I recently started a new class just for women in Paris who want to get fitter, more toned, learn some martial principles and have fun.  We train at the Palais Royale, a picturesque  setting in the centre of Paris. 

You can work as hard as you need/want, you do not need to punch each other in the head, and I can supply gloves.

You can find the next session here.

Luo laoshi will teach a seminar in Paris towards the end of June this year. I will keep you updated as we decide what Luo laoshi will cover and exactly when he will be here.

You know that whatever he teaches it will there will be an immense amount to learn.

I'll find some more video to post here as a teaser…

1. Act like a master.  

This involves keeping your head quite still, pause before your talk, make your gestures largely symmetrical, and often slow. When you act like a master do not seek out eye contact with other people, let them seek it with you.  If you choose to give them eye contact, keep your gaze steady, ideally until the other person looks away.

Once you can do the master act at will you can be a little more approachable from time to time. This will both stop you from seeming a complete arse, and will also give your followers a reason to lick your nether regions (metaphorically… or not if you like) for those privileged moments of connection with their master.

2. Tell stories.

We all tell stories, but as an empty force master you need to tell several particular kind of stories. These stories need to hint at, or describe levels of development or power far beyond the ordinary. The stories need to justify why your students will jump when you wave a hand. These stories must be either so vague that they are impossible to argue with, or specific but absolutely unverifiable.

For example:

 “You must understand that the universal energy suffuses all things and all beings, it is everywhere and when you learn to channel its sublime force then it allows incredible things to happen. It allows you to tap into the internal wisdom of evolution, to find the inner teacher and which you can then express in outward form.”

This part is basic hypnotic language, it does not really say or mean anything, but you can read whatever you like into it. 

“When I was younger I travelled far and wide. I once stayed in a high mountain cave with an incredible Yogi. Oh how his dark eyes sparkled, they seemed to light up the entire cave. I never knew his age, but he had the spritely energy of a teenager.  His beard was down to his waist, and I once saw him pluck out a single silver hair. As I watched it turned into a necklace of gold and jewels, the teacher laughed and said “you have no need of such baubles, you must let go of material things” then the necklace turned into a golden serpent and slid silently from the cave. The yogi did not teach the secrets of his power easily. I have only reached a fraction of his level…”

This story has many completely unverifiable details. The details may make it seem more real. It also has some sneaky implications. It implies that you learned the secrets, that you have  also that students need to be ready to let go of material things (and pay you), that if you learn the secrets you will not get old (a universal concern if not fear), and that you have special powers, if even a fraction of the old Yogi’s. You can also claim humility because you do not say you are as developed as the unverifiable Yogi.

Use these stories to get the students intrigued. Hint that if they just practice loyally then your will be able to show them the real skills when they are ready.

3. Put your students into a suggestible state.

You can do this by using hypnotic language. Talk about how “the infinite manifests in the finite as you journey through the levels of interior spheres, all you need to do is look inside and you will begin to understand the cosmic patterns, at first they are not clear, then they are clear and as you listen to the guiding voice of the teacher your will find that the clarity increases as ….” Go on like that for a few minutes and people are sure to zone out.

You can also use more active instructions. “Stand this way, now relax, focus only on your relaxation and your breathing, and now stand this way, and keep emptying your mind. Allow yourself to become sensitive and empty.” Generally the longer you get your students to stand in a particular way the more zoned out and obedient they will get. 

Some of them will decide that they cannot cope with the exercises, or they are not learning. They are not good hypnotic subjects. Send them away, tell them that either they are not ready or that they have another path to follow. Be at least a little sad as you do this because you want to the remaining students to know what an incredible treasure the departing student is missing, and how lucky they are to still have access to it.

4. Create a hierarchy.

One of your goals is to create a hierarchy with yourself at the top. Access to the divine secrets comes as you rise in the hierarchy, and the way to rise in the hierarchy is through obedience. A student is only as good as their last act of obedience.

