DISCUSSION

Amplifying the slap

Breathing / movement of ribs to absorb

The rib cage can be moved with breathing but it can also stay relatively static. The movement is almost like a folding action downward as can be seen via the animation below. This phenomenon can actually be applied in martial art skills. The amplitude of this movement can be increased over time through practice.

Pain conditioning

If you think about a chess game, you will lose some pieces even if you win at the end. This is the same in another other sports like tennis, basketball, etc. In fighting, each of the point that was lost represents a hit that landed and therefore will cause pain. Do be ready for it. If you are in shock because of a single contact, you are guaranteed to run into problems: everything you learned will be out the window.

Some body parts that everyone that do martial arts train pain tolerance:

• knuckles, palm and elbow for attacks
• shin and thighs for defense
• forearm and upper arm mostly for defensive moves
• tummy to be able to take some hits

SCENARIOS

High grab on slightly higher than wrist

The last time, we were doing this scenario but with the grip below the wrist. However, one of the pairs have trouble making it work when the grip is partly on the hand itself and not on the wrist.

To get out, instead of bend the wrist down, wrap your thumb around your opponent’s thumb. This is cause his thumb to lose its support / anchor and roll inward. That will loosen his support and therefore give you the opportunity to press and get away.

EXERCISES

Keep yourself fit over the holidays!

MISCELLANEOUS

Do you understand the differences between the following:

Martial Arts — A broad, generic term that encompasses all fighting styles.

Kung Fu (or Gung Fu) — A term for martial arts that originated in China and that still retain many traditional training methods and core principles.

Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) — Many people assume that UFC and MMA are the same, but they are not. UFC is a specific promotional franchise for MMA competition. There are many others, such as ONE Championship, Cage Warriors, and more.

Karate, Aikido, Judo — Japanese martial arts styles. Although their historical roots can be traced back to China, they developed distinct emphases, structures, and training methodologies that are clearly Japanese.

Internal Styles of Kung Fu — The term “internal” refers to an emphasis on elements that are not easily visible, such as alignment, timing, and coordination. Many people doubt their practicality in real-life situations. However, if you are fortunate enough to learn from a good teacher, you will find that many of the principles and training methods make complete sense. Well-known examples include Taiji (Tai Chi), Bagua, Xingyi, and Liuhebafa.

External Styles of Kung Fu — The term “external” generally refers to styles that emphasize muscular power, speed, and physical expression, often resulting in movements that are visually impressive.

Why do I like martial arts so much?

My uncles were involved in a style called Wing Tsun (永春). My grandfather dabbled in Tai Chi. Whenever I visited him, his way of “bonding” with me was often, “XXX (my nickname), come and push me—you can’t move me.” My mother would sometimes read martial arts novels (武俠小說) to me as bedtime stories. A couple of translated Japanese television series about judo training (柔道龍虎榜, 柔道小金剛) from the late 1960s and early 1970s further fueled my intense interest.

Because my teachers came from different backgrounds and styles, it was challenging to reconcile their differences. I often wondered whether anything I was being taught was wrong. At that time, the primary method of learning was imitation—copying the teacher—so the emphasis was on how to do something, with little explanation of why it was done that way or what problem it was meant to solve. As a result, learning kung fu felt very much like solving a puzzle. You were given hints and clues through old Chinese poems passed down from generation to generation.

Later, during high school and university, I began to find some of those answers through my studies in physics, psychology, sports science, anatomy, and related fields.

I have always considered Liuhebafa to be my “home” style. My experience with other martial arts enriched my understanding and provided inspiration and alternative approaches to the art of fighting. During high school, protective equipment was still quite expensive, so my friends and I sparred bare-knuckled. I accumulated plenty of bruises to my body and legs, and I nearly lost a tooth once.

Those experiences are what keep me grounded. I want to ensure that what I practice and teach does not become merely another form of exercise for health alone—it must retain real fighting value.

Why I like teaching these classes

You may find this hard to believe, but I continue to learn and improve through teaching. The more people I teach and connect with, the greater the variety of behavioral patterns I observe. I also gain experience interacting with individuals of different sizes and body types. Each of you is unique, and when something does not work for you, I need to “debug” the issue immediately—this sharpens my eye and deepens my understanding. A single explanation or teaching method does not work for everyone.

I had a wake-up call when I was teaching children and realized that none of them knew who the Terminator was. Ultimately, it is always rewarding to help you overcome learning hurdles and to see a technique begin to work effortlessly for you.

2025 is a wrap!

This is the first year I have tailored my martial arts teaching specifically for seniors, and it has been a truly enjoyable journey. I hope we can continue working together for many years to come. Ultimately, I am passing on valuable knowledge that has taken me decades to develop—more than 60 years, to be precise. I hope this helps explain why it is impossible to condense everything into just a few weeks of classes.

