# Senses...........



## Goldendragon7 (Feb 7, 2004)

One area of Kenpo that is often overlooked (IMHO) are the "5 senses".... Touch, Sight, Hear, Smell, Taste.

I realize that in the lower ranks these may not all be necessary but in the Black Ranks how many teach or explore the benefits of this Kenpo Tool?

Comments, thoughts.... 

:asian:


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## Ceicei (Feb 7, 2004)

Good question.

It is my understanding that in high stress, some people go "deaf" or get "tunnel vision".  I think it may be an issue of awareness when some senses shut down.  We tend to focus closely and deal with the situation in front of us instead of being aware of our surroundings.

Do those in black belt levels get training to minimize the high stress problem with awareness regarding our sense?

- Ceicei


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## RCastillo (Feb 7, 2004)

Honestly, I'll have to remember the "smell' tool when someone around me reeks, and they' re probably some creep. Think I'm kidding? Think again..................


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## Thesemindz (Feb 8, 2004)

"The ears are the eyes of darkness."

-Rob


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## Goldendragon7 (Feb 8, 2004)

> _Originally posted by Thesemindz_*
> "The ears are the eyes of darkness."
> -Rob *



Yes,  and to teach that lesson........

We used to play a game in class, blindfolding everyone and then moving everyone around in different spots, after spinning them around a few times to disorient them......  

then the instructor would signal and everyone would say "Hiet"  then the instructor would command "move"  ........   

you would then try too find and touch your opponent using only what  you had heard {by sound} thus disqualifying him/her and they would have to sit down, but at  the same time move silently so as to not give away your position to them or any others.....

{Marco~Polo variation}

:asian:


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## Seig (Feb 8, 2004)

We do something similiar, periodically.  I work on a sticky hands variation drill.  When everyone is at the point that they are not trying to overpower their partner and can stay with them, I will blindfold them, and then have them start the drill over.


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## Ceicei (Feb 8, 2004)

This brings up an interesting thought to arouse my curiosity.  How do we train in Kenpo with smell and taste?   

- Ceicei


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## RCastillo (Feb 8, 2004)

> _Originally posted by Ceicei _
> *This brings up an interesting thought to arouse my curiosity.  How do we train in Kenpo with smell and taste?
> 
> - Ceicei *



In regards to taste, when I taste my own blood through someones attack on me, it highly motivates, and puts me on the offensive even more me even more!


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## Goldendragon7 (Feb 9, 2004)

> _Originally posted by RCastillo _*
> In regards to taste, when I taste my own blood through someones attack on me, it highly motivates, and puts me on the offensive even more me even more! *



Well, if I read what you posted correctly, I would hope you would "not" have to taste YOUR BLOOD or HIS/HERS first to get you motivated to action!   After all, isn't the main idea to divert contact and pain or injury before getting hurt?  I know Rocky Balboa did NOT have this philosophy but we sure as heck should. 

Each of the senses can play a part in our prevention of danger or protection.  The purpose of this thread is to explore  some thought provoking ideas on the 5 senses.   

You might have realized that we work on our Sight, Feel and Sound as a standard part of most of our training.   Yet the other 2 go somewhat neglected.  Smell can alert us to natural gas leak dangers or smoke that will alarm us of a possible fire or other odors that have  dangerous effects.  Our sense of smell can alert us of these dangers.  Likewise, the sense of taste can prevent us from ingesting something harmful to our "internal environments".  

I just touched on a couple of "mind joggers", there are many more examples but I hope others will explore this thread with views of their own.

:asian:


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## Thesemindz (Feb 9, 2004)

Sight, touch, and hearing are all used intuitively in at least some way during combat, although not always to their full extent. With focus you can be sensitive to your opponent flexing his muscles to commit to an action. You can hear his friend sneak up behind you, or the bouncer coming to break up the fight, or the dog that's chained up a few feet behind you. You can see possible obstacles in your environment, as well as notice your opponent shifting his weight to prepare to move or strike. All in all, I wouldn't put too much faith in the eyes alone. After all, I'm not a chameleon, I can't see everywhere at once.

