Martial arts have long been celebrated for their physical benefits, but they also offer profound mental and emotional healing. In a world where stress and anxiety are common, the practice of martial skills can be a powerful tool for self-improvement. This blog post will explore how you can master martial skills and embrace self-healing through the unique lens of my book; “The Potato Chipper.” https://www.thepotatochipper.com/
I predominantly practice the Internal Chinese systems of Xing Yi and Bagua Zhang along with Muay Boran Old Thai Boxing. I mix in the systems of Chow Gar Southern Praying Mantis, Kalaripayattu (an old Indian system) and Submission Grappling. I had previously fought in Chinese and Freestyle rules Kick Boxing contests, along with Shuai Jiao Jacket Wrestling and Tai Chi Chuan competitions, inclusive of representing the United Kingdom as the governing body British Champion in the 2001 Danish Open DTQF (Internal Kung Fu) and European Kung Fu Championships in 2002.
Although the above may appear quite extensive, I still have a lot to learn, and on departing from active, ‘sporting’ competition, I realised what gaps can appear, when you repeatedly enter the same format of competition, and fight against a similar type of opponent, utilising known tactics and strategies. It all becomes too LINEAR when at times, you’re training needs to be bit less scripted and more ‘dirty’.
For this reason, I liked entering “OPEN” events, where individuals would enter from all manner of disciplines and you had no idea who/what would present itself in front of you. No preparation, with video analysis. I am good friends with the ex-Boxing Coach of the 3rd Battalion of the Parachute Regiment of the British Army. He told me that he had far greater interest in Amateur Boxing than Professional Boxing for similar reasons to those outlined in the previous paragraph.
To give some context, in 2003, I fought against a former British Judo Champion in the similar discipline of Shuai Jiao, Chinese Jacket Wrestling. I had studied a bit of Judo in the early 2000s but with Shuai Jiao, my competitors until I had fought the aforementioned former Judo champion would try to knock you off balance by FIRSTLY pulling your upper body down or ripping your jacket to the right or left prior to attacking your lower limbs and with a sweep to ‘down you’. I must admit that I would employ this tactic.
However, during the above bout, my opponent, literally just deftly moved brushed past my arms, stepping into the gap between my right arm and core, placing his hip slightly behind mine, and before I knew it, I was up in the air and landing on the mat. I learned quickly and made sure that on his next attempt, I wrapped him up and took him with me. He still won the bout on points and took the Gold, leaving me with a Silver. The moral of this little story was that, an experienced Judoka would have known what was coming, because he/she would have recognised that pattern of motion, of attack or strategy. I had not practiced Judo for several years’, so required a jolt to see it. SO; What you are UNAWARE of may defeat you, therefore, cover your bases and absorb as much as you can about your competitors.
Moreover, understand, that Martial systems are an INSURANCE policy, in cases of Self-Defence. If you can extract yourself with good verbal skills, where you know how to stand your ground but give the person, space to save face (ie: don’t embarrass them), or get out quickly, preferably by identifying a tense situation that is about to escalate and ‘getting out’ of it. Then remember, if you survive any kind of tense situation, then you have ‘SUCCESSFULLY’ negotiated your way out of a potentially violent situation.
NOTE: A former Longmoor trained Close Protection Officer from the British Royal Military Police, which is one of the top three CP organisations in the World outlined to me how “Close Protection/Bodyguarding is essentially just about Observation and where necessary, Organised running away…” The US Secret Service charged with guarding the President of the USA and the Royal Protection Group of the UK Metropolitan Police would doubtless agree on this, in spite of the desire of Movie Makers to portray more exotic, reactionary aspects of said discipline. If life is working correctly and you are administrating yourself wisely, it will be boring. The Old Chinese proverb ‘may your life be interesting’ is in fact, a curse to be distanced.
Returning to Martial Arts (with a little bit of Bodyguarding), “you will ignore the Law of Threes” at your peril. If you’re advancing on a target and just continuously throwing forward punches, once the third punch is thrown, your adversary, if they are not fatigued, and know what they are about, will be able to counter. You must switch the angle of attack, of start using your legs, or go for a throw, to break the pattern. Moreover, continual use of shops, roads or other venues, in a particular pattern over three weeks will leave you exposed to an attack.
“The Potato Chipper” and “Sigma-Cybernetics Method” is not just a quirky name; it symbolizes the blend of discipline, creativity, and healing that martial arts can provide. Whether you are a beginner or an experienced practitioner, there is something valuable for everyone.
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