Internal martial arts can be challenging and often seem cryptic to those unfamiliar with them. Many of the principles and approaches contradict practices that may have served you well for the past 50 years or more. However, as a senior, your body is changing. I am asking you to turn things around and adopt a different approach—one that can continue to serve you well in the years ahead. I know this is challenging, but I also know it is possible.

Thank you all for your trust and attention, and for your willingness to absorb even the smallest details. Thank you for making Thursdays such an enjoyable day for me.

To help me plan for 2026, please share what was the best part (or what do you like most) about these classes? Thanks.

DISCUSSION

Target Training

Some people simply do not understand the word no. After multiple redirects, a firm refusal, and even an attempt to leave the scene have failed, you may have to induce pain as a deterrent. There are certain areas of the body that are particularly sensitive and can be targeted without causing permanent injury, as opposed to techniques such as eye jabs or groin kicks. Of course, there are situations—and individuals—where those measures may be warranted.

Striking with different parts of the body generally means working from different distances. For example, the hands can reach much farther than the elbows or shoulders. It is important to understand the advantages, limitations, and prerequisites of each type of strike.

Picking the “right” targets is just as important as being able to strike hard. In fact, it was demonstrated in class that it doesn’t matter how much muscles you have or how hard you can hit, being able to get there is the most important thing. You cannot cause damage without contact. The picture at the top of the article highlights some of the “soft” targets that can cause you to wince even with a finger pressing firmly.

Note: One of the challenges for many seniors is hand arthritis, which can result in pain, weakness, or deformity in the fingers and hands. It is not reasonable to assume that you can always form a tight fist capable of injuring an aggressor. In such circumstances, palm strikes, elbows, or shoulders may be more practical and effective options.

Slaps

This is the first time we will use pads to develop a sense of how to deliver a solid strike. This process will continue to evolve over time. It is essential that we always respect our own bodies as well as our training partners.

• Start slowly and lightly, then gradually increase speed to develop power.
• Give your joints and hands time to adapt to the impact.
• Avoid developing bad habits, such as winding up before striking. Do not telegraph your intent; strike directly from where your hands already are.
• Swing with your entire body, not just the arms.
• Ensure that contact with the pad is perpendicular.

Tagging

A lot of people think mis-direction, feinting or faking an attack are all the same. We call it “tagging”. All those are simply sub-categories within “tagging”. The goal of tagging cause a moment where your opponent is frozen, confused, in a state of im-balance, overwhelmed, misdirected, over committed, jammed and much more. With good tagging, any hits can work.

SCENARIOS

Pad facing ceiling – the downward force is the easiest to learn to feel how gravity can help with the swing. It is important to learn the small moves of the body like: how to focus on the speed of the elbow, how to relax the spine into a sinking motion and the bending of the knees to add weight to the hit. If you stiffen your body, your arm will probably go slower and less of your body weight get transferred to the hand / target.

Pad facing the side held about head height – this intend to provide a target similar to opponents face or head. In this exercise, start slow and understand the path of the arm swing and how stepping into the hit and turning the body helps release more power.

EXERCISES

Misdirection, feinting, or faking an attack are all separate ways to confuse your opponent. We group these under the term tagging. Tagging can also be just an expression on the face, eyes looking away, whisper / yelling, a small shovel and many more. The objective of tagging is to create a brief moment in which the opponent is frozen, confused, off-balance, or overwhelmed. It aims to create an opportunity for open access to your intended target.

REALITY CHECK

You are learning to defend yourself. Is that the same as learning how to fight?

The answer is less clear-cut than you might hope. You are learning tools that allow you to hurt an opponent. Can I guarantee that you will be safe in all situations? Definitely not. Through training and understanding, you increase your probability of surviving an attack—but that probability is never 100%. This is similar to anything in life, always try your best, there are no guarantees.

Even striking a hard surface can hurt. Win or lose, you must be prepared to experience pain and not be surprised by it. If pain is triggered, you must not think, “Oh, this hurts.” Instead, your focus should be on delivering the message: This is going to cost you—it is not going to be free.

DISCUSSION

Various Steps Explained

Stutter steps – this meaning repeating the front leg’s action of stepping as front. It is often used when you want to add more body weight to your push or strike at close range without changing the lead foot.

Gallop steps – Gallop steps conserve energy and can be performed high (with legs relatively straight) or low (close to a low stance). Their main advantage is that they allow you to cover long distances without the exposure that comes from switching your lead leg.

Angling tuck steps – this step is to most often used in conjunction with the upper body’s avoidance action of a hit to the head when your upper body instinctively ducks or moves off the line of fire. The leg moves in the same direction to amplify that evasive action. The movement is fast because it is a tuck powered by your core plus gravity. Since your support leg leaves the ground, gravity helps pull you in the direction your body is already moving.

