingers driving poke into the supersternal notch, despite not being able to drive as deeply in.

Diamond fist; another single-knuckle strike, used in much the same way as the "phoenix eye" but slightly better for punching and worse for poking. This fist is formed by first making a regular balled fist, then extending the second finger at the second knuckle. The first and third fingers press against the second at either side, then the thumb comes across to seal it all up. So, the second finger is reinforced on three sides and extended at the second knuckle forming a vaguely "diamond" like shape, hence the name. I believe in karate they call this one "nakadaka ken" and it can be useful in getting better penetration out of kyusho strikes to points deep inside of tissue (as in "slitting the muscle" techniques) as well as striking more surface oriented points such as on the temples or backs of the hands. As kids, we used to "dead-arm" and "dead-leg" people with this strike.

Palm strikes; The palm of the hand can be made hard or soft through flexion of the muscles and fingers. It is important to be able to quickly and fluidly switch between the two, even mid-technique as conditions change. Hard strikes may be with the heel of the palm, or the side, like a ridge hand. The fingers may also be used to claw and gouge at soft targets like the eyes, ears and lips. Soft hands are used to box the ears, which can be severely disorienting and may result in temporary or permanent deafness. A hard strike to the elbow may be used to break the arm during a locking or throwing technique. However, should the opponent suddenly begin to turn, you may need to switch to a soft hand and turn your strike into a grab, stopping halfway through one technique and entering halfway through another, saving you the effort of resetting and beginning a new technique from the beginning. Movements are unpredictable in a real fight, it is not like practice. Don't get caught up in routine. Train for the unexpected.

Sword secret; This is done by extending the first two fingers fully while bending the ring and little fingers at the second knuckle and holding the thumb at the side of the hand. This is a very vulnerable position, likely to get your fingers broken, so it must be used with caution. It can be used to strike at the eyes, adam's apple, or to reach behind bones like the collarbone which protects many deeper pressure points. I use it mostly in demonstration to emphasize the control that accurate pressure point technique can impart. It is called "sword secret" because it is also used in weapons techniques to increase precision of stabbing thrusts. In combat, I would be more likely to use it with a yawara or some expedient facsimile thereof.

Other strikes-
Shoulders; I practice "driving thru" the center line to throw or knock back opponents at close range. The shoulder is often the point of contact when performing this type of technique.

Headbutt; At extreme close range your hands may be bound in the opponent's grasp, your bodies too close to kick or knee, but every disadvantage comes with an advantage, and every action opens up an opportunity. If the assailant is standing close and holding your arms down, then his arms are down too and his face and skull exposed. Striking with the head must be done properly to avoid self injury. Do NOT whip the head back and forth. Do NOT strike with the middle of the forehead, crown, or sides of the head. Do NOT use the neck to try and generate the force. There is a bony ridge between your "third eye" and the hair line. There are impact points to either side of the center that can jar the brain and cause a daze or knockout if struck with concussive force as with a palm or hammerfist strike, so best try to avoid hitting your opponent with these areas yourself. Your striking surface is the center part of that ridge, before you get to the "points" on either side, where your skull begins to curve back toward the temples. Force, as always, comes from the lower dan tien, at the body center, between the navel and pubic bone. The neck and spine are lined up with the hips so that the entire body becomes like a piston and force is driven up the center and out through the focal point, that upper forehead ridge area. Direct this attack at the vulnerable points of the face such as the bridge of the nose, the tops of the cheek bones, the eyes, temples, or jawbone. Any of these are easily broken, and, properly executed, this striking technique should produce FAR more than enough power to shatter these bones and cause the opponent to instinctively recoil out of primal self-preservation. This is the "neural override" we talked about. Seize the window of opportunity, and proceed accordingly.

Elbows; "throwin' bo's" is a good tactic at close range where street fights tend to happen, and it has the benefit of letting you keep your arms up to guard your head and face, primary targets as being struck anywhere in that area will usually daze you, and once you are dazed you are pretty well done for. A well slung elbow will sometimes cut the opponent's flesh. Elbow strikes can actually be much more dangerous than punches. As superior offensive AND defensive weapons it only makes sense to train using elbows. It helps that most would not expect to see an attack coming from the elbows of a person who appears only to be guarding their head. Looking like you are cowering and then unleashing and explosive barrage of attacks at close range could turn the tide of an assault.

