Master this First, Oh Grand Masters
Many of my more advanced students have asked, “Master Blair, you teach us things in plain language from your years of experience. It works! Why haven’t we seen this mastering information presented in the same plain language that you offer?”
I quietly reply, “America likes fast food, fast women, and fast cars [superficial roads to recognized success].” Then I tell them the story of George Washington Carver, a famous black scientist who called God “Big Man.” He asked Big Man to give him the secrets of the Universe. Big Man told him, “Little man you could not handle those secrets!”
Carver asked again. Big Man replied, “I will give you the secret of the lowly peanut!” Carver went on to create thousands of products from the peanut – things we still use today.
Today I offer you the secret of the lowly foot. We take it for granted. After we begin to walk it is never thought of – it becomes an afterthought. I, the alleged “the man, the myth, the legend,” throw down to you a martial challenge.
The foot is a hard-wired instrument for locomotion. True? How well do you use it in your martial training as the only means from getting from point A to point B in your applications? How well do you know and cater your training to this most important instrument?
You will have to do the work. You are not my student nor am I your coach. This challenge is for all martial artists to explore.
If you do not know the basics consider yourself ignorant and unknowing. The toes grip – they prevent you from falling forward but they also send a nerve signal to your heel (we’ll discuss that later). They have the ability to turn the entire ball of the foot towards pressing actions.
The ball of the foot, over the first two toes, allows you to make great pressing and pushing actions. The outer ball of the foot, unless activated by the gripping of the toes in front of it, naturally allows the foot to make major pivots.
The inside arch supports the foot’s strength in pressing forward in resistance actions. The outside edge or blade of the foot tends to support, in sympathy, the actions of the heel, which has a natural ability to allow for minor pivots (ever turn an ankle and wonder why?). The inside heel is your body’s natural breaking mechanism. It stops the body’s movement.
Finally, the middle of the foot is your main instrument for static balance.
My students, for over forty-five years, have said to me, “You have forgotten more about martial arts then most ever know.” I smile because I know how much I still have to learn. This information can be applied and used to analyze every standing striking art or grappling art in the universe.
My gift to you – my fellow martial artists on the road to perfection…
Humility be thy goal,
F. G. Blair
Want to learn more about self defense or basic martial arts principles like these? Contact me and we’ll talk!