Other than that, the sense of smell can alert you to whether or not your opponent is inebriated and even what intoxicants he's using. He will smell different if he's stoned than if he's drunk. Even the fact that you can smell your opponent should be a warning of possible danger. In the normal course of the day, you walk past people hundreds of times without smelling them. If you suddenly find yourself noticing a person's scent, you should question why your body brought this to your attention right now. While it's true, you could have just come upon a particularly strong odered individual, you should still ask yourself why he smells. Does he bathe irregularly? Is it because he's lazy, or reclusive, or homeless? Is it his clothes? Is he sweating? Is it because he's hot, or drunk, or angry? Can you smell his breath? Is it because he's taking quick shallow breaths? Why is he standing so close to you that you can smell him? Does he smell sick? Could he be delusional with illness, or maddened by disease? Can you smell blood? Has he soiled himself in some way? All these things can effect the circumstances of combat.

The sense of taste is probably the least useful in combat. Other than as part of the sense of smell, it's difficult for me to think of ways in which it could help. I could see tasting smoke or sweat in the air, but that is part of smelling those things. Perhaps if you were grappling with an opponent you could taste his sweat and tell if he was drunk, but that doesn't sound very appealing at all. In fact, not tasting sweat seems to be a decent enough reason to avoid a fight to me.

As far as ways to train the senses, I've participated in many darkness drills. This is probably the easiest of all. Locking, trapping, grappling, striking, maneuvering, stances, forms, etc. can all be practiced with the eyes closed. By adding a partner, and in time, increasing the intensity, you become significantly less dependant on your eyes, and can see more with them open as a result. 

I've trained in using the ears more effectively, but I've never tried kenpo with my ears plugged up. That could be interesting. Does anyone have any insight into whether or not it's harder to fight when you can't hear. I assume it would be harder to percieve attacks from your obscure zone. 

When doing lock flow drills with the eyes closed you really have to focus on contouring and controlling space with your opponent. This helps to develop a sensitivity to your opponents movements. Doing the techniques with the eyes closed does the same thing, but has the added benefit of focusing on a specific dimension of a memorized pattern.

I'm not really sure what the best way to train the senses of taste and smell though. I try to train mine by eating only the best foods in the best restaurants, purely for training purposes.

And what of the sixth sense? Can you actually sense your opponents, "emotional intentions?" Some people believe any ESP phenomena is actually the result of the other five senses working in tandem. I suppose that would be like perceptual body fusion. Or is it all Spidey Senses Tingling?


-Rob


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## MisterMike (Feb 9, 2004)

What about the 6th sense? For instance, in one of the manuals, an attack is from behind and the technique starts off, "As you sense your opponent"

Does anyone believe in this?


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## Chronuss (Feb 9, 2004)

...I consider the "Sixth sense" to be all five combined when used at the same instant.


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## Rick Wade (Feb 9, 2004)

This one will start some arguments (I hope not).  In a discussion on another thread about Sword and Hammer the sense of touch was never discussed.  The argument in that thread was well when someone grabs your shoulder from a flanking position it could be a cop or a friend.  I think the way they placed or grabbed you would indicate allot.  In this instance your primary sense would definitely be touch and secondary would be sight.  Now before you go accusing me, I still say look before you strike.  I just never thought about analyzing the form of touch on your shoulder for a split second before you take and aggressive stance (and make him talk funny for the rest of his life).  Interesting thought?  Now let it rip and give me some feedback.

Thanks
Rick


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## ikenpo (Feb 9, 2004)

> _Originally posted by Goldendragon7 _
> *One area of Kenpo that is often overlooked (IMHO) are the "5 senses".... Touch, Sight, Hear, Smell, Taste.
> 
> I realize that in the lower ranks these may not all be necessary but in the Black Ranks how many teach or explore the benefits of this Kenpo Tool?
> ...



I've used the idea of contouring to introduce the thought that touch can take the place of ones sight. With sight we look at the idea that periphial vision is faster than direct vision and the concept of black dot/white dot. For hearing, we have sparred to different types of music. You'll find if you're not a fan of a particular type of music (or can't adapt) it can throw off your fighting rhythm. 

Never looked into taste or smell tools...

jb


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## Touch Of Death (Feb 9, 2004)

Smell is one of our first lines of defense. If your in a crowded room and suddenly you smell a pugnant odor. You need to become neutral to that odor. That is you must go through the cycle of considerations and take care of all your concerns, Is it alchohol on a strangers breath? or is it a more unfamiliar sickening smell of harsher drugs? Most people attempt to not be odorous. When they fail, it is cause for concern. Ever done groundwork with a smoker?
Sean


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## Goldendragon7 (Feb 9, 2004)

> _Originally posted by Touch'O'Death _*
> Smell is one of our first lines of defense. Ever done groundwork with a smoker?
> *



Yes..... and a drunk......  all I can say is ....
EWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW

:asian:


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