Tunisian Martial Arts News

Interview with William Beattie

TMA - How is the current state of Martial Arts in Tunisia? If you can give us a broad overview...

WB - Martial Arts on a whole is alive and well in Tunis, from what I have been able to observe since relocating here two years ago. Taekwondo and Aikido are the most prominent styles practiced here; as well as the rise of Judo and Jujitsu in the wake of the new MMA craze. Chinese Martial Arts is making a surge of late with Sifu's like Ariel Betti and Mohammad Ghariani teaching Wushu and Tai Chi Chuan to large classes in the Sidi Bou Said, La Marsa, and surrounding Tunis area. Mohammad is connected to the Plum Blossom school of Kung fu, and Ariel teaches the more traditional Shaolin techniques; as well as Golden Dragon Southern Style. The Martial environment here is very rich with a long list of Sifu's who teach Japanese style's, as well as a multiplicity of Western Boxing and Wrestling instructors. I lived six years in Cairo, Egypt and only came across one valid Sifu who taught Wushu and small elements of Tai Chi Chuan. If I was Tunisian I would take advantage of the current situation as talented teachers often migrate with the flow of money to Europe and the US.

TMA - Very good. What role have you played in the development and propagation of Martial Arts in Tunisia?

WB - I have tried to take the back seat to the current qualified Sifu's and have offered my hand in helping out with instruction, as well as teaching a few students at the Olympic City park on the weekends. I hope to be of service to talented Sifu's around the Tunis area who need help with website development, photography, and videos, to help further the interest and popularity of Japanese and Chinese Martial Arts. I actually offered a helping hand to the head Olympic Boxing Coach, but he wasn't interested in what he deemed, foreigner intrusion; and seemed to have mis-categorized me as some sort of spy from the West. I would wager Tunisia won't see many medals in the upcoming Olympics with this kind of closed door attitude; although I did have a chance to do some light sparring with a few young fighters, and a few seemed very talented, but frightfully under trained for the tall order in front of them in London, England.

TMA - I look forward to seeing what will be the eventual fate of these young fighters in London. I am aware of your boxing experience, may I ask, what boxers and figures from the US influenced you the most, and led you to your current philosophies and ideas on combatives?

WB - As a kid, I was played all the major sports, Baseball, Basketball, Football etc. When I was young, I was highly influenced by players like: Bo Jackson, Hershel Walker, Nolan Ryan, Mike Tyson, and no one can forget Michael Jordan. I can also remember taking up some of Bruce Lee's weight training methods at the tender age of thirteen. I bought a few dumbbells and used to do push ups and sit ups with a reckless abandon. As I became older, I was more influenced by boxers like Floyd Mayweather, and Oscar Dela Hoya. In my opinion, they really set the standard high for what it takes to compete on a professional level.

Eventually I would study arts like Wing Chun, and Dirty Boxing (Jail House Rock) and took a few kick boxing classes during the time of my life when I was heavy into weight lifting. Everything changed for me when I became Muslim and moved to the Middle East. I started reading books like Chinese Boxing by Robert W. Smith, which really opened up my mind to the wide world of Internal Martial Arts. Soon after, I ventured to China to train and get a first hand taste for Internal Martial Arts. I wasn't disappointed! Now, for about the last eight years, I have been very serious in the study of Yang style Tai Chi Chuan. I have grown to appreciate it more and more, and in a way, I feel it is the perfect complement to my Western style Boxing training.

TMA - Tell us a little bit about Dirty Boxing. In what ways does it differ from traditional boxing?

WB - The major difference is Dirty Boxing, sometimes called 52 Blocks, was designed in the prison system, and was a means for people to survive against viscous inmates and knife attacks. It focuses primarily on the building up of the upper body to use forearm and elbow positions for attacking and blocking simultaneously. It is similar to boxing, but teaches the fighter to train boxing in the traditional and unorthodox stance. Aside from the other dirty techniques, like kneeing & kicking the groin, fast elbows, and confusing feints; it is a very unique system for protecting the vital organs and face against multiple opponents attacking in a very small enclosed space. Some of the elements seem to come from Wing Chun, and there are many similarities which might be beyond the scope of this discussion for us to get into at this time.

