Lineage is an interesting thing. While it is important, it is merely opinion. Every Lineage, even those which are documented, came from someones mind. At any point some student could have, and probably did, lie about their training in order to be given more consideration. I myself have trained under Sifus and Grandmansters who later proved to be less than honest about their past. How can you prove this? You can't. They obviously won't admit they know me and if they do, they will not admit how valuable and skilled I was. There are people whom I have trained with who won't admit they have even met me unless I introduce you to them. My own family has no idea how much I know or who I have trained with. So if you investigate me, what could you possibly find?

Some friends of mine have also been having trouble with the lineage question. I have given what help I could, but it is as difficult to prove lineage as it is to dissprove it. As a respected Master once said "I have people dissprove my lineage and skill every week. The only test is the boxing." There was also alot of laughing. Apparently he could not figure out why we were worried.

I would like to point out some facts about lineage.

1. Nearly every temple, Buddhist, Taoist, or whatever, has been burned to the ground at some point. All Documents were also burned. Exactly what is left to dissprove or prove a connection? If the temple is rebuilt, does your Kung Fu connect to this new temple?
2. Many schools were in hiding at some point. Who was keeping track and why would they keep a document which could get them killed? How do you "prove" this lineage?
3. Historically, fighters travelled extensively and learned everywhere they went as well as taught. How come everybodies Lineage is in a straight line? Why is it always a Pyramid? Why is it always from one culture?
4. When a teacher was on the run and changed his name to avoid capture, how many people will admit to knowing him? Would he not teach his students to be just as vague?
5. Every history was passed down verbally for years until someone finally wrote it down. A school, I previously trained in, altered its history at least five times while I was training there and has changed more since I left. Why do people even pretend that history can be argued about at all. Even those people who try and dissprove Lineage can't keep their story straight. Over time, their memory paints themselves as some sort of saint and the school as some sort of evil cult. Do they think nobody is keeping track?

The only test, is of skill. How much do you know and how well do you know it? Even if a school gets forms from other sources such as DVDs or books, does it invalidate the information? Is it taught well?

When a person tries to "keep people from training in a bad school" or "keep people from being lied to"; I find myself asking why the list isn't longer. Is every other school true and rightous? Is only one school lieing? Are there that many 10th Dan Blackbelts? Are there really that many Grandmasters who should know each other? Why would they know each other? How old should a Grandmaster be? I have seen 15 year old Masters in Karate, Tae Kwon Do, and Kung Fu. If they have learned everything their school teaches, aren't they masters? How much information should a school need?

After leaving my first teacher I personally counted the number of moves I knew simply by counting each punch as being done in each stance in each direction I could have power in. I then counted the kicks I had practiced, along with blocks, throws, joint locks and 5 elements. I ended up with over nineteen million basic techniques at the one stance, one strike level. No combinations, stepping, or weapons. What could I have known if I could have lived at the school and learned from people who weren't on drugs. Coincidentally, I was reading a book about devising your own curriculum and they suggested you make a list of basic punches, kicks, and simple combinations to clarify what you know. So even the discussion of someone being too young is invaldie unless you know what the process is.

There is only one proof inthe martial arts. Do the training and get the skill. Anyone else is talking out of their ass.

Posted by bullsnake at 5:26 PM EDT

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     The Five Factors are a list of things that need to be assessed before engaging in combat. The art of war was written by generals for generals and most of the text involves large numbers of troops. However, aside from the scale and cost, all combat involves the same set of considerations.

The  Five Factors are

1. Moral Influence.
2. Weather.
3. Terrain.
4. Command.
5. Doctrine.

     Doctrine is the path to accomplishments and knowledge which can achieve a given set of goals. Like a set of If/Then propositions, doctrine is a simplified and easily taught set of rules. These rules give rise to the training program of a given person, the chain of command they recognize and enforce, etiquette, decorum, respect, and how they will act in a situation without information or commands.  It is through doctrine that a person can "keep his head" in a difficult situation. It is by attacking doctrine that an opponent will begin to panic.

    In many situations it would appear that doctrine is unneeded. It is important to keep in mind that many situations happen over a long time. As such, it is possible to learn a great deal which can remove bad decisions and allow for a successful decision without any undue suffering. Usually the time is used up while a person takes stock of all the suffering and chooses the least painful decision. In combat, that decision making process is too long. Therefore a Doctrine is taught.

    The decisions have already been tested and their results judged. From this information, a simple set of rules have been devised so that the resulting actions are as fast as possible with the least opportunity for failure.

    Doctrine is such an important concept that it is the way nearly everything is taught. Doctors, Firemen, Emergency workers, Police, search and rescue, mechanics, and even cooks are first given a series of rules which apply in all situations and then are taught the intricacies of their chosen field. Doctrine can be considered your basic martial drills and your style, as a whole, at the basic level. Doctrine is a kick to the nuts.

    Command is the next step up. Command requires an understanding of the strengths of doctrine and its weakness. Most importantly, command involves the aspect of time. When to react is as important as what is being done. Command also takes into account the importance of new information. As you may have surmised, Doctrine does not allow time for thought as it is trained reflex.

    Command is decision over the long term. Command takes information in, processes it and allows the reactions to be in harmony with actions which are too far away to be directly experienced. Command plans for the future. The Level of Command can be considered the concepts of an art, the tactical decisions, and the philosophy.

    It is important to keep in mind that command is not simply pointing at a target. That is what doctrine is for. Command is the capacity to  make the right decision at the right time after assessing the objective, the capacity to achieve it, and which path to that objective is most efficient. Command recognizes that the opponent is drunk and simply dodges until he falls over a chair.

    Terrain is where you are. This appears self evident until you take stock of how many people try to grapple on broken glass, kick in mud, or punch while on the ground. Terrain is something that moves and can be moved on. It is the ground, the things on the ground, and things which can be moved. It involves things which you can't control and can avoid. The other persons training can be considered terrain. The objective is also part of the terrain. Stance work is how you deal with terrain, as is the posture, and where the limbs are.  When a person sees a fight coming and simply avoids it, he is working with terrain. Ambush also requires an understanding of terrain as does evasion.

    The training concerned with terrain is range. Weapon work, footwork, height changes, and stepping all require an understanding of terrain.

    Weather is what is uncontrollable and must simply be endured. Just as rain falls on both armies and the desert is hot, weather must be taken into account and cannot be ignored. Laws, clothes, spectators, actual weather, Police, and emotions of the opponent are all things which must be noticed and compensated for. It may be possible to use them to your advantage or minimize their impact, but you cannot discount them.

    Weather is the training where meditations and focus is taught. The energetic concepts are taught and, usually, animal variations on their style. Concepts of balance are also popular for this stage.

    Moral Influence is the quality of rightness and honor.

Why are you here? What do you hope to accomplish? Is it the right thing to do? Moral influence is what allows you to make a decision and follow through with that decision; because of the trust that it is the right decision. Moral Influence is also what people judge when they decide to help or hinder you in your objective. The philosophy of how you should interact with existence and what your spiritual objectives are, is at the heart of moral influence. The highest levels of a martial art often require proof of a morality and contain the most powerful techniques and training.

    Before a fight, a war, or any endeavor; These Five Factors need to be assessed. The capacity to interactwith each factor and the understanding of how to interact through the factors needs to be judged. Only after the five factors have been noticed and judged can a comparison to the opponent be made.

This Blog is for my students. If others can take advantage of this information then I wish you the best of luck.

Posted by bullsnake at 9:10 PM EDT

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