The Relative Nature of Combat in Time Part II

“‎The successful warrior is the average man, with laser-like focus.”
― Bruce Lee

Say what you want about Bruce Lee, but you have to admit he had some great sayings. He was as I've alluded to in previous posts one of the first people to really emphasize the concept of distancing and timing in modern martial arts. Now I'm not saying others weren't aware of the importance of understanding timing but he really was the first guy out there to push the idea into the mainstream. Sure all of the great sport fighters understood this and were doing this all of the time but the very idea for the average person studying a martial art even today for many these concepts are alien to them.

To me when I reflect back I find it amazing how people are interested in knowing how to do a thing but are rarely interested in knowing the thing that makes the thing work.  Folks I'm going to tell you straight out without naming the "thing" as I've said in past posts there is no way you can get there from here whatever your goal.  If you want to know how to move better you have to have an appreciation of how you move within time and space. This is a fact and is unavoidable. 

I was having a conversation with an acquaintance of mine recently who teaches Kung Fu and we were discussing how much has probably been lost over the years within the martial arts that would probably explain the thing behind how many techniques actually work. I'm not a Kung Fu guy so I really can't speak to that but I'll say this. I know how human movement works within time and space and all I know is if you can learn to move in a way to get ahead of another person's motion. At that point, it really doesn't matter what they do because there is not enough time for them to do it even if they know what the right thing is to do. 

This is the ability that you want to develop!

Where it doesn't matter what they do because it's already too late... for them. 

In the last Blog Post, I stated that Time in physics is defined by its measurement where the concept of time is self-evident and measured based on a set of accepted units of measurement.

And, as I said in the last post any amount of research on the subject, shows that there’s no definitively answer as to what Time is. The only thing we know for sure is that Time as our brains understands it is relative and more of a perception and is observational and an experience. So, to reiterate when it comes to combat since we are dealing with motion we must always take into account how long it takes to perform certain actions.

“You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something—your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life.”

• Steve Jobs

I always liked the sayings of Steve Jobs,  he has almost his own form of Haiku I like to call "Jobsisms". To the point yet profound. He points out something fundamental and something that I've discussed before that that is Creativity is not some willy-nilly thing but a process built on knowledge, experience, and wisdom.  And like Time or playing where the puck is going to be as we like to say in Warrior flow. In order to connect the dots, you have to build it up in skill beforehand. It has to already on some level reside in you, in your body or you can't see it in your mind. There needs to be a basis of understanding. So while the past doesn't define the future it informs on the present the now as well as informs on what is possible in the future or not. 

It's All About Choice 

 “Opportunities multiply as they are seized.”

― Sun Tzu

How we as humans view motion is a matter of perception. This is critical to understand because of our perception of events and how we view movement influences how we think of moving ourselves. This is why training with the proper mindset is so critical to developing a proper understanding of movement so that you can make better choices.

“Thus the expert in battle moves the enemy, and is not moved by him.”

― Sun Tzu, The Art of War

Now I know there are folks who don't think that on the heat of battle you can make choices. Nonsense! Every movement you make is a choice whether conscious or subconscious none the less it is a choice. This is why you have to train these things in the body to build in the desired skills beforehand. 

“To secure ourselves against defeat lies in our own hands, but the opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself.”

― Sun Tzu

I'll let you in on a secret, if you understand how Time works for humans and how humans develop skills, there is no skill you are incapable of developing as longs as you train within how your body moves.  The key is you have to train to develop on a base level the ability to gain the adumbration of what your opponent is going to do and go to where you need to be or manipulate them towards moving in the direction you want them to go. This is not as hard as it sounds physically but is mentally difficult because it requires how you view movement differently. 

Folks, please re-read what I just said because more people have hobbled their training in the fighting arts than anything because they accept notions of how humans move and interact with each other that are just not true.

These perceptions prevent people from taking the leap of faith necessary to get to the next level or the level of skill they desire. They believe things that are just not true or believe things out of proper context so they develop the wrong understanding and as a result, they achieve the wrong results. Garbage in garbage out.  

I’ll give you an example. It is not uncommon to hear tales of how fast the criminal element can move and there is no doubt that a determined criminal will move with a sense of purpose and all manner of deliberateness.

But here’s the deal, if the bad guys can move like that then relatively speaking so can you under such conditions if your mind is right and you are willing to move with the sense of purpose of taking them off the planet. My point is once you get your mind right and you understand that the bad guys are human and not gods. Then if they can move like that to some level so can you but you have to train to it.

5^th Dimensional Chess

 “Obey the principles without being bound by them.”
― Bruce Lee

In Warrior Flow, as I said in the previous blog post on this, we refer to combat as the equivalent of playing 5^th Dimensional Chess so unlike that weak 3 Dimensional Chess shit on Star Trek. All of the pieces on the board are moving and engaging at the same time for once the battle begins they are in constant motion.

