Isaac Newton and Kung Fu

I got a children's biography about Isaac Newton at the library. I got it mainly because after story time I usually read Noah "an adult book" which will put him to sleep. That is the time for him to close is eyes and just listen instead of looking at the pictures and asking questions. But I think he finds the sound of my voice comforting.
But it turned out I just ended up reading this book for myself. And I am beginning to think that this children's level of reading is just better for me.

Anyway, I never thought about the fact that Newton is actually probably older than Hung Hei Goon. Think about that. And his personality was just not what they teach you in school. Probably because he was not about what is taught in school's. He was a lot like how Kong Ming was said to be, and he was a lot like the "eccentric master" from a Kung Fu novel.

He was weak and sickly but it turns out he could fight. In fact fighting a bully was sort of a turning point in his life. A bully kicked him in a stomach and Newton challenged him to a fight across the street.
Newton won and actually pulled the bigger boy by the ears slamming his head into the wall. Interestingly this is probably a perfect example of Newtonian Physics put into a combat application. The bigger moving body exerted force to move in. Newton probably grabbed him by the ears and side stepped allowing the body in motion to continue (helping him along with a pulling motion) until his head crashed into the wall where the bullies body became a body at rest.

Winning the fight was a turning point because he must have gained some confidence and after that was at the top of his class academically. (Socially people still didn't like him. But when you think about the fact that Newton was different, had no real family life, and how cruel kids are today. Just think about what assholes they were back then when boys impaled dogs up the ass with sticks for entertainment.)

Newton never turned out to be too nice either. He would send counterfeiters to the be hung and would watch them hang (he wasn't required to) so he must have liked to watch. But there's probably something scientific about that.

He was however, extremely moral in his own terms and extremely religious.

He's most famous for his works on bodies in motion and his work with light. But it turns out what he actually spent most of his time and effort on (and possibly gained Mercury poisoning doing) was Alchemy. And alchemy was illegal then too.

He is the one who invented the Scientific method. So when these modern martial artists on the shows from Hong Kong claim that that they take a "scientific approach" to Kung Fu, that Scientific approach is supposedly Newtons method. And I've met people like this through teaching so let me just say they are full of shit.

First of all they are full of it because they don't actually follow the scientific method. They just say stuff like "oh traditional martial arts are fake and superstitious. I don't like animal styles and meditation and chi gung are bullshit." Usually they sort of practice MMA or Wing Chun by themselves. I think the reason why they are usually from one of these two styles is because these are the most popular right now and therefore the most likely for someone dabbling in martial arts to be practicing. But then I've would never here someone who took a months worth of traditional Karate say something like that. I don't think it's the system, as there are many MMA people that value tradition and Wing Chun is a traditional martial art itself. And my "personal experience" is of course not a study and only a few people.

But anyway, if they actually took a scientific approach, they would be skeptical, but they would experiment with meditation and chi gung and the traditional methods. I've seen plenty of students like that. And after trying it and feeling the results for themselves, they might remain skeptical of higher levels but are at least convinced of the value of such practices.

Furthermore, when these guys are putting down "traditional systems" (usually they are talking about Hung Gar and often times they think they have White Crane all figured out and countered because of their armchair philosophizing or at best their experiments with their own version of a "cup" which is actually is more like them mocking and mimicking a bootlegged version of what we do) And of course they will have a ton to say about this system or that system and how they've got all that countered. Anyway, they don't realize that a) they aren't really employing the scientific method.

I haven't either. Because the method would not only be to actually fight all those people from other systems in a real fight. But what would that amount to? I mean how many fights can one person have? You would need fight after fight after fight. Now MMA is arguably actually doing this. The scientists wouldn't be the athletes, but someone spectating and taking notes. But their experiments are flawed because of rules, and because of the purpose of the UFC. I'm not saying they necessarily should do scientific experiments instead of matches for entertainment. Hands down other forms of combat like guns, bombs, computer hacking, use of money and propaganda are just more effective for war.

But let me take an example of stuff I've heard on the news about the U.S. military, an organization that probably does take a scientific approach. They've started introducing meditation into the Marines. All soldiers do drills that are a lot like forms (though not as fancy of course.) And they've started questioning whether some of the combat stuff they teach is actually harming their soldiers. For instance, a soldier can get a concussion training by being kicked or punched in the head with a gloved hand. They are "okay" after ward. But then their reactions are slower when a roadside bomb (IED) goes off a week later. So that concussion is actually putting their life and the life of others around them at risk. I.e. did they really need to get punched with a gloved hand? Was that "full force" strike actually necessary? Is doing something like push hands "too fake."

I'm just saying there is a reason why these thousands years old martial arts developed the way they did. And maybe doing push hands doesn't mean you are a great fighter. But there might just be a reason why people who practice that martial art lifestyle live long and are happy with their practice.

Back to Newton. The guy who created the Scientific method that a lot of these self taught masters are spouting off at the mouth about, probably got Mercury poisoning practicing Alchemy illegally. I'm not saying we should all go drink Mercury for fun. I'm just saying the father of Modern Science experimented with ancient forms of belief. Plus Chi Gung and Taoist body alchemy, has scientific data showing it is good for your health. At the very least, it relieves stress and improves circulation, even if it doesn't make you physically fly or live forever or able to throw Hadokens. So you won't come to harm dabbling in it they way you would, if you drank mercury. Newton wouldn't have put it down necessarily. Why are they?

And also Newton was probably poisoned and also did a lot of damage to science by being a jerk to other scientists and being petty about a lot of stuff. If you want to be scientific about your Kung Fu, go ahead. Try a lot of systems, or make friends with a lot of people  from a lot of systems. Listen and learn about their experiences. Share your experiences. But don't be a jerk hitting your wooden dummy by yourself, thinking you are the most brilliant person in the world. (maybe you are. It's possible. Unlikely but possible. Look at Newton. He was pretty damn brilliant.) But share your ideas and change them for the better when someone criticizes them.