Go with the flow, do NOT RESET

Striving for perfection is a good mindset, but it can also become a handicap. Imagine a writer trying to create the perfect novel—very often they freeze, second-guess themselves, and tear up draft after draft. Or imagine trying to teach a baby to walk perfectly on the very first day; it would be frustrating for both you and the baby.
To succeed, you must stay focused on the end goal, not the bumps and struggles along the way. In a fight—or in any challenge—you must be ready to take hits and keep going. Do not stop because of small setbacks or small successes. Continue until the job is done.

A better approach is to continuously get them to try continuously, keep trying and keep it safe.

Train to Be a Warrior

• Heart (Passion) – You must care about something: yourself, your quality of life, your principles, or the people who care about you. That passion drives you to do whatever it takes to protect what matters.
• Accountability – Wishing is not enough. You must take ownership of the work required to make things happen. You do not blame others; you focus on what you can do to improve the odds. You avoid procrastination and keep yourself ready—even if the opportunity appears for only a split second.
• Toughness – Training is sometimes painful. Change is difficult. Survival is hard. Face challenges now so that you are ready to be tough when it truly counts.

SCENARIOS

Push is a very useful maneuver when you don’t really want to injure the opposing party. Care must be taken that even a push without any intention-to-harm might accidental cause significant damage. For example, if on the street, the person falling hit the back of their head on concrete; or someone fell backward and landed on their tailbone.

Some common mistakes with this push partner drill:

• Start pushing at maximum
• Stand square facing your partner
• Body not working as ONE
• Arms over bent into an acute angle or too extended during the push

EXERCISES

As we have seen many times, the right mindset can transform the mechanics and delivery of a movement. Apply this to the push exercise by focusing on maintaining the integrity of your whole body rather than extending the arm or creating unnecessary tension in your arms or abs.

While keeping the pressure constant, see if you can reduce the tension in your arms and body without decreasing the force you deliver. Do you notice that when you slightly relax your back into a gentle slouch, you can actually deliver more power without adding muscle tension?

Can you try to do the plank now and play with varying tensions on different parts of your body?

DISCUSSION

Pushing Mechanics

Leg position – the majority of people started the push with back leg straight. However, this may be good only if you are attempting in a defensive position where you feel you need to count on structure for support. However, if you want to generate enough pushing power to affect your opponent, straight leg takes away the possibility of pushing with leg muscles.

Legs should be bent at knee at about 90 degrees. The knee should not be facing the ground in almost a kneeing position. It should be facing between 30-45 degrees of the frontal line so that you foot can be placed comfortably.

Arm position – The elbows should be relaxed and pointing downward. Keep the shoulders relaxed and settled into your upper-body frame. Instead of actively trying to push with your arms, maintain this “relaxed shape” and imagine your body and arms as a single connected unit. The arms will transmit force naturally when the whole body moves.

Body position – It is tempting to lean your body into the push to add weight, but this creates several problems. If your opponent steps back while you are leaning in, you may lose balance and fall forward—unacceptable in a live exchange. Keep your torso relatively upright and relaxed (but not limp). You may round and sink the body slightly to help redirect force downward into your legs.

Avoid arching your lower back, as this often causes the abdominal muscles to tighten and makes your body rigid. A rigid structure becomes a lever your opponent can exploit. Instead, relax your back and lower back, allowing a gentle pelvic tilt so force from the ground to your legs and can pass smoothly through your body structure.

Placement of Center of Gravity

Physics tells us that if your center of gravity (CG) is positioned directly above the edge of your base of support, any movement beyond that point will cause the entire structure to collapse. While advanced practitioners may still maintain stability in such conditions, beginners should play it safe and keep their CG centered between both feet.

You can observe a similar principle in professional tennis: when waiting for a serve, players distribute their weight roughly 50/50 so they can move easily in either direction.

What is the best way to step forward?

We all hope there is just one type of stepping to master—wouldn’t that be nice? In reality, different situations call for different types of footwork. Here are a few examples that I will try to cover next class:

• Gallops – used to quickly cover distance when you don’t yet have contact with your opponent.
• Stutter steps – used to add body weight and momentum into your technique.
• Switch steps – used to change the leading foot and potentially adjust your angle, either to evade or to add power to kicks.
• Angling steps – to stay at same distance but at a different angle.
• Heel-toe – again an angling maneuver where you step without stepping
• Safe-your-bacon step – to be able to release your weighted leg. This is especially important for seniors to save yourself from tripping over uneven pavement, etc.
• Step-through – bringing the back foot past the front foot, similar to walking. This becomes challenging when you are already feeling resistance from your opponent or when you need to deliver a fast, long-distance strike with a changed lead.

