Real deal kung fu!

 As most of my readers/followers are aware, one of my main arguments in view of one's combative effectiveness, provided that is the reason they are training at all, is primarily related to their training methodology. In short, what you train in terms of technical arsenal is less important than how you approach that practice. Consequently, the problems that a lot of traditional martial art exponents face in attempting to use their technical toolbox in dynamic, non-cooperative sparring or competition stem from the training methods that don't fit that goal. 

But it doesn't have to be like that! Even what is typically considered the most exotic among traditional martial systems, i.e. the so-called internal kung fu systems, can offer viable solutions for the above scenarios if approached adequately. And if you wonder how, you are in luck, because a long time Xingyiquan  and Baguazhang teacher Mike Patterson comes to rescue! 

A long time ago Patterson had produced a number of instructional videos that present the technical content of those systems in his lineage, but it is his books that outline the training methods and progressions that should actually bring that material to a functional level. 

His first book is dedicated to the art of Xing Yi Quan (or Hsing I Chuan in the older transcription) and it happens to be quite comprehensive. In other words, the author covers all the topics that make those art "internal", as much as that classification is questionable, such as the brief introduction to meditative and energy practices, yin/yang theory as it applies to kung fu practice, interpretation of some classic texts about Xingyi, importance of daily training etc. Of course, there is the explanation of the elements that the technical curriculum is comprised of - five elements and twelve animals, but in that regard this book is not meant to be a technical manual. Patterson himself says that the moves are better taught/learned in person or in video format, but the commentary on these elements is still very good.

The segment that make the book really shine is his explanation of the training method that is used in his school do train able fighters. Oh, by the way, how do we know it works, i.e. that those Patterson's are effective as fighters? Well, they put it to test and let the world see it!

For example, here are the real time applications of a couple five-element fist techniques:

And then some of the animal form tactics:

So, Patterson calls his methodology R.S.P.C.T., which stands for realistically structured progressive combat training. Trying to give you a short overview here would be futile, because saying it includes partner drills, focus mitt work etc. doesn't really say much. It might be more relevant to point that the author has five tiers of practice in place: reflexive, structural perceptual, conceptual and tempering, according to the main focus at that point of training process. 

The important point here is that, as is the case with most good methods, R.S.P.C.T. is not limited to being used just with Xingyi or traditional marts as such, but can be adapted to serve the practitioners of any other combatively oriented system, regardless of their technical background. 

Being that the first book was well received, it is no wonder that the author decided to follow a similar formatting path with his second one.

Now, having in mind that Baguazhang (od Pa Kua Chang) is seen as even more esoteric that other internal systems, Patterson spends more time (or rather pages) discussing the underlying philosophies and methods of the system, including one of the best presentations of breathing and qigong practices I have seen in martial art books. Fast forward to the R.S.P.C.T. method as it applies to Bagua... In this case, we are shown how it develops the skills such as binding, turning, dragon stepping, and then we move to the areas of continued integration, clinch drills, defense, attack strategy footwork, rou shou practice, advice on strategy and fighting etc. 

As some may have noted from the above videos, in practical application those techniques do not necessarily look like "picture perfect" examples, but then again, the same can be said about any other fighting art, including boxing and MMA. Even so, this one is pretty spot on:

The bottom line is, if you are interested in traditional martial arts and their potential use in practical situations, especially kung fu, you cannot afford to skip these books. And even if you are not a fan of those traditions but still care about functionality of training, the training method presented in them is still valuable.