打出自我的風格！Find your fighting style!

Pakorn教練(藍褲)和Pornsanae(紅褲) 之2010「年度最精彩比賽」至今在網路上仍被廣為流傳。Pornsanae是一個非常受歡迎的Muay Mat(重拳型拳手) 。

Coach Pakorn vs Pornsanae - Fight of the Year 2010 video is still very popular on the internet.  Pornsanae is a revered Muay Mat.

拳王阿里是個Outfighter(外圍型拳手) 。Muhammad Ali was an Outfighter.

照片來源Picture source: UPI 

Ben Askren, ONE Championship冠軍, 是個典型的Ground & Pound(地面打擊型) 選手。Ben Askren, ONE Championship champion, is an expert in Ground & Pound. 

照片來源Picture source: ONE Championship

Michelle Nicolini，8次巴西柔術女子世界冠軍，愛用Open Guard (開放式防守)。Michelle Nicolini, an 8x jiu jitsu world champion, likes using Open Guard.

試問李小龍的打法會像他的師父葉問嗎？如果李小龍試圖打得像葉問會是一個好主意嗎？ Did Bruce Lee fight like his master, Ip Man?  Is it even a good idea that Bruce Lee had tried to fight like Ip Man?

練武術或格鬥運動的人，透過不斷的鍛練和對打，自然而然會傾向於某些特定的打法/風格。(在這篇文章中「打法」和「風格」這兩個用詞代表相同意思將交替使用)  最近我看到兩部流傳在網路上熱門泰拳影片，其中都有我的泰拳教練。我的泰拳教練們主要屬於被稱Muay Femur風格的拳手。泰拳可粗分主要三種風格：Muay Femur(技術型拳手) ，Muay Mat(重拳型拳手)，和Muay Khao(膝擊型拳手)。在其他武術或格鬥運動中也都有其獨特的格鬥風格。 例如，拳擊可粗分Outfighter(外圍型拳手)， Infighter(內圍型拳手) ，Pressure Fighter(壓力型拳手)，Counter Puncher(反擊型拳手)。更細分又有拳王泰森擅長的Peek-A-Boo(兩手護面左右搖閃)和拳王梅威瑟專長的Philly Shell(前手在腰部後手護面)的風格等等。綜合格鬥(Mixed Martial Arts 或MMA)有Ground & Pound(地面打擊型)，Sprawl & Brawl(防摔和站立打擊型)，Ground Submission(地面降伏型)。 而且，巴西柔術(Brazilian Jiu Jitsu或BJJ) 則有Guard Passer (越位型)，Open Guard Player(開放式防守型)，Full Guard Player/Closed Guard Player(全防守/封閉式防守型)，Half Guard Player(半防守型)。以上表列風格並不是詳盡無遺也有其他不同的分法。重點只是為了說明在相同的武術或格鬥運動中可以存在不同的打法。沒有一種打法是最好的或最正確的。 這一切都會取決習練者因人而異。

在我們的武術學習過程中，有一段時間我們可能會模仿他人的基本動作/招式和制式的演練或套路。經過返覆地練習這些基礎後，我們應該能夠內化它們。 那麼在「對打練習」/「過手」或格鬥的時候，我們要試驗、嘗試不同打法。希望最後能夠發展一種真正適合我們自己的風格。有幾個因素可能決定某種風格比較適合一個人：力量，速度，耐力，敏捷性，柔軟度，反應能力，身高，體型，年齡，性格，過往的武術經驗等。一個身高不高的人如果他想模仿適合高個子的風格如拳擊的外圍型打法，即便他模仿再好成果多半不如預期。 一個喜歡主動急性子的人，如果要他有耐心打反擊型的話，或許就效果不彰。要找到真正適合我們的風格絕對非一蹴可幾的事。此外，尋找自己的風格的過程會是一個演變的過程。 當你處於中階水平時，你所打的風格在你成為武術高階習練者時可能會有所不同。在更高的層次上，我們可以能夠根據對手的優勢和劣勢以不同的格鬥風格來應付不同的對手。

