And now for something completely different...

Actually, I'm supposed to be writing articles for an online magazine right now, and I gave my word to Terry Trahan that I will have some material for him this week. But crossing swords with Steve Perry has gotten me in the mood to write again, and I haven't posted anything from the martial arts in a while. The following is more oriented towards Kali & Eskrima, but I believe it has some good advice for any martial artist. Aside to Terry: I have some other stuff for you bro, this probably wouldn't have counted anyway.

What is Flow?

Defining the flow, or the fluid situation, really can't be grasped in a book. This is because it exists solely as an intangible, abstract concept, not a physical one. For instance, you can't really define the word "Love". You could give the categorical definition, list the characteristics of the element, such as "Adore", "Erotic", "Compassionate". But you can't really narrow it down much more, because it is a feeling, and it'scharacteristic definition will change from person to person. "Flow" has this same element. It is the culmination of spontaneity, relaxation, focus & dexterity, but that doesn't really give you a clear picture.

"Flow" is your ability to receive any attack, respond to it, and maintain physical and mental equilibrium. “Flow” is encountering an obstacle in your path, and immediately finding a way around, through, over or under it, without breaking your stride. This understanding naturally spills over into other aspects of your life as well, but I’m not aiming for a philosophy degree here. Suffice it to say that flow is what occurs when you meet the challenges of your life (martial or otherwise) and dealing with them doesn’t stop or slow down your momentum. That’s about as close as anyone can get to describing an abstract idea in print.

"The Fluid Situation" is, quite literally, a fight. More to the point, it's what occurs IN a fight. Two fighters exchanging blows, defending and attacking, each trying to gain the upper hand and simultaneously counter the other. Both combatants must adapt to environment, ground and surroundings. This calls for a higher level of focus, relaxation & dexterity. The fluid situation is the alive situation, it is the place where anything can occur, and your training allows you to respond to the attack and deal with it instead of freezing up.

As strange as it may sound, flow actually begins in your basic static drills. The purpose of exercises such as ABCdarios and Sinawalli is to ingrain muscle-memory actions into your body, to such a degree that they become a second-nature response. By muscle-memory, what I am referring to here isn’t the act of your muscles actually remembering something, for that of course is impossible. What I mean is the clearing of neuromuscular inhibitions, or actions that you are not familiar with because you don’t do them often. An example of something that is muscle-memory is breathing: we do it so much that we don’t have to consciously THINK about doing it. It’s the same in martial arts, you must train whatever art you are in to such a high degree that you don’t have to think about the action, you r hands and feet will seem to know what to do & how to move on their own. The comfortable level of play you achieve in whatever drills you train will lead to relaxation while practicing them, and THAT leads to flow. There are, of course, many more points to achieving flow, but this is a critical element: Anybody who can flow has mastered relaxation in the drills. As an example, watch a ballet class warming up with bar exercises. They are so used to doing this, the relaxation and natural state of flow is almost an unconscious action to most dancers.

Understanding Sumbrada

Drills in martial arts focus on different things, depending on the desired outcome: Stamina, Cardio, Footwork, Coordination, Etc. Flow drills focus on exactly that: Flow. The idea of relaxation, natural reflex & muscle memory ingrained from a standard series of strikes or motions. Flow drills allow you to work technique with a partner in a fluid, or "alive" environment. There is a large gap between static strike – block – counterstrike drills (ABCdarios,) and free-flow sparring. Several attributes are missing for the practitioner, making it difficult, if not impossible, to jump right into sparring & try to achieve the flow. This is particularly true if you have no concept of motion and interaction with a partner, and I don’t simply mean the static “One strike with 58 counters” type of drill with very little footwork or body English. Simple one-two & three step attack/defense drills are referred to as "Dead". This is due to the fact that the interaction between attacker and defender is static, & lacking any real play between the two. Usually, the attacker makes one or two strikes and freezes his position, allowing the defender to work around him while he remains stationary. Although this drill serves a purpose, it is used primarily for beginners. As you progress in skill, and gain better control over your body movement, relaxation & weapon control, you move into "alive" drills, working towards what is commonly referred to as "The fluid environment", or “Flow”.

