Some martial arts have developed from the observation of animals.
Often the style may adopt similar strategies or body language to the animal.
In kung fu, the focus is upon the nature of the animal rather than just the physicality.

Consider: how does a snake attack?
It is not aggressive or anticipatory, it simply moves - spontaneously.
The attack is sudden and continues for as long as necessary.

We learn to adopt the same instantaneous approach.

'Fight or flight' is the term used to describe our instinctive response to serious danger.

Unfortunately, many people imbue situations with inappropriate import, and they are perpetually in a fight or flight condition.
There are very few situations in everyday life that are literally a matter of life and death.
Letting your animal nature rule you is not a good thing - it puts the body under stress and creates anxiety.

We train to be detached from violence, to remain calm and friendly.
By keeping a cool head and letting our body naturally do the work, we can work more effectively in the face of threat.
The reptile brain may move our bodies into action but it is not allowed to corrupt our temperament with aggression.

Not all violence is physical or overt. People are often extremely violent without realising it.
Violence can take many forms.
Harsh, unkind words. Derisive laughter. Sarcasm. Mockery. Insults. Emotional hostility. Aggression.
Pushing, forcing, controlling, manipulating.

Many people use violence in a sneaky, underhand way. Through gossip, malignant words, innuendo.
Our culture is far from being non-violent.

Most of the training in class is playful. We yield to force and have consideration for one another.
Nobody wants to be injured; they just want to have fun.
When you become accustomed to approaching violence playfully, you learn to avoid it.
There are usually alternatives to violence. If you can avoid conflict, step aside.

Humour helps to relax your emotions.
Kung fu asks you to let-go of pride and dignity; to treat these concepts as simply ideas.

Violence causes chemical imbalances within the body, stiffens musculature and locks the joints.
When you play, fear dissipates and your heart becomes light.

Try this approach outside of class.

Being restrained is not what some martial artists have in mind when they consider self defence.
This only demonstrates an immaturity of character.
Once they become capable of crippling or killing somebody with their hands, why would they want to?
And that is the whole point.

When your intention is tempered by restraint, you use the kung fu carefully.  

When learning a martial art it is crucial to remember that combat can be dangerous.
There is a risk of injury.
This is why discipline is important in class:

1. Keep your mind on what you are doing
2. Be playful, not macho
3. Respect your practice partner
4. Warm-up thoroughly
5. Stay loose and relaxed
6. Train at home between lessons
7. Prepare your body for combat

Most of your combat training in our school will not involve sets.
We prefer our students to experience a wide range of spontaneous attacks from solo and multiple attackers, armed and unarmed.

Sets are a learning tool and can be very useful, but they are not random enough for self defence.
Melee combat tests the individual's ability to respond under pressure.

How do we cope with an assailant without being violent?
That is a very good question.

Striking and chin na can undoubtedly cause serious damage to an assailant.
Yet, would that be your intention?

A kung fu person seeks to avoid confrontation and would only use their kung fu reluctantly.

You do only what is necessary to escape the situation.
Although the effect of your kung fu will indeed be violent, your disposition should remain composed and compassionate.
At no point would you become angry and deliberately hurt the assailant.

A great mountain can collapse at your feet and you need not change countenance.
(Cheng Man Ching)

Expert students learn to take the sets apart and gain a comprehensive understanding of the biomechanics involved.
They can also make connections and associations between patterns, themes and form movements.
Hidden applications become apparent.

Every combat set contains countless chin na, shuai jiao and variations on a movement.
A skilled student can easily recognise viable follow-ups and explore these.

At this stage, the combat set pervades the student's consciousness and can be used readily in self defence.

Reverend Mother Gaius Helen Mohiam: Put your hand in the box. I hold at your neck the gom jabbar. This one kills only animals.
Paul Atreides: Are you suggesting a duke's son is an animal?
Reverend Mother Gaius Helen Mohiam: Let us say I suggest you may be human. Your awareness may be powerful enough to control your instincts. Your instinct will be to remove your hand from the box. If you do so, you die.
(Dune)

This quote from the movie Dune highlights a major consideration in the internal arts: composure.
Composure enables a person to handle stress and crisis.

We are not interested in triggering our fight or flight response.
It may have certain advantages but it can also be a serious impediment.

The aim is to remain calm, composed and present...

The primal part of you is the base animal instinct, the 'fight-or-flight' reflex. 
When we are in real danger, the psoas muscle contracts and the back is forced to bend forwards.
This posture is a fear reflex which protects the soft parts of the body from harm. 

Unfortunately, it also freezes the entire body. In kung fu we need to stay relaxed.

Humans are violent because other people conflict with their desires.
Sometimes they are simply bored.
This is very different to 'nature violence'.

In nature, violence is not the consequence of boredom or petulance.
Survival prompts the violence, rather than thought.

How do you know if you are doing it correctly?

It works.
It feels easy.
It is very effective.
The attacker should be incapable of mounting an effective counter-attack.

People follow conventions because they are familiar. They see no need to 're-invent the wheel'.
However, not everything we have in modern society is viable.
Look around you.

The legal system, education, politics... does any of it really work? Be honest.
Computers are useful. But are they really all that good? Have we achieved the paperless office?
Do they really save us any time?

There may be an accepted way of doing things, but that is not the only way.
If you are smart, you will consider the nature, character, purpose, essence of what you are undertaking.
You will re-assess its validity.
Explore options, variables, alternatives. Adapt, change, improvise.
Take nothing for granted. Re-invent the wheel. Only this time, improve it.

Valentine's Day

Many aspects of modern life are warped.
The original meaning and purpose has been lost and only a parody remains.
People merely 'go through the motions' and the sincerity is forgotten...

Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day is for boring people who have no imagination.

Instead of making your day-to-day relationship fun and vibrant, you go through the motions once a year with a meal, flowers, a teddy bear and chocolate.
Yawn...

Is this truly how much you think of your loved one?
You are only prepared to show them token affection?

Our lives are based on certain assumptions. We take things for granted without proof. We treat things as a given.
Ideas such as 'religion' and 'monarchy' are widely accepted. And unchallenged.

There is a certain arrogance implicit within an assumption; the idea is treated as reality, regardless of fact.
People often believe that they have a right to do things a certain way. They assume authority.

They sometimes think that their way is the only way to do things.
Consider 'Windows' on your computer...
There are different ways to open and close a window. Different ways to save data.
Each of these methods is equally valid.
We cannot assert that there is just one correct approach. We would be incorrect to make such an assumption.

A tradition involves the passing-down of information from one generation to the next.
The knowledge is treated as a time-honoured, unchanging standard. 
With kung fu, people have passed-down the art for centuries. But it has not remained static.
To a certain extent, it has evolved with the times.

Is this a bad thing?

Consider: if a 21st Century person was given a 16th Century martial art, would it have any real world value?
If you are honest, some aspects of the art would still be viable, but other material may be hopelessly antiquated.

Combat sets require the student to apply tai chi skills effectively.
You cannot simply use force and expect success.

The sets are ruthless in their ability to expose faults in your practice.
Only by adhering to their lessons and requirements can the student apply tai chi correctly in combat.