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| | | A GC 4th Degree's Meditation on Contact Flow
by Yosef Susskind
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| Listen Up: His Insights Could Ignite an Explosion in YOUR Ability
"If
you want a peek into what I have wanted expressed about the inner
pathways of Guided Chaos then read Yosef's excellent description. It
will draw you deep within and enhance your own understanding." --Grand Master John Perkins
"This
is the type of no BS meditative writing that needs to be amongst the
cannon of our teachings and writings to get people's minds right and
keep them there. Well done my Sith Apprentice!" --Master Al Ridenhour.
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| "Dear Guided Chaos students,
Below
are some thoughts on the mental aspects of the art. They are taken
directly from, based on, or inspired by what John, Al, Matt, and many
other advanced students have generously taught me. If you have comments,
or if you would like to train near Suffern NY / Mahwah NJ, feel free to
email me at JoeSusskind[at]gmail[dot]com."
[If interest is great enough Yosef will establish a Tuesday night group class in the area. --MattK]
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A Fourth Degree Meditation on Contact Flow
I see all possible futures as I perceive the present moment.
The more clearly I perceive the moment the more intensely I experience it, and vice versa.
I imagine the future I desire and choose it from all possible futures.
The other movers also choose their movements.
In every moment I must harmonize my movement, my choices, my desire, with theirs.
Now my will and theirs are one, and drive our movement to a common end.
Contact Flow and Combat Flow
Contact flow is a drill. It is not sparring; it is not a simulation of a fight. It is a drill for developing
attributes. The drill can be practiced differently to focus on different attributes. In order to cultivate the subtle touch, I practice without increases in speed or force. When speed and strength are taken out of the equation, the drill becomes a game of movement—of timing and body positioning. Unable to call on my strength or speed, I am forced to find the perfect movement, the perfect timing, the perfect body position. I call them “perfect” precisely because they do not rely on superior speed or strength, but on the five principles of balance, looseness, sensitivity, body unity, and freedom of action. Movements which rely on speed and strength can be overcome by a faster, stronger enemy. When I challenge stronger, faster enemies with my own strength and speed, I die. When I make my movement more perfect than those enemies', they die.
Practicing contact flow with increases in speed and force is called combat flow. In the same way that soft contact flow allows me to focus on refining my movement, combat flow refines my use of force. I learn to feel my body's mass and to use it efficiently to generate force, and to do so at the right time, at the right angle, and to the right effect. I also get to feel the other mover doing the same to me.
In any given position, there can be more than one right answer. One answer might be efficient, ghosting movement, another might be efficient use of force. Using power the right way at the right time might be called perfect, however, for the purposes of training, it is imperfect in one sense: For any technique which requires force, there is an enemy with sufficient strength or mass to overcome that force.
The Emotional Response to Being Hit
Contact flow is a feeling drill. Regardless of whether I am hitting or being hit, if I am feeling 100% of what is going on in my body and 100% of what is going on in the other mover's body, then I am getting100% benefit of the drill. Recognizing this, I forget the negative emotional response I used to produce when getting hit during the drill. As a novice, I practiced contact flow at the level of a lab rat or a hungry pigeon, driven by little rewards and punishments. Each strike I landed was a little, ego-affirming reward; each blow I ate was a little punishment telling me that I had been judged and found wanting. If I had stayed in this mindset, I would be every bit as skilled as I was then.
The negative emotional response associated with being hit during contact flow confounds the learning process and defeats the purpose of the drill. Instead of feeling what's happening in the flow, all I can feel is my frustration, and I learn nothing. If in order to compensate for my inferior position I speed-up or muscle-up beyond the agreed upon level, I compromise the integrity of the drill, and delude myself. Imagine a game of chess. Each player moves to gain advantage, and must constantly adapt to the other's movements, often with each bobbing in and out of check until the moment of checkmate. At that moment, the Kingless player would want to perceive every position of every piece on the board, bearing in mind how they got there and how each piece can move—not only their simple movement, but also how they can move in relation to the board and the other pieces. The more the player can perceive, the faster they approach mastery. Or they can freak out and knock over all the pieces.
When I get hit during contact flow, rather than responding negatively, I take in all the information I can feel, and I take it in hungrily. This information is priceless: more code for the computer. Only by feeling the angle of the strike can I learn to yield to it perfectly. Only by feeling the strike with all of its nuances can I learn to recognize it and avoid it in the future.