Knees; generating power from dan tien and thrusting sharply forward and upward. I say "swing elbows like scimitars and knees like spears" because that is what the movement reminds me of. Knee strikes are aimed at the groin (there are actually several pressure points in that region, not just the one vulnerable spot), thighs (at the "charlie horse" point), tail bone, floating ribs, or the throat, spine, brain stem, ribs or elbows of a downed assailant for a finisher. In the later cases the technique is more of a "dead drop" combined with a downward thrust.

"one inch punch"; really more of a training technique than an actual strike as the underlying principles can be applied to any strike. This is simply a powerful strike from extreme close range. The key lay in the hidden power of transitional force and full body movement (taijutsu). In training the one inch punch you hold the fist fingers' length from a target, then relax the hand, holding the now softly bending fingers just off the target. As with most strikes, you want the upper body and lower body in sync with each other. That means if you are punching with the right hand you want the right leg slightly forward, or the left leg slightly forward for a left hand punch. When you strike, you do so with explosive force, all at once, transitioning in an instant from "soft" to "hard" while projecting force from dan tien. The power should come up from the center, up the spine, through the shoulders, pushed forward by the torso and fly like a shock wave through the arm as it is all focused into a powerful punch. I am not fond of breaking boards, because it seems a waste of good materials for the simple sake of showing off, but I am okay with it when it comes to training the one-inch-punch because it conditions the fist while also giving you a clear indicator of success when and if you punch through it. Practicing on a thick piece of wood you may never actually break is just as well though. As long as you punch as if you intend to break it, your training will likely be successful. Once you can do the punch, however, you should strive to practice the same way with your other strikes. That is why I talk of thrusting knees like spears. Knee strikes are used at extreme close range, the closer the better, in fact, because if you are in a clench the opponent is likely not to even see your knee. If you execute a knee strike in the same manner as a one-inch-punch you will cause massive damage rather than simply encouraging them to get off you. This one move could potentially end the fight, or at least give you time to get away.

Weapons-
Weapons training is a big part of my system. Bad guys have weapons, and know how to use them, so it only makes sense for us to strive to be better educated about weapons and their use than the average street thug. I am also a major proponent of expedient and improvised weapons. Not only does this give you the ability to seize advantages from your surroundings in any setting, but it trains the mind to think outside the box, to remain alert and agile, and to spot opportunities where others would miss them. Also, using expedient weapons can work to your advantage legally. If you are assaulted, and you use some mundane object that just happened to be close at hand to gain the advantage, no one can say you went out looking for trouble. For these and many more reasons (analogs to other weapons, relative safety in training, effective use of seemingly innocuous tools...) I like to train with a variety of weapons.

Cane; The standard crook-top cane is an excellent weapon. it can be used for a variety of techniques, and has the advantage of being already in your hand at the time of an attack because you can just walk around with it openly without being accused of "brandishing a weapon".

Rope; ropes of varying lengths can be highly advantageous in a fight, and can be quickly modified with other components (such as weights) to make them all the more effective. Ropes help us to train our body and mind for circular movement. Short ropes help with small circles used in locks and throws. Long ropes help with large circles, teaching us range, full body awareness, coordinated movement, and can also be used for binding opponents. Ropes are also analogous to a range of flexible expedients, such as towels, t-shirts, belts, etc.

Dan Bong; A short, stout stick used for a variety of striking and locking techniques. I like those with a lanyard attached, but there are advantages and other techniques which can be used with the non-roped variety as well.

Pocket Sticks; Yawara, Kubaton, chizikunbo, et al. They are easy to conceal, legal in most jurisdictions, difficult to disarm, and dramatically improve the effectiveness of pressure point techniques. The biggest drawback is that these require a great deal of training to be used well, so it is a good idea to train often.

