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Reflection

Finally back to England - and after a martial arts journey of forty years I have finally sat my black belt grading. In the past I always thought better to leave being a black belt until my skills have improved but with some sadness I realise that many of my physical skills are now diminishing and the time that I have when I can still perform techniques such as a jumping reverse turning kick is limited. Better to do the examination now before I require concessions for my age. So hopefully this has been accomplished and I have now joined others who started much later than me but achieved their black belt much sooner.

My practice has served as an anchor in my life. No matter what events happen in the larger world the routine of training provides me with a stabilising energy that helps put the other dramas of life into perspective.

My hope is to continue with Chugarkwon and develop my skills including teaching. With time I will need to consider less physically challenging practice such as Wing Chun and Tai Chi. However, it is still my intention to continue with my practice of Sanda while I can.

Sometimes people seem perplexed at my continued interest in martial arts and I admit that the fighting side of the art is less important to me than it was. But I often say to people - look at what kung fu can give you: Strength, suppleness, improved coordination, cardio vascular exercise, improved reaction times, ability to take a physical blow, improved balance, self defence skills …. The list goes on and on and no one has identified an alternative activity that can provide such an extensive and holistic range of benefits.

So on I go. I looking forward to the next instalment of my martial arts adventure. I have studied Kung fu for most of my life hope that I can continue till the day I die. As for a black belt - Better late than never!!

Richard Eisenbraun

Dec 2010

My Journey in the martial arts

My journey with martial arts started 40 years ago and many would say that it is not before time that I have finally taken my black belt examination.

At the age of 17, I was full of the fire of youth and having been bullied as a child, decided that as an adolescent I would become a fighter! To this end I practiced a number of different martial arts initially in the United States and then in London, England. My focus became almost an obsession with daily practice with different clubs and styles and at the age of 20 was a brown belt in Wu shu Kwan. However, despite the prompting from my instructor and other students I never went on to become a black belt. My reasons for this were rather obscure but I suppose that I never felt that I was up to the standard of black belt and consequently spent several years practicing without doing any gradings.

I then moved away from the external martial arts altogether and spent approximately 8 years with an extraordinary internal marital arts teacher (Miss Rose Li) who taught me Tai Chi, Ba Kua, and Hsing Yi as well as Chinese language, philosophy, calligraphy, and an appreciation of good Chinese food.

The Masters of Kung Fu in China

Miss Li had hoped that my (former) wife and I would become formerly recognised students with the internal schools in Beijing. Unfortunately this never transpired. I started feeling some of my former reticence to be recognised in any martial arts style and there were huge expectations from Miss Li not only in the practice of martial arts but also in the study of Chinese language. My wife and I started to drift apart and consequently going to classes together also became less of a positive experience. Finally we left the school and although I returned once or twice I never regained my former focus and commitment.

After this I became rather a drifter through different martial arts schools staying with each long enough to join, do one or two gradings and then moving on to something else. When I moved to East Sussex, I met my friend Rob - another drifter and we practiced together and went to a number of different schools until eventually I joined the Chugarkwon Academy about six years ago. And, while my friend Rob moved on again, I decided that ‘reading the first page of every book’ was no longer serving me and consequently decided to remain focused with Sanda.

My experience with Chugarkwon has been a very positive one and by remaining focused I have become able to develop and consolidate my martial art skills. One of the most difficult aspects of Sanda for me has been learning grappling techniques. At first I thought these superfluous. However, I now realise that fighting does not entail dancing around your opponent in a lighted room while each exchanges punches and kicks. Instead threatening situations are unknown and require a range of skills not least of all being able to deal with a situation where an opponent rushes at you and tries to wrestle you to the ground. Other situations such as attacks by multiple opponents and being attacked with weapons also are an essential part of the Sanda syllabus and makes the style less of a sport and more of a self defence.

Teaching has also become more of a prominent part of my martial arts. I have come to recognise that by explaining and demonstrating techniques to beginners that I come to have a greater understanding of those techniques myself. However, I still think of myself as the ‘eternal student’ and hope to continue to get the guidance of Master Chiu and other teachers.

The Chugarkwon philosophy

No account of my experiences with Chugarkwon would be complete without the extraordinary opportunity to visit China with Master Chiu and others from the class. I have been to Guangzhou on several occasions and practiced under the stern gazes of Grandmaster Lau and Grandmaster Chen. There is no danger getting big headed when training under either of those two! These Grandmasters are friends but you could not imagine more different people.

Grandmaster Chen is a master of Wing Chun and makes every move seem ridiculously easy. However, when I practiced with his students the style seemed impossible. First ‘A’ was wrong, then ‘B’ was wrong, then ‘C’ was wrong. When C was finally OK - A and B were no longer correct! Structure and precision are everything in the style and having one foot at a slightly wrong angle suddenly changing a potentially devastating self defence move into something useless. Master Chiu referred to the art as the thinking mans style and I can really understand this. Practice is like a game of chess with every move and every counter already known - all that is required is the speed, accuracy and timing to overcome ones opponent - all characteristics that I seemed to be completely lacking. Grandmaster Chen initially only wanted to teach the most senior student in any group but, with time, his attitudes have softened and he is more open to directly teaching everyone.

While Grandmaster Chen is tall, Grandmaster Lau is tiny even by Chinese standards and he grew up with a fiery temper that always got him into fights. Yet despite his slight stature he has a huge presence and is not a man that you would want to mess with! Our valiant efforts to learn new styles taught in an unfamiliar way were often not sufficient to meet his standards and he would say so. Our group often practiced during the day and late into the night to meet this teacher‘s expectations. If one student were to fail we would all fail because we would not be showing the comradeship and support to pull through as a group. Somehow we always managed to learn the training patterns that we had been shown and demonstrated to both the grandmaster and ourselves what can be accomplished with focus and determination.

Grandmaster Lau once said ‘My job is not to teach you but to inspire you’. How true. Leaning the moves of a new pattern is useful in developing as a martial arts practitioner but why travel all the way to China when there are so many books, videos, and instructors available that can teach similar patterns? I feel it is the sense of focus, determination and comradeship in the face of fatigue, frustration and fear of failure that enables one to progress as a martial arts practitioner. It is this strength that enables one to continue when there is a desire to ‘give up’.

My last journey to China included a trip to the Wu Dang mountains. What a surreal experience that was. My sister accurately described it as being like a movie set from a Quentin Tarantino movie. We practiced Tai Chi in ancient temples taught by teachers instructors in flowing robes while mists created an every changing picture around us. The schedule of practice was relentless and we learned a pattern in ten days that normally takes a month. Master Chiu was also on hand to encourage us to use our few of hours of leisure time productively - for example by climbing up to the top of the mountain! I wisely refrained from that activity using my advancing years as an excuse.