雖然很多人相信武術和或格鬥運動是很科學的，但它們仍然是種有自我表達空間和需求的技能。師父林文學 (Gary Lam)有一句話：“「［學習］格鬥是要學如何使用，而不是學如何模仿」”(“Fight is learn how to use, not learn how to copy.”)。師公梅逸甚至幾乎沒有在學生面前演過練詠春套路，因為他不想讓他們模仿他的動作。所以不要盲目地模仿你的師父或教練。不要試圖一味地模仿你在武術或格鬥運動中的偶像。適合他們的風格並不意味著它也適合你。畢竟最終是你自己必須面對你的對手，所以打出最適合自己的格鬥風格吧。

注 1: 師父林文學用「五行」 的概念把詠春拳分成五個系統。 對筆者來說這也可以解釋成五種格鬥風格。

Sifu Gary Lam uses Chinese “Five Elements” concept to divide Wing Chun into five systems.  To me, this can be also interpreted into five fighting styles.

資料來源Data source: Gary Lam Wing Chun

注 2:對許多人來說，像泰拳這樣的格鬥運動只是非常暴力和血腥的。 他們通常沒見到的是選手的運動精神、互相尊重以及賽後建立的友誼。 教練Pakorn和Pornsanae打過兩次，兩次都非常令人熱血沸騰打得十分激烈的比賽。 Pakorn教練贏得了這兩場比賽。幾年以後，他們成為好同事和朋友。 我本來計劃好也和Pornsanae學拳。遺憾的是他剛好那時離開教學崗位回到泰國。

To many people combat sports such as Muay Thai is just very violent and bloody.  What they might be missing is the sportsmanship and mutual respect of the fighters.  Coach Pakorn and Pornsanae fought two times, both were very exciting and tough fights.  Coach Pakorn won both fights.  Years later they were good colleagues and friends.  I was supposed to train with Pornsanae.  Unfortunately, he left the teaching position and returned to Thailand.

Pakorn & Pornsanae

照片來源Picture source: Pornsanae Sitmonchai

Find your fighting style!

For those who are practitioners of martial arts or combat sports, through constant training and sparring, one naturally gravitates towards a certain style. Recently, I have seen two Muay Thai videos popular videos floating around on the internet that have my coaches on them.  My coaches are mainly belonged to a fighting style called Muay Femur.  There are three major fighting styles within Muay Thai: Muay Mat (Aggressive Puncher), Muay Khao (Knee Fighter) and Muay Femur (Technician). Within other styles of martial arts or combat sports, all have their distinct styles of fighting.  For example, boxing has the Outfighter, Pressure Fighter, Infighter. A bit more details on this, Mike Tyson has the Peek-A-Boo style and Floyd Mayweather uses the Philly Shell style.  MMA has the ground & pound, sprawl & brawl, ground submission.  And, Brazilian Ju-Jitsu has the guard passer, full guard player, half guard player and open guard player.  Obviously, the list of styles doesn’t mean to be exhaustive.  Just to make a point that within the same art there could have different styles.  No one style is the best or most correct. It would all come down to the individual practitioner.

In our martial art learning process, there might be a time that we would copy the basic movements/”forms” and standard drills of other people.  After repeated practice of these fundamentals, we should be able to internalize them.  Then, when come to do sparring or fighting, we want to experiment different styles.  There are several factors might dictate a style is more suited to a person than others: stamina, power, agility, flexibility, speed, reflex, height, body type, age, disposition, past martial art experience, etc. Hopefully, we would develop a style that really suits us eventually.  It will not happen overnight.  Also, the process of developing your own style probably would be an evolving one.  The style/way that you fight when you are at the intermediate level likely will be different when you become an advanced practitioner of the art.  At a higher level, we might need to be able to fight with different styles so we can pick a style based on the opponent’s strengths and weaknesses.

There is a quote from Sifu Gary Lam – “Fight is learn how to use, not learn how to copy.”  Sigung Moy Yat even went as far as barely ever performed the Wing Chun forms in front of his students, because he didn’t want they to copy his movements.  So, don’t blindly copy or mimic your Sifu or coach.  Don't try to imitate your idol in the martial art or combat sports either. What fits them doesn't mean it would fit you too.  Although, martial arts and combat sports have a lot of sciences in them, but they are still a kind of skill and have room and needs for self-expression.  And, ultimately, is YOU who has to face the opponent, so find your own fighting style that suits you the best.