"Yield into emptiness" and using "Empty Force" to influence people are higher level skills of many sophisticated- sensitivity based martial arts. For the record, I'm a mixed TMA guy and I use following [empty] in Tai Chi and especially in our [Micky Chan family] Yip Man Wing Chun. I agree with you, about the opponent's distance. Actually I think the closer the better. The opponent should feel like he's striking into a ghost. Sifu Micky calls this concept, "Moving Image".
Empty force is another story. We've all seen masters who purportedly can move their students without physical touch...and most of us scoff at this. Taken at face value rightfully so. My first exposure to empty force was from an Inside Kung Fu magazine article [R.I.P. IKF] on Madam Yu sending her students flying into backflips without touching them. I remember My Sifu at the time Peter Chema, who used to grace those same pages quite frequently, saying WTF! Really? Let her try that to me! That was some 20 years ago. Since then I've been pondering this concept as I do see that it does have valid properties.
However upon carful examination it is universally evident that human beings are and will be influenced phycically by ubiquitous empty force- that of a perceived threat. And this occurs daily on a regular basis. For example, another person [a stranger] walking towards you, or you towards them not seeing each other. Either him or her will move suddenly to avoid physical contact, and possibly bump into or trip over an object during the process. What if you [knowing] and the other person [unknowing] deliberately, with perfect timing, made that person bump or trip as a result...all without physical contact? Quite possible. I've seen perpetrators do it to complaint/victims in order to pickpocket or unbalance their body in preparation to rob them. Here surprise is the key element. Without the surprise such a reaction is unlikely, that is unless the threat level escalates. Ie; a knife, gun or hypodermic needle pointed at you. Most people will comply. More examples: fire moving towards you, a poisonous insect, dangerous animal, human blood or excrement? All of the above threats quickly gets me moving away.
Every time we get into our car and drive we are strategically negotiating through empty force to negate striking other moving vehicles, objects, and pedestrians. Again with no physical contact [we hope].
Now full circle back to the martial arts. An opponent attempts to grab your arm. You retract your arm just slow enough for him to think he'll secure his grip. At that moment he goes to grab it you pull back a little faster causing him to over reach thereby overextending and loosing balance [like your cat or dog chasing a laser dot]. Quickly project your fingertips close to the opponent's field of vision- inches from his eyes [from a blind spot if possible] and direct his flinch reaction onto his third leg [which isn't there because he's off balanced] and you conceivable COULD, make him fall without ever physically touching him. Again the element of SURPRISE is at play. Unspoken body language keenly manipulated on another who's attention is focused and fixed can influence that individual without physical contact. Think visual misdirection that a magician utilizes to fool their audience.
I have been wanting to write about this phenomena for a while, your post gave me the impetus. Having worked in human services for over 25 years I study, educate [and often entertain] myself by keenly observing how people and their ego act and react against various types of human compression, be it emotional or physical with empty force as well as physical force. Then ponder how successful and beneficial were the results from my part in the interaction and subsequent outcome by use of said force. My conclusion of what compels a lot of immediate conflict between people boils down to one of three things. First, the person in front of us is not moving fast enough. Second, the person in front of us is not moving. And third, the person in front of us is moving too fast. This conjecture certainly applies to commuter driving, but it can also be seen in interpersonal relationships as well as other human endeavors.
All just food for thought and its a fun study. Always trying to integrate martial arts principles into daily life, I find this brings my awareness to a higher level.
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