Your Favorite Technique

"Our actions should manifest themselves because our threat's technique has manifested itself. We should not desire our technique either. It should just happen or not happen." Book of Martial Power by Steven J. Pearlman

I cannot count how many times in the dojo I hear the statement, "This is my favorite technique." I have found that when this statement appears that the person tends to practice it exclusively, diligently, and totally as a sole technique that you may find is their sole technique for fighting. You know like those favorite combinations that win tournaments. They are not so successful in violent encounters - either fighting or violent predatory attacks.

I have no favorite technique. I have no favorite basic waza. I have no favorite kata. I have no favorite combinations. I hope if needed any technique or combination of techniques comes to me instinctively according to the threat and attack. I hope I have trained to respond reflexively, instinctively, and where the technique is born as if it and the threat's attack made a mutual agreement before the encounter so they would at best cancel each other out. If not, that our line is longer than theirs allowing our spontaneous, instinctive, reflexive technique conquers theirs. As the reader knows fundamental principles of martial systems as stated in the book of martial power states:

"Facing a threat's strike, we must not intend to execute a given technique, or any technique for that matter. As there is an attack. so there is a defense. The techniques happens. If we train properly to the point of reflexive action, and if we fully understand the attack, and if our principles align, the technique will emerge along with the attack as if they are one in the same, as if we and the threat planned it all ahead of time." Book of Martial Power by Steven J. Pearlman

When you know this you may consider such terms used in the book like mushin and so on and you are correct to consider these as well. The principles are presented in a solitary fashion where you also know that the intent is for instruction while you also know that application is as if they all were happening together at the same time, in that same space, as if one. You instinctively know it as a single simultaneous process.

Bibliography:
Perlman, Steven J. "The Book of Martial Power: The Universal Guide to the Combative Arts." New York. The Overlook Press. 2006.