Mini Flail; This is mostly due to the fact that "monkey fist key chains" have become such commonplace items. A simple braided strap, or a kubaton with a key ring, can also turn the car keys into an expedient "flail" of sorts. It is not the most powerful weapon, but it can serve well as a "get off me" tool and give you a chance to escape or set up a more powerful attack. A properly made slungshot (technically illegal in most places, but that is still what a loaded "monkey fist" really is, though they are overlooked) can be fairly effective as a knockout and finishing tool. Like the pocket sticks, it takes a great deal of practice to be able to reliably use it though. These can also be used for rope techniques, again, if properly made, meaning having enough of a "tail" to gain sufficient momentum for a potent strike.

Karambit; claw-like knife with a finger ring handle, held in a standard "reverse" grip (blade opposite the thumb). As stated in my post on bladed weapons, this knife can be effective even in untrained hands, and is devastatingly effective when you really know how to use it.

Kukri; Like combining the bowie with a hatchet, this large, forward-curving blade is ridiculously powerful, and battle tested.

Machete; mainly because it is a utilitarian blade which wouldn't seem out of place in some areas, and because it is used with the more circular type of movement preferred in my style.

Short Spear; I began carrying a homemade "spear" with a stout shaft about shoulder height, and a wide-bellied blade (so really more of a mini halberd) sometime in my teens when I ventured into the woods on hunting and gathering excursions. I like to plane the sides of the shaft so that it is easy to direct the angle of the blade even in mid swing. Spears are not the kind of thing you can just mosey around town with, but  the techniques translate to any sort of long weapon, such as a stick or a pole. it also trains the body to deal with linear, long-range fighting.

Firearms; I firmly believe that shooting should be incorporated into the martial arts. Humans have been using firearms in one form or another for centuries. The Chinese developed the first black powder weapons over 800 years ago. There is a lot more to effective firearms use than "point an shoot" and I have developed techniques to help with aiming, accuracy, and firing speed involving breath control and full body awareness. Again, I know I am not the only one doing this, I just don't know who else is or what they call it. Anyway, firearms training is also about knowing exactly HOW the weapons work because understanding the mechanics of various firearms can also help us with our defense against them. For example, pushing back the slide or blocking the hammer of a handgun during any one of the standard disarms can give you a marked advantage and dramatically increase your chances of success for an already extremely dangerous technique.

Before and after-

If you have read this far, you may think my technique sounds a little brutal, but that is the nature of violence. The way we keep all this in balance is through mastery of it. When we master violence, we master our capacity for violence. When we master violence, we learn to control it, both in our enemies, and in ourselves. I believe we must come to terms with the brutality, chaos and destruction in order to find "the eye of the storm" and come to reside within it. In so doing, we are able to recognize a dangerous situation before we are even in it. We become aware of suspicious and aggressive behavior in others. We learn to take notice of exits and areas of cover. By combining this with specialized escape techniques and movement, we are able to quickly and effectively remove ourselves from danger, either before, or after the altercation. We must be alert, but calm. "Fear equals readiness" as I say. Fear is a tool which serves one purpose, to activate our primal strengths for fight-or-flight. I say embrace it and use it to your advantage. Let it flood your senses with heightened awareness, let it quicken your limbs and reflexes, let it goad you into action rather than reduce you to a blubbering heap because you refuse to let it do what it is designed to do. Ride the wave of adrenaline and save your prayers and phone calls to momma AFTER you have escaped with your life.

Weapons of Interest pt.3, Knives

I make knives. I could go on and on about the different types of knives and which ones are good for what and why, and I have before in other things I have written, so I will attempt to briefly address the key points before discussing some of my favored knife types and why.

Not all blades of a given type are created equal. First off, consider your steel. Remember that steel is NOT a naturally occurring metal, it is an iron alloy, that means iron with other stuff. Stainless is fine for kitchen knives or anything that is going to stay wet or be exposed to salt water, but, other than that, leave it alone. Stainless usually has a high chromium content. It is shiny, but soft, meaning it dulls very quickly and will not take a keen edge. Medium to high carbon steels are best. 5160 is a nice middle ground suitable for most purposes. D2 is another favorite, and it is rust-resistant.