Sumbrada is a specialized drill that initiates a rhythm of counter beat (or "half beat") for every full beat. Instead of striking on one full beat, the defender checks and counters immediately after the strike, and the attacker in turn counters THAT counter as soon as it comes in. The pace graduates to fast and furious very quickly, and takes the practitioner out of fundamental step-strike-block linear style patterns, and into more complex activity: It develops the basic attributes learned in the static drills, and applies them with interactive motion. In static-type drills, one person feeds a line and holds that position, while the receiver works his technique. In Sumbrada BOTH participants work technique simultaneously, developing the interactive attribute (exchanging varied technique with a partner while in MOTION). When a basic exchange, or “Flow” is achieved, more difficult & advanced elements are added to the basic game. Sumbrada, like Hubad, is excellent for this, because it allows you to add, subtract, or mix ‘n match any number of skills, ranges, footwork, etc. However, many people lack flow, or only have the most basic concept. Sumbrada, coupled with other flow drills such as Hubad, can be the stepping stone into flow.

A flow drill operates in a very basic structure, usually between 3-5 moves, with basic angles of attack. The principle of this is simplicity, a fundamental pattern & tempo to build off. Once you have achieved a comfortable level with the basics, you add variations to the basic idea, i.e. disarms, double weapons, knife, empty hands, traps, & limb destructions. The depth of variation really depends on your own imagination and ability. Experiment with different footwork patterns & attack angles. Remember to start simple and build to the complex, keeping the idea of flow in mind. Remember, flow drills are the MAP, not the TERRITORY. Flow drills commonly act as a bridge between static or "Dead" drills, & sparring. It's easy to get hypnotized into thinking you are a fighter simply because you work the punyo sumbrada really well. Pretty to look at & fun to do, many people STOP at flow drills & never progress to sparring. This is a mistake. Therefore, free-form sparring should always be the next step after you familiarize yourself with sumbrada.

Sumbrada helps to ingrain specific reactions, and open up neuromuscular pathways that would be very difficult to develop without drilling. The basic drills contain single strike & block techniques, with minimal footwork. This is due to the fact that beginners can usually concentrate on only one action at a time, particularly when dealing with weapons. Sumbrada introduces multiple attacks, defenses, & various lines of engagement from oblique angles. This teaches you to bring several attributes together at once (Footwork, blocking, checking hand, striking & zoning) while interacting with a partner. Of course, you won’t really fight “as it is written” in the sumbrada, but you WILL use the reactions (attributes) it develops, and this in turn prepares you for the level of control you have to bring to the game when you move on to sparring.

Whenever you practice sumbrada, there are always a few points you should keep in mind:

1: IDENTIFY THE MOTION
Pay attention to what the drill is trying to tell you. Since a good sumbrada usually works several skills at once, it may take a while for you to discover all the uses & variations of the drill. Break the drill apart & isolate each line of attack to discover the application of each movement. In many cases you can substitute or interchange one technique for another, such as a thrust for a strike, a disarm for a parry, an entry for an angle of attack. Advanced Sumbrada usually works in several variations anyway, so you should get a good feel for investigation early in your training.

2: CLEAN LINES = CLEAN TECHNIQUE
It’s easy to let yourself go in the flow of sumbrada. Often a (beginner) student gets so wrapped up in the flow itself that he allows his weapon to wander from the prescribed path. THIS IS A MISTAKE. The drill works these predetermined lines so the student can safely train strikes, blocks, checks & disarms at high speeds. Although advanced practitioners often leave the sheet music to play freely, the beginning student should pay attention to every point being presented to them in the drill. This is also good discipline for striking and targeting in other drills, and mastery of this will aid you in training different areas. If you find yourself flailing about, slow down & recapture the basic lines. If you are doing it wrong and go faster, you are merely making mistakes at a high rate of speed. Remember: FAST is not the flow, CONTINUOS is the flow.

3: CHECKING HAND
Sumbrada is the place where you leave the tapi-tapion drills & employ the practical application of the checking hand. The checking, or “live” hand is vital, it is your second weapon, and used correctly it can act with more fluidity and versatility than any of the other weapons. This is because it can BE any of the other weapons at any given time, as well as alternate between roles. It is a grasping appendage, and can trap or pass instantly, and better than the other weapons of the game, which makes it the perfect tool for end-zone defense. Gaining comfort in the flow of the drill, you begin to develop the use of your live hand to maneuver your opponent’s weapon hand into check for a trap or disarm. Working the sumbrada at full & half-beat timing allows you to experiment with different tempos between the weapon and the checking hand, and cultivates temporal coordination around objects in it’s path, i.e. opponent’s weapon, your weapon, opponent’s live hand, etc. The importance of the checking hand becomes apparent at this stage, particularly against a larger or stronger opponent.


