When Rank Doesn’t Matter By Scott Shaw

By Scott Shaw

 

To the average person in the world, when they hear that an individual is a black belt, they believe that is the ultimate step in one’s martial art journey. The black belt is the pinnacle. And yes, in some ways it is.

To the person who is training in the martial arts, however, they know that earning the black belt is just a step in the process. There is degrees of black belt and the first level of black belt, the first dan, is understood to be just the beginning.

By tradition, one is not even considered to be an instructor until they have reach the 4^th dan black belt, which takes about ten years from the point of earning on the 1^st dan black belt. In this, and because of this, there has arisen a big problem in the realms of the martial arts; especially within the modern martial arts base in the Western world. What has been born is the desire for more. More, before the individual has accrued the time to actually be at the level of understanding that it takes to be a true teacher of the martial arts. From this, all kinds of problems have arisen.

Throughout my years of involvement in the martial arts, which is now almost sixty, I have watched as so many organizations have come and gone; all based in the purpose of making the Westerner climb up the rank ladder faster than was traditionally deemed appropriate.

The simply formal, laid down by the founders of the Japanese martial arts, that gave rise to the Korean martial arts, and their rank system, was after the 1^st dan black belt it was two more years of training to reach the 2^nd dan, three more years of training to reach the 3^rd dan, four more years after that to reach the 4^th dan, five more years of training to reach the 5^th dan, and so on.  But, this formal structure was washed out the window long ago, leaving us with so many high ranking martial artists, that are far too young to be the rank they currently hold, that it is not even fathomable. This has given rise to so many accusation among practicing martial artists that it is not even funny.

When discussing this situation, I frequent recount the time I was speaking with Bill “Superfoot” Wallace regarding an article I was writing about him for a magazine. He so eloquently stated, “Back in the day if a person was a 1^st degree black belt, they were impossible to touch. If they were a 2^nd degree black belt, forget about it, they would tear you apart. Now, everyone is an 8^th, 9^th or 10^th degree black belt and they are terrible.” Sadly, that became one of the definitions of the modern Western martial arts.

This is nothing new, however. From the time when I was first branching out from my original instructor, which was a very sheltered study situation, I began to hear about this teacher making bad comments about the inabilities of that instructor, and so on. These negative comments seemly became the cornerstone of the modern martial arts. And, it has continued forward onto today.

For anyone involved in the martial arts, all they have to do is to listen to how this student speaks about the lacking’s of that student, this instructor or school dismisses that other teacher or school. How one instructor at a school criticizes another martial artist, no matter what level of accomplishments that person has achieved. Or maybe particularly if that other marital artist has achieved something more than the individual casting the negative words has accomplished. How a certain style is proclaimed to be superior to another system, by its practitioners, no matter how ancient that other system may. On and on and on…

But, is this how the martial arts should be? Is this how martial artists should behave? Is this what the martial arts were designed for? Is this their true spiritual essence? Is this what the black belt truly means?  Or, is this simply ego?

I was looking through some papers I wrote on the subject of the martial arts back in 1981. Though I was only twenty-three at the time, I had been involved with the martial arts for almost twenty years. Even then, I was discussing how the formal belt system should be revamped and that the back belt ranks should be removed, leaving only, the singular black belt, the instructor, and the advanced instructor for those teaching the more high-level students of the art. Wouldn’t that just be better Wouldn’t that remove a lot of the nonsense?

I believe that this is an important thing to think about for you martial artists out there, and for you non-martial artists, as well. If someone is casting disparaging remarks about anyone or anything, doesn’t that make them a lower-level individual? Should you really train under and/or follow a person who possess that temperament? And, if rank is nothing more than a number placed on a piece of paper, so a person can somehow feel better about themselves, somehow feel like they are something more than someone else, gain an ego boost when somebody calls them, “Sensei,” “Sabumnin,” “Master,” “Grand Master,” or “Whatever,” doesn’t that tell you that they are simply an insecure individual who is trying to impart their knowledge solely for their need to be anointed with praise or accolades?

The problem that is born by operating from within this perspective, either in the martial arts or in life, is that, yes, you may hold the advanced rank, but you have not developed the acquire wisdom through the knowledge provided by time and experience that goes hand-in-hand with the years of training originally designated to achieve said rank. Thus, true knowledge and the ability to impart true knowledge has been diminished if not lost altogether. 

