Tale from the darkside

The area of fighting arts that Gene LeBell calls ”the dark side of the Moon” is in fact not unknown by most practitioners nor rarely travelled. We’re simply talking about applications that would be regarded as “dirty” tricks in the world of sport for the reason that any competition needs to have a rulebook for it; then again once we start thinking of combat in general we come to understand that such methods are no less than essential. A real life situation is all too many times a question of the attacker's serious attempt to hurt you, which may have a lot to do with his preparations so to speak, like having armed himself, choosing a easy-appearing victim and so on. There is no “fair” to begin with; therefore we are to feel comfortable with the circumstances we might be forced under and must be ready to deal with the (non-existing) rules of the game.

I give you one example, a technique I showed Ricky Vendetta a while ago in order to deepen his perception of the true “Constrictor” style. It’s a way of moving into double wrist lock-takedown. First of all, people tend to grab the opponent by the forearm, right above the wrist that would be. This is because of the handle-like structure which makes the part feel suitable for a tight grip. The bad thing is that it’s strong for the opponent as well; he’ll have both the strength of his muscles and the leverage provided by the bones of his forearm to fight the hold with. So in catch-as-catch-can we prefer grabbing the hand or even the fingers (it’s done in many styles of ju-jitsu too). The small joints work as hinges that would consume some of the kinetic energy of any counter-move; they may also be dislocated if the opponent tries to pull away in a very aggressive manner.

The grip should, especially in this case, be also a twist. As you take a hold of the back of the opponent’s hand, try to reach over. It’s best if you can get the base of the thumb to use it as a sort of hilt. Having accomplished that you’ll be able to put on a powerful twist just as the very first phase of the technique. I guarantee it’ll be impossible for the opponent to fight it like he’d normally do. Second, we don’t really want to drag him in but deflect the horizontal line of his shoulders; twist, pull outwards (from his direction) and bring the weight down just a little bit – you’ll take him slightly off balance, which will be the time for the next move.

Pulling an object towards you is the same as pulling yourself towards the object, this is most elementary in science. So when the moment’s come use the force generated for letting yourself step in, or turn slightly sideways I should say. You have the rear leg anchored to the ground and control over the opponent with the hand/arm of that same side, with the same direction. Imbalanced the opponent is probably leaning forwards, not much but sufficiently. Now with the step, swing your free hand up, aiming at the opponent’s face. The movement comes very natural really for the body will try to keep it half-and-half anyway; a manifestation of yin/yang. I would use backhand, the fingers rather, and go for the eyeball: do not focus the energy to hit the surface but drive the whole load inside the socket. It’s not supposed to be a high energy strike of course, but I think of it as lashing someone with a twig instead of bludgeoning a person with a baseball bat – a quick, snappy move. The nose would also be a nice target as the blow comes diagonally from below, hitting the temple would not be bad either. With the eye it’s just that the opponent will instantly have his mind set on the possible damage done to his sight (the most important sense for human being), not any acts of war that might follow from the other person’s side.

Should you choose to do it in a match one useful thing about it is that the referee might not even notice it happen, and if he does you can always say you were just going for the opponent's head. Where's the proof you were not?

From this set-up it is easy to drop your hand down, grapevine the opponent’s upper arm (make sure you wind it up tight; the smaller the angle of his elbow the more unnatural the position for him) and move on to the actual takedown. If you’re able to reach far enough during the procedure and grab your own wrist – the one holding that of the opponent – you can lock the forearm by putting pressure on the radius, already bent across the ulna bone next to it, with the double hold you have. It is possible to even snap it that way, which would create an interesting layout for the following situation of you having the upper hand on the mat from that point on.

The fact about the "dark" side of the Moon is that day and night follow one another on it, as they do down here on the planet. The sun does shine there too. What we can’t see only raises this illusion of darkness before our eyes. Let no such deceit blur your vision, never stray to allow it to weaken the power of your own perception.

From razor to guillotine

A remainder of something known as Occam's razor

In a clip filmed for FCF before the Continuation War wrestling show you can see parts of a training session at which I taught Mr Ricky Vendetta a few facts about grappling. It’s not just about what to do, but what to avoid as well. For instance, after I’ve taken Ricky down – notice the leverage; very catch-as-catch-can style, or martial arts if you will – I “lay back” instead of rushing into a cluster of potential techniques I would try to do. By relaxation and sensitivity I constantly stay alert, know what’s about to happen and turn Ricky’s efforts into traps that’ll work to my advantage. 
 