TMA - Do you teach the traditional Yang Style? How does your teaching method differ from other Tai Chi teachers you have come in contact with?

WB - One must realize their is an infinite amount of differences, small distinctions and nuances, when talking about teaching Tai Chi Chuan from teacher to teacher. Yang Jun, for me, is who I model my form after. Who can be more right about the form then the generational holders of the system? The differences from his form and other Yang style teachers are too many to list. His opening doesn't have exaggerated movement and bending of the arms. He also stretches his feet and body to the limits during the form; where other teachers rely on more compact smaller movements. Many argue this is more advanced because it trains short power, but the large frame is meant to stretch out the body and utilize a fuller range of motion, which to me is more advantageous in the long run.

The short compact drills for close range fajing are also taught by Yang Jun, and adherents of his families methods; so nothing is missed by the larger, more fluid movements. The only place I differ in opinion with most Yang style teachers is the set, Tui Shou practice. I feel its better to go full bore chaos sparring, and try to have the students focus on using principles like: absorption, roll back, side stepping, push, press, and ward off etc. If these skills can not be demonstrated during live sparring, then you have gained little in terms of a combative edge from the Yang system. I also like to engage in grappling practice, to utilize pulling, pushing, sweeping, and locks. I haven't seen many Tai Chi teachers employ this teaching method (in their instruction strategy) in a live unorchestrated manner. Yang Jun also seems to concentrate the height of his hand movements around chest to shoulder level. I am more in line with Yang Chengfu's methods of keeping the hands at about head level for obvious reasons.

I also teach rooting drills, which give students the ability to stay on their feet against Judo, and Jujitsu practitioners. If a Tai Chi player can't stop someone from taking them to the ground, then they haven't even begun to make progress in the art form. Aside from these things, I teach a combat form and a fajing form, which are unique, compared to most traditional methods taught in the various schools of Tai Chi Chuan. Other methods I employ are a standard form, 44 set, of neigong-calisthenics, which work every part of the body from head to toe, keeping the practitioner limber and strong. Finally I have learned a 20 set, Iron Body & Breathing skill, which comes from the Iron Wire traditions of Hung Gar, and hardens the body to withstand high velocity strikes and kicks. To sum up some important principles I teach for health and combat in a few sentences, I would suggest: practicing the long form once or twice a day, deep rooting drills for balance and power, daily calisthenics and stretching, high velocity boxing training for rapid striking, foot work and body movement; and daily live contact sparring & grappling with the focus on the Eight Gates of Tai Chi Chuan. This is pretty much the formula I have found to be most advantageous for both health and self defence.

TMA - In closing, how many years does it take to see substantial progress in Yang Style Tai Chi Chuan, for health and combat?

WB - Health benefits begin immediately after the first practice. To become sufficient enough to defend yourself, it may take many years of practice; depending on how long it takes a person to understand 'deep rooting,' and 'moving while remaining rooted.' Repose and advanced skills such as fali and fajing don't usually set in until after a good six to ten years of practice, depending on the individual and the astuteness of his or her teacher. The biggest misconception commonly held by a new student is that body weight is the reason some people can push others around easily. Sifu's like Chen Manching couldn't have weighed more than 140 lbs and toyed around with players who weighed, significantly, over 200 lbs. It's not how much you weigh, but how you diffuse your weight, via gravity, downward through your feet, creating a stable unmovable root. The rule to remember is this, ''Those mentally tense, will be physically tense, and hence easy to manipulate.''

I will leave you with one last saying to reflect on, ''At first, a student's awareness in on the upper body, (he is top heavy, unbalanced) he advances and his consciousness shifts to his waist and central axis, (he is stable) then he gains skill and his mind shifts to his legs, (he is balanced) soon after, he learns to drop his weight through his feet, (he is deeply rooted) then he learns to connect his feet with his hands and becomes obsessed with moving Qi, (he is rooted and distracted) soon after, he figures out how to connect his breath, mind, and keep a steady moving root, (he is unmovable), finally, he is unconscious and makes projections of force which are almost unstoppable, (he has reached a peek) but hasn't seen the clouds.'' - William Beattie

　tags: william beattie tunisian martial arts interview jujitsu taekwondo aikido kung fu tai chi chuan combat fighting training