Life is really an easy process, if you make it easy. Some people, who are not whole and are lacking within themselves, seek that outward something to make them feel like they are something more. They want to be a superhero. If someone needs titles and outside adulation to help to define who and what they are, then, who and what are they?

In Zen, in Tao, at the essence of the true martial arts, the true teachers rebuked the need for titles. They simply taught what they knew in order to help their students become a better and more pure proponent of life. Isn’t that the type of person you should study from no matter what the subject is?

 

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Scott Shaw Hapkido Taekwondo International 

 

Hapkido and The Dynamics of Distance By Scott Shaw

 

By Scott Shaw

 

     At the heart of the Hapkido is your ability to successfully defend yourself against the onslaught of an oncoming attacker in the most expedient manner possible. With this as source point, an untold number of self-defense systems have been developed over the centuries by virtually every culture on earth. For some, these methods of self-defense involve elaborate techniques which involve numerous exaggerated movements. The proponents of these styles believe that this will ultimately lead to the defeat of an attacker. Anyone who has ever been involved in a street fight or watched a no-holds-barred competition on television, however, can attest to the fact that elaborate techniques do not work!

 

     When you find yourself in the midst of a physical encounter, to emerge unscathed, you must defend yourself in the most expedient manner possible. To this end, elaborate techniques must be discarded and replaced with those that are not only fast but effective, as well. 

 

     To come to a better understanding of the elements which lead to rapid and safe self-defense, some of the factors of physical encounters must first be defined. From this, you can rethink your self-defense arsenal and hopefully become a more fluid and competent martial artist.

 

Self Defense and Distance

     Physical confrontations commonly begin at one of two distances. The first is when you and your opponent are in very close proximity to one another. The second is arguably the most common start point for a confrontation -- one which begins when the two of you are at a distance from one another.

 

     Ideally depictive of this is the altercation which begins when an agitated opponent signals his intentions by calling you names, telling you that he is going to kick your butt, and so on. This style of initial confrontation is actually to your advantage, because at a distance there are many more viable ways of defending yourself than when your opponent has already accosted you and the two of you are face-to-face.

 

Keep Your Distance

     The first rule of distance fighting is to, Keep Your Distance. As long as your assailant is not close enough to hit or grab you, you will remain free from injury and not have to forcefully defend yourself by punching, kicking, or throwing your attacker.

 

     The question always arises, “How do I keep my opponent at bay?” In actuality, this is one of the most readily achievable forms of self-defense. The answer is, Keep Moving.

 

     As long as you keep moving, your opponent will not only have difficulty in closing the distance between the two of you. But, in certain circumstance, he may never be able to make offensive contact with you at all.

 

     How you move is essentially important, however, if you wish to keep your opponent at a distance. Your defensive movements should never be made randomly.

 

Circular Movement

     The first method of consciously keeping your distance from your attacker is to define your environment. Ideally, you will have several feet of space, or more, around you. In these cases, begin to pivot in a circular fashion around your opponent. Using him as your central axis, you should continue to circularly alter your location. From this, he will not have a direct path of attack.

 

     The reason you move in a circular fashion is this allows you to keep him off balance. As he is central to your circumference, he will be forced to pivot around in a very small pattern. This will often times cause him to not only remain off balance, but it may also cause him to trip over his own feet as he may become somewhat disorientated. Additionally, by moving in a circular pattern, you can slowly and consciously continue to move back and away from him, thereby, increasing your distance. As you do this, he will have to travel farther to actually attack you. Thus, you will have additional time to prepare your counter defense. 

 

     In is essential at this level of self-defense that you do not turn and take your eyes off of your attacking opponent at any time. If you do, this will provide him with an opportunity to charge in at you. As you may not see his approach, this could be devastating. Therefore, keep your eyes on your attacker at all times, as you continue to move.

 

Move and Deflect

     Though circular movement is a viable first line of defense, many times an enraged attacker will become agitated at his inability to simply come up and punch you. This is when he may simply run in at you to make contact. At this point, your first line of self-defense is to simply alter your circular pattern and rapidly step back or step to the side of his attack. Due to his momentum driven run, if you are quick, you will again have foiled his attempted attack.

