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| Theory vs. Technique |
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THEORY VS. TECHNIQUE.
I had seen this debate on a martial arts board many times over the years. People ask" what is more important"? Well the obvious answer in a life and death sitaution is technique as a theory can't fight off a mugger. But as far as developing skill sets in a particular artform, at a higher level, then the theory becomes very important. In this article I will refer more to some specific art that use a principle or theory based idea, rather then set techniques.
Let's look and at an art like Wing Chun, this art uses a set of principles and theory is at the root. The main theory is that the shortest distance between 2 points is a straight line. Some people will say this is a fact, not a theory, but when you look at it from this prespective the idea becomes more theory. Let us say that you are a beginner in martial arts, and your opponent is a pro boxer in the lightweight division,do you think your straight punch will land before his hook takes you out? I would place my bet on the boxer beating you to the target. Now why would he beat you? Because of his technique, timing, and understanding of his artform. Which has been trained for a long time. Now a good wing chun guy with many years experience may have a different outcome, because of understanding his art better than the novice. So in this example, what is more important is technique over the wing chun theory, however when two people off the street get into a fight and one has heard of this theory, the theory of the straight line could be a deciding factor againts his opponent, and likewise when two pro fighters go at it, the theory becomes more important.
Let us look at another artform, say the art of Xingyiquan, a very formidable art that is very deep on theory and is also loaded with set patterns and techniques. Many people have a basic level of understanding of the art, and claim to really understand it. But most what the do not understand is the true theories behind the art. Many attained what little knowledge they have about the theory from written books that were translated. Now we all know how decieving these books and even the original Chinese writings are. Very few books have ever been deep on explaining the theory of Xingyi. Their are many books who give the verbage, but take poems as literal at times and also assume many meanings. Xingyi like many other Asian arts was passed down to families only, and usually even in the family only a few disciples in each generation were given the true theory and techniques.
I have seen countless people worship and follow certain teachers because this teacher can fight, or that teacher lived in asia and can read Chinese, etc etc. Many people can fight and just because they do a particular art, does not mean they are good at that art. Let me explain it this way. If Mike Tyson weren't famous, but had his boxing skills, then went on to learn Xingyi for a few months, and posted his clips all over the net, and with any bad comments aimed at him, his answer is "come and try me and see who's Xingyi is better'! Now people take him up on it, and he kicks all their asses. A bunch of followers would follow Mike Tyson if he claimed he taught Xingyi, based on his fighting ability with an ocassional punch that resembles a fist in Xingyi. Now does this make sense? Could you see this happening? Could you see everyone following him as a Xingyi Master and then him teaching fighting? Now I ask you this, without knowing the principles and theories of Xingyi will the students really be anything more than just boxers? If so, why not just study boxing? (boxing is a great martial art)I have seen countless people saying that Xingyi's Beng Quan is a right cross, and Xingyi's Zuan Quan is an uppercut, etc, making Xingyi five fist boil down to just five angles of attack. People who say this have so far gone off the path of theory of Xingyi. Xingyi is labeled an internal art, it's not boxing. It is very different, and it's not just about the kua and body unity, etc. I even see so called experts claiming this idea that Xingyi boils down to this simple 5 ways of attack with agression and some forms thrown in. Many of these experts lived or trained in China and learned a few arts while their so in reality they didn't get to the deeper levels of one particular system, Of course it depends on which variation of the art you are learning as to how much theory is involved. But for the most part, in the West and in China it seems people don't manifest the theory of five fist in their whole body, only in their mind and maybe some are even great at the first gate(fists) part of the art. But really that is the beginning of learning. But if people are good fighters, they feel they have it and they do understand the whole art. This is a generalization of course as their are some people who truly are great fighters and do really understand their systems theories as well as technique, but the majority do not. I have been studying Xingyi for about five years or more, and I am just starting to understand some of the five fists! Some will say I am slow, but in reality I have been around, I have trained a few arts and with some top level guys, truth is that Internal arts are very different, very hard to learn, so hard that most teachers teach a watered down version, in order to keep students, because it just goes over their head, or the students want to spar, want to fight, etc. I thought I understood the five fist after a year of training, but the more I learn, the more I see what little I knew, most students don't feel this way, because after that first year of five fist, they move on to animal forms in the system, and two man sets, etc, they just keep collecting techniques. The truth is that when you see a suppoosed Master of these arts, who has trained for twenty years or more, still focusing on first gate, he has never truly learned the system, he has a piece, and may be very good at that piece, but that is not the whole picture.
