Every day, millions of people practice martial arts forms. Many perform them perfectly while secretly believing that all the meaning, the practical moves and applications, the tricks and techniques for real combat, were long ago lost forever.

On the opposite shore, others think that forms have no meaning at all, and never did.

John Ottenberg, chief instructor of Streetwise Protection, is offering an OPEN SEMINAR unlike any every done in this area.  Mr. O will teach the primary form he learned directly from the creator of the Limalama style, Mr. Tino Tuiolosega. John’s relation with “Pop” was unique, rarely given to most martial artists. He was an “in-door” house student, spending up to eight hours a day directly under Pop’s watchful eyes. Slowly he learned and perfected movements. Already a black belt before he even started, John watched as Pop gave him the keys to see beyond the external movement to the core of martial forms and fighting.

John learned from Pop that forms were a code, not to fool or confuse people but for reasons reflecting the nature of true martial training. He discovered that this code could be read and, just knowing the function of the movements, was a crucial step in the direction of real knowledge. From his years of martial arts and soldiering, from his work as a teacher and a bodyguard, from his confrontations with single and multiple  attackers, he developed a way to decipher what had been buried so long.

How do you fight your form? What is the point of this series of moves, and why that transition next? How do you transform natural movement into explosive power?  These questions and others will be the focus of John’s workshop, where you will learn the powerful form “Soft One,” a form that will benefit beginners as well as Black Belts.

And bring your own! John will conduct an open section at the end where participants will get the opportunity to decode the forms they practice daily. What does that hand motion mean? Why turn like that? Why is that step really a kick? John’s approach gives you a way to practice your forms and reshape them into what they were originally meant to be.

Resource: John Ottenberg’s Self Protection Class Schedule

John’s Self Defense DVD series

Q: What exactly are you teaching?
A: It’s classical Kung Fu. We’re teaching in small classes, rarely more than eight students.

Q: What do you mean classical Kung Fu?
A: Kung Fu is a beautiful style recognized throughout the world mainly due to the movies. Consequently, some teachers learn a bit then add the name of Kung Fu to whatever else they offer. But the style we teach is completely traditional. We will be teaching movements and techniques from Shaolin, Praying Mantis, Muslim Fist and more.

Q: And what is a typical class like?
A: We do a bit of workout, then formal sequences called sets (some of them centuries old), self defense training and also applications.

Q: What’s the difference between self defense and applications?
A: Self defense is a practical approach with immediate results like building strength, improving speed, learning to get out of a choke. Applications are your overall skills like coordination, body control, but also strategy and artistic expression. Sometimes they even work on things like the movement of energy in the body.

Q: Who teaches the classes?
A: I teach the Saturday class and Linda Darrigo, a top notch practitioner of Kung Fu and Tai Chi, teaches the other class. We confer on the curriculum. The two of us have more than seventy years practice, so even though this is a beginning class, nothing is  dumbed down.

Q: Can a beginner come to this class, even if they have little training or not a great deal of natural skill?
A: Yes, first it is important how the studio and student interface. We try to make sure it’s a good fit. Natural talent is relatively unimportant. Much of Kung Fu is counter-intuitive. So coming in as a total beginner is perfect, no problem. But expect to surprise yourself.

Q: Is it a monthly curriculum where you can only start at certain times?
A: No, what we have is a new system, kind of a breakthrough. Everything is completely classical, but since we are not giving any belts or rank, anyone can join at any time.

Q: Since one of your teachers is a woman, I guess it is appropriate for both men and women?
A: Kung Fu is fine for men and women, for older and younger people. This class happens to be adults only, and if someone came to me at 60 or 70 I might suggest Tai Chi, but basically anyone can learn.

Q: What do you like to see as an average stay? If a person joined would you expect him or her to stay a month or two?
A: Due to the sophistication of the art we hope people–again assuming it’s a good fit–will stick around for about a year or so. For instance, people call us up and say they are in town for a few weeks and would like to train. We don’t even allow them to come to the class. You learn a lot here, so some practice and tenacity is important.

