Fightmonks.com - Monk & The Pugilist

THE MONK AND PUGILIST by William Beattie

Once there was a great young fighter in a village that had beaten many challengers and grew very proud. An older villager suggested that he try his skills against a monk living just outside of the village down the river. The fighter approached the monk and immediately requested that he test his fighting skills. The old monk advised him that no man should don such a zest for fighting. The young man wanted a go, and vowed not to leave until the old man tested his skills. Finally the old man gave in saying, "but you will have to attack me first." Attacking is not in my nature. The young fighter had fire in his eyes and was restless to test some of his boxing skills that he learned from a western pugilist manual and so far had proven unbeatable. He charged in at one and threw a straight over hand at the monks head followed by a left hook combination. The monk was out of arms reach stepping a quarter circle to the side and had brought down a thunderous palm striking the young mans head and knocking him off his feet. The young man felt defeated and hanged his head as he sat against a nearby tree awestruck. The old monk offering him tea sat close to him and said, " your technique is not so good, such matters take years of expertise." Upon hearing this the young fighter asked him which technique he had used to defeat him. The old man explained that it was a simple P-Chuan from Xingyi. " I can teach you if you like, but it will take much patience on your behalf."

The young man was excited and trained everyday with the old monk for two years. Mastering the five fists and some animal forms in uncanny time. The old monk was impressed that the young lad had made such progress in only two years and told him that some masters had only learned San Ti standing posture in that amount of time. Feeling elated by his quick advancements he wasted no time in re-challenging the monk again to a duel. "That would not be wise," advised the monk," but it is your right to test me for some students do surpass their teachers." The young man devised in his mind a plan of attack that he felt would overwhelm the old monk. At once he charged in with a Beng Quan. Knowing the monk would step to the side again he half pulled the punch and changed to a Crossing Fist as the old man side stepped as he had done the previous time. Sensing the crossing fist that brushed off the old monks open palm, the old monk continued his step and circled him. At once in almost a single movement the old monk hooked his palm in front of the young boys neck and in a circular whirl wind like movement slung the young boy around off his feet slamming him into the ground. The young man was slow to get up and was wiping the dirt off his clothes. "Again you have proved your superior skill, may I ask you which technique that was?" The old man was grinning and explained that it was a simple move from the art of Baguazhang which uses footwork and leverage to overcome opponents. "Could you teach me asked the young man?"

" Sure replied the monk, but it will take great patience." Again the young man came everyday morning and night to study with the old monk. He progressed rapidly and after three years could demonstrate the bulk of the fighting techniques. He walked the circle with the grace of a Egyptian woman carrying a loaded basket on her head. " You have almost reached the summit of this art the old man congratulated. The young lad was now a man and blossomed wonderfully in the fighting arts since he started his lessons some five years earlier. Again he felt his pride boiling inside him. He at once challenged the master to another match. " That would not be wise the old man advised." " We have been here before in the same situation twice, are you sure you would like to challenge me thrice?" The village man could not help himself, he thought at the very least he might learn something from the outcome. He hatched a new strategy in his mind that he felt was sufficient and began to rush in on the old monk with a P- chuan. Again the old monk stepped to his side. This time he stepped the other way in the opposite direction as to catch his student off guard. As the monk positioned himself for a striking technique the village man swiftly stepped in a half circle using his Bagua foot work and went for a quick darting piercing palm. The old man looked out of position and stood almost still while raising his hands in an awkward fashion. Part of the monks forearm slightly redirected the piercing hand as he raised his arms with both hands open pushing ever so gently against the mans shoulder and head with his open palms. The shock of the blow knocked the man off his feet an unto the ground. He lay rubbing his head and looked up at the old monk confused. " You barley pushed me with any force," exclaimed the man. " How in the world did that knock me off my feet? I have never seen anything like it before in my life. " The monk told him that such subtle things are not easy to understand. The technique you have just seen was called , "Fair Lady works her shuttles", from the Yang lineage of taiji quan. Again the man begged him to learn of such enigmatic techniques. "I have a question to ask," said the student, " why did not you show me this technique the first time I attacked you with my boxing moves?" The monk replied, "You might have lost face over it; you may have been bewildered and thought that I had some sort of special power or secret force. Then you may have given up all together on the merit that such feats are unduplicatable, although these are just the profound postures of a simple man," jestered the monk.

