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Adam
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« on: September 15, 2008, 04:17:01 pm » |
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The world of Martial Arts have lost one of the best unknown teachers on sept 9 , 2008. Dave Harris was a practioner and great teacher of Red Boat Wing Chun , southern mantis, Ba kua , Yang and chen style Tai Chi , the Aki arts, Yeung Chuans unique material and Hsing I . In reality his stuff is internalized to the point that it is hard to tell what is what.... This is important.
I first heard about Mr Harris through my Sifu Mike Smith. Mike was going on about how amazing Sensei Harris is , especially his leading abilities. Mike told me that he thought that Mr Harris was the best internal application artist that he ever saw in his life. A while later , Mike show me a video of Mr Harris teaching in a mountain retreat. He was showing joint lock from cloud hands on James Keaton, Later he show weeve hands mother sets to Ba kua stepping, there was also a part in the video that he was working with knives on James. His leading and ability to step behind an attacker by slipping into the guys gap in awareness was something I have never seen before .... I decided to visit his class in seattle.
I was expecting a serious "martial arts master" when I arrived at the class in a community center, a middle age, friendly middle age man in a buzz bunny T shirt welcome me . The thing that he he taught and made us work on was leading a straight punch with two hands while flowing into a wrist lock . I had trouble making it work , on top of that I had serious doubt if it work at all.
sensei Harris must have sense my doubts because he ask me to punch him. I had too much respect for him and I gave him a crappy punch , he look at me in a way that said " its ok , do it" Well , I really went for it fastest I can . The next thing I knew , he disappear I was off balance , then his palms was in my face causing me to cover that lead into a wrist lock and other painful things. I was impress by the fact that he lead every single move he wanted like a great chess player . one minute he was there , next thing you know , he was behind you. One minute he was soft , next minute he invades your space with direct hitting - whatever he feels like. Also , no matter how fast I went , he didn't go fast at all .
After a two hour class , we went to taco bell and we ended up til the staff kick us out cause they had to close the store! How many teachers would do that? His generousity was more impressive to me then his combative skills. Afterwards we ended up in the parking lot for another hour and he was showing us stuff again!
I do not remember much from our conversation cause it was 14 years ago. But somethings he said really help me like balancing combat with healing arts , wheres the guys mind , when is a chair not a chair , steal the guys balance not chasing hands, stepping to slip in to the gaps in someones awareness, defeating speed with slowness. Although , a couple of those concepts are famous, having a chance to see it from someone that can make it work effortlessly is amazing and an inspirational source that is necessary to keep these arts alive. It wasn't the techniques but he gave a glimspe of a whole new approach; like all great teachers, they can shift the context for you instead of worrying about the content.
What I do is very simple and I always thought that maybe, someday I might be at a place that I can start practicing something more effortless and peaceful and still make it work. I always thought that if someday I live long enough and progress far enough in this stuff that I feel I can handle a real attacker without hurting them much , Sensei Harris would be the man I will visit again ...
Sensei Harris RIP
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