Secondly, consider your grind. If a seller cannot tell you what kind of grind a knife has, they have no business selling knives. Hollow grind is the sharpest, it's what you find on straight razors. Also called "clam shell grind" because of the shape of its cross-section. This is also the thinnest grind, so it makes for the weakest blade. Hollow ground knives will break or dull quickly, and wear away to nothing with repeated sharpening. Avoid in all but the smallest blades. Flat grind is next in terms of sharpness, therefore next-to-last in terms of strength. This is good for a basic utility style pocket knife. The Scandinavian grind is best for survival type knives. They are rugged, and will take plenty of abuse. Chopping wood is fine, but they are not so great at fine carving, just rough shaping. Scandinavian grinds do well on larger, fixed blade knives. Chisel grind gives you a balance of strength and sharpness at the cost of ambidexterity. An Emerson grind is basically a finer chisel grind. The Moran grind is a personal favorite. Also called an "apple seed grind" for the shape of its cross-section, this grind gives you the sharpness of a flat grind with strength almost as great as a Scandinavian. Sharpen this grind with circular motions, as you would in honing an axe (most of which have convex grinds, which the Moran is a finer version of).

Laws about knives vary drastically from state to state, and jurisdiction to jurisdiction. For instance, many of the knives I can carry at home, in the county, are not legal to carry in the city, even though I am still in the same state. For this reason, I cannot really comment on the legality of knives like I have the other weapons in this series. Best just to check your own state and local laws and find ways to adapt accordingly. Personally, I would like to see all weapons made legal, with a licensing system instated that requires legitimate training for each class of weapon- stick, flexible, small blade, large blade, sword, pole arm, long gun, hand gun. It's not that I think it would be a good idea for people to run around with swords. I mean, most people would have sense enough not to. I am just saying, that's freedom, and if a person really wants to, let them as long as they aren't hurting anyone who hasn't tried to hurt them, and who is going to pick a fight with someone crazy enough to carry a sword? Especially when the law requires that person actually train with the sword and apply for the license to carry it! Bottom line, I don't think the standard handgun safety course is enough for any weapon, least of all firearms. Training should be more like what we see in martial arts, not some slap-dash weekend crash course ... but I digress... Without further ado- knives;

*a word on styles- bladed weapons of all types basically fall into two main style categories; cut-and-thrust or hack-and-slash. These go back to the early days of blade warfare with weapons like the long sword and saber. This, again, goes back to the basic martial arts principles of linear and circular styles. If you are heavily geared toward soft, generally circular styles, you may want to consider curved, slashing style blades, whereas straight blades work better with linear movement. In the end, just use whatever you have available, and train with whatever you are comfortable with, but if you are considering exploring a new weapon or style, it may help to consider these factors jointly.

Pocket Knife- The common folding knife comes in practically every configuration imaginable. These are probably considered the least threatening and, therefore, less likely to get you in trouble with the law just for having it. If you carry a pocket knife regularly, a few things can make it better for use as a defensive tool should the unfortunate need ever arise. First, look for one with a hole in the handle for a lanyard. Having something to wrap around your hand (I like the thumb-catch-over-the-fist method as seen with the Dan Bong) can really help you retain control of the small handled folding knife. You also want something with a strong locking mechanism. The friction-locking types are likely to collapse onto your fingers in the thick of it, which is likely to get you killed, and, at the very least, you will be badly injured. The size of the tang (the part connecting the blade to the handle) and strength of the rivets should also be considered. This is always going to be the weak point of a folding knife, but it may as well be the strongest weak point you can get. Finally, you basically want to carry the largest folding knife you can legally get away with. Most pocket knives are straight "cut-and-thrust" style, and small blades just don't reach vital organs. Curved blades can do massive slashing damage even if they are not very long, but straight blades can only cut so much. Either one is just a superficial wound, but a substantial enough superficial wound may be enough to send the bad guy running to the hospital rather than staying around to give you trouble. For this reason, wide bladed "skinner" type knives make good EDC (every day carry) pocket knives because they give you a fair balance between cutting and slashing.

