Sensei said, “The masters, in trying to solve this problem, come away with the inescapable conclusion that violence is kept under control by a greater force. What I mean is this, a person would not dare commit an act of violence on a person who could retaliate with the fury of an avenging angel. The price would be too high to pay.”

In my years training in the martial arts, I had always been taught that violence is inherent in man. That, basically, until man got to wear the wings of an angel, he would follow the tenets of the god of war. What about the man who would turn the other cheek? Would it make the aggressor happier because he would have two cheeks to hit instead of one?

According to Sensei, the masters devised techniques of escape from the premises. In the end, these techniques are as myriad as the proliferation of schools that have sprung up since then, but the principles are universal and few. “Remember,” Sensei always said, “Principles are the only thing. Anyone can practice techniques and perfect them, but to get into the principle, that is the secret and the road to mastery.”

It all became clear to me one day as if I had hit enlightenment. Consider it, take the strongest man and the weakest man you can find. Stand them side by side, one strong as a bull and the other looking as if the wind could blow him over. The strong man appears invulnerable in comparison to the weaker, but on closer examination, using techniques the ancient masters used, both men are equally vulnerable with hardly an iota of difference between them.

That is how the principle of the dragon tail, the eagle wing and the phoenix beak came about. Man cannot strengthen his eyes and testicles against a strike. Those are the two places where muscular protection cannot happen. Fudo Myoo, the chief deity of the royal protectors of Buddhism, is known as the immovable, fierce-faced impartial judge, punisher of the devil and of all wickedness. He is usually depicted sitting in flames holding a rope in his left hand ready to bind evil. He also holds a sword in his right hand ready to kill evil. As far as I am concerned, Sensei was a reincarnation of Fudo Myoo.

“There are three principles involved in the dragon tail, the eagle wing and the phoenix beak,” Sensei always remarked, “these are meant for those physically weaker, for women and for those who do not want to fight. It is a principle meant to help you get safely away. The masters knew that the dragon and the phoenix were mythical to most people, but in their observation of nature and when in deep meditation, the dragon and the phoenix became real. Therefore, they devised the principle of escape.”

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No one martial arts school can claim, with authority, that any particular technique sprang from their system. This is particularly true of the dragon tail, the eagle wing or the phoenix beak, which is embodied in all kata (forms) in all schools. This is the value of the kata, the language that the ancients used to transmit their secrets. If you ever had the impression that the world is full of morons, all you have to do is to listen to the claims made by various schools that such and such a technique is the sole property of their system. Unfortunately, morons do exist and such claims will always be made.

Since all masters, or most of them anyway, are geniuses, all of them once embroiled in a war or in a fight, came across the inescapable fact that the eyes and testicles were the best target areas. If a blow is properly delivered to either of these two areas it renders a person temporarily out of commission, great for a weaker person giving them enough time to escape. For a strong person there is plenty of time to deliver a follow-up coup de grace.

“Stand loose, the looser the better,” Sensei cried out. “Relax and wait for the attacker to come within distance. Measure your distance carefully and at the right moment, strike! Use the knife edge of your hand – never your fist and as soon as you feel contact, keep on moving and get away.”

I must have practised the technique a thousand times, both in kata and kumite. (All styles have one of the three principles embodied somewhere their advanced forms. Their posture, position, or name may be different, but the principle is the same. The principles are especially rigorously emphasized in weapons, because one false move could mean death.) The one element that stuck in my mind and made a lot of sense was the importance of being physically relaxed and mentally alert. Sensei said, “If you tense your body, or any part of your body preparatory to a strike or block, you will feel strong and believe that you will hit strong. But that is an incorrect belief, you are not doing it right. Always use the principle of the explosion and then the hit.”

Suppose that you are trapped in an alley with someone threatening you with great bodily harm. If you choose not submit to his demands, what then? First, look around, check for a way to escape, then relax, draw a deep breath. As soon as your attacker comes within range, deliver either the dragon tail, the eagle wing or the beak of the phoenix, depending on the situation. Then, get away as fast as possible. This method is guaranteed to work. Although I cannot emphasize it too strongly that escape is crucial. Do not, I repeat, do not stay and watch your stricken attacker... you will more than likely lose the advantage of surprise and, most important, the time you need to get away.

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Funakoshi Gichin, in his book ‘Karate Do My Way of Life’, wrote that when he was in his 80s, he was attacked by a young punk and used the dragon tail principle to subdue and hold the man until the police came. Since we are not all as learned as Funakoshi Gichin, caught in the same situation, we would better use this principle simply to get away safely.

The most effective techniques of physical self defense were developed on the battlefield, in mortal hand-to-hand combat, in one on one duels. The principles and techniques that evolved from that milieu arose out of the sword, such as the sword hand.

It is absolutely not necessary to harden the hands or strengthen the fingers, although if one did it, unquestionably the technique’s application would be more devastating.

“Relax,” Sensei said. “When your opponent comes towards you, step back, stay loose, and judge the distance. Stand with your left foot forward and your right foot back, lightly on your toes and watch your opponent’s left foot. As soon as he steps hard on his left foot or steps forward, take a quick step with your right foot about three inches to the side of his foot; step diagonally and cross your left foot in back of your right foot so that your body turns away from your opponent. With your right hand, hit backwards and up into his groin area with the knife edge of your hand as hard as you can, preferably into his testicles. That, basically, is the dragon tail.”

Sensei also told me that if the assailant is a southpaw, to just reverse the position and use the left hand instead. The dragon tail is especially effective against a powerful assailant. However, sometimes you meet an opponent who comes at you en garde, such as a boxer with his left hand extended in front preparing to jab. In that case, it is sometimes advisable to use the eagle wing if a jab is coming at you or the opponent is making feinting motions with his hands. Run in fast and execute what appears to be an X-block against the offending left hand or jab. Don’t stop with the block; continue on with both your hands describing an arc like the spread of an eagle’s wings. Plummet your hands downward and strike his testicles or lower groin with the palm of your left hand if you are moving diagonally outside of his left. If your move is sudden and swift, it is guaranteed to work without fail. You can only pull it off once, but once is usually enough if you are trapped and want to get away after temporarily negating your assailant’s mobility.

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The phoenix beak is meant for just one eye. It does not matter which eye, as long as you execute the beak strike quickly and decisively with the sole intent of getting away. Step back as far away as possible from your assailant and put your plan of action at the ready. Do not hesitate, as soon as your assailant comes within your distance, attack! With your right hand, strike under his left hand. If he jabs or holds his left hand in front of his face, hold your thumb and forefinger together as rigidly as possible and using the upper part of your hand in the section between your thumb and forefinger, strike as hard as you can at the juncture where the opponent’s wrist joins his forearm. Keep on moving and strike one of his eyes as hard as you can. You can’t miss. It always works once.

“In escape,” Sensei always warned, “the mental attitude is of paramount importance. Be totally committed to the one act and then get away. Do not even look back to see the results. If you know you connected, you also know what the results will be. Don’t try to be cute and stick around.”

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