FLAMING WATERDROPS

  Yin and Yang: The Paralysis of Perfect Balance Yin and yang is the well-known symbol of the world's ever-moving duality. These are universal principles, but more specifically, yin or yang represents attitude — your chosen approach to life. While understanding the whole principle is helpful, trying to represent both sides simultaneously can be devastating. I’ve learned this through years of philosophical experience. Nobody can deny the fundamental truth that everything has two sides. If we pay attention, it’s obvious. That was my starting point 20–30 years ago. When both sides are equal, they are in balance — in harmony — which means they are not moving. Like a scale: as long as one side is heavier, the scale moves. Harmony sounds appealing, but balance is also a form of stillness — in other words, death. Consequently, harmony cannot last long because life is constant movement and change. An individual's desire for peace is often just the hope for a break — the weekend, th...

Repetition, Individuality, and the Formation of InFi Repetition is a fundamental part of the learning process. Every martial art and combat sport system uses it as a core teaching method — and for good reason. This principle is widely accepted and understood. But it raises an important question: To what extent can repetition shape our individual style? The answer: Only partially . Because repetition — no matter how intense or prolonged — can’t completely override our natural endowments. Your InFi (Individual Finesse) is deeply rooted in who you are. Training can shape and refine it, but it can’t erase it. The Illusion of Uniformity Imagine a group of people practicing the same movements repeatedly — a karate team performing synchronized katas or Shaolin monks drilling the same techniques thousands of times. Now picture yourself as their assistant or instructor. You know each person well. One day, they all wear identical uniforms and masks. Suppose their height and body type are also s...

Copy First, Create Later: How People Learn and Solve Problems In today's world, there are people with inner motivation — they know what they want and are willing to try the ideas that come to mind. These are the experimenters , the inventors . Then there are others who need to be motivated externally — by other people, by incentives. This second type is more common and reflects the spontaneous reaction most people have when first facing a problem. When a problem arises, the first instinct is to look for examples. If there's something to copy, they copy it — like a son mimics his father's way. Only if there is no example does the inventive process begin. So we can conclude: there's no problem with duplication , even though InFi development advocates creation rather than copying . The truth is that creation works in both ways : First, we copy. Second, we invent. This also explains the popularity of corporate styles in the past. To summarize: I WANT TO DO SO...

(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...

Yesterday, I raised the question of whether Bruce Lee was right or wrong when he said, "I do not believe in styles." The basis of this question lies in the well-known fact that styles do exist and have continued to thrive ever since he made that statement in a 1971 interview. It seems that his claim has had little effect on the popularity of martial art styles, even though Bruce Lee remains the most famous, influential, and legendary martial artist of all time. Millions of Bruce Lee fans and followers continue to practice one or more traditional martial art styles. In fact, many beginners—initially inspired by Bruce Lee—end up learning and devoting themselves to traditional styles. As a result, a certain contradiction becomes apparent, and the question is entirely justifiable. Now, I’d like to share my friend Milagros’ great response to that question: “The Dragon is right; people should not rely on style. People try to keep an open mind—I believe this is what the Dragon wan...

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...

Psychology is the scientific study of the mind and behaviour, focusing on how people think, feel, and act. It explores mental processes, emotions, and interactions, aiming to understand both individual and group behaviour. Psychologists use observation, experiments, and research to study areas like mental health, learning, development, personality, and social influence. In the context of Percomboo , psychology explains individual behaviours and decision-making in various situations. It relates to the  subjective, individual component of the InFi equation . Psychology can help clarify why someone chooses one thing over another, or why a certain option is better suited to a particular person. It offers insight into why people are so different, even though we all belong to the same species. Percomboo includes an applied psychology aspect, as it approaches individuals differently based on their unique psychological makeup. Philosophy, on the other hand, is the study of fundamental...