Q: You hear a lot of claims about how martial arts will do this or that for you, help you concentrate better and improve your discipline or whatever. What can martial arts do for you?
A: There’s a reason that Zen abbots used to tell their disciples to go out and learn martial arts, but to be honest, it’s too hard to explain. Simply put, a student should gain some things here. First, even if they don’t like our school, they will know what Kung Fu is. And they will have experienced a great art. The movements are so unusual that they will shake out old habits. It’s not so much what they will learn, as what they will clear from their fixed patterns of movement. People do experience amazing changes when they study martial arts, but each person is unique.

Q: It sounds like you give people a lot of instruction for their money. Is it very expensive?
A: No, in fact we’re about 25% lower than the national average. For once a week, it’s $55.00 a month; for twice a week, it’s $85.00 a month. And you can go back and forth from once to twice a week. As I said before, it is strictly an adult school and if we sense that people aren’t serious, we won’t teach them.

Q: So people in your classes are pretty dedicated?
A: We have a great community with wonderful people: doctors, teachers, trades-people, artists. There is no emphasis whatsoever on competition. My students study for themselves and their passion is self-generated.

Q: It sounds like the school to join!
A: (Laughs) Well, it’s like falling in love. You don’t necessarily fall in love with someone because your friend referred you. There is no accounting for resonance. But, if you want to fall in love with real Kung Fu, then we are a place you might think about.

After we talked, Ted realized he forgot to mention that the first interview and class are free! You can call 475-1429 to set up an appointment for this.

martial meditation

Yet ancient peoples saw an invisible thread connecting these ideas; stillness and movement. They may seem opposed to us but like sister and brother they originate in the same family.

This is difficult to grasp at times because modern lives are so frantic. There’s so much to do. Whether or not we really need to send up all that dust, run headless chicken-style here and there, glue ourself to little black boxes until we become mobile phonies; all that’s another question. But each day it’s off to the races. We’re so goal-oriented we’re often actually embarrased by our natural need to be still. We see it as a weakness. So we disguise it: “Take five” – “cigarette break” – “coffee break”  – “going to the bathroom.” We have been convinced that if you don’t like the show you can change the channel, but never turn of that tv set. That’s admitting defeat.

On those occasions when I’ve taught meditation techniques I have noticed how uncomfortable some people become when asked to “slow down.” This is understandable. Part of our personality is invested in our activity. We live in the age of “Do Something – Anything!”

Yet stillness can be a great mirror to movement. A very ancient rule of Chinese Kung Fu states: “In stillness there is movement. In movement there is stillness.” What does this mean? Well…

If you try to stay in stillness for any length of time, an eruption of hidden energies will make itself obvious to you. You may find out how difficult true stillness can be. But, if you persist, you might also discover that not every form of movement is GOOD movement. Those errands that attack your mind the second you slow down, maybe not all of them are that important. It’s like those times when our health goes bad: things are put into perspective in double-quick time. But the advantage of what we learn from stillness is that we aren’t sick; in fact we’re something more than well.

I have never known anyone who did not benefit from  the meditation experience. Contrary to the Billy Grahams of the world, I don’t think meditation so much “lets in the devil” and “cleans out” the ego. But before you sign up at Meditation.com you might consider the truth  expressed by that great thinker, Krishnamurti: meditation is not a specific technique, rather more of an attitude. You don’t necessarily have to sit cross-legged, to hum or chant, or hold a lotus in your lap. These are specialized techniques for the serious student. For most of us meditation is just “involved mindfulness” which may manifest when you are simply sipping tea at dawn. It is the condition of being “space out” but prolonged and appropriate. It is like you cat lying there and staring into the heart of things, without judgement.

The nice thing is, whatever comes up when you are in this state of “mindfulness” is yours to keep, examine and learn from. Like a waking dream of a better place, it is the utopia of a daydream. Try it. Tell no one. It’s yor secret.

originally appeared in The Connection, Sept/Oct 2002

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“Seven years,” the teacher advised.

“No, you don’t understand. I want this so much that it’s in my blood. I will train day and night, never stop practicing, completely dedicate myself. If I do that, then how long will it take?”

The teacher looked for a second at the boy standing in front of him, then said, “In that case, fourteen years!”