When I am being hit and I cannot intuit the how to yield, I do not frantically try to figure out the correct angle. If my body cannot feel the correct yielding movement, my intellect will not be able calculate it on-the-fly. This is because I can feel much faster than I can think. If I try to outsmart the strike, I lose. Instead, I feel the strike and let it move me; I let it teach me the perfect angle.
Self-Correcting
Whenever I don't know what to do in contact flow—how to yield, where to step, etc.—it is because I can't intuit how to apply the principles in that moment and in that position. Sometimes I will feel stuck, deadlocked with the other mover. If I am stuck, and can't feel my way to an answer, I have no choice but to slow down and resort to intellect. To this end, I stop focusing on the particulars and return to the abstract principles: Is my body tense? If so I need to relax the tension. Is there pressure? If so I must yield to alleviate it. Am I off-balance? If so I must drop to a new root. Am I moving efficiently? If not, I must move my entire body with singular purpose. Am I feeling the other mover's intention and harmonizing with their movement, or am I stubbornly trying to impose my will? Am I owning my freedom of movement? Clearly not, or I wouldn't be stuck. I tell myself that I am a Master Killer: I can execute any movement as easily as I can imagine it.
I tell myself that I am a Master Killer: I can execute any movement as easily as I can imagine it. This sounds more like a delusion than a martial arts tip. At this point, we have moved from the theoretical to the fictional. This begs an explanation.
Metaphor and Mindset
John taught us that the art is 90% mental. Around the time I got my 3rd degree I asked myself what in the world that meant. The purpose of this meditation is to share the progress I have made in my understanding of the mental aspects of contact flow. Believe that this understanding, albeit incomplete, was hard-won, and in sharing it I am sharing one of the dearest gifts that I could possibly give—just as John shares his dearest gifts with us.
When I was a kid in Hebrew School, I saw a video by a pro ballplayer on how to hit a baseball. Unsurprisingly, he couldn't explain his athleticism to me such that it would become mine. How do you explain excellence in movement? How do you explain the laws of physics and human physiology such that someone with no athletic training can apply them masterfully in the field? There are two general ways. One is physical. One is imaginary.
The first way to teach the art is with drills. By “drills,” I mean any exercise which forces the student to move a certain way, so that they can experience what the proper movement feels like. The second way is through metaphor. A new student has no idea what looseness is. They can't feel if they are loose or tight. We tell them, “imagine your arms are hanging on strings, so that you use just enough muscle to hold them up.” Taken literally, this is a nonsense statement, but as a metaphor, “arms hanging on strings” opens a door in our imagination that can result in a physical breakthrough.
When it comes to the mental aspects of the art, metaphor is the primary tool. I create little fictions for myself in order to cultivate the proper mindset. I cultivate this mindset for its real-world effects. It is the mindset that allows me to develop in the art. It is the mindset that will sustain me in combat and see me through the moment of truth.
The Master Killer
I tell myself that I am a Master Killer: I can execute any movement as easily as I can imagine it. At every moment I must have complete trust in my ability. If I doubt my ability and what I am feeling during contact flow, I retard my learning. If I doubt my ability and what I am feeling during the moment of truth, I am already dead.
While I accept that my limbs cannot block a crushing blow, I trust them to be my antennae, and to tell my body how to yield and move to protect itself. Trusting my body to protect itself frees my arms to release and hit and kill my enemies. If instead of trusting, moving, and hitting, I fixate on my enemy's arms and try to control them, I take away my ability to release and hit. Any attempt to control my enemy's arms can distract me from what I actually need to do to survive.
The idea of the Master Killer frees my imagination to perform at peak creativity. The Master Killer will pull off large, elaborate movements if and only if the situation calls for it, but large movements are not the sign of a master. The Master Killer kills effortlessly. He creates the smallest movements, the most subtle angles. Taking the path of least resistance, he moves as little as he needs. He makes it look so easy that the uninitiated mistake him for a novice. In contact flow, I tell myself that the game really is as easy and simple as placing my hand on the other mover. Their limbs cannot stop me or contain me; I simply move where they are not, like water slipping through the cracks, taking the path of least resistance.
Courage
John once wrote: “Courage is not only ignoring fear. It is trust in God.”* I do not believe that he was making a theological claim. He was teaching us something about how to stay alive. This is a metaphor to cultivate a mindset. In every moment, I must have unwavering faith in the outcome of the battle. The enemy will make every effort to set the conditions for my failure. If he succeeds in undermining my faith, I am already dead. If I am small, my enemy will be large. If I am large, my enemy will be larger. If I am alone, my enemy will come in numbers. If I am unarmed (shame on me), my enemy will be armed. If I am prepared, he will use surprise, deception, and treachery. If I am distracted, he will stab me in the perineum before I realize I’m in a fight.** If I allow the formidability of my enemies, the disadvantage of my position, or the brutality of injuries sustained, to make me lose faith, I am already dead.
