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Forced to Fight!
Kevin:
It's true that I've had more than a fair share of live fighting encounters, but it certainly wasn't planned that way. When I opened my first school more than 30 years ago, the martial arts didn't enjoy the widespread popularity that they do today, so public perception of the arts was much different then. The Bruce Lee films and the David Carradine television series 'Kung-Fu' had generated some interest, but most of the low budget Hong Kong films were so bad that many people didn't take it very seriously. There was definitely a growing curiosity about it all, however.
As a result, anyone who opened a martial arts school of any style, and advertised in the Yellow Page Telephone Directory, or who hung up posters around the city and did public demonstrations of their art anywhere, essentially became a target for guys who thought it was all a load of BS, or who wanted to test it out before spending money on instruction. Not always, but usually it would be possible to satisfy the curiosity of those who actually walked into the kwoon through open discussion about what was being practiced and taught...without fighting...without anyone getting hurt.
However, most of those with whom I fought were ambushers who laid in wait to strike from a hidden position for the advantage of sudden surprise...just in case there really was something credible about all this martial art stuff. I sometimes 'sensed' intuitively that some imminent danger was present, but since I rarely had any personal contact with such individuals prior to these encounters, it was generally impossible to know who intended to test me or when and where they planned to do so.
As such, I have always just gone about my business, knowing that if and when potential harm came my way, I'd be able to react and respond spontaneously and automatically in the mere blink of an eye. This is what I meant previously in saying that the best strategy for me was no stategy at all, devoid of hypothetical analysis of probable tactics if they do this or do that, because I learned quickly that I wouldn't be able to predict what would happen in most cases.
The only factors realistically within my control, therefore, were and are my physical training such as stretching, strengthening, Form Sets, enhancing my sense perceptions, et cetera; my intrinsic energy training such as chi-kung and pranayama; and my mental preparedness such as awareness of my surroundings, enhancing my mental focus and concentration, increasing my spiritual grounding through prayer and meditation, and so forth.
When these factors are in place...programmed into the inner computer so to speak...everything else takes care if itself automatically. As the Venerable Lao-Tzu states in the Tao Te Ching..."The Superior Man of Tao does nothing, and yet nothing is left undone." And so, that's how it's always been!
It was always my intention, no matter what happened, to injure my assailants as little as possible under the circumstances. Thus, I never maimed or killed any of them, and most ambushers or outright challengers became my students and friends. All's well that ends well!
Sifu Stier
Kevin:
It's true that I've had more than a fair share of live fighting encounters, but it certainly wasn't planned that way. When I opened my first school more than 30 years ago, the martial arts didn't enjoy the widespread popularity that they do today, so public perception of the arts was much different then. The Bruce Lee films and the David Carradine television series 'Kung-Fu' had generated some interest, but most of the low budget Hong Kong films were so bad that many people didn't take it very seriously. There was definitely a growing curiosity about it all, however.
As a result, anyone who opened a martial arts school of any style, and advertised in the Yellow Page Telephone Directory, or who hung up posters around the city and did public demonstrations of their art anywhere, essentially became a target for guys who thought it was all a load of BS, or who wanted to test it out before spending money on instruction. Not always, but usually it would be possible to satisfy the curiosity of those who actually walked into the kwoon through open discussion about what was being practiced and taught...without fighting...without anyone getting hurt.
However, most of those with whom I fought were ambushers who laid in wait to strike from a hidden position for the advantage of sudden surprise...just in case there really was something credible about all this martial art stuff. I sometimes 'sensed' intuitively that some imminent danger was present, but since I rarely had any personal contact with such individuals prior to these encounters, it was generally impossible to know who intended to test me or when and where they planned to do so.
As such, I have always just gone about my business, knowing that if and when potential harm came my way, I'd be able to react and respond spontaneously and automatically in the mere blink of an eye. This is what I meant previously in saying that the best strategy for me was no stategy at all, devoid of hypothetical analysis of probable tactics if they do this or do that, because I learned quickly that I wouldn't be able to predict what would happen in most cases.
The only factors realistically within my control, therefore, were and are my physical training such as stretching, strengthening, Form Sets, enhancing my sense perceptions, et cetera; my intrinsic energy training such as chi-kung and pranayama; and my mental preparedness such as awareness of my surroundings, enhancing my mental focus and concentration, increasing my spiritual grounding through prayer and meditation, and so forth.
When these factors are in place...programmed into the inner computer so to speak...everything else takes care if itself automatically. As the Venerable Lao-Tzu states in the Tao Te Ching..."The Superior Man of Tao does nothing, and yet nothing is left undone." And so, that's how it's always been!
It was always my intention, no matter what happened, to injure my assailants as little as possible under the circumstances. Thus, I never maimed or killed any of them, and most ambushers or outright challengers became my students and friends. All's well that ends well!
Sifu Stier
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