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I HOW TO TRAIN FOR HAND-TO-HAND COMBAT

Effective martial techniques rely upon spontaneous, instinctive reflexes, with movement natural to human physiology serving as a foundation. Such fighting skills do not resemble athletics and are even less akin to choreographed movement set to rhythm or music, in that fluidity takes precedence over rote technique. When embarking on a study of police martial arts, the officer must begin by taking a broader perspective, remembering that there are multiple ways to effectively counter any given movement. In essence, he must learn to blend his own natural reflexes with acquired martial techniques.

Understanding Police Martial Techniques

The fighting system employed by the Taiwan police takes Wing Chun kung fu and natural physiological function as its basis. Integrating physics, geometry, and other scientific principles to unite the body with motion, it stresses fluidity to enable unlimited fighting force in combat. The techniques do not employ the methodology of traditional Chinese kung fu, which trains individual moves and counters, nor do they imitate the animal movements of some Mainland Chinese martial styles. Unlike the choreographed movements in martial arts films, they place little emphasis on physical strength and beauty. All such training turns the student into an automaton, lacking the flexibility to deal with an ever-changing combat situation.

Police martial arts stress the principle of “bringing dead technique to life.” Copied as set rigid routines, individual techniques remain “dead,” and therefore incapable of adapting to sudden changes. Human beings are alive, and they rarely adhere to a script; fluidity allows for multiple options and the ability to accommodate fluctuations in a combat situation. It overcomes the limitations imposed by inflexible mechanical movement and eliminates the need to memorize Chinese martial movements with over-embellished titles such as, “eagle opens its wings,” “tiger comes down mountain,” “dragonfly touches water,” and so on.