Craig Kiessling Spotlight
For those who may not yet know you, can you introduce yourself and provide a brief overview of who you are?
A native of Atlanta, GA, who is a martial arts enthusiast in general, and a teacher of traditional Northern Shaolin Kung Fu.
How do you balance your commitment to martial arts with other responsibilities?
There was a time when nothing was more important to me than my training. I'd spend hours every day. It got to the point that my parents were concerned. Of course, this was when I was much younger; before the days of jobs and a family of my own. Having a child in school means drop-off and pick-up, tutors, sporting practices, games and events, parent-teacher conferences...The list goes on. And some of these take time, and in some cases, quite a bit of money; which means working more hours than normal. Time must be spent at home and away from home for quality time with the family. And so on. This means far fewer hours that are available for me to train than when I was a youngster. So I have to set priorities and be particular about what I train, when and for what purpose.
Martial arts communities can have a powerful impact. How do you engage with and contribute to the broader martial arts community, locally or globally?
Although not so much anymore, I used to be quite active within the community. The local Kung Fu community, as well as the larger martial arts community, here in Atlanta, was quite large and diverse in the past.
I made it a point to introduce myself to all the various teachers in the area. There were local tournaments, as well as regional events, at which I'd participate, compete and judge. There were often adjunct workshops and seminars, of which I'd take part. But for me, it was the meeting folks, getting together socially after events, happening upon people training for said events in hidden corners of the venues etc.
Sometimes we'd visit various Asian festivals and keep our eyes open. There may be martial arts demonstrations or just practitioners as visitors like ourselves.
In all of these and other scenarios, it was about the social, the brother(/sister)hood, the friendship and bonds created. We'd all learn from each other - history, principles, philosophies of our styles, our fighting, our approach to certain concepts and so much more.
We all learned. But more importantly, we made friendships and bonds; one enjoyable aspect of the martial arts - a gateway into interesting adventures and making new friends.
How do you incorporate practical aspects of self-defense into your training, and what key advice would you offer to readers as they approach their own self-defense training?
Many factors are at play in considering this question.
There are many different types of physical combat: military combat, sparring, point fighting, prize fighting, cage fighting, self defense, schoolyard fights, street fights, the list goes on. And for many of these scenarios, they are quite a different breed from a martial arts system. In a system or style, one learns a wide variety of things - techniques, forms, principles, concepts, footwork, breathing, etc. Depending on the style - some movements will be easily and quickly understood and perhaps applied in a martial context. Others might be more difficult to grasp. And still others might serve a different purpose - demonstration, physical challenge, lesson in [x] concept and so on. One has to choose wisely what to seriously focus on in their practice and training - what is the purpose or "why" behind the training and the "why" behind "what" they are training. I don't mean "to get good (or great)" at a style, but is it for a belt test, for a type of competition, for self-defense, for a demonstration and so on.
In my teaching, I try to emphasize "principle above technique," "physical intelligence," and awareness. For example, if a straight punch is coming in, I'd rather you understand the basic physics of what's happening and react appropriately, rather than "straight punch = movement #23a to movement #35c." This happens by being mindful during training, understanding the body movements, forces at play, geometry, etc. - everything happening. And playing with the body movement tons of times. That's all we're doing: moving our bodies in different ways, with different mindsets, using different forces and so on.
Of course, some specifics are always important. For example, in our system, like many traditional Chinese systems, we have this concept called the "seven stars." This term can be used to describe a variety of things, but here I am referring to the ankle, knee, hip, wrist, elbow, shoulder, head. So the three main joints of the limbs + head. These "stars" aid in movement and are points of note for perfection of posture. However, they can also be used martially; as tools for leverage, as striking objects, as targets. As a principle, a star typically used for leverage in a martial tactic, can be replaced by a post, corner of wall, fence, car headrest, car window-base and so-on, for self-defense application.
Another aspect we keep in mind is that for forms, we make big movements, big circles, but often for combat, we make them smaller. But the reverse could be said to be true also for certain things (a wrist/elbow lock turns into a single-leg takedown, for example) - again just body movements and principles.
