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The Five Principles

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THE FIVE PRINCIPLES EXPLAINED:

All forms of fighting with or without weapons, in attack or in defense, rest on FIVE and ONLY FIVE UNIVERSAL PRINCIPLES. It is immaterial whether one fires a naval gun or uses his bare fists. A very common mistake is to confuse these PRINCIPLES with the ATTRIBUTES, or individual qualities, necessary for effective fighting. Such as fast reflexes, strength, good coordination, balance, etc. These vary, not only from person to person, but also for the same person as a function of time. Indeed, one s reflexes and strength are not the same at twenty and at sixty. Sickness and worry can affect him even at the age of twenty, while the FIVE PRINCIPLES ARE INDEPENDENT OF THE INDIVIDUAL AND THE CIRCUMSTANCES, THEY ARE ALWAYS VALID, BECAUSE UNIVERSAL.

They are: DISTANCE, DIRECTION, TIMING, MOMENTUM (KINETIC ENERGY TRANSFER) and LEVERAGE. We are explaining them below.

DISTANCE:

The necessity of judging accurately the distance from which an attack can be successful is obvious, while if one is out of the range of an attack, he does not have to worry about it. Should an attacker misjudge the proper distance of his target, he will reach it only by chance.

DIRECTION:

When one who is being attacked in one direction, changes the direction of his position as the attack is about to land, not only will he evade it, but he might also place himself so as to be able to retaliate powerfully. For example, an opponent is facing me and attacks with a left jab; if I move my head back as I pivot on my right foot toward my rear left, thus assuming a position parallel to the direction of the attack, I shall be safe from it and able to retaliate. Furthermore, if I am the attacker and I am able to accurately judge the distance and direction of my target, I will be able to reach it with a high degree of probability. This is what a hunter does when he shoots at moving game.

TIMING:

Proper timing in attack and defense is so obvious as not to necessitate any explanation. At times, good timing gives the impression of speed.

MOMENTUM AND LEVERAGE:

Both serve to develop power which is then transferred onto the target either in the form of a blow, for breaking a hold, or for throwing an opponent. Actually the term momentum is used for the sake of brevity. Momentum is the force possessed by a body in motion, impetus. The kinetic energy thus developed is transferred onto the chosen target. The smaller the latter, the more penetrating the result. This is the principle behind the so-called "focused" kicks and punches. As for leverage, all motions of the human body involve it. Even releasing an atom bomb by pressing on a button involves the use of leverage. 

There are NO other principles governing attack and defense!

 

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