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The unpredictability of unstable harmony in combat

The abnormal wave that leads the ship to inexorably crash against the rocks.

Normally, the fighting styles that use soft (liquid) structures do not combine with those that use the rigid (solid) ones and vice versa but 6 Dragons Kung Fu tries to trigger a sort of “unstable” process of constant change from solid to liquid.

Note – This article has been asked by one of our Core Course practitioners on Patreon (see how to attend our home study classes here Learn Kung Fu online: a beginner-to-expert course).

Before continuing, in order to understand what we refer to with “liquid” and “solid”, let’s read Combat interactions: from the strong blow to the light touch.

Solid and liquid movements: defects and advantages

The solid movements

In general terms (even if it is not a fixed rule), we could say that solid movements have 2 advantages:

They are simple to perform with precision (in terms of achievement of the target)
They are fast because they follow more “direct” paths (read The best way to hit first: a little trick)

And 2 defects:

They are often predictable (the human mind calculates more “easily” their trajectory)
They can express only in part the potential of the human body (read Muscles chain: the difference between rigid and soft)

The liquid movements

Similarly, liquid movements have 2 advantages:

If performed correctly, they are more unpredictable (their target is identified only in the last phase of action and it can change, read for example Dragon Motion: the swirling movements)
They are more powerful because they express (again, if executed properly), all the power of the body

And 2 defects:

They are difficult to perform in real situations (they require high-level skills, eg. the best spatial intelligence, read The most important skill in combat)
They are slower because they follow larger / longer paths (requiring this way good timing, read Timing: the secret of combat effectiveness)

The contrast that becomes (more than) a complement

Most martial arts consider solid (eg. the Karate’s one) and liquid (eg. the Tai Chi’s one) martial settings not absolutely not compatible: they ask you to make a choice but in 6 Dragons Kung Fu we made different reasoning.

Our solution is substantially simple, we do not overlap things that are not mixable, we limit ourselves to just flank / alternate them. Even kicks and punches are not assimilable yet we can effectively exploit their combination to solve specific contexts in a more effective way.

As in combat or training terms:

There are moments to use rigidity
There are moments to use softness
There are moments where an exchange between solid and liquid can represent a big advantage

A few practical application examples

Let’s see some practical cases of implementation of the alternation between solid and liquid:

Alter our pace of fight to confuse the opponents
Adapt to any adversary and to their second-per-second setting variations
Multiply the number of opportunities to strike
Take full advantage to strike at full power
Stop, anticipate or follow the flow of our adversaries
During training, establish with liquid movements the best paths for the rigid ones (in relation to our body, context, etc.)
…

A note by Master Kongling – In our vision, the simple principle that allows us to include things that appear irreconcilable, is the same that allows us to exploit the strengths of all the other combat styles (read 6DKF: what does it teach?). It is not a matter of mixing but always being in condition to choose the best combat tool.

In-depth video courses

Basic 6 Dragons Kung Fu exercises – The fundamental exercises that teach how to instinctively understand how and when to use rigid and soft movements
Basic free hand fighting techniques – All the basic combat moves of 6 Dragons Kung Fu
How to develop a good timing – An advanced video course about building and exploiting the right timing in combat

In-depth articles

The elastic rope and the contact with the opponent – An exercise to educate the body to change its state abruptly
Advanced concepts: the Persistent Movements – One of the highest levels of control of our body structure

Questions

Reply in the comments and share your experience:

What do you prefer between solid and liquid?

Author: Master Kongling

Founder of 6 Dragons Kung Fu.

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