Freeform self defence
Just as in zen, it is by
stripping off the superfluous and abstracting until only the essence is left
that one comes to understand the true nature.
(Masaaki
Hatsumi)
Under pressure
The purpose of freeform is to see what happens when an attacker
assaults you in an unpredictable, random fashion.
Formal drills may be great for positioning and timing, but they do not prepare
you for
self defence.
You need surprises.
The attacker needs to tax you, to test you.
They need to catch you out and expose your weaknesses: emotional,
psychological and physical.
Unless your vulnerabilities are exposed, how will you be aware of them?
Our syllabus works through a series of freeform self defence games that increasingly
put you under pressure.
Although everyone has fun, there is a lot of
panicking and
floundering to begin with.
Ultimately you must be able to cope with an uncooperative attacker who may or
not be
armed, who may or may not have
friends.
You need to to stay
composed and
calm. You need to
demonstrate tai chi
skills.
Yielding, gravity striking, fa jing and chin na are all acceptable.
Kickboxing is not.
We are not teaching people how to fight in the ring, enter
competitions or anything along those lines.
The
curriculum is strictly designed for
self defence.
Not fighting
Freeform is not
fighting. It is concerned with self defence.
Fighting is when two people have a disagreement and mutually engage in combat.
Fighting may occur because two people support different football teams.
The aim is to defeat the other person, to gain victory.
Self defence is when someone assaults you, and you defend yourself.
Self defence is a response to an attack. You never initiate.
You have no interest in 'winning'. Your concern is simply to avoid harm.
There is a distinct difference between the two scenarios.
Freeform partnered training
When a beginner is attacked, the initial response is just to tense-up.
Beginners must learn to respond effectively when assaulted.
That is the whole point of freeform: developing a viable response relative to
the incoming attack.
Training needs to be progressive and structured - moving from evasion onto
countering by following a series of methodical steps.
Attempting to hurry this process or miss stages out will only result in careless
practice.
In the beginners syllabus you employ escapes, stepping and striking
against an attacker.
As you progress, you will need to start incorporating silk arms and
form application.
No correlation
It is common in martial arts for students to learn a meticulous
form/kata, and then spar in a totally different way.
Freeform self defence is not fighting.
Your aim is to incorporate the insights, principles, body mechanics and
structures learned during form practice.
This cannot be forced. It is the result of
familiarity.
The form eventually feels less formal and freeform looks closer to form in
nature.
Initially, freeform will look nothing like form. It will be whatever comes out
naturally.
Stay calm, composed and centred. Only step if you have to. Do not
anticipate or dither.
Tai chi is not fighting
The worst examples of tai chi freeform self defence tend to look like
poor quality kickboxing.
This is certainly not what we are aiming for.
Your tai chi needs to look like tai chi. Not stylised, stiff or awkward, but
relaxed, fluid and practical.
In our school, the training proceeds through clear stages:
Solo attacker offers locks & holds
- You must escape and counter-attack
Multiple attackers offer locks & holds
- You must escape and counter-attack
Solo attacker offers kicks, punches & grapples
- You must evade and counter-attack
Multiple attackers offer kicks, punches &
grapples
- You must evade and counter-attack
Solo attacker offers knife attack
- You must evade and counter-attack
Multiple attackers offer unexpected use of knife
- You must evade and counter-attack
Solo attacker using any attack. They also
counter your counters
- You must evade and counter-attack
Multiple attackers using any attack. They also
counter your counters
- You must evade and counter-attack
Tai chi versus tai chi - solo attacker
- You must evade and counter-attack
Tai chi versus tai chi - multiple attackers
- You must evade and counter-attack
There are no real rules as such. The aim is to employ tai chi
body mechanics, principles and strategies.
If your responses look like an external martial art, you will be carefully
corrected and the flaw in your freeform
examined and repaired.
Slow
Your partner needs to be just fast enough to encourage a response but
no quicker than that.
Start slowly: this is still just an exercise and undue zeal will hamper
progress.
When you feel to be dreamily wandering around in slow-motion but your attacker
finds you to be fast, you are getting the hang of it.
Speed is not a sign of skill, it is a sign of panic - be calm and relaxed, loose
and smooth.
Playing the attacker
The attacker needs to explore a variety of angles and attacks.
Attack to the front, back, side, off-centre - using straight, cross, roundhouse
and uppercut.
Start from a casual stance or hold a 'boxer' style posture with a guard.
Although the style of the attack wants to look more 'street-smart', adhere to
the tai chi principles of connection, avoiding over-commitment, using intention
(not tension) and not locking your joints.
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Page created 1 May 1999