Who comes from Edom with soiled garments?.. Why is your clothing red, like one who trod in
the wine press?
In the wine press, I trod alone. From the nations, none were with me. I trod them in my wrath, and trampled them in my fury. The wine of their vitality sprayed on my garments, and all my clothing was soiled. For a day of vengeance was in my heart; the year of my reckoning had arrived.
I looked, and there were none to save me. In disbelief, I saw none to uphold me. My arm saved
me, and my fury upheld me. I trod the nations with my wrath, and intoxicated them with my
fury, and spilled their vitality to the earth. (Isaiah 63:2-6)
If I allow the formidability of my enemies, the disadvantage of my position, or the brutality of injuries
sustained, to make me lose faith, I am already dead. I tell myself that I am the righteous firstborn of
Mars, and that my movement will be so perfect and so effortless that it will seem divinely inspired.
In contact flow, when the other mover is formidable, when they put me in a disadvantageous position,
when they strike me, I do not lose faith. Each of these moments is a unique, invaluable opportunity for
creativity and growth. Only by feeling these positions in contact flow can I learn to adapt to them and
survive.
When I am overwhelmed or “killed” in contact flow, I do not give up and reset. I recognize that I am
being hit by blows that might kill me at full force, but as I am still conscious, I continue to move and
recover, and put myself back in the fight. I train to fight on from the brink of death. Just as I must train
to fight on, the other mover must train to finish the kill.
Love of Fate
Nietzsche taught unconditional love of existence as amor fati, love of fate. By loving existence, and
my place in it, unconditionally, I love all the vicissitudes of fate. By loving fate, I “recreate every so it
was into thus I willed it.”
***
In contact flow, when the other mover commits to a movement, I tell myself
“I wanted them to do that.” I make the necessary adjustment, and together, we move to their demise.
Love of fate frees me from fear and wanting. I never want anything in contact flow. When I feel an
opening for a strike, if I become attached to that fixed movement, I lose my ability to adapt mid-strike.
My mind becomes fixated on a snapshot of the future, and is blinded to what is going on in the present.
My strike becomes a “dumb” weapon. In order to remain in the present, I let myself savor every
moment, every change, every millimeter of every position. I savor each moment, not only when
hitting, but also when I am being hit. This prevents me from panicking and increasing my speed and
force, and maximizes what I feel in the present. I allow myself to feel the perfect timing, the perfect
change, the perfect harmony of movers.
Fear
Fear is the most detrimental emotion in contact flow. Fear blinds me to all possibilities except for those
possibilities that I fear. It hijacks my creativity, and in doing so, drives me toward the very end I am
dreading. When I tense-up during contact flow, it is a symptom of fear. The tension cuts off my
sensitivity, blinding me to any saving path. When I feel the other mover moving to strike, and I say
“No!”, and try to stop their movement, this is my fear. Saying “no” alienates me from the present;
instead of feeling what is going on in the present and adapting to it, all I can feel is my panic and
indignation. Instead, I say “yes” to the mover's movement; I make the necessary adjustment, and let
our movement work to my advantage.
Even the most subtle tension is a manifestation of fear, which will cut off my sensitivity and blind me
to a world of possibilities. Resisting the temptation to push is also a state of fear. When I forget my
fear, I open myself to the present and free my creative, martial spirit to do what it needs to save me.
Fear protects the ego. When I dissolve my ego, I dissolve my fear. In contact flow, I imagine that I am
a third-party-observer. I pretend that I am the god of war, and that the “combat” is all for my
entertainment. Whether I am hitting or being hit, if the movement is glorious, I gratefully applaud.
Emotional Content
It is essential that I cultivate the warrior state of mind. Some call this state blood-lust. Al calls it moral
clarity. If I put my ego aside, and withdraw mentally to the position of a third party, how can I cultivate
the combative mindset and proper emotional content? The proper emotional content during contact
flow is that of a child at play. The child takes their game seriously, without forgetting that it is a game.
Within the game of contact flow, I mean to kill the other mover. When I deliver a strike, even without
force, I line up my body like I mean to kill. At the same time, it is just a game. It is a consequence-free
environment in which I am free to experiment. I allow myself to be entertained.
