EMPTINESS IN THE MARTIAL ARTS
Internal of “soft” styles of martial arts require a radically different use of the attention than do external or “hard” styles. In hard styles (e.g. Karate, TaeKwonDo and many Shaolin styles) your attention is drawn to the power of the opponent. You meet their incoming force with the force of your block. Whoever is more powerful, wins.
In internal styles (Tai-chi-Chuan, Pakua (Bagua) and Hsing-I), your attention is drawn to the empty spaces where the opponent is not concentrating his force. You (very quickly) melt away from their force and move towards an empty space next to him to deliver your own force.
In order to train to not have your attention captured by an opponent’s force, you must first learn not to have your attention captured by your own habits. These habits were programmed into you or were just repetitive behaviors that you fell into. They are the opponent of your creativity.
The slow forms teach you how to make your attention more liquid so that it cannot easily be grabbed. You learn to connect your attention to the ground by starting each movement from your “root” so that your attention is not easily pulled out and controlled.
Push Hands teaches you to be creative with your attention and use it in a dynamic way in relation to another person. You learn that force is not “his” or “yours” but lies in the relationship between you. If his fist is moving towards your head and you move your head slightly away, then there is no force, at least none of consequence to you.
Once you are empty of your own habits, including the habit of letting your attention be grabbed by other people, then you are free to be creative in your fighting and in your life. You pay more attention to the empty space in which you can move. You pay more attention to the moving a relationship in positive ways, rather than butting heads.
Emptiness becomes the central focus of your “internal” martial arts training. The tighter you are and the angrier you are, the less “space” there is. Without this kind of space, you are forced to fight in a robotic way, becoming tighter and angrier. If you can give up your inefficient habits, let go of anger and spar in a relaxed way, then the martial arts can be very enjoyable and you will be very effective.
While you are “empty” of habits, you are full of life and vitality