DANGERS OF SUMBRADA

Although there is a wealth of knowledge to be gained from sumbrada, it is not a drill you should learn without a knowledgeable instructor. There are a few conditions to define before you explore the drill:

1: Most sumbrada drills work off an attack/counterattack basis, where the blocks are stick against stick. Right off the bat, this does not teach proper targeting, and can give rise to misconceptions about the mechanics & effectiveness of a block, if not viewed objectively. Therefore, your basics must be securely in place, with a firm, clear understanding of what you are doing, before you train sumbrada.

2: The response the drill gives for any attack may not be the response an actual attacker gives. Sumbrada drills encourage you to stay & play, whereas a real attacker may break in & out of range, never allowing you to establish a “flow”, or patterned attack on him. Do not allow yourself to become comfortable or complacent in the drill, be alert for openings on yourself and your opponent. Later in the drill, you should move on to adding extraneous attacks within the flow, to try to catch each other unawares. Training with partners of varying sizes, strengths & skill levels will help to prevent any type of knee-jerk preconditioned response in training, as well as actual combat.

3: I mentioned earlier about the benefits of working with a partner. It is understood that “Partner” does not mean “Opponent”. The physical intent of a drill is NEVER the same way as a real fight. A serious attacker will be aiming FOR YOU as opposed to aiming for your stick. He will be trying to injure or kill you, and his mental equilibrium will probably be twice that of yours. Furthermore, the force with which he attacks will be much more powerful, with erratic angles. Recognize that Sumbrada is just a drill, not a sparring application. You cannot fight with it, it is meant for developing attributes that you CAN fight with, and recognizing when you are in a situation that leaves your opponent open for an attack or disarm of some kind without actually having to track it with your eyes. If you develop your sensitivity to this level of tactile acuity, you will be able to see the entire flow without having to look anywhere in particular, and you will set up your opponent by feel than by visual aid. Again, it is essential that the fundamentals of attacks & blocks be established before training sumbrada, so you are not training with preconceived misconceptions.

Rhythm & Tempo

As you progress through these & other flow drills, there is a single, constant principle that is always present, whether you realize it or not: Rhythm & tempo. These two elements are what dictate the speed and style of the flow, and you cannot ACHIEVE flow without them. Whatever pattern you are training, when you are with a partner you should try to recognize & catch the beat that lies within the drill you are doing. There are several methods that give you simple two and three beat tempos, such as Hubad and Tapi-Tapion. However, Sumbrada will take the tempo of strike and block into a set rhythm that will enhance your flow & abilities. To train for this, try working sumbrada to a medium-paced song. If you fail to grasp it, go back to Hubad using the song and see if you can pick it up from that. You will discover the various, seemingly unconnected concepts in Sumbrada coming together in a flow, and your motion will improve. Footwork is critical to this, as is the ability to adapt to sudden changes in the tempo itself. You should also train with a variety of weapons, long and short or both at the same time (i.e. Espada y Daga) This will teach you how to change the beat of the tempo, without LOSING the beat itself by breaking in and out of ranges, as per the weapon used. You can also use this to break your opponent’s rhythm, causing him to lose sync with the fight. This allows an excellent opportunity for attack you can capitalize on, if you train for it.

Understanding the Dynamic Principle

The dynamic principle is change in whatever form it takes, at whatever stage in your training, living, or life. It is adaptation & improvisation to whatever occurs in the fluid situation, sometimes this means martial, sometimes not. It is the Living Principle under which actual combat occurs. To understand the dynamic principle is to develop and evolve. You must look at it with as few preconceptions as possible, asking yourself "Now what is this thing doing? What is going on here? What is the next step?" Simply put, if you find your comfortable level of training suddenly upset by a more skilled practitioner, a better teacher, or even your own ideas, YOU MUST ADAPT, or you will be left behind. You must grow. You must change. That is the Dynamic Principle. Life itself is also based in this, although we can choose to ignore it if we wish. Many do. However, sometimes life imposes it’s will on us whether we want to change or not. Growth of any kind rarely occurs under pleasant circumstances. This is the meaning of the phrase "Order from Chaos". A person who takes the banal & ordinary, and illuminates it in a new way can terrify. We do not want our ideas changed. We feel threatened by such demands. "I already know important things!" we say. Then a change takes place, growth occurs & throws our old ideas out the window.