Their is so much more to learn, but many people feel they already have it! It is a big piece missing from their understanding (the theory)! When one understands theory, one does not just have to follow the example that their teachers gave them(technique), you can make up your own and grow and become one with the art, as compared to being rigged and just imitating movements of their teacher.
In my opinion this leads me to believe that at higher levels, theory is just as important at technique. Also remember you can learn all the technique and still not be able to use them. It all boils down to training method. But I see many people say theory is useless in a fight, technique is what saves your ass. Again their are many people that know a million techniques, yet can't pull them off against a resisting opponent, just as their are many people who talk about theory all day as if they are some Master, yet have zero timing and zero ability to take a punch as they haven't put in the hours in sparring. I feel that theory and technique are the yin and yang aspect, one is within the other, you need both to achieve a higher level of skill.
Let us look at the recent MMA explosion, most people feel Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is technique driven. In many places this is true, however in some of the higher level BJJ guys I have rolled with, or talked with, the theories and principles is what makes the difference. An example could be someone has learned a million new techniques from Brazil, some of the most awesome stuff, crazy moves you would never see coming, now he comes into an elite BJJ guys school here in the Usa who only rolls with his students, has not been to training in Brazil, and is unfamiliar with the new advances, yet when they roll, the local guy is able to easily counter everything the other guy does. How is this possible? It is possible because of understanding the principles and theories behind BJJ, and when in someones guard for example, knowing to place one elbow over the leg with the hand controling the hip the other on the belt with elbow in or on the chest gripping the gi, holding the right posture, knowing when to have upright posture, when to come down, knowing when to keep both elbows inside the thighs,knowing the angles of hip movement etc etc. If you know the principles and theories, you can stop the onslaught of new unsuspecting techniques.
In essence my understanding at this stage of my developement is that technique is more important in the early stages of learning, as it will save your ass, but at higher levels understanding theory and principles is what makes a lesser skilled person able to defeat a higher skilled person, and also it is what will be the deciding factor when two people of equal skill go at it. I do not discuss much theory with my teachers, until reaching a certain level where they can see you have manifested a basic understanding, then the teacher usually comes to me and explains something deeper. It is not so much because it is secret(sometimes it may be) but moreso because you don't need to learn more theory when your body hasnt been able to perform the prior material properly. I am amazed at people who learn a system in all it's volume in a very short time, then believe they have it down. You can learn a whole art in a short time as far as forms, and claim it is just up to me to practice now and take a lifetime to Master this. My opinion is that you will need a few lifetimes, if you do not have a deep grasp on theory behind the art, and you really are wasting your time. Why need to move so fast and learn all the forms? Do you want to impress people? If you need to fight very fast, go learn MMA, go learn boxing, learn something to give you tools quickly, then come back to your deeper studies.
I see many people who have solid forms, yet when they fight, it all goes out the window and they just kickbox. Why does this happen? You figure it out, as my article is all based on my own opinions from my own experiences, feel free to diasagree, as we all have different experince, there is no need to argue, we all walk a different road. But I see a great injustice happening to Traditional Arts, they are being scoffed at, considered useless in todays day and age, and I who am a beginner in my own mind, have to agree with alot of these comments in relation to whats being sold as Traditional Arts, most of it is a small piece of an art with a big ego behind it. Why do people spar before they are ready, why do people need to collect forms, why do people need to collect techniques? Why do people need to talk so much theory? Why do people need to feel so tough, or so smart? I suggest looking into theory and technique as well as poractical methods of training, IN A SLOW PROGRESSION!
Lets compare in relation to medical school, or in my case acupuncture college . When I was in acupuncture college, we learned some theory, later some technique, then we had skills classes, then we learned on objects, then we practiced on classmates, then we followed a teacher in clinic while he treated sick people, (just watching,) then next semester we followed a higher student and was their assistant,(we did not do the treatments) then finally we were on our own in the next semester, when we had gone all through these stages, we were now ready to apply what we have learned on sick people. We did not just learn a book, do some techniques, then start treating patients, we followed a progression to where we were ready to fight diseases, and illnesses, etc. This was while we were in school thirty to forty hours a week for a few years. Now relate this to your martial arts training, many people just learn forms, do a few 2 man sets, talk a tiny bit of theory, and then spar, now in order to defend yourself in sparring, you need to resort to techniques which goes against the theory of your art because you are not ready, then you build bad habits, or become fearful, or become wild and aggressive, etc
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