Transition

By Catalin Necula
Eskrima instructor at London Arnis Group, Shodan Bujinkan UK, FMALand.co.uk
London, UK

What is the driving force behind our Martial Arts Training? A question which comes in many people’s mind at one stage, obviously people involved in Martial arts. Is it for self-defence? Is it for competition? Is it for fitness? Is it a good way to socialize with others? Different questions, different answers, different people.

I’ve heard people saying that once they stepped into a Martial Arts club, they got hooked. You asked them why, they will say… ”well... I have never seen something like this before... It is so me”...
So trying really to find out why people train in what they train it requires a life time research considering the number of systems existing today. But hey, we are different individuals so the reasons are diverse.

Why should I care if X chose that particular martial art when in fact I should do a self-assessment of my own reasons.

So I took up Shotokan Karate in my early years hoping to find what?... lool... well, good question guys? Ahhh, yes, I remember now... to become the “invincible fighter” seen in movies so many times. The usual crap. But in the end it wasn’t that bad. I realized now that training in any martial art brings something beneficent in finding your true path. After Shotokan, the next system to be involved in was Bujinkan Budo Taijutsu.

Well, this was the awakening. For the first time I came across with a Japanese system so relaxed and natural. No more bowing all the time, no more “Ossu Sensei”, and first of all it allows me to think. That was the key..this is what I have been looking for all this time: thinking, exploring, creating your own stuff but within the boundaries of the system... ”Boundaries” a word which I hate when it comes to Martial Arts. Why should they exist anyway? Of course they must exist. It’s what makes the system what it is. In Bujinkan Budo Taijutsu case, they preserve its traditional roots . Nothing wrong with it whatsoever but I want to do a jab-cross real-time to see how it feels like. To see indeed if I can apply what I have been learning these years. It wasn’t the case. Damn it! Was there any Martial Art which will respond my needs: natural, real-time, creativity, no boundaries, no rights or wrongs, economical in movements yet effective.

Yes, finally I have found what I was looking for: South-East Asian martial arts. They have given the answers I have been seeking for a long time. FMA (Filipino Martial Arts) and Indonesian Silat have the answers for me.

But in the end, in my view, regardless of the system, the martial arts training should help you build three essential elements: control, strategy, and composure.

Control means being in command of what your whole body is doing, both offensively and defensively. It includes the ability to strike and kick what you aim at. It also means knowing how to apply a choke, lock, or any other technique you use correctly, and understanding the effects of that action on the human body. If you have control, your movements are not random. They are efficient and purpose-driven.

Strategy means having a plan for defeating your opponent. This doesn’t mean when you sense a fight coming you quickly devise a plan to win. Strategy is developed in training, and it is ingrained deep within. You don’t have to think about it in a fight, but it is there.

Composure is the ability to keep your wits about you in a fight. You don’t freeze when you feel fear or pain, or when something unexpected occurs. You don’t allow anger to overcome you to the point that you put yourself in an unfavourable position. Possessing all three of these characteristics does not guarantee you a victory on the street, but it does give you a distinct advantage.

The theory that skilled fighters must possess these three essential characteristics goes hand-in-hand with traditional ideas about the unification of mind, body, and spirit. Strategy is a process of the mind. Control is a function of the body. Composure is dependent upon your spirit. If a fighter is lacking any of the three characteristics, then his mind, body, and spirit are not unified.