Magic Tricks

I'm sure, dear reader, that you've seen a magic trick or two in your day. I'm talking things done by like Penn & Teller, David Copperfield, etc. The pros are really good. So good, in fact, that I've seen some of them do a couple of their tricks while telling the audience everything they're doing and it still looks amazing (take a minute to look up Penn & Teller's "Balls and Cups" for a sense of what I'm talking about). How does that apply to your martial education? I'm glad you asked!

One of the fundamental skills of a stage magician is diversion. That is, they'll make you look at, say, their left hand all the while the trick is happening with their right hand. As it turns out, this is a good skill for a fighter to have as well! Take your standard arm lock. Most people either receiving the technique or observing someone apply it will look at what is happening with the arm. But those who know about "tricks" will be looking anywhere but the the obvious place. For instance, is uke's balance being off put through tactical pressure being placed on the knee? Or is there another, more subtle motion being imparted in the arm that removes the ability to flex the arm, thus making the hyper-extension that we call a lock possible to achieve?

To extend the analogy further, once you know how a magic trick works, you can guard against it. For example, if you are watching an average stage magician do a certain card trick that you've seen before, chances are that you can see when the misdirection happens and notice them palming the card and sticking it in their pocket. Similarly, you can "guard against" the trick. That is, you won't be as easily fooled. So it is with these martial techniques as well. To continue the observations from above, what would happen to the arm lock if you were able to re-establish a strong posture once you start feeling that pressure on the knee? Or if you were able to somehow counteract the twist that isn't the arm lock itself but the enabler thereof? Rhetorical questions…something to think about.

Of course, in order for a trick to work, it should be somewhat subtle. If it's obvious that you're compromising uke's integrity through their knee, then they'll take steps (literally!) against it. The ideal, therefore, is to split their attention. If they're worried about their arm, you'll get their knee. And vice versa. This splitting of attention forms the basis for toatenojutsu.