…and many more.

SCENARIOS

• Try to push with different leg, arm and body positions and experience how it feels.
• Try tighten up your body using chest and apps
• Experiment with hands on partner’s shoulder versus hip
• Try to push against partners with different heights and body built as compared to you.
• Apply the knowledge about a strong stance versus a weak stance from previous classes.

EXERCISES

Practice push-the-wall – the wall will not move and so it is easy to detect if any part of your body leaks out the pushing force. Read the discussion on the top to focus in on what to focus on. Feel your body and see if you can deliver the same thrust without engaging your whole body.

Do try also the “extension” push where you extend your shoulder, chest and arms without moving your abs and lower body.

Plank – plank is a good exercise to strengthen your core. Do not allow your body to sag. You should have a slightly rounded back. Try to hold until you shake and then count eight more slow count.

DISCUSSION

Characteristics of a good defense technique

If you describe the purpose of blocking a punch simply as avoiding getting hit, that is valid—but it’s not enough. This mindset keeps you one beat behind and focuses your attention on the opponent’s punch rather than on the openings that they are giving you.

Our method focuses on the following principles:

• Create something the opponent must respond to.
  Don’t just react; give them a problem to solve.
• Move off the line of fire so you don’t absorb the full impact of the strike. Furthermore, they have to find you!
• Affect the opponent physically and mentally so they must adjust—or get hit.
• Be either fully out or fully in.
  Avoid the mid-range where the opponent has many striking options.
• Limit the opponent’s choices as much as possible so the exchange is no longer a guessing game.
• Use double-layered strategy whenever possible – for example, use structural support AND move the target AND breath out to absorb all at the same time rather than relying on a single method and hoping it always works.

Structural support

In general, the human body uses bones for structure and muscles for movement. Many people focus too heavily on muscle use and forget the power that comes from proper structural alignment.

Here are some of the benefits of using body structure:

• Muscles consume energy, and you will fatigue over time.
• Muscles require reaction time, which means they can be late.
• Excess tension slows movement and can even cause opposing muscles to fight each other. For example, tensing both the biceps and triceps before punching makes a fast, strong strike impossible—though it may look good on a bodybuilding stage.

Don’t fall into the trap of thinking internal styles like Taichi do not use muscles. If you’re standing, you are using muscles. If you bend your knees, you are using thigh muscles. The key difference is the focus: not on muscle contraction, but on the task at hand.

Some people tense their shoulders and arms before striking. These “preparations” are telegraphs, signals that reveal your intention to your opponent.

As a senior, percentages are against you if someone cares to bully you. Don’t compete on his terms, learn to fight smart. Apply the laws of physics like leverage, shape, etc.

Muscles require commitment to generate power. A properly aligned structure can remain in place indefinitely and function automatically when needed, with no advance signal.

Structure is extremely strong when used as intended, but very weak when pushed beyond its limits. A toothpick can deliver a painful poke if you press its tip against your finger, yet it snaps easily when pressed from the side.

SCENARIOS

Defense against circular swings

“Stay out or in.”
Circular hooks or swings often have shorter reach than straight punches. When you are outside their reach, you are safe. When you are inside—past the distance they train their heavy bag—you enter a zone where they often feel they need “more room” to hit harder. That close range can be a safe zone if you know how to use it.

Point your elbow at the swinging arm.

If the opponent’s arm strikes your elbow perpendicularly, there is a good chance they will injure themselves badly.

Warning: The following video is gruesome but reflects real-world consequences.

Review and practice defense against six grips

• Low, crossover, thumbs-up grip
• Low crossover, palms down grip
• Low, same-side, thumbs-up grip
• High crossover grip
• High same-side grip
• Two-arms-low grip

EXERCISES

Some of you are still struggling with the “gallops.” Here are a few things to avoid:

• Do NOT use the terms “front” and “back.”
  These refer to where you are looking, not the direction of movement. The key consideration is your direction of travel, so please use the terms “leading” and “trailing.”
• Do NOT gallop with noticeable level changes on each step.
  This wastes energy and time—save that effort for when you truly need to sprint away. Keep your movement smooth and maintain a consistent height unless there is a specific purpose for changing levels.

Some of you also mentioned that there are many concepts to absorb. Reprogram your brain over time by reading the class notes, applying the principles by brainstorming examples where the theories are applicable. This mental training is just as important as the physical training.

DISCUSSION

I cannot…YET

I understand the challenge you felt while learning some of these skills. “Relax” can feel completely counterintuitive. It is hard—but it’s not impossible. It simply takes repetition. Remember: “You cannot … yet.”

