Out of the Comfort Zone

Last night I decided to put my new "Fencing for Fun" philosophy into action. One of my students asked to fence me and I agreed, but only on a non-scoring basis ("a plaisance" as they used to call it). Chris is a good fencer, with a good sense of timing and technique when he is allowed to be in his comfort zone. So I decided to take him out of it! I basically began to employ bouncy and light footwork, more similar to a boxer than my usual rhythm. In fact the more I employed this footwork rhythm the more ennervated I became. Strangely enough an image of Muhammad Ali came into my mind as he danced around the ring and whilst I wouldn't claim to have been floating like a butterfly I was able to vary my rhythm and use feints and false steps to successfully unsettle Chris. I got a few broken time attacks to work and then would vary them with a conventional lunge, which also broke the rhythm yet again and scored hits. I was having fun!
After our bout I explained what I had been doing in order for Chris to assimilate the lesson. Basically I had taken him out of his comfort zone. We all have one and it is where we operate most effectively. A fencer must be able to remove their opponent's comfort zone and also be able to widen their own to deal with all eventualities, otherwise they will get stuck in a comfortable rut and won't be able to cope with change. It also taught me that I had begun to let myself become predictable and that I was still able to effectively change my game and dominate a situation.
This settling into comfortable places tends to happen to all of us in various walks of life and there is always something which makes us unsettled, the most common things being speech making, exams or travelling abroad. We should all make efforts to gradually enlarge our comfort zone so we can grow and improve. Comfort comes at a price!

Throw Away Constraint

I decided this week to stop fencing for points, or at least reduce the occasions on which I did so. Why? Well for two reasons really:
a) I was putting myself under pressure to win and in an attempt to focus exclusively on scoring was losing the wider picture needed to fence effectively
b) Fencing wasn't fun any more!
As a coach I'd got into a mindset that I should be winning in order to retain respect. Actually what this was doing was preventing me from seeing my students as students and instead viewing them as opponents. This stopped me being able to help them develop. I realised that I don't have to win all the time, so therefore I could do more good by helping rather than competing. Also, by freeing myself of the limiting desire to win I would be able to experiment and assist in other's development. Over the last few weeks fencing for points has been more of an angry experience than anything else and sometimes if something's broke you've just gotta go fix it!
It's fair to say that work and outside life have been a bit stressful of late and the thing with stress is that it accumulates without notice. The other thing about it is that it takes the lustre from the important things and emphasises the less important things. Enjoyment gets stifled by the perceived problems and it was time to get back to enjoying my coaching, job and everyday activities. I'm sure there will be times when I shall get out on the piste in earnest again but for the time being I'll just concentrate on having some fun!

Lineage

One of the factors that dominates Eastern martial arts is the concept of lineage. Many schools claim to trace their ancestry back for hundreds of years and to the original masters who originated the techniques within them. It becomes an emotive topic if these lineages are questioned and can result in long terms feuds between schools or 'ryu'.
Western martial arts such as fencing have lost the attachment to their traditional schools. In the 17th-18th centuries there were many diverse schools based on the country of origin such as the Italian school, the French school etc. These schools could breed specific techniques and weapons such as the Italian and French grip foils which gained many adherents in the quest to win duels and avoid injuries. Eventually modern sport fencing homogenised the schools into athletic disciplines which became one indistinguishable form.
Is this a good thing or bad? Well, probably a bit of both. On the one hand, the loss of distinct forms made fencing more accessible to the general public as a whole and less of an elite sport. On the other hand, it has led to a dilution of the traditions and values within it. In my coaching I try and impart some of the traditions within the sport as well as some of the traditions and stories from the East that I think teach the right mental attitude. I try and keep these stories secular, in the sense that I am not there to convince other people about beliefs, more about the right behaviours. It is my intention that hopefully this represents a new blend of two cultures into an enjoyable, stimulating and interesting experience.
In terms of my own lineage, my coaching and fencing skills are the product of years of work with Maestro Andrew Sowerby, my philosophy of fencing from Musashi, Takuan and Munenori and my philosophy of life from a blend of Eastern influences and the great Dave Lowry.
If I were to give my philosophy of fencing a name it would probably be Nen Do Ryu or School of the Way of Thought. I give no certificates and set no syllabus although if you read well between lines you will find enough on these postings to figure it out.