The old monk finally conceded to the students request of learning the art and told him once more, " I can teach you but it will take a lot of patience." The student was joyous and felt that now he was really about to learn something quite profound. He studied day and night as the years began to pass. After five years of intense practice he had finally mastered the 108 Yang Cheng fu form. The monk was astounded by his progress and told his student that now he was really learning something of value. The monk felt his urge for another testing coming around the corner so he decided that this time he would challenge him before the student actually orally requested it. " You have reached such a level of technique that now it is of no use to fight," proclaimed the monk. " Now we will challenge one another with a game of push hands to decide who has the better technique." The monk showed his student the ins and outs of push hands and the main objective at hand. They crossed hands as the student softly touched the monks forearm. The rocked back and forth in a even motion as the student focused to seize the moment and topple the old monk in a single push. Arrrrrgh, huffed the student, as he pushed with great force stepping in. The old monk slightly turned his waist and administered a gentle push with his left palm that sent his student sailing ten feet or so in the westward direction. As the student regained his balance he came back for another go, to make sure it was not by fluke or folly. Again he pushed, but the outcome brought about similar results. This time the monk had beaten him to the chase with his forward momentum and shot him backwards with what the student described as a stunning electric jolt. The student bowed to his master and requested he teach him of such things.

" I can teach you," responded the monk, but it will take great focus. Now you must learn to standstill and become consciously aware of your foot weighting and breath control. It wont be easy, and some never learn." The student said that he was willing to give it his best no matter how great the chance of failure. They continued their daily training which included relaxed deep breathing coordinated with the taiji movements. Circulating energy with the mind was explained and deep meditation on such things was needed. The student grew frustrated as the more he exerted himself, the more the monk would throw him around in practice. "Take a week off, suggested the monk, meditate and ponder on what you have learned. You have all the keys and techniques now it is only a matter of execution and focus which takes great faith and a form of spiritual humility. "Do not return to me until you feel you have reached the apex of , MOVEMENT IN REPOSE."

The student was feeling upset and was growing older as the years passed and decided it was best to get married. He put off his meditation on the fighting arts and spent copious time with his new wife, who he grown fond of, and found great tranquility with. The more he thought of the old monk, the more he started to doubt the true ability of the internal art over the hard art of boxing and wrestling. He saw local new local fighters that were using great muscle strength and new wrestling tactics to overcome many skilled boxers. Now that he knew many things he thought that maybe he could capitalize on the old hard way and catch the old man off guard with a viscous hook or uppercut technique that had been newly actualized by his local villagers that had sparred with great western boxers. He grew angry in his lack of understanding of the higher internal affairs of boxing and decided to challenge the monk to one last bout. The monk was upset at the thought of such regression in attitude and tried to dissuade him from fighting all together. The village man refused to leave and in a sudden burst of energy attacked the old man with what seemed like a flurry of punches he had been working on. The old man ducking down somewhat to his side rose with an open hand that struck the villager in the neck and lifted him off his feet, with the move from taiji's "high pat on horse piercing palm." The village man laying on the ground was choking desperately trying to regain his air. The monk at once administered some herbs and messaged his neck repetitively until some of the pain had subsided.

"This was your final lesson, the monk explained, It was actually your own force that made that strike so painfully dangerous. Where there is a violent action of force, there is no mind and little control. This taiji is not about fighting at your level of knowledge, it's about gaining control of your mind and life force. As a youth I was worried about fighting greatness, as a middle aged man I was worried about woman and wealth, now as I reach old age I seek only good health and an easy passing. Leave your ideas of greatness, wealth and fame, and enjoy what you have been blessed with: your wife, your family, and your health. This is your final lesson and I hope that you will stop chasing the wind, and begin a mindful life of happiness and contentment. Only then will you reach such levels of taiji and spiritual awareness." Ebooks