I’ve included an old video of a pike that seems to learn from repeated failed attempts. Please watch it all the way to the end:

My takeaway is this: don’t give up, no matter how difficult something feels in the moment. You have a teacher (me) as a resource to support you. You have support from classmates that probably went through similar experiences. If you persevere, what feels hard today will eventually become easy.

Constraints

Water naturally takes the shape of its container and always flows to the lowest point—both well-known facts. But we also know water changes state under different temperatures. As steam, it rises; as liquid, it flows and adapts; as ice, it becomes rigid and even expands compared to its volume at room temperature.

The skills we learn in martial arts or self-defense also operate within certain parameters. For example, if space is limited, running away may no longer be an option. If an attacker is so tall that you cannot reach his nose, aiming for a nose-strike is not realistic. If you’re holding a thin bamboo stick, it won’t deliver much impact as a weapon. And if your arm is limp, you won’t have much leverage. While you must first practice techniques as they are taught, you should also test and adapt them under different conditions.

Constraints or limitations can be:

• Self-related constraints
  You may have injured your ankle the day before. You might be lying down and unable to move backward or get up easily. You could be physically outsized by your opponent. Or you may have a child with you whom you must protect.
• Opponent-related constraints
  Your opponent may have unusually long limbs and you may have a hard time reaching him. If it’s winter and he’s wearing a thick jacket, your punches may not cause enough damage. Or he may be strong, fast, muscular, and able to absorb hits more easily.
• Environmental constraints
  You might be in an elevator with very limited space. You could be walking on an icy surface while wearing shoes with poor traction. Or you might be seated on a park bench, making movement more difficult.

Crowbar Principle — Leverage

When escaping someone’s grip, we often rely on the crowbar principle.

• Relax and clear your mind.
  Tensing up prevents you from thinking clearly and usually disrupts the mechanics that would otherwise work in your favor.
• Do not “lift the box.”
  Do not try to lift or overpower the opponent’s hold directly. Most likely, you are not the stronger one.
• Establish a fixed pivot point that does not move.
  You may move other parts of your arm or body, but the pivot must remain stationary. A common mistake is accidentally pushing the pivot point itself—once it moves, you lose leverage.
• Generate a power lever by extending the energy through your body – a “longer handle” amplifies the power you can generate without tensing up more.
• Project energy through your arm and fingers. Do not leave your fingers bent or hold the hand in a fist. This creates a longer “crowbar tongue” for better leverage.

SCENARIOS
Defense Against a Straight Punch

“Wax on / wax off” demonstrated how seemingly simple or repetitive movements can become useful in self-defense, and it highlighted the value of training. However, from a technical standpoint, it is not our preferred method.

The “wax on / wax off” approach comes from a paradigm where you defend first and strike later. The focus is on blocking the attack and then looking for an opportunity to counter. This type of block has several drawbacks:

• If you misread a fake punch, your hand will be drawn out to the side, leaving you exposed to follow-up strikes.
• Because you react after the punch has started, you are already a beat behind. You must rely on speed and experience to intercept the punch in time. The extra, non-productive travel your hand must make to reach the punch is wasted time. As a senior, you cannot assume you will be faster than your attacker.
• You cannot predict whether you can actually move the attacker’s arm once you make contact. You won’t know until you touch, and by then it may be too late to change your action.
• A block that is not directed toward the attacker can actually fuel his aggression. By attempting to block, you may provoke him to prove he is stronger.

Defense Against a Swinging Punch

The most dangerous reaction is to panic, stiffen your body, and remain at arm’s-reach distance. At that range, punches, kicks, and tackles are all possible, and things happen so quickly that you are likely to get hit.

Staying out of reach is obviously safer—but going all the way in is often counterintuitive. Yet, if you close the distance until you are only inches away, a swinging punch may still hurt but is far less likely to knock you out. Most people cannot generate full power at extremely close range.

Characteristics of Our Preferred Defense Approach

• The blocking hand does not travel sideways. Instead, it shoots directly over the attacker’s arm toward his face or eyes.
• If the punch turns out to be a fake and the attacker retracts, your hand ends up right at his face, removing his initial advantage.
• A hand near his face forces him to pull back or duck, obstructing his vision and reducing his ability to react to your next move.

Review of the grips

We reviewed the following grips, can you name to key-points for each? Remember to look back at the class notes in for the fall season session or even earlier. If you really can’t find the answer, do arrive early to class and ask:

• Low, crossover, thumbs-up grip
• Low, same-side, thumbs-up grip
• High crossover grip
• High same-side grip
• Two-arms-low grip

We also discussed the following scenarios:

• What if you are stuck in a seated position and the attacker puts his full body weight into the grip?
• What if your hands are on a table and you are confined in a picnic bench with limited elbow movement?