When I am not training or fighting for my life, I must never entirely forget my fear. Fear roots me in
reality and keeps me from deluding myself. Healthy fear and rootedness in reality are common traits of
GC students. While these traits may have brought us to the art, fear is not the emotion under which we
practice. The proper emotions to attach to our training are humility, gratitude, and joy—for being
initiated into an art that has happened only once in the universe.
Steel Sharpens Steel
We are all sharpened on the skill of the people we train
with. The more skilled my fellow students
become, the more my training environment is enriched. As peers, students, and teachers practice
the principals at higher levels, the game becomes exponentially more
nuanced. If my fellow students—those at
my level, above and below me—are not getting better, then the more I progress,
the more my training environment is impoverished. Pushing others to develop in the art enables
my own qualitative growth. The more they
grow, the more they benefit me. The more
I grow, the more I benefit them.
This art is not a commodity. It is not a training program. It is a gift we receive from John. It is a gift
we give each other. It is entirely personal. When we train together, we take tacit responsibility for each
other's very lives. I receive this gift from John and Al and Dave, and from the other students who are
senior to me. I write this meditation out of love for our tribe.
Humbly, Gratefully, Joyfully,
Yosef Susskind.
___________________
*Email from John to 25 students, including Masters Ridenhour, Watson, and Martarano, on 5/22/2015.
**This unsavory image comes from a true story John told in class in Elmsford NY on Saturday 11/7/2015.
***Thus Spoke Zarathustra, Part II, “On Redemption.”
Copyright 11/11/2015
|
| WHAT ARE THE BEST DVDs/DOWNLOADS TO TRAIN THE CONCEPTS MENTIONED ABOVE?
|
| THE ATTACKPROOF COMPANION PART 2
- The 5 Principles
- All the Drills to develop them with comprehensive explanations
- Without Part 2, most of the things on our other DVDs may not make much sense
|
| IN THE EYE OF THE STORM
A 3 Disc, 6 hour exploration into Contact Flow, the unique Guided Chaos energy drill that unites the 5 principles, where absolutely anything goes. |
| COMBAT CONDITIONING
The best solo training DVD. All the Guided Chaos drills (well, 90% of them) back-to-back and set to Native American music (like we do in class) with just a short application demo at the end of each drill so you can keep your workout going.
|
| GUIDED CHAOS is the GREASE that makes
all your OTHER training work BETTER.
|
| | | HOW WAS THE NETHERLANDS SEMINAR?
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| "After experiencing Contact Flow hands-on with the experts,
I consider it to be the 'piece de resistance' of martial arts." |
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By Dr. Jan Bloem
[Bolded emphasis added by Matt Kovsky]
Introduction
This past weekend (November 13th - 15th 2015) Guided Chaos masters Al, Joe and Kevin came over to conduct the first Guided Chaos (GC) seminar in the Netherlands.
Being a human movement scientist specializing in motor learning and training professionals to act professionally under duress, a life-long student of the martial arts, experiencing GC was something that has been on my bucket list since I first read the book 'Attackproof' in 2000. Not directly based on rational arguments, but on a strong feeling nevertheless.
And now there was this opportunity, organized by Learn From The Masters and the Guided Chaos Study Group Netherlands.
So, was my intuition right?
The Seminar
The seminar lasted three days covering all the basic aspects more or less of the GC system from contact flow to groundfighting and combat boxing.
What struck me the most was that the teachers (Al, Joe and Kevin) are very genuine when it comes to their art and teaching. They worked with all the participants personally. So in this seminar I had several exchanges with Al, Joe and Kevin, who were not holding back on information. When they thought you were ready for it, they just offered it. So, no: You don't have to wait for this until you are a 5th degree black belt. None of that: you're ready, try it! If not, then they tried to coach you up to the limits of your understanding and skill. In my opinion the way anything has to be taught.
Force vs. Power
Newton's Third Law of Motion states that for every action there is a reaction. For me this means that no matter how strong or fast I am compared with my attacker, when I use force I always get something back. So, from this point of view I have two choices:
1. I have to take care to be the biggest, strongest etc out there. So even when something is coming back, well, who gives a sh..!
However, for me that's not a realistic option. I'm not big and not heavy. And one of the things Al said over and over again: You need to know the possibilities and limits of your body. Well, I'm never going to be 8 feet tall and 300 pounds.
So, if not force, what then? After this weekend it became very clear to me what I've been searching for all the time: True power. And true power doesn't mean strength. No, for me it's the subtle combination of sensitivity, looseness, balance and body unity. If I can create that, then making the added combat skills work is a piece of cake.
