Chuntian Academy International

Unique Defense Training

Most martial arts are practiced as sports, requiring students to train for and demonstrate their fighting abilities in tournaments or other organized competitions. Conversely, C.A.I. programs are not a sport and students in C.A.I. schools are not expected to compete in tournaments.

Additionally, a C.A.I. student does not receive instruction in an overwhelming number of self-defense techniques, nor practice high kicking, complicated wrist maneuvers, hard to hit pressure points, train in sport-like sparring or other techniques which may work or seem to work in the controlled environment of a classroom or within the rules of an organized competition, but most likely would never work under the stress of a violent, unpredictable street confrontation.

Instead, C.A.I. teaches principles and concepts, with certain skills and tools that can be applied in any number of situations. You are prepared for whatever. You are not thinking about what to do, the attack comes in, you respond like in one of your reflex-response drills. In a relatively short time training you will react instinctively, defend and attack almost simultaneously and without thought.

Understand, sparring is a game that is basically safe, and no matter how good you get, it isn't fighting. It will teach you balance, movement, range and openings, but it will not prepare you to face death, adrenaline dumps and brutality.

In our advanced levels, we don't use the term "fight", we say "A STOP" much like "an arrest", like a Police Officer. We don't fight the attacker, we stop, seize and control them. ( Chin Na in Chinese). If life-threatening, we know how to swiftly "neutralize" him.

Moreover, beginner level students at C.A.I. typically do not practice brute power, pain inducing or collision-based attacks that risk injury to yourself and eventually cause long-term damage to your bones, joints and limbs. (We don't want be head butting anyone when we're 70). This method of training gives the advantage to a stronger opponent ( which are many ) and is often useless to deranged, enraged or intoxicated attackers feeling no pain. ( which are most ). At C.A.I. the students master "Everyman" targets. Targets that mass and muscle don't protect or limit joint compliance. Eyes, ears, throat, xyphoid process, groin and foot for examples. Higher levels teach taking the aggressors breath, sealing vessels and more.

Remember, at C.A.I. our main focus is educating "average" people useful and functional escapes, controls and self-defense. In some cases above average people that are large, athletic and assertive in nature, the external methods may be appropriate in some situations. But, there is always someone bigger and you get older by the day. So Powerhouse-people should too train and know the smart-practical side of defense as well as the law.

Most laws in western countries are basically the same. A responsible teacher should know and include the law in his teaching methods, to protect him, his students and his school.

The law basically states: If your life is threatened you should equal the threat not exceed it. To control the situation if possible, much like a police officer. Instructors are held at a higher standard and are expected to know this, ignorance of the law is no excuse.

If you exceed, you are breaking the law. Also know words and non-contact irritations such as someone running their mouth, in your space or cutting in line (queue) is not grounds for you to touch them, if you do it's assault on your part. They must touch you in an threatening or aggressive way first. I know this sucks, but I am only the messenger.

An exception to this is- if you see a violent felony in the act, then you may respond first. ( Rape, murder, assault and so on. FYI in America, spitting on someone is the same as assault). You DO have the right to take your "training" in your own hands, but criminals too have rights and you DO NOT have the right to take the law into your own hands.

So, at C.A.I. instead of hard and external techniques, alternatively, we train in smart, natural, simplistic, functional manipulation and control of the opponent. We teach a life-long system of protection, not one that is sport or youth based and becomes more difficult to maintain with age and physical limitations that accompany aging. Actually, quite the opposite. We train and refine to capitalize on using the opponents energy against them. We learn to move in the most economical of physical motion and use the most simplistic functional movements in such a way we get better with time and experience.

However, if we are unable to avoid a series of punches and can't escape, we do the "wounded crane" technique in which we practice extensively. Imagine exploding a series of rapid fire punches into the opponents center line and doing the 50 meter dash into his centerline at the same time. He will retreat and hop backwards trying to avoid falling backwards. Like a "wounded crane". Note: This was Bruce Lee's favorite street fight technique in real and difficult situations he sometimes encountered living in Hong Kong. ( Don't confuse his movies flash with his real world denese practices and concepts ).
I too have used it against someone that was 3 times my size and just wailing away at me as I was trapped in a corner of a public toilet, it worked great.

Moreover, C.A.I. students train in regular clothes and shoes in numerous environments and scenarios. We learn to avoid the ground, not wrestle around on it. Avoid it as you would in the real world of glass ladened alleys, asphalt and concrete surfaces and the like. Not mats, tatami or sport rings with falls designed for such. We train, fall and react as if we were always on a glassed riddled, jarred edged asphalted hard surface.

Also know, it has been said (mostly by those who are promoting grappling systems and videos) that most street fights go to the ground. But what is the basis for these supposed facts? Maybe true in the case of untrained drunkards falling around bar stools and chairs in a dimly lit bar or not life-threatening backyard "fights", wrestling and horse playing, or even the wrestling-based UFC type SPORTS.
I don't know about you, but most street fights, including bar fights and even road rage fights I have seen are over in about ten or fifteen seconds, usually the person with the fastest and the most attacks wins.

In the event of an unavoidable ground altercation, such as an ambush or violent rape attempt, because of the dangerous surface of the street and the great potential for injury, we take this as a life threatening event. We train to respond intensely with strategically placed savage-like bites, choke-outs, well placed and delivered eye gouges, jugular ripping and more.

Finally, in contrast to the strict military-style hierarchy, ceremony, and protocol common in other martial arts, C.A.I. students generally train in a serious but relaxed and informal "family-style" manner.

Training

Training includes exercises simulating fighting against one or several opponents and/or whilst protecting another. This can also involve a debilitating scenario - the use of only one arm, while dizzy, blind-folded and/or against armed opponents.

We also practice improvised weapons, i.e. pool sticks, pens, bottles, umbrellas, canes, tree branches.

Techniques focus on training combatants in conditions approximating real-life scenarios. It prepares the trainees in self-defense, fighting and combat skills, as well as skills to defend others, all in unique and comprehensive teachings and way. We teach realistic fighting and self-defense-attacks in social and daily settings (pubs, street, park, car, toilet, mass transit, house, bus and simulated airliner).

The C.A.I. program's attack and defense maneuvers aim to neutralize the threat and facilitate rapid and safe escape.