Busy busy busy

Crikey, there's a lot happening on-line at the moment. Chris and Rob have started their own blogs and I will place a link to them on this one. I've been commenting on these sites as well so it's been a busy time. I'm pretty glad that the two of them have started posting though; it's been interesting to read other people's views from time to time! There's some good stuff going on out there at present!

The centre

I was pondering some of the things Anna said to me yesterday whilst I was cutting the grass this morning. Her point about the abdominal muscles being the core of the posture kind of resonated with me. In the martial arts of the East there is constant reference to 'the centre' which in Japanese is referred to as the Hara. It is believed to be the part of the body where all action originates and where the spirit is housed. In karate, judo and various other arts all action is centred around this point, supposedly a hand span beneath the navel. When you think about it this makes perfect sense; if your balance is off centre it is difficult to make successful attacks, blocks or strikes. It's the same in fencing. As soon as your weight shifts from above your centre the lunge goes wrong, the parries become wild and it all starts to fall apart. In fact, the only technique where the weight should move forward beyond the centre is the fleche.
Perhaps we should dwell more on this point of our bodies and look to keep it tight and controlled. Maybe during fencing we should be more aware of what our centre is telling us and also what our posture is saying about us in everyday life. There is no doubt that in Yoga there is a great belief in the core muscles being tight and stable. So maybe sit-ups are the way to go after all!

A world of difference

We had a visit from my old friend Anna Bentley today. It was good to see her again after a couple of years and she was good enough to fence some of the crew from the club. A couple of things became apparent to this not so casual observer...
One, you have to be totally fit to be a top class fencer. Anna's warm up and stretches for just a few hits were very comprehensive. If I tried some of them my legs would fall off.
Two, Anna's understanding of sports physiology was impressive; her belief that good posture comes through good physique was interesting in the sense that if your abdominal muscles are in good order then your posture will be sure to follow. Will be thinking some more on this one... She also pointed out that balance and posture are vital.
Three, Anna's sheer presence suggested that her work rate could be phenomenal. Even her footwork spoke volumes as to her skill. It was good to see a small crowd gathering to watch her fence.
Four, her point was always searching for the hit. If she missed once it was always back in line. It looked, well, very very professional.
All in all a very interesting and enjoyable visit. Let's do it again sometime Anna!

Musashi's Oar

The other day I alluded to the tale of Musashi's duel with Sasaki Kojiro, or Ganryu as he was known. In this famous duel Musashi killed his opponent with a sword he had carved from an oar. This sounds very bizarre on first glance so why did he do it? He had two perfectly servicable swords; in fact he was known for practicing the two sword style. So why carve a sword from an old oar? Here is my considered opinion on what it reveals about Musashi and his mind-set...
First, Musashi was travelling to his duel in a rowing boat as the location was an island in the straits between two of the main Japanese land masses. Maybe he was bored and wanted something to do! Whilst he was on the boat he also wove two strings from paper to hold back the hakama he was wearing so it wouldn't obstruct him. Also, it was quite a long boat ride and carving something would allow Musashi to clear his mind of un-necessary worries.
But I think the reason is deeper than that. Musashi was fighting Ganryu, also known as "The Demon of the Western Provinces", a man who already had founded his own school and used an exaggeratedly long sword known as 'The Drying Pole'. Musashi knew this and also knew that Ganryu used a move based on the flight of a swallow which exploited the length of his sword to full effect. So I believe Musashi deliberately carved a sword that was marginally longer than Ganryu's. You must remember that in those days a well wielded wooden sword could be just as lethal as a steel one so there would be less tactical disadvantage in carving a sword than first appears.
Finally, Musashi knew that arriving as he did (carefully contrived to be late) and carrying a wooden hand carved sword would in all likelihood distract, annoy and disturb his opponent.
This to me demonstrates the depth of awareness Musashi had about all situations which is echoed in his writings when he says:

• Know the advantages and disadvantages of everything
• Develop a discerning eye in all matters
• Understand what cannot be seen by the eye
• Pay attention to even small things

And the result of the duel and the tactics Musashi used...? Ah, that is a tale for another post!