When Ricky tries to do the same to me – put me down and keep me there – he has problems with the bursts of brute force he uses: they’re not very effective for my defence is pyramid-like, and it's very difficult to flip an object like that to say the least. At one point I do choose to go down, but only to roll through and as he tries to gain control on the mat I’m able to get up, or bring us both up really, by leaning onto him. Using the Occam principle helps me save the fuel so I’ll have more of it left for whatever may come next; more than the opponent anyway.

If you watch(ed) our match against Jami Aalto and Joey Impact you could see that what I kept doing was this: I make my move, go for a pin, can’t get it yet but force the opponent to use a significant amount of his energy for the kickout, then I do the same all over again. This is exactly how a constrictor would work on his pray. (Ricky, the Doberman he is, wasted too much time barking=showing his attitude while he could have moved directly towards finishing either Aalto or Impact.) Why gamble when you can simply have the opponent’s liver on a stick?

It’s like I drive the enemy before me into a canyon that gets more and more narrow offering him less and less room for his actions. Finally there’s nothing but a dead end. Another example of efficient strategy was Jimmy Gavroche’s wrestling in his bout against Valentine at the show; it’s been some time since I saw anybody use headlock as a weapon not only for handling the situation but to make it count regarding the outcome of the whole match.

Even when wielding the razor one must never forget what Einstein had as his whetstone: simple is good only as long as you get the results. Not going all the way but preferring to take a shortcut actually cost Vendetta the victory at Continuation War. Always remember to crush the enemy, then make sure he won’t come back with a vengeance.

The Mightiest Adversary

There can be only One. We show the respect, may seem to own similar powers and, when it comes to it, even treat each other in a friendly manner. Nevertheless, there’s no way of being equal. As long as it’s a question of the master besting the apprentice there may be no peace, merely a truce. StarBuck and myself simultaneously walking the Earth is basically a state impossible, which will inevitably lead to an explosion – a calm between two storms. And there can be only One.

Many years ago, in the beginning of it all, he chose to become the father figure. I was pulled in, fate in one hand and destiny in the other. After a long process of upbringing – and I’m not just talking about the actual training that took place but a life of walking the path among others who made the decision - unto me came ultimately the duty of murdering that father; the very pattern that keeps the myth going. And it’s the world of myth we live in, not just the two of us but all those who chose and were chosen.

Apart from the cosmic scale there is the personal level. If people were different styles of combat arts, StarBuck would most likely be heavyweight boxing whereas I’d be represented by something like Tai Chi Chuan. We are climbing the same mountain, on opposite sides of it though, yet there’s been no chance of avoiding the clashes we’ve come to as individuals.

I, as a practitioner of the principle of Tao, understand very well that there’s not much point in fighting only for the fight itself, trying to hammer a square piece through a round hole. There’s a reason for everything, and in most cases of disagreement it’s been that I do not want to let go of the way he brought me up, how I was shaped – although it might not always seem like the smartest thing to do. Determination and acting stubborn are two different things; it’s just that I know where I’m going. We both do.

Success in the eyes of others means nothing as it is my part to overcome StarBuck in areas most spectators are not even aware of: to be a superior athlete, a tougher man, a better human being. This has nothing to do with disrespect. Settling for anything less would be spitting right in his face – he set the standard, the rest is just a test of seeing whether I am worthy or not.

A hundred years from now it will all be over, there will be very little left of what’s been accomplished in Finnish pro wrestling in our time. So what value will any fame, any title, any victory or amount of admiration have then? My goal is simply to be remembered – by those who’ve been involved – as the one who would not kneel. One day I will die too. My life’s been looking up to StarBuck; that day I want to to be the day he finally looks up to me.

To strike at the serpent

Sunzi said: ”If you attack its head, its tail strikes; if you attack its tail, its head strikes; if you attack its middle, both its head and tail strike.”