Going back to this difference in contexts and scenarios, we understand readiness - practice, training, fitness, mental preparedness, etc. But more, perhaps most, important is awareness. In many of those combat scenarios, there is the knowledge, ahead of time, that combat is coming. However, most often for self-defense, it's a surprise scenario - coming upon something, having been targeted due to being unaware or something. So we must train awareness, in two aspects: 1) Conscious and 2) Sub-conscious awareness.
Conscious awareness is something easier to learn, to study, to practice. Awareness of self, environment, energy (vibe, feeling, a "read of the room", etc.), pressure, emotion, space, etc. It is all quite important. Knowing light and dark areas, places of population versus empty alleys and so on helps. An awareness of trends in violence in your area - scams, crimes and so on can be beneficial.
Subconscious awareness is dealing with the central nervous system. Breathwork, relaxation exercises, meditation and so on. These types of training are often recognized, but more often given little more than lip service. This is a HUGE mistake. Especially for self defense. Why? Because of the surprise aspect. Faced with surprise violence, we all know that the "fight or flight" response is engaged. So we all just train hard and "fight." Right? Wrong. Because there's something else in the fight or flight response that most people forget, but it happens more often than people realize. And that's "Freeze." Many people get so shocked and frightened in a surprise violence scenario that they freeze. They can't move, can't think.
And this is where meditative training for the subconscious awareness comes into play and helps. It makes us much more prepared to act with intelligence in self-defense scenarios.
So yeah, practice mindfully. Train hard. Understand principles over technique. Incorporate awareness training of all types into your regimen.
Reflecting on your entire martial arts journey, what has been the most unexpected lesson or insight you've gained?
A philosophical concept we encounter in the martial arts and more so in the traditional Chinese arts, is change. "The only constant is Change." We hear about it and nod. We understand this in martial arts - in sparring, fighting, grappling. "Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the face." Sure, we might use sparring as a training aid, working on such and such technique or combination, but we also must adjust to the dynamics of the "here and now;" I was going for such and such - but I see their balance is off here, their limb is over locked, whatever it is.
We see change in the seasons, in the times of life, in the market, in relationships.
I can see and understand the ebbs and flows of change in the public interest of martial arts. Time of Bruce Lee, time of Kung Fu movie theater classics, Time of Karate Kid, Time XYZ.
We had ninjas, we had samurai.
I didn't see the backyard scrapping, grappling craze, UFC/MMA, Krav Maga, XMA, "tricking," stunt work and other trends coming. But they all make sense to me.
Traditional Chinese Martial Arts in the USA has definitely seen a decline in interest over time. In context of media and the other trends mentioned above, that, too, makes sense. As a teacher, I've witnessed and experienced it myself. In our fast-paced, attention-reducing society, I see not only the number of "new students" going down, but also the level of interest within those students diminishing. Decades ago, students wanted to learn everything they could from a style, from a teacher. Physical exercises, forms, history, language, culture, personal stories - the whole gamut - they just couldn't get enough. It was truly a lifestyle. However nowadays, more often than not, a student that comes in to a Wednesday night class is simply looking to have a "Wednesday night activity," and the Traditional Chinese Martial Art on tap just seems a bit more challenging and interesting than the standard fare.
So the most unexpected lesson in my journey is Change is real. It's not simply a philosophical concept (they rarely are). It's more than adjusting on the fly. And change can be hard. It might be a wonderful new experience or might be a rice bowl-breaking heartache. But it's real.
Community appreciation and collaboration play a crucial role in the strength of Cup of Kick. Can you highlight individuals who have significantly contributed to your martial arts journey? In other words, who would you like to publicly acknowledge for their support and influence?
Roberto Baptista, Frank Gibson, Michael Dillard, Xu Tingsen, and honestly, an uncountable host of others.
How can readers keep up with you or get in touch with you?
Pathsatlanta.org - although that's my school website, the astute reader can use it to locate my other online presence, socials, etc.
What's the name and address of your school?
PATHS Atlanta Kung Fu - Atlanta, Georgia (Decatur)
(404) 919-9193