Classic reading on the bus

I travelled in on the bus the other day and as usual took the opportunity to dip into The Book of Five Rings, of which I keep a copy in my bag. As regular readers know it is one of my favourites as it is written in such a modern way considering it is 450+ years old. It is also totally accessible with a little bit of thought. Musashi starts with a brief introduction of his resume and CV as a swordsman. In the Earth Scroll he then sets out his philosophy for the martial arts and military science, drawing several parallels with other skills and arts. He then gets into more specific topics in the Water Scroll, introducing his thoughts on stance, the eyes, the bearing etc. From there on in it's down into gritty specific in the Fire Scroll, talkking about how to deal with multiple opponents and terrain, instilling fear and doubt, breaking rhythm and sevreal psychological aspects such as avoiding mental stalemate and overcoing obstacles etc. In the Wind Scroll he opens a critique on other schools and their techniques, dismissing their flashiness and pretensions. As a conclusion he reveal a little of what a true master may experience in the Scroll of Emptiness or Void. Here he talks about the sense of stillness that has become the cliche of all Zen martial arts stories everywhere.
It is such a compact book considering it was his attempt at writing down his life's work but it sill has power today.
Other books I dip into include:
The Life Giving Sword (Hei-Ho-Kadensho), Yagyu Munenori. Trans. W. Scott Wilson. Munenori's treatise on sword-craft and life in general within a Zen frame of reference
The Unfettered Mind, Takuan Soho. Trans. W. Scott Wilson. Almost a companion book to the Life Giving Sword, Takuan was Munenori's friend and Zen advisorMusashi
The Lone Samurai. W. Scott Wilson. Life story of Musashi with a wealth of detail.
Sword and Brush - Dave Lowry. On the surface a book about Japanese calligraphy but contains much of interest to the old fashioned martial artist in general.
The Demon Sermon on the Martial Arts - Issai Chozanshi. Written in a narrative form and quite complex and obscure. With a little effort much can be had from this though
The Art of War - Sun Tzu. A classic of strategy and outlook. The Shambhala Press version is good but there are many translations available.
The 36 Secret Strategies of the Martial Arts - Hiroshi Moriya, trans by William Scott Wilson. A good translation and introduction to the ancient Chinese thoughts on strategy and warfare.

So, if you're ever stuck for some light reading.....

Building walls

I was interested in what Rob wrote on his blog regarding building defensive walls; whilst there is a time and place for defence it's a dangerous mind-set to get into because it can lead you to become passive. Musashi discusses this in the Book of Five Rings when he talks about positions of the sword. He says, "In the course of struggle for victory by military science, the thing is to concentrate on seizing the initiative and getting the jump on others in everything. The sense of a guard or defensive posture is that of awaiting the initiative. This should be worked out thoroughly".
In other words Musashi is advocating action not inaction; attack as defence. He then finishes off the section with "there is a totally different feeling in being attacked by others first than in attacking others yourself. The sense of being able to wield a sword well enough to catch and parry an opponent's blows is tantamount to taking your spear and halberd and sticking them in the ground as fence posts. When you are going to strike an adversary, in contrast, you can even pull up a fence post and use it as you would a spear or halberd...."
What is he saying here? Well my intepretation is that there is a total difference in attitude between passive defence and aggressive attack. If you are passive you are awaiting the opponents first move. You will need extremely fast reflexes to be able to deal with every attack and you will never have a chance to take the initiative. It is possible to fence like this but only for a while as eventually the hits will ge through. If, on the other hand, you take the initiative and attack your opponent you are removing his options for him and in effect greatly improving your defensiev options as your opponent will not be able to attack.
Musashi is also making the point that by deciding not to use your weapon (and skills) you may as well stick them in the ground as inert objects for all the good they do. Whilst he advocates the ability to parry well, (no swordsman can avoid all attacks) he deplores the defensive mind-set.
In contrast he makes the point that you should be able to use any situation to your advantage whilst attacking, even using fence posts as weapons. (This resonates greatly with his duel with Ganryu, whom he killed using an oar carved into a training sword - why did he use such a weapon? Well, there's a story for another day..)
Imagine what his attitude must havebeen like in combat and the energy he would have projected. Use everything at your disposal to attack and do not stop until victorious. He would have blown through most walls in an instant....