One peculiar feature in catch-as-catch-can is that when observed in a superficial manner it appears as an art most “external” so to speak; a battle of superior power rather than a quest for sophisticated skill and sensitivity. On the other hand, once we begin to truly understand the techniques and the tactics we come to realize how “internal” it is indeed. We use the spiral movement as they do in Baquazhang, we use grabbing the opponent’s fingers for leverage as they do in Aikido, we use attacks on the nerve pressure points and so on. That combined with the strength and speed essential for athletic prowess makes catch-as-catch-can-wrestling a weapon of destruction whereas many a rival style can merely be regarded as another method with certain emphasis.

In catch-wrestling one must constantly think in terms of turning every part of the body into an instrument of making the opponent suffer: the sharp part of the radius driven across tissues, the shin that’ll work as a cutting tool, the tip of the chin for creating extreme pressure, the crest of the skull in one’s forehead, just to mention a few of the possibilities. On the ground of course such floating upon the target is relatively easy, for gravity will not be your enemy but an ally instead. After this has been learned, go seek applying the principle to striking, in other words fighting while standing in an upright position. Always remember as a student of martial arts that there is a reason for everything. Find the challenge, then become the shuai-ran snake of Mount Chang spoken of in The Art of War.

Watch the clip of Professor Huang Kang-Hui performing a series of Tai Chi moves. To many people it may at first seem like a pile of formal nonsense, but having trained with this man as my instructor I can guarantee he’d be able to crush human bones in an instant with what he does. More so, the flow taken to that extent the opponent will never know what comes next.

On the path of correction

In the previous text I suggested that vortexes may have come into being due to lack of space as the raw material of the universe, infinite that would be, kept bursting out from the explosion of the one point. I’ve since learnt that the diameter of the primordial cosmos mere ten minutes after the Big Bang was already several thousands of light years despite of the fact that nothing in reality is supposed to travel faster than the speed of light. Can it be then that this “vacuum” of existence caused the imbalance which lead to the uneven spread of energy and therefore to the birth of the universe as we know it?

In martial arts we use the spiral; that is to avoid relying on force and also to take away the opponent’s force by causing any direction he might rely on disappear so to speak. The spiral movement always stays one step ahead of the strength of the muscles trying to fight it. So as there is no struggle between two separate parties in contrast with each other but rather a drowning effect emerged from this abandoning, we could as well assume that it was a similar suction – the one described – that created the spiral in the first place: an anti-clash?

The wisdom to allow one to start learning is this: truth can never be altered. Once we let go of the list of demands handed to the universe in a manner most haughty, we’re enabled to step unto the path which inevitably takes us to the source of the primordial light, the universe being the very teacher instead. On the rays we may spread our wings and fly free, infinite.

Hawk King

Of the kaishaku teachings

In the beginning there was the singularity, all in one point, the density being infinite and dimensions not existing. This of course could be described as an impossible situation, which led to what we know as the Big Bang, the ultimate cosmic explosion. The substance of the universe sprung outwards from the primal seika no itten so the very first conception was that of directions, forming time and space. The latter just having started expanding could not yet contain enough room for the stuff of everything constantly bursting out, so towards the outer limits the composition was packed into a wall of existence blocking the flow from the core, and what became of that was another impossible situation: an explosion within an explosion. The energy seeking route began to spiral and these vortexes seem to have created matter; the same whirling is still found in atoms, galaxies etc. Origin lies in the unbearable heat of the furnace.

It is said that Truth does not burn in fire, indicating that whatever is authentic by its nature cannot be destroyed even under conditions most extreme. It remains unchangeable instead like the invincible Fudo Myoo standing amidst the flames. I on the other hand would suggest that Truth itself “burns the fire,” meaning its essence holds this quality like a purifying blaze. As such it inevitably is also an affliction to the one experiencing it; on many occasions there is an implication that when a person has to “face the truth” the moment is in some way unbearable.

Based on what we do know of physics we understand that there is a counterpart for each phenomenon taking place, in other words there are two sides in every issue. The same goes with the nine dimensions of space-time continuum. The idea of cosmic “wormholes” is sometimes demonstrated by bending a sheet of paper in a manner that opposite parts of it come to be in contact with one other and the area is then pierced. The hole emerged is thus situated in two different locations at the same time. Keeping Einstein’s model in mind we can think of the dimensions as “side A” of the sheet and the counterdimensions as “side B” of it. In addition to that the conditions inside the opening are equivalent to what surrounds the paper undepicted, the state of untangibility lying beyond space-time that is.