EXERCISES

Hot everyone mastered the “gallop” version of mobility. Movements sometimes are still a bit raw or awkward. You must practice until it becomes smooth and relatively effortless.

If you arrive early at class early next week, do partner up and take turns to respond to various direction changes as required.

DISCUSSION

Partner work

You need good partners to excel. Learn to be a good partner! In partner drills, one person feeds and the other person respond. Here are key points to being a good partner:

• Communicate clearly. Make sure both of you understand the scope, speed, and force of each drill to establish clear expectations.
• Help each other learn. Work together to refine techniques through repetition and gradual increases in difficulty.
• Respect comfort zones. Everyone’s comfort level is different. As the feeder, create a supportive environment so your partner can adapt and learn effectively.
• Analyze together. Discussing why a technique didn’t work benefits both partners. It helps train your eye to spot mistakes and reinforces key points for improvement.
• Own the technique. Knowing a move is different from owning it. Repetition is the key to making your responses automatic.
• Be patient and courteous. Everyone learns differently. What seems simple to you now might have been confusing once too. Show the same patience you’d want others to show you. Remember, speaking louder doesn’t help someone understand better — rephrasing your explanation often does.
• Take it seriously. You are all learning techniques that could save lives. Not having — or not being — a good partner can deprive someone of the chance to develop life-saving skills.

De-escalation Strategy

Even world-class athletes sometimes fall behind in a match — what matters is their ability to recover. Likewise, in real-life confrontations, some strikes may get through. You need both mental and physical resilience to push through pain if necessary.

Still, the best outcome is always to de-escalate when possible. Here are some techniques:

• Change your positioning. Move from a face-to-face confrontation to the person’s side, facing the same direction.
• Stay calm, relax and assess. Relax first. Your tension can trigger further escalation. Read the situation — what resources are nearby? What’s the person’s end goal? Is time on your side? Do you have room to move?
• Avoid telegraphing your intent. Don’t fight strength with strength; operate subtly and stay under their radar.
• Use calm communication. Speak softly and look for common ground, e.g. “I’m sorry — I’m having a rough day too…”

Strategic Positioning (Situational Awareness)

• Avoid standing near the edge of train platforms or at the tops of stairways. A single bump could send you over the edge.
• Maintain a good field of vision. Don’t walk too close to blind corners in streets or supermarket aisles. Staying at least an arm’s length from edges and obstacles gives you time and space to react.
• Avoid keeping your hands in your pockets — they could get trapped if you fall.
• Stay aware of your surroundings. Know who and what is near you, and look ahead for potential risks.

Application of “Perpendicular”

The concept of perpendicular force applies to both offense and defense.

In offense: A punch or kick that lands perpendicular to the target surface maximizes impact.
Rather than pushing directly against strength, redirect force to where resistance is minimal — this allows small movements to overcome larger forces.

In defense: Applying force at a 90-degree angle to your opponent’s line of attack meets minimal resistance and can easily disrupt their balance.

SCENARIOS

Reviews

Remember the phrase: “Please Practice Relax First.”
The following grips were reviewed and practiced with different partners:

• Low cross-over (thumbs up) grip
• Low cross-over (palms down) grip
• Low same-side grip
• High cross-over grip

Common mistakes :

• Failing to follow up to reach a strategic position
• Not staying close enough to maintain control of the opponent
• Trying to yank the wrist away or lift the opponent
• Lack of coordination — body parts must move in unison for maximum efficiency
• Confusing “relaxed” with “limp”
• Telegraphing movements

EXERCISES

Continue working on all mobility and strengthening exercises from previous classes regularly.

DISCUSSION

Learning through visual vs understanding

In today’s class, we reviewed two basic moves:

1. Low cross-over, thumbs-up grip
2. Low same-side, thumbs-up grip

Some of you recalled how the moves look, but many missed the key points that make them work. Similar-looking movements are not always the same. Don’t just copy the motion—focus on applying the key principles so you can adapt to different but similar situations.

(If you forgot what the key-points are, review the notes from a couple of weeks ago and think of the phrase “Please Practice Relax First“.

Creating your own summaries

Someone suggested having a summary of the key points for each technique. I understand the idea, but that only helps on the surface. The real value comes from reviewing and processing the material yourself. When you jot down notes after class, read my notes, compare, reflect, and write your own summary, you activate your memory. By revisiting them multiple times, you don’t just learn one skill—you internalize a reusable concept that can be applied in many situations.

Best technique

When people begin martial arts, they often expect a one-to-one match between a specific attack and a specific defense. In reality, it doesn’t work that way.

For example, there’s an old Chinese saying: “Of the 36 techniques, running away is the best.” But even that isn’t always true. What if the aggressor is younger and faster? What if your knee hurts that day? When was the last time you actually sprinted—and are you sure you won’t cramp up? Are you even warmed up to run? And what if you’re in an elevator with nowhere to go? Do you have the right shoes?