 

     Of course, this style of defense will not necessarily cause you to emerge victorious from all confrontations. If your opponent persists, your next line of self-defense is to deflect your opponent’s attack when he rushes in at you.

 

     It must be understood, however, that your best method of self-defense is to never make contact with an opponent unless it is absolutely necessary. With no contact, there is no possibility of physical injury. The moment contact is made, the chances of injury are enormous -- both by being hit and by delivering your defense applications. Thus, actual physical contact should be your last level of self-defense when all other methods have failed.

 

     Your first line of deflective self-defense is to rapidly sidestep any rushing attack. The basis for this style of movement can be seen in football when a pass rusher charges in at the quarterback. The quarterback will wait until the last second before impact is made and then rapidly sidestep the onslaught, applying a little deflective push to his opponent. Possession of the ball is maintained and the individual who attempted the tackle is sent to the ground where he must get up from if he hopes to instigate another offense.

 

     The key element to remember in this style of deflective self-defense is to not move until the last possible moment.  If you move too soon, your opponent will see this action and have time to recalculate his attack -- perhaps making contact with you.

 

     Keep in mind, that your attacker is highly adrenalized. Thus, his energy is quickly expended. As long as you can keep him away from you, he will be burning excessive amounts of energy and you, remaining relatively calm, will maintain your energy surplus.  Thus, like the competent boxer who allows his opponent to chase him around the ring, you too can conserve your energy and counter attack only when you opponent is worn out.

 

The Room is Closing in On You

     You will not always be in a wide-open space when an assailant accosts you. When a large amount of space is not available, many instructors of self-defense teach that you should back yourself up against a wall.  This is especially the case if you find yourself in a room. The belief is that by backing yourself up to a wall, your attacker cannot come around behind you. Though there is a logic to this form of self-defense, the biggest downside to it is that once you back yourself up against a wall, your movement is highly limited and your attacker can close in on you and strike with multiple attacks. Additionally, your defensive blocking techniques are highly restricted, with your back against a wall, as you can only move effectively from side to side. If you attempt to push out from the wall, you must then meet the punches of your attacker head on. 

 

     For these reasons, moving against a wall should only be employed when it is absolutely to your advantage. This situation would occur when your attacker is rapidly rushing in at you. Then, simply by side stepping his attack, redirecting his aggressive energy, and guiding his face or body into the wall, you will have saved yourself the necessity of striking out at him, as you have used his own momentum driven force to cause him to powerfully impact the nearby wall.

 

     In virtually all other cases, it is to your advantage to keep moving if you find yourself accosted in a walled outdoor or indoor location. Even if your movements must be linear, due to the confined configuration of the space, your attackers will still need to chase after you to grab or to strike at you.

 

When Movement Fails

     Movement should always be your first line of defense. Deflection should be your second. But, movement and deflection can not always be your last line of defense. For this reason, you must be prepared to effectively defense yourself when you come face-to-face with an attacker.

 

     There are a few very basic yet very effective preliminary techniques you can employ when an opponent has closed the distance on you. The first, and perhaps most effective, is to deliver a powerful front kick to his groin, mid-section, or under his jaw just before he is close enough to make punching or grabbing contact with you. By kicking him in this rapid and penetrating fashion, not only will you have gained first strike advantage, but your surprise attack may debilitate him to the degree that he will not be desirous of or possess the ability to regroup with a secondary attack.

 

     In some cases, this front kick self-defense cannot be used.  Your next line of defense will then be you deflecting the onslaught of his shoving, punching, or grabbing assault. To do this you must first employ the basic rule of deflection -- get out of the way.  The most effective way to do this is simply sidestep the assault.  Then, once his initial attack has missed, you can take control over the altercation by delivering a powerful counter strike, such as a low side kick to his knee.  In other cases, you will want to dominate his movements and send him to the ground where he cannot effectively launch another attack.

 

     As you now understand, self-defense does not have to be two individuals going at it blow-by-blow, leaving only the one who delivers the most powerful punch standing. In fact, this style of self-defense is your least advantageous alternative. Therefore, whenever you are forced into a physical confrontation, use movement as your first line of self-defense, deflection as your second, and finally a well delivered counterattack as your third. From this, you will emerge unscathed from any altercation without ever allowing it to degenerate into a no-holds-barred grappling match fought upon the ground.

 

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Scott Shaw.com

Scott Shaw Hapkido Taekwondo International