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Self-Defense
Strategy, tactics, physiology, psychology, philosophy and history of unarmed self-defense
Foreword Book "On single combat" by Geoff Thompson
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I
t's a great pleasure for me to be writing the preface to this book, On Single Combat, for many reasons not least of those being that the author is a man that I admire very much. But being a nice person, even a great martial artist, who Keith undoubtedly is, is in itself not enough to warrant me to put my name to a book about my life's quest, the martial arts. For me to make comment and /or endorse it, a book really has to impress me. This did far more, it enlightened me.
At first glance you may mistakenly see On Single Combat as being 'simply about Wing Chun or WingTsun (WT)', as Grandmaster Leung Ting's system is spelled, after all the author is recognised as a world renowned master of the art, but the contents cover so much ground that you cannot confine it to one style, it all styles and yet, paradoxically, it is no style. It is all encompassing and in my opinion one of the most comprehensive books on combat on the market today. I first met Keith in London, 1997, where we spent a day talking about the martial arts and exchanging ideas. It was obvious after only a few minutes that we were very similar in our martial arts background and experiences, I felt an immediate affinity and deep respect for him. This may seem odd coming from a former night club bouncer whose base system is Shotokan Karate, on the face of it, Keith and I may seem poles apart, and yet, in actuality we parley the same speak, our thoughts and views run alongside each other and our belief system seems inseparable alike.
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How can this be? Perhaps it is because we have both tasted, ney dined upon the bitter taste of adversity, suffering, en route, the punishing blows of the boxer, the mauling cranks of the grappler and cripple shooting pain of the kicker in our bid to find a 'way' that best suited us. We have also faced down the street fighter and suffered the mental torment of fighting our greatest adversary - ourselves. Because of this courtship with hardship we both now understand ourselves which, as General Sun Tzu said some 25 centuries ago, allows us to face 100 battles without fear of defeat. Another important lesson we both uncovered on our bloody and epic journey was the absolute futility of violence and that a physical response should only be employed when no other option is available. There is a great responsibility that comes with being a highly trained martial artist. When you reach an elevated level of competence, you no longer worry about being hurt in affray, rather you agonise about hurting, even killing an opponent who is perhaps needed a point in the right direction as opposed to a poke in the throat. Therefore, at the master level, the art evolves into one of self-control and not one of self-defense. You transcend the need to control others and concentrate instead on the lofty and more worthy task of controlling yourself. Your training evolves to an internal and intangible level where you kick, box and wrestle with the demons of your own mind and dark energies of the world. When you enter this arena, a commendable task I have to say and not one for the faint of heart, you develop an aura that stands apart from others. When I first met Keith I was not greeted with the concrete hand shake of a man still working on a physical plain, neither did I descry the unapproachable gait of the unsure, rather I found a gentle, confident man, with a kind smile, a welcoming persona and the aura of a fighter. |
Napolean Bonaparte said that the sight of the battle field after the fight is enough to inspire princes with a love of peace and a horror of war. Keith and I have seen that battle field and felt that inspiration.
It is my belief that the two most important thing in life are love and knowledge, this author and his book On Single Combat have both in abundance and I highly endorse them to anyone with self-protection and/or self-development, on the physical, mental or spiritual plain - in mind. This book speaks so much sense that everyone should read it and prepare themselves for reality. Whether you are a novice or an expert, a man or a woman, a layman or a Lord, no matter what your style, colour, creed or disposition there is something in this book for you.
Highly recommended, the best book of its kind on the market today! Geoff Thompson July 1997, Coventry/England
WU-SHU PUBLICATIONS KERNSPECHT
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