These two sentences summarize free-form (or "form-free") training, as in Guided Chaos, compared to most training out there that uses prescribed positions and movements to deal with assumed actions of adversaries.
Pattern recognition is an insidious trap that anyone, even Guided Chaos students, can fall into. A Guided Chaos student must be sure to work with a variety of people moving in a variety of ways. It is important to not ALWAYS do "super-efficient" contact flow, where both training partners move minimally to deal with whatever the other is doing. While this is great for developing efficiency and internal skill, it can set up erroneous expectations if done exclusively. Vary it up with "Long Keech," the contact flow variation where both partners intentionally use big movements and move creatively rather than efficiently, putting themselves in all sorts of weird positions--though still working the five basic principles (balance, looseness, sensitivity, body unity, freedom of action). Forget about combat effectiveness or efficiency when doing Long Keech, just move and have fun and be creative, never clashing nor stopping the flow. It's like doing Polishing the Sphere and Washing the Body but with another person within your sphere whom you must adapt to and move with. Likewise, sometimes flow only at long range, or only at medium range (where most contact flow tends to end up), or only belly to belly, literally maintaining torso contact the entire time. This last variation especially can teach a lot of good lessons that might not be learned otherwise.
This applies as much to weapons training, including gunfighting, as it does to unarmed training. Do NOT train to expect a weapon wielding attacker to move just in certain ways (whether prescribed attacks or even in the "style" of a particular martial art), and do not expect particular movements of your own to apply to every situation. This is especially rampant in the firearms training community, where many trainers are preaching and many students are trying to practically turn into robots with ONE perfect draw stroke, ONE perfect stance and grip, and one way of moving while shooting. This kind of training, while applicable to most styles of competition and certain proactive combat scenarios, is NOT easily adaptable to the realities of close quarters reactive violence, with its attendant movement dynamics and physiological changes.
Train well, and make ALL human movement your element!
Pattern recognition is an insidious trap that anyone, even Guided Chaos students, can fall into. A Guided Chaos student must be sure to work with a variety of people moving in a variety of ways. It is important to not ALWAYS do "super-efficient" contact flow, where both training partners move minimally to deal with whatever the other is doing. While this is great for developing efficiency and internal skill, it can set up erroneous expectations if done exclusively. Vary it up with "Long Keech," the contact flow variation where both partners intentionally use big movements and move creatively rather than efficiently, putting themselves in all sorts of weird positions--though still working the five basic principles (balance, looseness, sensitivity, body unity, freedom of action). Forget about combat effectiveness or efficiency when doing Long Keech, just move and have fun and be creative, never clashing nor stopping the flow. It's like doing Polishing the Sphere and Washing the Body but with another person within your sphere whom you must adapt to and move with. Likewise, sometimes flow only at long range, or only at medium range (where most contact flow tends to end up), or only belly to belly, literally maintaining torso contact the entire time. This last variation especially can teach a lot of good lessons that might not be learned otherwise.
This applies as much to weapons training, including gunfighting, as it does to unarmed training. Do NOT train to expect a weapon wielding attacker to move just in certain ways (whether prescribed attacks or even in the "style" of a particular martial art), and do not expect particular movements of your own to apply to every situation. This is especially rampant in the firearms training community, where many trainers are preaching and many students are trying to practically turn into robots with ONE perfect draw stroke, ONE perfect stance and grip, and one way of moving while shooting. This kind of training, while applicable to most styles of competition and certain proactive combat scenarios, is NOT easily adaptable to the realities of close quarters reactive violence, with its attendant movement dynamics and physiological changes.
Train well, and make ALL human movement your element!
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