Just like there are martial arts that are soft styles and some that are hard styles there are differences in how they approach contact.
Some, like Karate and Tae Kwon do rely on delivering power to their opponent usually through strikes and kicks with the idea that they’ll send energy to do damage. It’s power transmission. From me to you.
Other styles are more about taking all the energy from both sources and controlling all of it.
One of the keys to controlling all the energy is constant contact. The more you keep contact with the other person, the more you can direct their energy.
If you’ve ever gotten a professional massage, you may have noticed that the masseuse keeps contact with you as they move around from one area of the body to another. They do that so that you can feel them and feel a sense of security knowing where they are and what they’re doing.
Another reason is for them to know about you. They can feel your level of tension or relaxation and get cues about your state.
This is the same in martial arts. You can gather information about the other person, their movement, their intentions, etc. You can also send them information and let them know that you are in control of some or all of their energy.
It takes practice to do this well. You have to be very aware and learn to feel the slightest movements, or even the intention toward movement.
And as you start to get the feel for the contact, you will stop seeing you and them as two different energies. You will just feel THE energy. And with practice, you will learn to direct THE energy.
Here are some ways to practice constant contact.
First, from a standing position have someone punch at you. Instead of blocking or avoiding, practice intercepting the strike and move with it. You can move slightly to the side to avoid the full force of the impact. Then bring your hand up to block, but instead of a hard block, just touch and then go with it almost like a push at first, then guiding, circling and grabbing.
Next, practice grappling and each time you move one area of the other person’s body to another keep contact with them. Slide your hand from their arm to the side of their neck and then around their head pausing each time to feel the control you have or could have from that position. It’s about smooth transitions between clearly different techniques in a way that blends them into one sense of control.
I like to say that martial arts is a lot like dancing. It’s not as much a battle as it is a coordinated effort. The only difference is that you are taking the lead (and all the control) with an unwilling partner.
So remember to think of contact as your friend and not something to avoid. When they offer you some of their energy, take it and make it yours.