People often come to out Academy for self-defense lessons. This is invariably because they have images in their heads; either scenes from martial arts movies where they would like to star; or pictures of fear-filled confrontations which they would like to avoid.

In the search for self-defense they also have ideas and limits built into the scenarios. “I only want the defensive part.” “I want to be able to respond just enough to neutralize the attacker.” I only need to be aggressive on Tuesdays sand passive on weekends.”

This is natural of course. But Americans have a funny consumer orientation to everything. So many products are touted as being “easy” and “convenient”—why can’t the martial arts be the same?

But the martial arts spend time on the self itself. It tempers the temperament and performs its subtle alchemy  with each repeated punch and kick. It sets personality aside for a while and pursues true nature.

Quick self-defense courses are useful as is any emergency training. They show the rudiments and if you’re lucky the moves you learn will fit the circumstances that arise. But real self-defense is an inner technique and an awareness that had to be cultivated slowly. In fact one of the best ways to learn self-defense is to forget it is self-defense and enjoy the art and the physical training.

Understanding this, martial artists for centuries have practiced things that look very unmartial; beautiful moves, quiet meditation, disciplined reflection. The idea isn’t just to protect the treasure of self but to invest in it. The body becomes stronger and learns to defend itself then the personality is free to grow.

As Raymond Chandler wrote, “If I weren’t tough on the outside I couldn’t survive. If I weren’t soft on the inside there’s be no reason to.”

This piece originally appeared in The Connection.

This is a famous and difficult Zen Koan. It can be looked at from many angles and bring light into many corners. The one I want to speak about now is the idea of martial arts testing.

I am in favor of testing, yes, even in Kung Fu which generally and historically does far less than, say, Japanese arts. That doesn’t mean that I necessarily believe in ranks and belts which are, when you think of it, entirely different things.

I have conducted dozens and dozens of tests. One peculiar mental shift occurs during a test which might be an  interpretation of the story at the front of this article.  You are sitting there watching two roughly equivalent students performing for the same rank (not competitively, just concurrently) and you mentally pass one of them and fail the other though they are performing at pretty much the same level. Why did one fail? He wasn’t ready yet? He wasn’t reaching what you knew to be his potential? He was just missing something that day? Or he was just missing something.

This completely confuses the moms and dads out there who aren’t able to see the gradations and just want to know why their darlings didn’t make the cut. Its hard to explain to them in objective terms why you made your decision. But the fact that testing is nothing like an objective process is actually the very reason there should be testing. It is, after all, a chance to place the student in a mental box for an hour and pretend to be objective about his skills but really the fox-like sniffing going on in the tester’s brain is much more instinctive than objective. The trained eye and ear can discern progress which the mouth cannot explain. Why one student rises and another stalls is something hard to describe. One of the subtleties is an impression, nothing more than a hint at what the student’s potential might be. Some people are close but have not yet learned their  own possibilities. Needless to say this pulling out from your depths is part of the martial practice.

Testing puts pressure on people. But the pressure is very little compared to any situation where they would  have to use their fighting skills. And the pressure often reveals a higher level of skill and understanding that one would expect.

There’s a completely different way to understand our Zen story. In the first way the two monks are somehow judged by Master FaYan who mysteriously knows which monks has “gained” and which has “lost”. But another way is to judge neither one but simply to realize that the rolling of a screen is a perfectly balanced act where you simultaneously gain something and also lose something.

Watching the test you see the growth of skill as the students lose their inhibitions. For every skill they acquire they lose fear, limits, and sometimes even knowledge or spontaneity. The rolling of the screen could be almost any human act whether it is a success or a miserable failure. The screens disappearing reveals a world beyond it.

Martial arts is not like most other activities and certainly not like cookie cutter testing and awarding going on in some schools. It is very much like rolling up a screen. The idea isn’t always to pass the student or even to make it seem as though the test is that important. Often times preparation for the test is the most important aspect of the practice. As you watch your students test you look for something about the arts that is hard to explain, a readiness to adapt, an ingenious strain, a creative seriousness. You look for loss and gain and, between them, a growing sense of equilibrium.

Master FaYan was quick sighted. He summed up the situation at a glance, in an instant, as a Zen monk, or a martial artist, should do.

The Year of the Metal Rabbit