Flaming Waterdrops

Some days ago, I had a conversation with a martial arts expert about individual fighting. After my first two sentences, he said, “Aha, then it’s similar to MMA, isn’t it?” “Yes, in some respects it is,” I replied, “but in many essential ways, it definitely is not.” In columns, I listed their attributes. To make the picture even clearer, I began with the well-known concept of freestyle. None of these are classical styles. I highlighted the similarities to InFi in green, and the differences in pink. Each line represents the same aspect across all columns. In summary, we might call MMA a sport version of InFi—or restricted individual fighting . But we must not refer to InFi as free MMA in general, because the restrictions in MMA are not merely technical. The entire mindset is different. The most essential discrepancies lie in the third, fourth, and fifth lines above—which are not about freedom or limitation at all. Of course, every MMA fighter has their own InFi outside of competiti...

Thank you very much for reading this. This blog is just the beginning. My intention is to raise awareness in you about your InFi —your Individual Finesse or Fighting,  personal style. I'm confident you understand what I want people to realize. Why is InFi such an important concept to talk about and spread? There are two main reasons: 1. Awareness. I want to prevent people from feeling inadequate simply because they struggle to master certain skills that may not be suited to them. For example, an older woman may not be able to earn a black belt in a traditional system with full integrity—not because she lacks dedication, but because the system wasn't built for her. (Of course, in a corrupt commercial world, anyone can buy certificates and black belts—but that's not the point.) 2. The upcoming Percomboo (PCB). The second reason is the introduction of PCB —a program and technology designed to help anyone improve and develop their most natural , style. PCB is rooted in ...

(karate) InFi by Tanaka Have you ever noticed that many karate practitioners' styles look completely different in a real fight compared to traditional karate? Have you ever observed that during spontaneous free fighting, it's nearly impossible to guess a competitor's traditional style—unless it's already known? Isn't it interesting how the structured, classical styles often seem to evaporate in real combat? The reason is simple: unpredictable situations are the domain of InFi . No external system has dominance over the power of InFi in that space. My friend John once said that the body reacts naturally using movements and techniques that have been instilled over time. That’s true. It’s the result of learning—repetition creates automatic reactions. But does that directly connect with the personal style I’m talking about? Yes, but only partially. Part of an individual's style is learned—copied or invented—and the other part is inborn. I would say the base of a...

There is plenty of evidence that interest in martial arts has been declining over the last decade. This is apparent, and I believe the reasons are the internet, globalization, and changing trends. People who are drawn to combative activities and want to explore and develop their own InFi style simply don’t stay in schools for long. They train for a while and then move on. The internet opens the eyes of the open-minded. You can watch anything you want online, and masters can no longer keep their secrets the way they could 30 years ago. As a result, teachers are no longer seen as authority figures; they’ve become more like customer service providers. Changing trends are another factor. The popularity of martial arts fluctuates. MMA, Krav Maga, and tricking are the current trends. In my opinion, it’s just fashion. The fact that these are popular doesn’t mean they’re better—they’re simply newer and heavily promoted through the media. When it comes to individual fighting styles, some tr...

Creating our individual style is a natural process. Everyone develops their style automatically. This statement is general but can be applied to any specific field—martial arts, combat sports, and self-defence are no exceptions. People who practice fighting are constantly creating their own fighting styles. They are, consciously or unconsciously, the creators of their unique approach to combat. Whatever one is learning, only a part of it will truly be absorbed. Another part will be automatically rejected by the self. Moreover, every absorbed element is filtered through a person’s individuality. The evolving individual fighting style becomes distinct from the traditionally practiced style. In other words, by practicing conventional techniques, one is also developing an invisible, personal fighting style—what we can call the InFi style. For example, someone studying Wing Chun kung fu or Kyokushinkai karate is guided by teachers and improved within the framework of tradition. At the same ...

DO YOU HAVE A FIGHTING STYLE? WHERE IS IT FROM? What would your style be if you grew up in a forest, constantly under attack, forced to defend yourself without anyone to follow or learn from? Your style would be your own—an invented, individual fighting style.