The universe in its duality functions as a curtain hiding the Absolute behind relativity’s veil. A glimpse of the other realm, if anything, is the ultimate trial we must go through when seeking the adjudication of facing reality. From this unbearable situation we are ultimately set free by Truth. Noda Kizaemon: “At such a time first wait a bit and by some means gather your strength. Then if you cut by standing firm and not missing the chance, you will do well.”

Yukio Mishima: "There isn't any fear in existence itself, or any uncertainty, but living creates it."

Frequencies and beyond

There are vibrations in nature, and likewise there is vibrating in the human body. Taking example from the spectrum of light we can observe these different levels or layers and the qualities they incorporate.

The red colour is the “lowest” one, so we start from the centre of the pelvis. It should be the very basis, like the foundation of a pyramid on which everything else is built. As it is fundamental it is also primal; when there is primitive reaction it is often said that one “sees red,” the molten rock of the core that is.

In the stomach we have the orange colour for it is the furnace which turns nutrition into energy. There lies all hunger and that we cannot bypass; when refined though, hunger may be fuel for the will, taking us to the heights we couldn’t reach by only using the wits we have. That is where we also bear the scar from the birth, connecting us to the origin.

The solar plexus is really the centre of how we’ve learnt to work with our bodies, shining yellow as the sun of the system of our physicality. The same way planets orbit stars we use our legs for moving around and our hands to execute all sorts of tasks; between the horizontal lines of the shoulders and the hips there is the plexus. Understanding this is very important in martial arts, especially because we use the muscle to control our breathing, thus moving as well.

The colour of the heart is not pink but green. The heart is to be like the growing of the plants in nature for we want to increase what we have inside. We also hope that the seeds are sown for the spreading of the growth. Circulation is similar to the circle of life, expanding from one point to the extremes by becoming branches and twigs so to speak. And when the movement of blood stops, it turns brown like the plants do when autumn comes. We must remember that the samurai spoke of “the flower of the heart” referring to the natural response.

Between the shoulders we have a point which is similar to the one we have inside the pelvis. This has a lot to do with moving the arms, executing techniques such as blocking and striking, and the lungs are there as well. The area widens and shrinks with the breath. When we breathe in we want the air to be bright and clean, full of oxygen to be taken to the muscles and every organ. While exhaling the air comes out through the larynx and that we use when we speak; the sound of one’s voice can be a very powerful weapon indeed. The colours we’re talking about are blue and indigo.

Then comes the third eye located in the brain; some speak of violet flame. To avoid stepping unto the zone of mysticism I would say that we’re simply talking about perception: immense sight in unseen situations. You can know things in your heart, you can reason in a debate, but what we’re dealing with now is the vision that’s both inner and external. “Strength without perception is spiritually useless and therefore of no true value,” said Ryuken in Hokuto no Ken. We also see the bending of the circle here as the spectrum starts going back to where it began; violet colour is but a combination of red and blue.

Yet there are wavelengths we’re unable to see, we only know of the areas of infrared and ultraviolet. So it is certain that on the outer limits we do meet with the invisible, and as described, that is where the opposites are united. In the same manner one’s body is constantly kept in balance and each part of the physique is led to operate according to one single strategy. All the colours or the qualities together form white light, so we should think of ourselves shining that brightly, without limitations but with acceptance. It does remind me a lot of the Taoist concept of nothingness, for in what way can harmony be described if not by picturing a state in which no shadow is cast?

We have mooted what exists, and beyond that there is blackness. It is something that the human mind cannot comprehend, the very essence manifested by the light. The black abides around and within the circle of colours, eternal, the All-Mother. Any time it is said that the eyes are the mirror of the soul, “whose soul?” one should ask. When you look in the mirror it’s seldom someone else you see, so the reflection actually tells of who and what you really are, through reactions. This is why retreat is chosen. So there lies the truth of why Adder never turns away from looking into someone’s eyes: he focuses not on the colour of the iris, but gazes to the very centre and through, knowing he will only see himself there, in the blackest of the black.

Terracotta army of Helsinki