Precarious Martial Arts Training

Precarious Martial Arts Training

By Shifu Andrew Miles


Warning:  By reading the following, you agree that you are personally responsible for yourself. I'm not suggesting that this training is good for anyone. Please consult your doctor, religious leader, lawyer, mother and insurance company before doing anything..ever.

Much like the Daoist tradition of blindfolded balance training, Shidejian practices on precarious ledges to refine his kung fu and overcome his fear of death.  They key is in keeping the body soft and sinking the qi.  Inspired by his training I practiced an advanced 8 Step Mantis set several times on the rooftop of the nearest building. It wasn't as high as Shidejian's perch, but it was slick and high enough to do some damage. The lessons I learned made this training worthwhile. 

1. It's actually easier than it looks. If you have trained stances and postures, you should already be able to sink qi through you feet and maintain balance. Once you decide to go for it, the fear lessens. It seemed that  stepping onto the edge was more dangerous than actually being on it.   

2.Using climbing the mountain stance on a steep incline involves sinking the breath. I often tell students exactly how they should step, however gravity is a better teacher.  Using anything but perfect movement caused me to slide dangerously downward on the wet, moss covered tile.  I became afraid as the momentum of my descent sped up. I began to tighten up raising my qi and increasing speed. I relaxed and sunk my energy and suddenly stopped.  The idea of sinking qi, breath and intention is important. This gave deeper insight into this stance.

3. The rotation of the bottom foot on uneven terrain while kicking is scary. Jumping and turning kicks were most frightening. It reminded me of the times I practiced kicks on a frozen pond requiring poise rather than power.  Retreating footwork was also tricky. At first I tried to do a slow and stable version of it which was strange.  The way the feet were places was not as stable.  It was much better when I just did it as I have practiced a thousand times. When jumping and turning in the air I felt distinctly aware of uneven distributions in body weight. 

4.  Sinking down into movements felt good. Whenever one climbs a mountain they reach the heavens and hug the earth closely.  I remember climbing Mt. McLoughlin with my dad when I was 5 years old.  Terrified I moved over the rocks like I was an octopus keeping my body as low as possible. It seems a paradox that one can learn to conform to rocks so perfectly when at the level of heaven, yet when we normally walk on the Earth we are not so intimately acquainted.

5.  It required softer movements, better stances and overcoming fear. It put me right into fight mode as dangerous training does. Unless you train with a degree of danger, you can not realistically prepare to deal with it.

After effects: After training this way I feel more serene. My movements are more stable, relaxed and supple.