"Cry Havoc! and let slip the dogs of war."

• Mark Antony, William Shakespeare's Julius Caesar

“The whole secret lies in confusing the enemy so that he cannot fathom our real intent.”

― Sun Tzu, The Art of War

What is important to understand is that like a real fight the movements are only limited by the laws of physics and human physiology and not based on any one technique or form for it is truly formless until the point of impact. Meaning if you train it right it does not have to take shape until the point of impact (I say this because there is a way to create false surfaces as a form of deception to force them to respond in a manner that makes their actions predictable. The beauty in this is they don't even know it is happening to them because until they are struck they thought it was their idea). This is the reason why in Warrior Flow we try to not create the weapon until the last possible moment to deny the attacker an opportunity to hone in on the impression on the pattern of movement or the shape of what it is yet to become.  

But there’s more…

The pieces as I described are also moving in every way and direction imaginable, forward, backward, up, down, left, right, diagonally, moving in arc’s, circles, and jump multiple levels, disappearing and reappearing, slowing down, speeding up, stopping, all while clashing with what they can clash with or need to clash with and avoiding what they cannot afford to clash with. All with one goal in mind, “Checkmate!” This is the way you must think of how to strike and move your body.

“In order to control myself, I must first accept myself by going with and not against my nature.”
― Bruce Lee

So like a real fight, there are things within the laws of physics you can do and things you either can’t do or they are problematic.

So for example, trying to move people who are bigger or stronger than you with strength generally doesn’t work but moving them and changing the vector of their movement is totally doable if you develop the skill. Where you can catch them where they are not balanced and compromise their sense of equilibrium.

Stopping bigger stronger people or even people of equal size throwing strikes is generally not doable unless you can stop their body before they get their momentum going.  Whereas you are able to change the vector of their movement in such a way that they cannot move for microseconds at a time, long enough to crush them.

To out quick people who are faster than you are is generally not possible unless you are able to move in a way with your body. Where you learn to move sooner in the body and get ahead of their movement, negate all of this by not being there in the first place with your body.

Or... by altering their perception of time through deception.  

Bending Spoons - How the Universe Works Part 9,308                        

 “To hell with circumstances; I create opportunities.”
― Bruce Lee

I’m going to start this off by first discussing that if you want to learn how to alter the perceptions of timing with another person you must first have an appreciation for the oft-repeated Sun Tzu quote that, “All warfare is based on deception”. Without deception, there is no getting ahead of movement, no disappearing, no leading people to the wrong place. No defeating the enemy before he takes the field of battle or in this case defeating your opponent’s actions before there is any physical contact as in a fight with bare hands or non-projectile weapons. And even with guns the same still applies (i.e., as in an ambush). I was doing some instructor training recently and the conversation went along the lines as follows.

“So… if I know where your strike is and I know where to block then I know where not to be. Right?

And if I know where not to be then, I know where to be and where to strike. Right?

So, if I know no matter how fast I am, that my speed whatever that is, is finite and; if I know that no matter how well developed and efficient my movement that my reaction time is it is finite.

Then whatever choice I make relatively speaking, is going to happen at the same rate of speed no matter what choice I make. Right?

So, whether I attempt to strike or redirect their strike no matter what choice I make it will still take me just as long. 

So… if possible I choose to deceive first but I do it within movement.

It’s simple to me if I have time to strike and time to deflect I also have time to deceive you, the difference is if successful. It alters your perception of time where it throws the monkey wrench in your movement and buys time for me while stealing time from you. Or it elongates time for me while shortening the time you have to react.

In other words, the bubble of time collapses on you where even if you know what the right thing is to do you cannot possibly accomplish it because there for you is not enough time.

Now, the key here is to understand that what I just said and all this stuff I'm talking about all happens within the blink of an eye.

The reason most people can't do it though is that they don't believe it's possible even though kids do this in sports all of the time. So it doesn't exist for them.

They literally cannot see it.”

Inverse Relationships to Motion - Collapsing the Bubble 

“If you think a thing is impossible, you'll only make it impossible.”

• Bruce Lee

In Warrior Flow, as I said before there is a concept called the Inverse Relationships to Motion. Like I said this is a rare talent that few can understand because it allows one to cut off and get ahead of another person’s movement even if the other person has already moved first.

This understanding allows you to cut the amount of movement needed to accomplish what you need to do in half the time. You need to view it in the same fashion as hitting a baseball. When you play baseball and you're up at bat you don't reach for the ball. You wait until the right moment and then you swing because as you know there is a timing to it. It's the same thing when moving with people where you are developing a timing to their movement where at a certain point you are able to get ahead of their movement once you develop this skill. 