Never admit the existence of this hierarchy. Tell the students that the cosmic energy flows through us all, that everyone is equal. But do not act equal.

Reinforce the hierarchy  by praising the students who are properly obedient and follow suggestions. Hint that they will get access to the true knowledge soon. Show them ‘special’ exercises and tell them not to show these exercises to the disobedient students. Punish the students when they do not obey. Leave them in painful postures for longer, do not show them special exercises.  

You can change the exercises as much as you like based on insight, revelation and superior understanding. That way you have an infinite source of special secret techniques.

5. Get your students invested.

It is helpful if your students begin to pay you money. If you have done your job well it will seem a bargain for the mysterious powers and eternal youth that you offer. The more your students invest the more obedient they will be and the harder it will be for them to back out. 

It’s a bit like relationships. You can have a one night stand, and say to your friends afterwards ‘He/she just wasn’t for me.’ It’s easy to move on. 

But it’s different when you go out with someone for a while, move in or marry them and when you split up you may begin  to feel you have to justify why you spent all that time with the ‘wrong person’ , not to mention the hassle of needing to find a new bathroom for your toothbrush. Then it’s often easier to turn a blind eye to what’s been driving you mad and put up with your partner’s peculiarities.

The more money your students invest, the more hours they spend in silly postures doing your practises, the more you can stretch the envelope of credibility with them. They will want to believe, because it is easier to believe than admit that they have been duped.

6. Train your students when to fall over.  

What is empty force? It is people feeling things and moving.  We all feel and we all move. The trick is to get the students to associate your movements, with their feelings, and those feelings with other movements, like jumping in the air and falling over.

To do this you can keep laying on the vague hypnotic language. “You see that when you pay intention inside then there are feelings, you can feel your energy moving. Can you feel, yes?” Of course the students will have feelings, so they will have to answer yes, thus confirming your mysterious understanding of ‘energy’.

Start at the ‘crude physical level’. Set your student up so they are in a slightly unstable position.  Tell them that you are going to emit a little energy, and that they need to be very sensitive and relaxed to feel it. 

Then give them a good shove and knock them flying.  Give the shove a special martial flourish, and finish in a dramatic pose. Theatrics count in this business.

Act concerned if the student appears to hurt them self, and say that the special practises you have been doing recently have made your energy stronger than you expected. Explain that “The pain is a result of your own internal resistance. When you learn to relax and go with my energy it will actually clear your energy channels and make you healthier.” This reinforces the association that disobedience/resistance =pain.

The important part of this is to train your student to know when to fall over. Take an audible in breath before you shove, and exhale explosively was you shove. This actually fits sensible body use, but you can explain it in terms of Qi. 

You can add another level in by making some small preparatory movement that your student will understand unconsciously as a sign that “The energy is on its way - time to fall over”. Stamp your foot a little as you push as well. This gives another audible cue.

When you have decided that they are ready it is time to move on. Pick one of the more suggestible and obedient students. Touch your student and ask “Can you feel that?” of course they can. Next you can remove your hand and then ask the same question while the student still has the vague sense of being touched, or while your hand is still close enough to feel the heat that it naturally radiates. If you are skilled at directing your circulation to warm your palm this works even better.

You have now established to your student that they can feel you at a distance. You have also trained the reflex of being ready to be knocked over, when they see your gesture or ear your special inhale. You are ready for the next part.

7. The show - which is also the clincher.

Take your prepared student and  physically knock them over a couple of times to make sure they know what to do. Go through the touch procedure above, then say that you will push them without contact. 

Explain that this is kind of energy use is quite dangerous, so that is all the more important to obey the instructions and go with the feelings. Resistance may cause injury. This will make them even more eager to comply with what is expected of them.

Now move to a suitable distance using your utmost masterful gravity (see step 1). Do your preparatory movement, your audible inhale, stamp exhale and finish in your dramatic posture as your student falls over. 

