Masters of Chinese internal arts have been known to have incredible strength and speed while outward appearances would suggest them to be as strong as your average librarian. Even in old age they can move with certain fluidity and litheness while their strikes impact with devastating force. The mystical explanation for the process is centered on the Chinese paradigm known as ‘Chi’. Chi, or life energy, is one of the major concepts of Chinese thought. According to traditional Chinese thought, the existence of any invisible force, a flash of lightning, the movement of a river or the swinging of an arm is Chi in action. Chi is also said to flow through the body via meridians or energy pathways. The smooth flow of Chi is said to be essential for the internal organs and the muscles to stay in prime condition. A master of internal arts is said to quickly ‘lead his Chi’ to his arm when making a strike.

The closest approximation western science has for Chi is the nerve network between the body’s brain, muscles and internal organs. Science has known for some time that our muscles work as teams. For example, when our biceps contracts, our triceps stretches to accommodate it and vice versa. The contracting muscle is known as the agonist and the stretching muscle is the antagonist. If the triceps are contracting quickly as in a straight punch, if the biceps don’t stretch quickly and smoothly, they act as a very effective brake to slow the arm down. Add to that even a slightly tightened lower back that’s supposed to lengthen with the punch and the power of the strike will be a only a shadow of what it could be. Anyone that’s had a spasmed lower back can attest to the pain and weakness when trying to do simple tasks such as picking up a shoe off the floor. In that example, the abdominal muscles would be the agonists and the lumbar muscles the antagonists, acting as a punishing brake to the owner.

Children move like cats, with poise and softness. They fall down like sacks of potatoes, crumpling to the ground with little injury, unlike most adults that fall like redwood trees. When our brains are young they form neural patterns for which muscles should contract and which ones should relax for common movements. Learning to ride a bike can be tough, but once you have it down, you can go for years without riding and the pattern will still be in your brain, ready to be put to use at a moment’s notice. As we grow up we start ‘adding to’ our neural patterns by tensing unnecessary muscles and contorting our postures. If we ‘re-train’ our brain’s neural patterns to start functioning like they should, we will experience a monumental increase in strength, speed and vitality. By moving very slowly and focusing on the sensations of the movements, our brain will learn again how to move the muscles quickly and powerfully. Like the quiet strength of a baby’s grip or a cat’s lighting fast strike, movement comes from the brain.

Any exercise that teaches the brain how the body should move properly can be used, whether it is Chinese Chi Kung, Tai Chi, Feldenkrais (Awareness Through Movement) or your own exercises using the aforementioned principles. Each session can be anywhere from one to twenty minutes or more in length. It will benefit every area of your life even after one session of practice. Please email me at matt_mcmillion@hotmail.com for more details. A Rational Explanation for the Strengthening Effects of Chinese Chi Kung

NHB

First let's look at what the word reality means. Reality - what is real, the real nature. Now lets go on to the phrase "any thing goes." To me any thing goes means no rules. If NHB fights were truly anything goes they would have no rules. Since NHB fights have rules they cannot be any thing goes fights. I asked someone that does shooto/shoot fighting if it teaches weap on disarms. video ads for shooto, pancrase, pankration, vale tudo, and some other forms of grappling are street fighting. The captions in panther productions will say "beat any one', "king of the streets", and so on. But, Marco Ruas and Bas Rutan do not teach disarms and defense against grabs & holds. Since they do not teach this they are not street fighting arts. they are no holds barred arts. On the street there are no padded surfaces to fight on. Since NHB fighters only train to fight on padded surfaces they are no real street fighters. Those fighters are tough, but it takes more then being tough t o win a fight. They should be called extreme fights, not reality based combat. People that right books for paladin press do real combat techniques. Another reason why no holds barred fights cannot be anything goes is that you cannot strike the eyes or groin. If you want to engage in a real any thing goes fight defend yourself on the street. In the octagon it's a on e on one fight with a ref, judges, and commentators. On the street if you get hurt by your attacker you can't tap out. No doctor will come in to check you. Also there will be no one to throw in a towel to end the fight. I train to survive not, for medals, trophies, or prize money. if you want to survive on the street you must learn what is good for the street. I want to do what works on the street. I don't want to train to score poin ts in a point fighting tournament. I don't want to know 1,000 joint lock s so I can make my attacker tap out. yes, those people are good ground fighters. But laying on your back wile someone is your guard won't be good to do on the street. Just becau se one person comes up to attack you, doesn't mean they are alone. the peop le leaning against walls could be there to back the person up. I know they will kick you in the head while you're doing all that guard and mount stuff.

About the author: David Faustino, a combat martial artist. Founder of Faustino combat system "the way of no mercy". The motto for F C S is extreme techniques, for extreme situations."

Sensei J. Richard Kirkham is a 27 year martial art veteran. He is a dual certified teacher with a Bachelors of Science Degree in Physical Education with a background in Special Education, Exercise Physiology, Movement Education, and Behavioral Modification. He is presently an in home tutor, self-defense instructor, and body guard. Mr. Kirkham is presently teaching in Honolulu Hawaii. He can be reached at 808-528-5775 Ext. 5. He has one challenge which has yet to fail him, he can increase anyone's striking power 50% to 100% in one lesson. For those who cannot see him in person, he offers the same service with others on affordable custom video tapes. Sensei Kirkham has the unique service of offering in home classes so that people may learn self-defense in the privacy of their home without worrying about travel after a hard days work.

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Jeet Kune Do Concepts and Philosophy

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