Think of it like this, if you've ever been on a train and during your trip, you pass another train moving in the opposite direction or when in traffic as you approach the oncoming cars. From a distance, it looks like it is going pretty slow but as you approach each other even though there is no increase in speed. Relative to our ability to judge the speed of the oncoming train or car it suddenly seems to accelerate to where the oncoming vehicle becomes a blur. But if you time it right for brief moments you can actually pick out details even in the blur. So while time seems to speed up or collapse there is still enough time if you are able to anticipate the motion of the oncoming vehicle to see detail in the movement. 

When moving with another person you can do the same thing relatively speaking, however, the main difference is you can not only do this with an oncoming strike but like the matador in the bullfight you can sidestep the person and strike with your sword as you allow them to pass you by.  A great example of this is if you're a fan of the Steven Segal movies where all he does is step out of the way and allow people to run into his strikes.  However, that is a movie in the real world you can do this from virtually any range if your perceptual awareness and sense of timing are properly developed. 

So, as I said in the previous blog post if a person steps to the left if your mind is attuned to it then it is no different as if you stepped to the right. Their moving forward no different than if you stepped in and closed the gap. But there's more...

You can also revere direction in your mind let me explain. If they suddenly change direction in their movement such as going to the left and they decide to go to the right, you can change the direction you perceive their motion going in your mind. The key is developing control over your body to control your own overtravel as well as the ability to anticipate the possibility that they may change direction.

Just by the fact that you are capable of accepting that they might or are capable of changing their mind as to which direction they may go automatically places you in this frame of mind and philosophically speaking ahead of their movement.

At first, this seems hard to do but with patience and consistent practice it is totally doable. Eventually, it becomes a part of you and just something your able to do. The reason is as your timing and ability to anticipate grows you actually gain time because you tend to not move more than what is necessary.

I'll tell you right now most people move way, way, way too much! Remember the more unnecessary movement you have the more time it takes for you to recover from that movement should you overcommit in any direction. 

For those who play string instruments such as the guitar, this is the essence of such techniques known as "alternate picking" or "sweep picking". Where you take advantage of the returning motion of your hand as you pick. At first, this seems difficult but over time as your pick radius decreases you are able to play with half the effort as opposed to trying to just strum and pick in one direction. This is the same concept when moving with people only you are taking advantage of the direction of their movement versus yours. To shorten the amount of time it takes for you to accomplish the same thing where instead of you supplying all of the motion they supply it for you or at least the majority of it.

As a side note, I once saw a guy on YouTube play Flight of the Bumble Bee on an acoustic guitar at 600 bpm (beats per minute). Granted he practically had an aneurysm doing it but he did it. My point is those people who go around saying that you cannot do things at high speed with any fine motor coordination or control are full of shit and don't know what they're talking about. Granted to do what this guy did takes some serious talent but if a guy can train himself to play and move like that then you and I can surely learn to move with more finesse in our obviously grosser combative movements. That's all I'm saying. 

In order to create this shift in mindset, you must be willing to understand the relationships of your own movement and how it affects the other persons as well as be able to see the lines and arcs of their movement as you interact with them before they are able to affect your body.

By understanding this type of movement, you are able to neutralize their movement by reciprocating in the inverse. Once again, the key is always looking at the situation as if the glass is always half full and always seeking for an opportunity to crush them.

Well that's it for now in a later post I'll try to explain this stuff a little more but I think what I'm going to do is when I actually describe this sometime in the very near future. I'll make a video so that people can actually see what the Hell I'm talking about.  

“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma—which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition.”

• Steve Jobs

Thank you. 

P.S. for those who want to learn more about how to develop this type of movement.

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     Al Ridenhour

     CEO, Creator Warrior Flow™

Al Ridenhour is a retired Lieutenant Colonel in the US Marine Corps with 28-years of service active and reserve with multiple combat tours to Iraq and Afghanistan. He has also served as a Law Enforcement consultant to the NJ State Police Special Operations Section, NJ Transit Police Operations Section, The NJ Regional Operations and Intelligence Center, the FBI Philadelphia Bomb Section, and subject matter expert to the US Department of Homeland Security's, Explosives Division. With nearly 40-years of Combative Arts experience, he is recognized as a self-defense expert worldwide and is highly sought out for seminars, workshops, lectures, and special individualized training.  He is the author of "Warrior Flow Mind" (2020), Co-Author of "Attack Proof: The Ultimate Guided in Personal Protection (Human Kinetics, 2010) and the Co-Author of "How to Fight for Your Life" (June 2010).

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