Praise your student (not too much), and reward them with a glimpse of your human side. Then repeat until the student bounces automatically. 

If they do not fall over blame it on the students bone headed lack of development, go back to one of the previous steps. If another student seems especially keen to get in your good books at that moment do the demo on them, and banish the disobedient student to an outer circle for a while.

Get a successful student to explain what happened and what they felt. The student is very unlikely to say “I jumped into the air because I am a dog and you are Pavlov.” Human beings have a special ability to create stories that justify their actions. The student already has most of the story prepared from cosmic energy explanations that you have fed them. This will add credibility to the demonstration, and make the student even more invested in your school and its explanations.

You can then do the demo from behind your student. Set it up as further proof of the existence of energy, that this has nothing to do with suggestion because the student cannot see when you will push.  The students will conveniently overlook the audible cues that you have trained them to jump to.

After a while you will be able to get your students dancing all around the room with a casual wave of your hand. You will find that you will also be able to do this to multiple students simultaneously if you have them all trained to react to the same cue when engaged with you in this context. Cool huh!

Congratulations you are now an empty force master. Once you have a few adoring obedient students new comers to the class will have examples to follow as to how to behave. They will either sigh and leave when they see what your mini sect, or they will get sucked into the group trance.

Now what?

Remember this is only works because you and the students have so much invested in maintaining your myth. Do not make the mistake of claiming (outside of your ittle circle) that this will work on everyone. Someone invested not invested in your myth will not jump, or bounce. They are more likely to punch you in the head.

The only acceptable reason I can see to do this is as a short lived and amusing example of how suggestible we can be as a species.  If you do this to maintain subservient students and a superior status you are not a teacher, but a cheat.

As I wrote this article I became aware of how there is a little more of the empty force guru in my class than I’d like. Guru roles can be very seductive, and the belief that this is genuine can be passed down over time. Look at the following sad video. The kiai (empty force master) looks genuinely shocked when he his powers do not work and he gets punched. The MMA fighter looks equally sad to have beaten up an old man. Here's another set of genuine believers having their bubbles burst, at least temporarily.

Many students want guru figures, and will move on quickly if you do not fulfil their expectations. Better to let them go. They will work it out once they’ve had their noses ground in enough dirt.

A real teacher’s role is to make a student autonomous in the specific field as quickly as possible. The guru game aims to make the student dependent on the teacher as quickly as possible.

The way we really learn together is through honest explanation, through testing each other, and testing the method. A real teacher will invest in the student’s ability to challenge them, not just in the vague future, but right now. The student may get knocked back, but if they start pre defeated all you reinforce is their ability to be defeated, and probably their resentment too.

If you are friendly with your students do it because you like them, not as a reward. The first is honest, the second manipulative. If certain students get jealous, then it’s time for them to grow up.

If you give your students subliminal message and suggestions while you are teaching (and you almost certainly will) aim to keep the suggestions along the lines of: 

You are a good human being, you can learn easily, you can develop, change can be pleasant, you are already fulfilled, life can be good,  and follow what is deeply important to you whether or not it involves the class or style.

ps. If you follow an empty force master and are deeply offended by this article you are most welcome to come and visit me and demonstrate your method. If your method works it will work on me. I am ordinary man with a few skills but no special powers. I really am open to believe that is possible to develop truly unusual powers, I just have not seen anything that has convinced me yet. If your method does not work, consider how much of what you experience in your school matches this article and re-evaluate it accordingly.

On Saturday April 24th I will teach a day of Bagua in Lyons at the centre of Jean-Philippe Gams who was an extremely gracious host to me when I visited Beijing in 2007.

Since JP already practises and teaches Liang style Bagua I will concentrate on general principles and practise methods rather than the specific forms of Gao style Bagua, though I will use these as teaching tools. We will cover solo training to develop your body, balance, control, rhythm and power and also partner work to develop distance, timing, sensitivity and angle. The fee for the day is €50.

