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The Element Of Surprise

by: Kevin Kawada

In my kung fu classes, many times the beginning adult student will sometimes come in and expect to see the class learning to apply kung fu moves from a fighting stance similar to those you would see boxers take up. When a person takes up a fighting stance or position it reveals a few things about the situation. Firstly, it reveals to your opponent that you may know some kind of martial arts or that you have had some previous training. Next, taking a fighting posture also reveals that you are willing, committed and prepared to fight. Now the opponent is ready for the fight and much has been given away. Taking up a fighting posture may also lead to your opponent becoming even more aggressive.

Remaining "Formless"

In facing an aggressive adversary one should remain formless most of the time. Formlessness means to not take up a typical fighting stance you see taught in many martial arts schools. Instead, when confronting a possible adversary, I advise students to take a non aggressive, normal, standing posture with the hands lightly resting on the front part of the hips. In this natural posture one is not just standing there waiting to get hit but rather one is in a mode of “readiness. ” This is not to say that one should anticipate what the attack will be, because no one can predict the intent of the criminal mind or predict the future. Instead one should be prepared to adapt to whatever the situation dictates. The opponent’s body tends to react differently when taken by surprise.

Taking up of a natural formless posture will permit the martial artist to use the element of surprise to its maximum advantage. If the fight is unavoidable, and the kung fu student does decide to move from this formless posture, it will be a complete surprise to the criminal or aggressor. This is very powerful. The opponent’s body tends to react differently when taken by surprise. When someone is expecting a force to come in contact with their body, they tend to naturally brace for the impact. This makes any strike to that braced area less effective. When the strike is unexpected, the strike would have seemed to have been twice as powerful in the eyes of the now stunned opponent. Once, the element of surprise has been taken advantage of, it is easy to capitalize on any opening the opponent will be presenting. For example, If the martial artist lands a low kick to the opponents groin area. The opponent’s own central nervous system will take over his body and force him to react by bringing his hands to his groin area, jutting out his chin, and bending slightly forward. When the opponent is in this position the martial artist can then pick and choose his next target to take.

In class, I do advocate devoting some training time to practicing defending from a fighting posture. But this should only be done if the element of surprise has already been lost due to the situation. I want my students to understand that one should be ready for any situation. All self defense situations are inherently different. If the situation is where there is a thug / criminal / drug addict is prowling about inside of your house in the middle of the night and you come upon him, then this would be one situation in which remaining formless and trying to surprise the criminal would be useless. This is a situation in which the element of surprise has already been lost. However, in a social situation such as a bar or nightclub, where there is someone being belligerent and trying to provoke a fight, the formless posture may permit the martial artist to use the element of surprise to save himself.

The element of surprise is one of the kung fu practitioners' greatest weapons. This is one weapon whose power should never be underestimated.

If the fight is unavoidable, and the kung fu student does decide to move from this formless posture, it will be a complete surprise to the criminal or aggressor.