Balisong- The pocket knife of the Philippines, and likely the oldest type of folding knife there is. In many areas balisongs, colloquially known as "butterfly knives" due to the wing-like action of their two pivoting handles, are legal to buy and own, but illegal to carry, which is dreadfully unfair because they are literally no more dangerous or threatening than any other folding knife. The biggest difference is that this design makes for a much stronger and safer locking blade than the standard western varieties. Yes, people do a lot of fancy tricks with them, making their balisong look almost like a tiny pair of "nunchucks", and all this fancy movement is about as useful as what you see with nunchaku as well, which is to say- pointless. At most you can use the closed knife as a fistload, which you could do with a regular pocket knife, or even a loose battery, or maybe use the handles to pinch someone, which you can't do with a regular folding knife, but why would you want to pinch someone you should be stabbing? If I am coming off as bitter, it's because I am profoundly annoyed by ignorant weapons laws passed on such utterly illogical grounds as "it looks scary" ...anyway... the balisong usually comes with a straight, single edge and clip point design, with a blade more or less the length of the palm. Practicing opening the knife quickly, with one hand, from various positions, is the hardest thing about training with this knife. Other than that, it is the ideal folding knife design in terms of strength and utility. This is a cut-and-thrust weapon.

Karambit- A small, curved knife which may have an single or double edge, inspired by a tiger's claw and used in the Indonesian martial science of silat. A characteristic of the karambit is the finger ring located at the end of the handle.This is used primarily for retaining the grip, but is sometimes used for extending strikes.These cause only superficial wounds, and put the user at risk of having the handle grabbed and their finger broken, but it is used mostly for distraction and surprise attack. The karambit is my favorite small knife because it serves admirably in a utilitarian capacity (I use one daily) and can be effectively used in defense, even with the gross motor skills of an untrained person. With knowledge and training, however, this becomes a brutal hidden weapon that is nearly impossible to disarm... or to see coming. If single edged, it is always sharp on the forward curve for hook-like strikes that sever arteries, tendons, and reach behind bones and joints to break them. If double edged, the convex back curve delivers wide slashes on the back-draw. I use mine for skinning game, cleaning fish, and cutting rope and zip ties mostly, but I take comfort in knowing that if I ever were forced to use it on a human being, I could do so with quick and devastating effectiveness.

Stiletto- The "switch blade" is the most well known knife to sport a stiletto style blade, but not all stilettos are spring operated. Originally a fixed blade, stilettos can now be found with standard type folding and locking blades, legal to carry in many jurisdictions. It is a very narrow cut-and-thrust blade, especially adept and piercing deep into tissue and getting between bones. Usually single edged with a clip or spear type point, the thin shape and small tang of the folding types make them very fragile.

Sgean Dubh- Scots Gaelic for "black knife" the sgean dubh (pronounced like "shane do") is a miniature dirk made to be carried in the sock or garter of the Scotsman's full dress kilt. A dirk is a spear-pointed knife which may be single, double, or one and a half (sharp from tip to handle on one side, and only half way down the other, with a thick spine running the rest of the way to the handle) edged. Dirks and sgean dubh have no guard, only a swelled handle to keep from slipping. It is a last ditch cut and thrust weapon, easy to change grips with and difficult to see coming owing to its small size. The blade of a sgean dubh may be 1-3 inches, but rarely more, and the handle only just big enough to fit in the hand. In the old days, this was a Scotsman's basic utility and whittling knife.

Tanto- A single edged fixed blade with a distinctively square (well, parallelogram, actually) shaped point, usually no more than one foot in overall length (blade and handle). Part of standard samurai equipment, this cut-and-thrust style dagger is superior at breaking through hard materials without chipping its point.

Combat Knife- I didn't want to list it as "Ka-Bar" which is a brand name that receives far too much press, but that is the name commonly associated with a particular type of fixed blade, clip point, single-edged knife with a half-guard and, usually, stacked leather handle with metal butt cap. This knife superseded the old trench knife from WWII, which was a longer, narrower blade with a set of brass knuckles for a handle. The Ka-Bar company supplied the armed forces with a fine combat knife, but, in my opinion, they let the popularity go to their head and production quality has severely diminished over the years. The design itself is pretty basic for a cut-and-thrust fighting knife. Strong, high carbon steel, usually a flat or scandi grind. The guard and butt cap both help keep the hand from slipping. Reverse (point opposite side of the hand as thumb) and forward grips are used. Practice switching between grips helps to improve skill.