In the evening we can carry on with some open mat type training and then the traditional eating and drinking

Depending on train times and weather the same is likely to be true on Sunday, along with sightseeing.

If you want to come along then send me an email or go directly to JP at www.wugong.fr

The young and beautiful woman's eyes are wide with fear. She looks around but cannot see where to go. She turns to see her pursuer raise his hand full of menace. You arrive just in time, offer the ruffian an honorable escape route. He refuses and assails you, but is no match for your martial skills. He parts defeated. The young woman's eyes are now wide with admiration, gratitude, and something warmer as you calmly introduce yourself.

Within the martial arts this is a common (male) fantasy or daydream. It is also common enough in films as well. It has the three main elements of what the therapy Transactional Analysis describes as the drama triangle. These are a persecuter, victim and rescuer. The persecuter attacks the victim, then is foiled by the rescuer and turns into a victim, while the rescuer becomes a new persecuter. It is in the sudden change of roles that the drama happens.

This dynamic is a kind of game that replays itself in different forms, and different contexts. A person may have a game that they are attached to playing, and a role that they most like, and can often be summarised briefly. For example I find the victim t-shirt especially apt. On the front it says 'kick me' and on the back 'I knew you would.'

This dynamic can play out within a martial arts class. The victim joins the class, seeking a rescuer. It could be the redeeming and healing qualities of the art, exercise, health, concentration, focus…which can then be projected onto the teacher. If the teacher accepts them he or she is in trouble….The game is afoot and drama is on its way. The only way to win this game is not to play.

The victim will have a capacity to irritate, and frustrate, an exceptional ability to find the right buttons to press so that the game can progress. To play the victim needs a persecuter. If there is not one readily available they will create one, whether consciously or not.

Within a martial arts context there is a real physical risk here. Martial arts stress the importance of physical and emotioal control because the training aims to develop dangerous techniques with minimal risk, in preparation for situations where at least one party aims to maximise the risk for you. The victim seeks to circumvent that control.

When the drama unfolds in this context then it is almost instantly violent. The victim can trip a reflex that is designed to seriously injure. As a victim they will take no responsibility for their role in what happens to them. The victim can then move to a persecuter, morally or legally attacking the ex-rescuer who 'did them wrong.'

Not all victims play for the same stakes. For some the game is just to be told that they are stupid. Others will not stop until something serious happens.

Either way it is important to recognise and stop the game as swiftly as possible. In the first case the students does not progress, in the second the consequences can be far reaching for both parties.

The tricky part is how to recognise and stop the game.

Suggestions for the rescuers/persecuters

If you notice neediness or flattery from a student/classmate be aware. Equally notice if you find them especially irritating or frustrating. Do not take either personally.

Remember that you cannot save people, you can at best contribute to healthy contexts and recognise potential. Keep professional distance, and be prepared to disengage with the student or send them away. Develop your ability to see the person beyond their role as victim, and equally see yourself as more than a martial artist. When you are outside the situation then you can begin notice which of your buttons are activated that keep you playing in the game. Learn to to deactivate them, and spot the warning signs better next time.

Suggestions for Victims

If you find that you regularly meet arseholes who treat you mean get curious. Some people are just angry all the time. Some need provocation. Do not assume that the ones wo were mean to you are the constantly angry ones. If you provoke people without knowing it then you will find yourself in a victim's role. Ask neutral people to the main conflicts whether you are provocative/irritating in some way. Then figure out some new ways to be around people, unless you want to keep the victim role, and perpetuate the suffering that it involves.

No Blame

Most important for both parties is to let go of blame and forgive. You got played, that's all. You got played AND you played along. Recognise how your own habits/reactions played a part in the situation and get beyond them. It was a learning experience and you can do something different if  you ever find your self in a similar situation. 

Now file this away for a rainy day, and get back to training.

Friday, 19th, 7 - 10pm: Bagua Sanshou - also known as roushou we will concentrate on fluid use of prototype techniques.

