Strategic Framework
The Doctrine of Chongdo divides all aspects of our system into two aspects: ûm or yang. While this is hardly innovative for a traditional system with Asian roots, the application of our theory is quite another, and more practical, matter.
Often, by looking at an element of a situation, a student can quickly determine whether the element is ûm or yang; once this assessment is made, the student can ignore it or apply the opposite element against it. For example, an ûm situation can be countered by applying a yang element to it.
Understandably, this sounds mystical and not at all useful. A practical example makes this process very simple:
An attacker throws a roundhouse punch toward the head of a student. The punch comes in on a circular motion (which is ûm by nature), and applies a simple linear palm thrust to the attacker’s shoulder, jamming the punch. The linear thrust is yang by nature.Conversely, the student could have seen the roundhouse punch as a strike to the head, and responded with a low thrust kick the opponent’s knee or thigh to push him back, off balance. A high element is yang, whereas a low element is ûm.
This now sounds fairly straightforward. How do we know which elements are which?
| Ji: Anything slow, solid, or heavy. Low to the ground, or sinking down. Cold, wet, or dark. | Ch’ôn: Anything fast, snapping, or light. High up, or ascending. Warm, dry, or bright. |
| Yu: Anything fluid, trapping, or changing. Soft or flexible. | Gak: Anything rigid, deflecting, or steady. Hard or strong. |
| Wôn: Anything circular, arcing, or coiling. | Gang: Anything linear, angular, or tangential. |
| Hwa: Anything that closes in, shortens, or condenses. | Gan: Anything that opens up, lengthens, or expands. |
In essence, an element can counter its opposite (gan opposes hwa), but also complements any three other elements. A thrusting palm strike to an opponent’s nose is high (ch’ôn), strong (gak), linear (gang), and closes in (hwa). A technique would not, for example, be hwa and gan at the same time, as those oppose. Additionally, changing one element to its opposite changes the technique.
The efficacy of this framework is not limited to hand-to-hand situations, but can be applied to other situations as well:
- A negotiation is not going well. The other side refuses to answer specific questions about which approach to take. Your side decides to apply a linear solution to their circular strategy: you state that you will go forward with Plan B regardless. Suddenly, the other side explains that Plan B has problems with it, and submit that Plan A is better suited.
- Traveling in the rain, a driver notices that the car’s rear wheels are trying to fishtail when turning. Although a linear element will not help in a circular turn, the driver takes his foot off the gas when turning, using a slower element to counter the rear of the vehicle trying to move tangentially forward out of the turn.
- Escaping from a fire, a small family encounters a closed door. The door seems safe to open, but knowing that heat rises and fire moves fast (ch’ôn), crawls low on the floor and slowly opens the door (ji).
In effect, this approach takes the strategy (what you want), and gives you easy-to-remember and easy-to-apply tools to create tactics you can use. This framework serves as a logical bridge to turning our doctrine into useable techniques.