Beyond the Block: The Language of Fighting
by Corey Padnos
“Use you’re words, not your
fists.” -Your misinformed
elementary school teachers on the playground.
“Make sure it’s an honest
punch.”-Martin Wheeler
Months ago, an honest punch
seemed like an analogy for “give em’ a good one” so that you can practice for a
more real world application for fighting.
That’s only part of the
equation.
As humans as a whole, we
communicate both verbally and physically.
In our daily jobs we’re oftentimes only stuck with the verbal side of
things. Some even troll on the
Internet with ever-devolving and harsh language because there isn’t a physical
outlet. (In my opinion, some
physical altercations—as brutal as it can be—are more honest that some
anonymous jerk blogging with vulgarity against somebody on a web forum.) There is a physical communication that
needs to take place. Martial Art
or any sort of physical training with intent helps educate how to place
yourself physically near somebody and to be comfortable. In a way, when you
train your physicality, you train your comfort level on intimacy. I want to make a distinction: Not sexual intimacy, but physical
intimacy. Every punch you throw,
every time you wrap your forearms around an opponent’s neck, every time you dig
your feet into somebody’s knee caps—you are trying to use physical contact to
elicit a reaction to better understand who they are and how they understand
touch. The entire premise of a
fight is that it is—at its core—a conversation. I strive to understand this statement every time I train
Systema.
Author’s note: I think fighting is a less than optimal
form of communication. Please
don’t judge me for not yet understanding it. This lack of knowledge on my part is why I train martial
art—the language of fighting—in order to better communicate with others who
speak it so well.
What I learned was that I
need to understand somebody’s physical motives better. When I’m attacked, I need to go beyond
the block psychology. A block is a shield that stops momentum. This is one reason why Systema
emphasizes flow and constant movement instead of countering force with more force. If I were having a conversation with
you—verbal or physical—why would I want to put my arms up and stop it?
Having flow and constant
movement requires compassion for your opponent. When he or she starts a fight,
you have to let them attack you and use your movements to let them speak their
piece. Once you understand the
heart of the issue—their tension, structural faults, missteps, etc.—only then can
you effectively communicate with your body. Only finally when your opponent yields onto the ground, he
or she understand your point of view.
I write this article as a
promise, to you, my training partners or future training partners, that I look
forward to starting a dialogue and striving to be honest with you. My intent now is give my practice
partners and opponents fully committed attacks so that we both can learn how to
better communicate. I strive
for: No more stopping half way
through a strike, performing speeds that don’t match my partner, or even being
afraid during training so that my strikes have anger.
Thank you for reading my
words. I look forward to “having a
chat.”
