Incapacitation

To me, real mastery is ease and effortlessness, with precision in movement and a realisation of one's own limitations.

(John Painter)

Kung fu

The kung fu approach taught by Sifu Waller aims to incapacitate the attacker.
We are not interested in 'beating' anyone up or winning contests.
Kung fu is all about escaping injury, not causing it.

If you can escape without inflicting pain, that is good. You have nothing to prove to anyone.
Kung fu is not about payback or vengeance.

Calm body and mind

A calm mind and composed emotions enable you to respond to an attack in a fluid manner.
Instead of 'freezing up' you remain mobile and functional.

Ease of movement at all times is fundamental to tai chi and baguazhang.
Unless your body feels comfortable and natural, you cannot respond instantaneously.


Render incapable

If you can deter an attacker without harming them, this is preferable.
It is legally and morally appropriate.

Kung fu meets the needs of the situation, rendering the attacker incapable of further assault.
This can be accomplished in a number of ways:

1. Shuai jiao
   - take the attacker to the floor using grappling skills
    

2. Chin na
   - there are 4 areas of skill that enable you to compromise the attacker
    

3. Fa jing
   - a spontaneous release of energy
    

4. Floorwork (control)
   - taking someone to the floor expediently and smoothly, maintaining stickiness
    

5. Gravity strike
   - a heavy, soft strike that can be delivered easily and comfortably using almost any body part
    

6. Projections
   - taking someone to the floor by expressing energy

Ideally, your response should be effortless to perform, but have a significant and meaningful effect.


Restraint

It is important to only do what is appropriate.
Kung fu is concerned with expedience, with necessity, not brutality.
Prolonged combat is inadvisable. Always do the least amount of harm and end the situation quickly.

If you can drop someone to the floor, wind them or scare them off, do it.

Breaking bones, concussing people or hitting 'death points' is not so smart.
Nor is applying a hold or lock.


Pull no punches

Our students must never punch thin air or make touch-contact when playing attacker or defender.
We insist upon physical contact with all strikes.
Unless you actually hit your partner in training, how can you possibly determine how much power to use?

Being hit is not a brutal, macho endeavour.
Students are good-natured about it and only deliver enough power to indicate the potency of the strike.
When practicing with each other, they never strike to cause injury or harm


Surprise

Sifu Waller values pragmatism and simplicity above all else, so the response to assault is very sudden and efficient.
Invariably the attacker is surprised to find themselves on the floor, or struck.
They have no idea how we countered them.

Taking the initiative is paramount in kung fu.
If the attacker abruptly experiences a 'reversal' - going from attacker to victim - this is a difficult adjustment to cope with.
It gives them pause for thought.

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Page created 23 March 1995