Asking Questions

When we were in school, the teacher or professor always seemed so knowledgeable, often asking questions that left us stumped. But remember—because they’re the ones doing the testing, it’s natural that we eventually miss something. If we were to question them in return, they might not have all the answers either.

In self-defense, the same idea applies: it’s important to be proactive rather than passive. Taking initiative can disrupt your opponent’s plan and make them reconsider their actions.

SCENARIOS

How to block a punch?

Remember, blocking should be your last resort, not your preferred option. We can break blocking into three key phases:

• Noticing the Attack – You can’t defend against what you don’t see or feel. Train your awareness to recognize incoming threats early.
• Before Contact – Once you detect an attack, there’s a brief reaction delay before your body moves. The time it takes for your hand to reach the target depends on both speed and distance. This is “overhead” time—it has no effect until contact occurs. To shorten this delay, keep your hands ready and avoid placing them in your pockets or behind your back.
• At Contact – You won’t know your opponent’s strength until the moment of impact. Stay adaptable and responsive.
• After Contact – Don’t rely on brute strength to move the opponent’s arm; strength against strength is inefficient. Instead, redirect or guide the incoming force away from your body. At the same time, move your target area—every inch of movement creates more space and safety

EXERCISES

Gallops

As kids, we all pretended to be horses and galloped around the playground. We’ll use that same idea for this mobility exercise.

• Moving forward: Push into the ground with your front (leading) leg, then drag the trailing foot in.
• Moving left: Push with your left (leading) leg, then drag the trailing foot in.
• Moving right: Push with your right (leading) leg, then drag the trailing foot in.
• Moving backward: Push with your rear (leading) leg, then drag the trailing foot in.

At the concept level, you always push with the leading foot. Using directional terms like front, left, right, or back can be confusing, but the key idea remains the same—the leading leg drives the movement.using. Using teams like leading and trailing takes us off that confusing translation.

Mental training is just as important as physical training. Many of you find it difficult to stay relaxed during emergencies—and that’s completely natural. It takes consistent practice and experience. Just like an emergency doctor, calmness isn’t something they’re born with; it’s developed through repeated exposure and training until staying relaxed becomes second nature.

Think and Review

Some ideas and suggestions:

• Full-body tension and release: Tense all your muscles, then suddenly relax and exhale. This can also help warm you up on cold mornings.
• Emotional control: When you feel irritated or angry, try exhaling and relaxing instantly—both physically and emotionally.
• Mental review: Set aside time to read through the class notes, visualize the movements, and create your own summaries.
• Body awareness: Often, you don’t realize when you’re tense. Try standing with slightly bent knees, breathing slowly and naturally, and consciously relaxing your shoulders, chest, and abdomen.

DISCUSSIONS
BODY WAVES

This exercise serves as an excellent general warm-up for the spine and the entire body. It opens the chest and relaxes the spine in a coiled position. While it looks quite different from Yoga’s cat-cow pose, it actually involves a similar spinal motion. Furthermore, you are also engaging the legs, abs, and neck as the wave motion ripples through the body. Developing control and awareness of each body segment moving sequentially provides valuable neural training for the brain.

Key-points

• Push the knees forward.
• Push the hips forward.
• Extend the lower spine vertically.
• Open your chest toward the ceiling by bending through the thoracic section.
• Stand up through vertical with straight body
• Then allow yourself to droop forward, starting from your head and then one vertebra at a time, while keeping the pelvis rounded and butt tucked.

Common errors:

• Arching at the lower back instead of through the thoracic section of the spine.
• Not pushing the hips forward enough.
• Not moving one section of the body at a time.
• When the body is ripping past vertical, you must keep the back and neck relaxed instead of tension.
• Allowing the buttocks to stick out backward.

REALITY ABOUT STREET FIGHTS

• There are no referees; you cannot tap out.
• Even a push can be deadly if your opponent’s head hits the pavement.
• It is not a game—there are no reset buttons.
• Even on your best day, you may still get hit. Be prepared for pain; there’s no such thing as a free lunch.
• You don’t know what you don’t know—the aggressor might have unseen friends.
• A fight must never be about ego, anger, or teaching someone a lesson. It must be about protecting something more important than life itself.

PICKING TARGETS

Focus on soft, vulnerable targets such as the eyes and nose—areas that are especially painful and effective for self-defense.

When you are under stress, it is hard to manage things requiring a lot of precision. For example, you should not aim for an eye poke unless it is presented to you. Groin kicks, while effective, is well known and therefore you can miss if you telegraph.