Contact Flow
After experiencing Contact Flow hands on with the experts, I consider it to be the 'piece de resistance' of martial arts. If it was up to me, we could have done it the whole seminar. Contact Flow is simple but not easy. With that I mean, the exercise is really not difficult to understand. But once you know a bit where 'to look', especially working with Al, it becomes an in-depth study of inner and outer processes while interacting with another human being. Very interesting!
Teaching Method of GC
Methods of teaching, especially related to combat, is my core business. So, of course I look at how different teachers teach their art.
Also from this point of view GC is very interesting. To me GC is a very principles-based system. Already something I like. But more often than not I see systems claiming to be 'principles-based' using a teaching methodology which is more suitable for techniques-based, which in the end is also what these system are.
GC is different in that perspective. The teachers sincerely try to create conditions which enable the participants to explore their interpretation of the principles. So, the learning process is truly focused on identifying the possibilities and limitations of the student at that specific moment and how that relates to using the principles effectively.
Conclusion
Although I've been practicing martial arts and combat systems now for almost 40 years, GC definitely is very worthwhile to explore more.
Next to that it was really nice to meet with Al, Joe and Kevin, who are very involved with their 'art' and trying to represent it in the best possible way.
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See you next time guys!!
--Dr. Jan Bloem (1971) is a human movement and behavioral scientist
specializing in how to train professionals to act professionally under
pressure. Practicing martial arts and self defense since 1975, he is now
one of Europe's leading authorities on martial arts and self defense
instruction, teaching special operation units from both police and military. He is also a forensic expert on physical violence. www.datmovement.nl
-------------------------------
And more from Jan:
"...For
me violence is something which is totally non-linear. This means, it
does not follow linear rules. The fact that this non-linear phenomena
has identifiable critical points, might lead to the misconception that
violence is linear. Again, to me this is far from the truth.
So,
if violence is a non-linear problem, we cannot provide a linear
solution. To me this is the problem with most self-defense issues: They
offer a linear solution to a non-linear problem.
In
my humble opinion the Guided Chaos system founded by John Perkins is as
non-linear as it gets. Analyzing it from a linear point of view, as
most people will do, will not give this system the credit it deserves.
To me it's one of the very view systems actually addressing the true
problem, that violence is chaotic as hell and therefore the method
preparing you for it should be as well..." |
| | | GUIDED CHAOS T-SHIRTS BACK IN STOCK |
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ORIGIN OF GUIDED CHAOS LOGO
The two outer rings represent the eternal circle of life and the principle of return. The jagged square is Native American, symbolizing lightning, mountains and the pinnacle of achievement. The four pairs of rectangles represent the four directions and the four elements, earth, air, fire, and water. The Yin Yang symbol in the center, which embodies the inter-relationship of all opposing forces in the universe, ties all the symbols together.
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| WHICH DVD OR DOWNLOAD SHOULD I GET?
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| NOTE: Because of how they are edited, Guided Chaos DVDs and On Demand Downloads have more vital info packed into them than virtually any other self defense DVDs available.
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"WOW."
Customer response to the new
GUIDED CHAOS COMBATIVES DVD and ON DEMAND DOWNLOAD:
"Your system of using the Dropping Energy on striking has tripled the power of my strikes, I have followed the instructions on your dvds [Guided Chaos Combatives & Attackproof Companion Part 1], what a difference, it is hard to believe even as I am doing it how well your system works."
--Roderick, Los Angeles
"I just watched like 4 minutes of the new GCC video. WOW. I've been using and training GCC since 2000 and GC since 2003. You guys know my story:) I'm actually speechless. It's that good and has evolved that much! Just the little course correction, I watched on the GCC chop (saying hi) is a gold mine and could be a life saver when fractions of a second count. I'm very honored to be considered part of the GC family. I'm so impressed that you never stop refining and finding ways to make this art teachable to all kinds of people.
Love you guys, Bob"
[Bob Miller is a Corrections Officer at the largest facility in Oregon. He is also a GC 2nd degree and teaches locally in Oregon/Idaho. --ed]
GCC is the FIRST LEVEL of Guided Chaos (and absolutely critical)
|
| | Shot on Day 3 of the 2014 Boot Camp, the GUIDED CHAOS COMBATIVES DVD is the perfect complement to the Attackproof Companion Part 1 DVD* but with UPDATED and far more focused material. It also is the essential training guide for
those seeking GCC Course Completion or GCC Instructor Certification.
Additionally, all the methodologies on the GCC DVDs are prerequisites for GC 1st degree.
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