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One of the forms that I have learned a great deal from is Sho Tung Kwa.  It is the form the GM Villari claims contains all the ‘secrets’ of his take on kempo.  During my research I came across one of the alleged meanings of this form:  hands and feet in harmony.  This lead me to a particular practice in the way I do kempo.  I actively feel to get close enough to take out the legs without much change in technique.  Of course, to attempt to think about this in the middle of a fight (breath) would simply slow me down and end up being awkward to explain to the students when (if) I woke up in hospital.  So, we add it to the practice of all our kempo, from simple buckles to all out sweeps, we practice every technique with an awareness of these poosiblities.  The intention is that they will just ‘be there’ should we ever need them.  So, now for the next two months we, in my dojo / kuen will focus on this and it is my intention to teach this as a permanent concept in all our techniques from now on…if it is there.

I had a taiji symbol placed in the center of the patch for our dojo or kuen.  It is at the center of the patch surrounded by a representation of the five animals and the kosho symbols in an octogon.  The reason that I have the taiji at the center is because it represents “how” to do our SK.  I mentioned before that one of the noticeable differences btwn SKK ,as I understand it and AK, is our emphasis on grabs and controls and takedowns.  This is the yin aspect, in contrast to the yang aspect as seen in the techniques and combo’s.  Softness is key, as contact without the necessary sensitivty found in softness offers little in the way of developing skill and mastery.  Contact and softness is, for me , the how of pulling off most SKK techniques.  Were I to simply bang against an attacker, I will fight and possibly win…or lose.  However, when engaging an attacker, if I include sensitivity to the contact, I begin to read them and lead them to a place where I can win without getting “in to” the fight.  Empty , center and connect are important keys.  Otherwise, you need to be bigger and faster to have a chance.  Considering that we, as martial artists, avoid violence, then such an engagement foisted on us against our will, most likely will come from someone younger/ faster and bigger than us…so I will choose to practice to win and not to fight thereby increasing the likelihood that should the unexpected happen, my training will express itself with minimal effort.  Have I succeded, hopefully, I will never truly know…but I do like … (am driven) to win.