Saturday, 20th - 10 - 1pm : 2.30 - 5.30pm: Xingyi linked fists, partner exercises applications concepts and drills.

Sunday, 21st, 11.30 - 2pm : 3 - 5.30: Gao style bagua kicking methods - we will cover a mix of forms, along with setups from different ranges and drills to make the techniques applicable on a reflex level.

messing around with Matt on Hampstead Heath

I just came back from a weekend teaching bagua for at the Shen Yi school in Valencia. It was my first time there, and whenever I come to teach somewhere new there is a degree of uncertainty… What kind of people will I find? Will they have any skill? What kind of attitude will they have? Spacey and new age, or edgy and aggressive?

What I found were an enthusiastic and welcoming group of people who supported each other in their training, worked hard and laughed. The school and the atmosphere is carefully supervised by Johan Duquet. Johan is a dedicated practitioner of Shaolin and Chen Taiji who really cares for the people who come to train with him. He was also a wonderful host to me. Johan’s Taiji teacher is Fu Nengbin, a younger brother of Alan’s teacher Wang Haijun.

I am especially glad to have spent time after the seminar exchanging with Johan. It was fascinating to see some of the similarities between his Shaolin, Chen Taiji along with the Xingyi and Bagua that I am more familiar with. The differences were equally fascinating to both of us. I think we both enjoyed the opportunity to engage in some playful push hands with someone else more interested in learning than saving face!

If you are near Valencia and you want to learn something that is both ‘traditional’ and intelligent, testing but friendly go and visit Shenyi.

Johan is seeking official recognition as the Belgium beer ambassador to Valencia, another reason to visit. I believe he deserves to be recognised as such by the Belgiian government, and varoious monastic brewing establishments soon. To support him in this worthy goal you can write to the Belgian embassy for Spain, and the Belgian chambers of Commerce in for Spain and Catalonia.

Johan is also not bad ambassador for sangria and Paella…

During the Summer I taught a number of introductions to Bagua outdoors in the jardins de Palais royale. I had a variety of people come to train, but two young women stood out for me, even if each attended only once. While they were both distractingly pretty what I really liked about having in them in the class was that they moved simply.

Simple natural body movement is something so obvious that it probably needs explaining, and the best way I can explain it is through contrast.

I have seen a lot of martial artists in my classes and seminars, as well as the ones that come to Luo laoshi’s seminars. These martial artists are mostly male, and come from a variety of styles. When I watch them copy a movement, or try and perform and exercise it is clear that their prior conditioning makes it very hard to move naturally.

Actually I think that their conditioning makes it hard to even see what was demonstrated. They see what they think martial arts should look like, and in imposing these ideas they warp their natural movement.

I see two main ways that these people to warp their movement.

The first is that they try and make a movement snappy and forceful– more common from shaolin or karate backgrounds.

The second is that they try and make the movement conform to some idea of what they think their art should look like. As a result their movement is excessively flowery, complicated and contrived. Often the more contrived the movement the smugger they seem in their ‘achievement.’ Often I see both in the same person. I call this martial arts disease.

In the case of Bagua these people think that Bagua is circular, so they try to move in a circular manner and twist themselves into bizarre contortions.

It is not Bagua that is circular, it is human movement that is circular.

Trying to move in a straight line is like trying to stop change. It is difficult if not impossible. If sometimes we do give the impression of moving a hand or an object in a straight line it is the result of a whole range of joints circling around each other.

Look at people involved in other sports. The legs of football players swing in arcs as they run, as do the arms that harmonize and add to the overall motion. Football and basketball players curve around each other as they aim to conserve their momentum on their way to their goals. Cricketers and golfers swing their implements through circles around their centres, bowlers and pitchers transfer the momentum of their bodies into a roundly whipping arm that releases a projectile at a tangent which gently curves downwards in gravity’s embrace.