SCENARIOS
A Frontal Push to the Chest

If you feel yourself stiffening up during training, it’s not good enough. This usually happens when the hips lock up or the panic reflex kicks in.

• Using the body wave to absorb the force buys you valuable milliseconds.
• Resisting the push directly often causes stiffness and creates leverage against yourself.
• You must “step out of the firing line” as you perform the wave by spinning your pivot heel outward, then moving your other leg off the line as well.
• If you feel yourself stiffening up during training, it’s not good enough. This usually happens when the hips lock up or the panic reflex kicks in

EXERCISES

• Stationary Body Waves: Focus on smooth spinal motion without unnecessary tension.
• Heel Spin: Spin the heel without lifting yourself up first. Make sure your heel, knee, and chest move as one.
• Body Waves with Spin: Perform body waves while rotating around one leg.
• Squat: Maintain control and grounding throughout the movement. Stay put until your legs burn and shake. Then count for another slow 8 count.
• Projection Through the Fingers: Extend energy and intent through your fingertips as you move.

DISCUSSION

Relax

We often use the word “relax”, but here it has a specific, technical meaning. Take a look at the banner picture of the article: the “just right” state is neither tense (“fight mode”) nor limp. Neither extreme allows for effective handling.

The “just right” state is actually a range, and the only way to discover it and perfect it is through experimenting and practicing. You also need to understand the functional purpose of each movement and be adaptable to different types of food and chopsticks. As an example, when you pick up tofu with chopsticks, you can’t squeeze it like you would a piece of chicken — you must adjust your grip.

Key points to get out of wrist grabs without escalation

When we reviewed techniques for escaping wrist grabs, several key concepts were common across all of them:

• Project through the fingers
• Pivot point
• Relax physically and emotionally
• Flow with the force and find weakness.

To help you remember these, use the phrase “Please Practice Relax First.”

• P – Please: Project through the fingers. Extend your arm with focused intent, as if energy is flowing outward. This helps create a stable and functional lever.
• P – Practice: Pivot point. Keep your pivot point steady — it should not move or wiggle. It’s a key element in creating leverage.
• R – Relax: Relax physically and emotionally. This helps you think clearly and avoid wasting effort by trying to move your opponent’s entire arm. It also prevents triggering their defensive reaction — your body language and mindset matter.
• F – First: Flow with your opponent’s energy. For example, when your opponent grabs you, their fingers exert inward pressure. Instead of resisting outward, find ways to move inward without fighting it directly.

Weaknesses in the human grip

Fingers – We grab objects like groceries or tools by bending our fingers inward. To tighten our grip, we squeeze inward. If someone push my fingers inward, I am more likely to loose the grip.

Wrists – The wrist is strong on the palm side because it’s used frequently for lifting. The back of the hand, however, is much weaker since it rarely bears weight. While you can always train yourself stronger, but if you compare your own strength inward vs outward, you will find one direction is weaker.

Grip – When someone grabs your wrist, they aim to control you. If you remain relaxed, a single hand grip can only restrict you at the grip but not anywhere else — you can still move your fingers, smile, turn your head, or bend your knees. But if you tense up or panic, that grip will control your whole body.

Situational Awareness and Strategy

When we communicate, we express ideas and respond to the topic at hand — adapting our tone and wording depending on the situation or the person we’re speaking to. Sometimes we even use body language like a smile, a smirk, a wink, tension of the body, etc.

When it comes to fighting, a lot of people thought it is fundamentally different and expect to have standard solutions like the routine/form they practice everyday. When they are told “it depends…” and asked to understand the mechanics and concepts behind the technique, they think it is too complicated. But life is complex. Intelligent conversation — like martial adaptability — is difficult to both teach and learn.

Fighting is just another form of interaction, with higher stakes. Through martial arts, you’ll gradually understand not only yourself but also how others think and react.

SCENARIOS

High crossover wrist grab

Key Points

• Relax and turn the wrist slightly so the palm faces downward.
• Align your fingers with your opponent’s forearm.
• “Wipe” 90 degrees with the fingers leading the motion.
• Wrap and grab your opponent’s arm to steer them into a non-confrontational but strategic position.

Reviewed all the other grips learned so far

Through repetitions with different partners, you start to see the common thread that links all these together. You will also be able to remember the key-points that make it work instead of just imitating what may not be important.

Common Mistakes

• Tensing the arm, causing the whole arm to move and sometimes even ended up trying to lift your opponent’s entire body. You should instead attempt to affect only his wrist and fingers.
• Lifting the shoulder or elbow to “fight” the grab.
• Forgetting to follow through to the strategic position.

EXERCISES

We didn’t have time for exercises together, but I trust you’re motivated to train on your own. Continue with the exercises from previous classes — your leg muscles and core could always use more work. Or maybe a simple plank for a couple of minutes.