One of my specific areas of interest includes the so-called ‘internal martial arts,’ henceforth referred to ‘IMA.’ Over time, that interest broadened to include all forms of martial arts and movement, but my foundation comes from the so-called ‘internal systems’ of Chinese martial arts — xingyiquan, baguazhang, and taijiquan.
The definition of ‘internal’ varies, and is a subject of hot debate on Internet forums and the like. I tend to adopt a broad view of what is ‘internal.’ For the purposes of our discussion here, ‘internal’ refers not only to the Chinese ‘big three,’ but to aikido/aikijujitsu, Systema, some forms of Wing Chun, and so forth. At the higher levels even things like Brazilian Jiujitsu (BJJ), judo, and other grappling arts can also tend to approach ‘internal,’ but I don’t tend to include them under that heading.
In IMA circles there is a great deal of interest in NLP (neuro-linguistic programming). NLP is a movement (some would call it a cult) which came about in the 1970’s as a result of the work of Richard Bandler and the linguist John Grindler. They attempted to systematize the work of the pioneering hypnotherapist Milton Erickson. Erickson is an interesting character we can talk about later on. He was a legendary hypnotherapist who developed a level of skill which for some people bordered on magic. Unfortunately, he was unable to communicate this level of skill to any of his students. (Later on we can talk about why I believe this was the case.)
Bandler and Grindler developed NLP to establish a coherent vocabulary and framework for understanding his work, so that it could be communicated to ordinary mortals. The organization headed in many disparate directions after its initial successes, but its early works remain classics in the fields of hypnotherapy and communications theory.
The reason for the overlap between IMA and NLP goes deeper than the fact that they are both lunatic fringe subcultures. The reason for the interest is that NLP is based in the study of hypnotherapy. IMA, too, regardless of style, is a form of hypnosis. Wait, I’ll put that in italics, in case you missed it: Internal martial arts are a subset of hypnosis. However, unlike conventional hypnotherapy, the IMA are active not only on the mind — they are active on the mind and the body, and on the interface between the two. All of the sophisticated manipulations of balance and structure we see in the IMA are the result of direct control over this interface.
Needless to say, people in IMA circles are very resistant to this assertion, because it makes it sound like what they do is bullshit, useless for fighting, etc. But that’s just because they don’t understand what hypnosis actually is.
The central insight of NLP (whatever you might think about NLP) is that there is no hard and fast distinction between hypnosis and ordinary communication. They exist on a spectrum — hypnosis might be thought of as ‘extraordinarily successful communication.’
Therefore, if you’ve been communicated to successfully, you’ve been hypnotized. As you read these words, if you are in any way receptive to what it is that I have to say, I am hypnotizing you — you’ve entered into my world. This is a very important concept to understand things like politicians’ speeches and propaganda, and lots of other forms of communications besides.
Most hypnosis, moreover, is consensual. Stage hypnosis, where people are made to do things against their conscious willpower, is maybe 5% of the picture. Most hypnosis is things like hypnotherapy, where someone willingly submits to a hypnotist in order to quit smoking, get over some sexual hangup, etc. Even more fundamental than consensual hypnosis (and more effective in terms of therapeutic outcomes) is self-hypnosis, which underpins all forms of meditation, qigong, creative visualization, etc.
It is possible, however, to hypnotize someone against their conscious will — despite the claims of hypnotists to the contrary. However, because of the layers of resistance are very deep, it is MUCH more difficult than consensual hypnosis! Nonconsensual hypnosis is a master-level feat which can only be attempted by those with extensive experience in consensual hypnosis.
Going back to our original assertion that IMA are a form of mind/body hypnosis, this is why there are so few people who can actually use them in fighting. The gap between being able to perform these skills in a cooperative setting, or even in a mildly uncooperative demonstration, and being able to use them in a real fight, is vast.
A lot of the training we see in IMA — be it push hands, sticky hands, or what have you — is really a form of two-person consensual hypnosis. (They are also forms of what dancers call ‘contact improvisation,’ but we can talk about contact improvisation later.) Two people agree to enter a world and inhabit that space for a period of time. Playing around in this world consensually is the necessary foundation for learning to bring others into that space against their will. (The more fundamental skill, in fact, is self-hypnosis, which is why nearly all IMA incorporate one or another form of solo jibengong.)
The Meta-learning Journal 