rssOne Inch Punch Documentary - Buhooolshit.
April 7th, 2008 · or link to (permalink)
One inch Punch is a very popular movie on YouTube with roughly the same viewership as an episode of CBS’ 60 Minutes. Its a full movie that is short enough for people with ADD and gives hope to those who have been bullied by colossal, barbeque munching, Nascar fanatics for having the withered limbs and pallid skin of a computer addict. It suggests that no matter how physically challenged you are, if you join a pseudo religion that looks like it has been created by Dungeons & Dragons characters, for Dungeons & Dragons fans - and work hard, you will be able to kick anyone’s ass.
I have chosen ‘One Inch Punch’ as representative of all martial arts movies which are supposed to be taken seriously and which seem to be another example of FEBL (Fucking Entertaining Big Lie) media. Its a succinct 7 minute piece that highlights perfectly what I have against spiritual fighting and in particular the bollocks that is called Kung Fu.
Yes, these guys are extremely fit, just as pro wrestlers look like Popeye, but that does not make Kung Fu any more real. What it does mean is that the One Inch Punch with a two foot follow through trick, can be performed by a suitably adept stuntman to make it look convincing. Add some commentary using hackneyed metaphors about ‘channeling energy’, by people who look like they can’t take a joke, to the de facto credibility of a tradition started by ancient monks and you have the makings of a proper little religion.
When it comes to religion I take the Hitchens amendment - i.e. what can be claimed without argument can be dismissed without argument. The reason martial arts can be dismissed is that they exhibit all the traits of a religion. They are a crypto-religious cultural artifact, the Eastern equivalent of fair maidens and broad-swords and traditional Western medicine such as blood sucking leeches, only interesting as fantasy or high camp slapstick.
5 responses so far »
Derek Guder : Apr 7, 2008 at 11:02 pm
Well it depends on what you’re calling bullshit on. It’s not like the guys in the video really said anything actually insightful or anything, they just kinda meandered around trying to sound deep.
You can’t dismiss Kung Fu itself out of hand, and it CAN let that pasty nerd kick everyone’s ass - but by turning him into a toned, muscular, powerful person with the coordination to apply that power. It’s like joining the Army - get a ton of exercise and training on how to get comfortable and coordinated enough to use your new strength. Strip the religious trapping away and the two are remarkably similar.
It’s also pretty clearly a sport, and like any sport someone who’s in shape and active will probably do a better job of whooping your ass the a fat nerd. Even if your sport is pro-wrestling
It’s got nothing to do with spiritual power or foundless claims. It’s all about hard work and discipline. The old-fashioned standby that are hard to argue with.
Michelle B : Apr 8, 2008 at 1:34 am
I enjoyed Hugh Laurie’s saying that he has recently took up boxing because he is sick and tired of the preferential treatment that Eastern fitness regimes are getting in the West. And wanted to do something western instead! So yes, fitness is important and not any associated woo. However, eastern styles seemed to be drenched with woo. I having been doing the woo-less version of Yoga for decades.
Knot : Apr 10, 2008 at 11:39 pm
I think you’re sorta’ looking at this one the wrong way. Obviously the “harnessing chi” stuff is B.S., but the idea of, basically, learning to throw the hardest punch possible with minimal arm movement (which is what the “one-inch punch” is), is just a matter of repetitive, physical practice. People seem to compare this to developing psychic power- that’s complete bullshit. Throwing an exceptionally hard punch is like learning to throw a 90mph fastball- exceptionally difficult, but possible if you train a repetitive motion often enough that you develop a very precise technique. (Slightly more specifically, what is usually described as a “one-inch punch” is basically learning to throw a punch where nearly all the power is generated by the hips, plus some wrist action, like that one guy mentioned. There’s nothing super-human about it, and it’s always a shame when people in the martial art community perpetuate the idea that it is.) Martial arts schools all vary greatly by instructor- some people really play up the “traditional” spirituality aspects, but I’ve always found that more responsible teachers make it clear that those ideas are basically just thought-exercises that are intended to facilitate learning practical, physical techniques. I.e., “Chi” basically amounts to “breath correctly.” Other “traditional” ideas, when you look at them rationally, basically amount to things like, “practice having good balance,” or “pay attention to your surroundings.” The fact that some schools insist on couching these ideas in spirituality is little more than orientalism.
Chris : Apr 15, 2008 at 12:31 pm
Yep, there’s a load of crap surrounding martial arts - it’s a shame so many good things seem to come with this whole package/lifestyle you’re expected to buy into (like the channels you don’t want in a TV cable package.)
But the one inch punch is not BS. All these guys are doing is throwing nearly their whole body weight forwards in a very sudden way, with all that force concentrated into their fist. It’s just the high-heel on a vinyl-floor thing you learned at school in physics.
When they talk about channeling and visualising and all that stuff, that’s just their way of getting all the correct muscle neurons to fire in the sudden synchronized way required for a move like that. In terms of explanatory power it’s useless I agree, but as a mental technique for coordinating movement it works pretty good.
John : Jun 15, 2008 at 8:16 am
Wow, I don’t think you can lump all martial arts, including Kung-fu into a 17 minute clip. I think Bruce Lee said best, “Classical nonsense”. He’s whole point and purpose was to expand his martial arts practice beyond the mysticism. In regards to the one inch punch, well its real, as real as any action and reaction. If I hit something either my fist will break something or get broken. If I do something long enough with my body it will eventually adapt to it.
If I throw a “One inch punch” at an inanimate object a hundred times a day for a couple of years - my body will adapt to that daily regimen. I watched Bruce Lee clips of him dropping a board or brick in front of him - holding it in front with his right hand, and then break the board or brick using the said same hand. To quote Bruce Lee and thoroughly, his response is, “Boards don’t hit back”.
I think the tricks are cool but their not fighting. They help develop power but only real application and real situations create great martial artist. All martial arts is good but not everything in a particular style or system is practical depending on the person, the situation, and/or the environment.
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