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Invisibility
Invisibility literally means to be unseen, unnoticed.
In modern times invisibility is associated with fictional stories
involving magic cloaks or scientific devices.
In the martial arts it is about stealth and secrecy.
Anonymity
Modern culture encourages the individual to parade themselves
publicly, to broadcast their fighting skills and draw attention.
This is not what The Art of War and The 36
Strategies recommend.
It is not good to be noticed.
Anonymity is a common Taoist theme.
By remaining humble and quiet, unremarkable and unnoticed, a person can
proceed through life freely.
Drawing attention is perceived as being unwise because you cannot determine
whether the attention is good or bad.
The Art of War
When Sun Tzu speaks of invisibility, he is speaking about moving
without attracting the attention of your opponent:
Concealment
Covert
Disguise
Espionage
Hidden
Misdirection
Secrecy
Stealth
Sun Tzu wrote a whole section
on spying.
From a combat perspective this is very useful.
You do not need to become a spy, but you can learn how to avoid being
noticed.
Strategy
A martial artist gains significant strategic
advantage by remaining invisible.
When assailants do not know that you possess combat
skills, they are not concerned by you.
They are apt to be over-confident.
Traditionally, the martial artist was trained to be modest and bland.
How to cultivate invisibility
Remember that your aim is not to make an impression.
You can accomplish this by looking at various ways to lessen your presence:
Attire
Deception
Keep to yourself
Possessions
Slow
Soft
Sound
Not talking
Attire
Dress in bland, dull colours and outfits that do not draw any form of
attention.
Avoid anything that catches the eye or makes you stand out.
Your aim is to be background, not foreground.
Wear loose, comfortable clothing that enables freedom of movement, and
footwear that allows for rapid, nimble footwork.
Deception
Deception is a major theme in The Art of War.
It encourages the martial artist to avoid being showy and obvious in all
facets of life.
If strong, appear weak. If capable, appear inept.
Encourage over-confidence and provoke carelessness.
Keep to yourself
Instead of seeking attention, consider how to accomplish the
opposite.
Be understated and subtle, outwardly boring and unremarkable.
Do not invite interest.
If you are dull, then nobody will notice you or care.
Possessions
Driving a fancy/expensive car or making your house the envy of the
neighbourhood is not stealthy at all.
Parading electronic devices in public is not the Way.
Think instead of becoming mysterious.
Drive a boring, banal car.
Do not carry anything openly that looks expensive or eye-catching.
Let you house be entirely anonymous; your garden is not filled with 'the
works' and there is no sign of evident wealth.
Slow
Moving slowly does not alert the nervous
system.
The mind ignores slowness.
It is not seen as being a threat.
Watch how a cat moves. It is silent and stealthy, cautious and vigilant.
It takes a lot more effort to move slowly. It taxes the muscles and enhances
the nervous system.
You need to be in the immediate moment; aware of what is happening right
now, of what you are doing right now.
Soft
Sensitivity is a real challenge.
Become attuned to your sensory realm: see, hear, smell and feel.
Quieten your mind through meditation exercises and be here, right now.
Make everything you do soft.
Your presence, your interactions with people, your physical manipulation of
everyday objects, your voice, your manner.
Softness is not weak or ineffectual.
It is subtle and elegant, graceful and powerful.
In combat training, softness offers faster response times and less overt
actions.
Sound
Can you move without making footfalls?
Without rustling your clothing?
Without the content of your pockets jangling?
Can you avoid pushing the air in front if you?
Even if your footsteps are quiet, the vibration from your step can carry
through the floor.
Be mindful of this.
Use every opportunity to practice being quiet.
Listen to your breathing and your movements, to your everyday habits. Do
you clatter and bang, or are you silent?
Use external sounds to mask your own movements.
Practice constantly.
Try walking on different terrain.
See how different types of footwear serve to mask or advertise your
presence.
Go to quiet places whilst the world is asleep and learn the meaning of
quietude.
Not talking
Instead of using conversation as a means of self-promotion, try
listening and observing.
Watch your own tendencies carefully.
Why are you speaking?
What prompts the need?
Are you talking for the sake of it?
Do you have anything to say?
Are you softly spoken and polite, or are you loud and attention-seeking?
Balance
Taoism embraces all sides of our
character; recognising that people are both good/bad, strong/weak and so on.
We cannot be one without the other. The key is to find balance. A harmony of
apparent opposites.
The main two methods of invisibility in combat work are:
Cold jing
Being unseen by the opponent
1. Cold jing
Cold jing is the act of
striking without any discernable build-up. It must be a spontaneous,
whole-body action.
There are many ways to remain unseen.
By evading the line of force - without blocking - you gain an interval of
time in which to act.
2. Unseen
Concealment, misdirection, feinting and luring can be used to keep the
attacker doubtful and hesitant.
If you only employ 4 ounces of pressure at all
times, then the attacker cannot feel your actions in advance.
Stepping, evasion, listening and sensitivity all provide opportunities to
disguise your direction and intentions.
Unorthodoxy, unpredictability, improvisation, adaptation and change make
your actions difficult to anticipate and respond to.
Broadcasting yourself
The need to broadcast stems from insecurity.
By marketing your lifestyle and accomplishments you are seeking approval and
envy.
If you seek attention, you will find it. But attention-seeking is
less about courage than insecurity. A person who dresses or acts to court
attention is not bold; they are lonely. They want to be noticed.
Their performance is intended to seduce you into
adopting the role of audience.
Resist the urge to parade your accomplishments.
Showing-off only attracts unwanted attention in the form of jealousy and
resentment.
Chuang Tzu argues that it is foolish to advertise your wealth or your
fighting skills.
Selling yourself cheap
Telling people about yourself or revealing information without prudence can
lead people to undervalue your worth.
When you share things without caution, others will take you for granted.
Be aloof.
Only reveal what you want to reveal to those you want to share it with.
Do not be an exhibitionist.
Shadow people
Taoism encourages the adept to withdraw into the shadows and remain
anonymous.
Yin/yang shows us that every action is both good and bad e.g. success and
popularity also bring resentment and hostility.
It is necessary to be indirect, unpredictable and vague.
Let the attention of others slide off you entirely. Remain beneath interest.
If a beast big enough to swallow a wagon
Should leave its mountain forest,
It will not escape the hunter's trap.
If a fish big enough to swallow a boat
Lets itself get stranded by the outgoing tide,
Then even ants will destroy it.
So birds fly high, beasts remain
In trackless solitudes,
Keep out of sight; and fishes
Or turtles go deep down,
Down to the very bottom.
The man who has some respect for his person
Keeps his carcass out of sight,
Hides himself as perfectly as he can.
(Chuang Tzu)
Page created
18 April 1995
Last updated
04 May 2023
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