None of these athletes needed to be told to move in a circular fashion. While they may have spent time developing their fitness, strength, reflexes and coordination their movement is essentially natural.

Natural movement means using the anatomy we have to perform a function. For example to get somewhere fast, lift something, throw something, kick something, or dodge something. The movement is derived from the function, the intention to achieve a certain result. Natural movement does not come from trying to micromanage the body, or make it conform to an idea.

Internal martial arts may seem complicated and a long way from natural, simple movement. After all they give so many instructions as to how to hold the body – sink the shoulders, drop the elbows, hollow the chest, raise the back, unify the upper and lower body.

It is simple if you just think of these as useful tips to maintain integrity through the body while applying force in different directions.

Now let’s take a step backwards. The first requirement is internal martial arts is ‘to relax’ which really just means to use appropriate natural power – not too much and not too little. But due to movement habits, bizarre ideas, stiffness from lack of use, poor coordination or emotional over reaction actually not many people in our society have very relaxed movement.

Is there a remedy for contrived movement? Yes, there are several. The hard part is to show people that they are doing it.

Some people are so invested in the contrivance of their movement that they find it hard to give them up. They fear that simple movement would make them less special or unique. After all simple movement is just every day and ordinary, like babies or sunsets or cats. They may have forgotten that just as we do not have to try to move circularly we do so automatically, we also do not need to try to be unique – we already are.

I have decided that the best way to make them aware of their unnecessary complication is through relentless teasing.

You can divide the antidote to contrived movement can be divided into two parts. The first is in simple movement, for example easy qigong with no application, just feeling the weight of the body and moving with minimal force. Gentle Yoga or Feldenkrais serve the same purpose.

The second is in joyful exertion. Run faster than your mind can coordinate. Give the controls back to your body. Play football, basketball, frisbee, rugby, tennis or anything that you do not associate with a style.

All our movement is based in (but not reduced to) the transfer of mass through the medium of bone, tendon, connective tissue and supported by the earth. We can go into levels of refinement but that’s the foundation. We can explore an intricate pattern of angles, shapes and directions but they still come back to a dance of mass.

I do not know if the two women who I referred to at the start of this article will come back explore the swirl of arcing physical forces, animal emotions and human ideals that I love in martial arts. Their natural movement will be welcome.

If not I’ll simply have to ask them for a drink.

Does Halloween Bagua mean that you will be expected to come in full costume? Or will I be teaching the Bagua pitchfork, scythe and broom forms?

Dress code is always flexible in my classes, so skull make up is welcome but not obligatory.

We will cover a variety of training methods - sanshou, the use of multiple angles of force in applications as well as more direct use of force.

I am looking forward to it.

If it appeals to you then get in touch with Danny. We will start on Friday evening and finish on Sunday afternoon, with plenty of tricks and treats through the weekend.

Do you deserve to be threatened, intimidated or attacked?

Of course not. But what can you do to ensure the safety of yourself and the people you care for?

Join us for the self-defence and personal protection course On October 20th from 14H30-18H30 at Espace Nataraja, 12 Rue Hippolyte Lebas, 75009 Paris and will cost €55 for the day. During this time you will learn:

• Special awareness techniques,
• Body language to put off potential attackers and defuse conflict
• How to maximise your hitting power
• Angles that help keep you safe
• Surprise techniques and escapes
• Psychological blocks to acting appropriately
• Key points of the law
• Guidelines for future practise

You will also get a good physical workout (though this is not the focus of the course), and many opportunities to laugh. Wear comfortable clothes, and be prepared to work barefoot.

The last courses in Spring and Summer were well attended, and a lot of fun. If you attended a previous course and want to attend this one I can offer you a €15 discount. I will start running regular sessions to further develop the skills, characteristics and knowledge that make work to keep you safer.

Reserve in advance if you want a place. info@transformativemartialarts.com Tel: 06 80 28 86 39

Here is a clip from the September session. Can you see where Claire elbows me in the head?