Machete- Long, thin (cross-section), wide-bodied blades primarily used for utility, agriculture and domestic purposes. Believe it or not, a variety of machetes are considered standard kitchen equipment in some parts of the world. I use mine for chopping meat, cutting melons, and hulling coconuts often enough. Machetes come in a wide variety of shapes, each more suited to different purposes. The "Latin" style is most common, having a long, straight blade which gets wider toward the tip as it curves broadly up to a straight spine. The "sugar cane" machete is probably next in terms of familiarity. These are very broad and square-shaped, almost like a comically sized meat cleaver, sometimes with a small bill hook on the back tip. Other styles include the leaf-shaped barong, the curving panga, the rectangular golok and tapanga, all have their uses. Generally speaking, machetes are all hack-and-slash style weapons.

Bowie and Toothpick- The classic American frontier combo. The well known Bowie may have been quite different from the large, rectangular, single edged, clip-pointed blade we know it as now back when Jim first commissioned it. The little known "Arkansas Toothpick" is a large, double edged dagger meant to accompany it. The story goes that Jim asked the smith (named Smith, as is natural) to make him a knife to suit all his needs. He asked that it be heavy enough to chop wood, sharp enough to shave with, and wide enough to use for a boat paddle. At least, that's how the legend goes. Contemporary descriptions of the original used the word "bill hook" and spoke of a sharpened top edge on the upper third, implying that it may have had a more sweeping point and incorporated a secondary, sickle-like back blade. In any case, the bowie has a long, straight edge extending from the handle with a wide curving point, creating both cutting and slashing edges to work with. The old frontiersmen were a lot more civilized and classically trained than people realize. The bowie and toothpick fighting style was actually based on classic fencing. The bowie was meant to be used like a saber or cutlass and the toothpick took the place of the main gauch or parrying dagger. The shorter length of the bowie made it more practical to carry than a saber, while the weight gave it about the same heft and chopping power. The toothpick is more of a cut-and-thrust style weapon, though its design is still quite broad. Both blades are usually about a foot long, with the bowie being about as wide as the palm and the base of the toothpick only a little less, the later coming to a fine, triangular point.

Kukri- My favorite large blade. It is single edged and somewhat "boomerang" shaped which is much wider at the forward portion than it is near the handle. The ergonomics of the design cause it to begin cutting before the arm even begins to exert force upon the target. Heavy chopping with the upper portion does not dull the lower portion, due to the wide "belly" of the upper, meaning it remains very sharp for cutting at close range, targeting areas such as the wrist or neck. Stabbing is also possible, contrary to popular belief. Though the point is off-center from the palm, making it difficult to aim, it is anatomically more stable because the fist is held in line with the ulna and radius, rather than bending the wrist down as you must do with a straight blade (making you more prone to injuries such as sprained or broken wrist due to a glancing blow). Personally, I find it to be a very functional blade, using it much like someone else might a hatchet or bowie knife. I have chopped down trees, cut fire wood, cut back overgrown hedges and overhanging tree limbs, and quartered animals for meat using my kukri many times.

Cinquedea- A transitional weapon that lost out to fashion. It came in the days between when men carried broadswords and when they became more "civilized" preferring the more "gentlemanly" rapier. The cinquedea allegedly takes its name from "five-fingers" which was supposed to refer to its width at the base. It is a short sword/large dagger meant to deliver the force of a broadsword in a more compact package. In a way, it is much like the "Arkansas Toothpick" which is almost a slightly more modern reincarnation of it. The cinquedea used to incorporate multiple fullers (more commonly known as "blood grooves" albeit mistakenly) to help reduce the weight. Thrusting with such a wide blade and giving it a twist as you pull it out does MASSIVE tissue damage and leaves a gaping, bleeding wound. Believe it or not, this would actually do more damage than a gunshot.