The Lost Broken Rhythm Application

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“The highest technique is to have no technique. My technique is a result of your technique; my movement is a result of your movement.” Bruce Lee

No matter what martial art you study I’m sure you will find that the use of broken rhythm is beneficial. Almost anyone with a precursory knowledge of Bruce Lee’s training and concepts is familiar with his use and application of broken rhythm. I, unfortunately, never had the opportunity to train under the founder of Jeet Kune Do. Although, I was pleased to be able to train with men who had trained with him. Probably the most influential man from that group was the late great Joe Lewis. I had often noted, over the years, how much Joe reminded me of Bruce as he covered the things that Bruce had taught him. This was despite the difference in size. One of the subjects that I found the most fascinating of all of the five ways of attack, was broken rhythm.

Even before I had met Mr. Lewis, I had read about Bruce Lee’s teachings. It did not take me long to realize that there was so much more to broken rhythm than just the application of offbeat timing used in hand-to-hand combat. I began to see the benefits of using broken rhythm in a myriad of ways. One of the first methods that I began to utilize broken rhythm with was with my training. I don’t know about you, but sometimes after a long day at work I just wasn’t in the mood to exert myself into finishing up my usual training routine. At the time I was normally doing a minimum of two thousand repetitions a day of calisthenics. This was divided between pull-ups or chin-ups, push-ups, dips, crunches, squats along with either fifteen minutes on a jump rope or running a few 5 minute miles. I would generally finish off with twenty or thirty minutes of doing the splits and then half an hour of bag work or the makiwara.

At the time I was working a minimum of eighteen hours a day six days a week. I found my training time suffering, I just didn’t have enough time in the day to keep up. That is when I began to realize that even while I was involved in the performance of my dangerous job I could squeeze in enough time to do a set of one hundred repetitions of one exercise, or another at various times throughout the day. This became my first foray into the application of broken rhythm outside the parameters of the training hall.

Of course, getting to train with a man with first-hand experience of Bruce’s application of broken rhythm was enlightening in itself; it helped me realize the depth of detail one could derive from the study. It is fairly obvious that Bruce Lee had been able to extrapolate the lessons he learned from fencing with his brother and his study of the art of fence into his personal art of Jeet Kune Do. Now that I’m older and have been fortunate enough to live through many potentially life ending accidents, or should I say incidents, I find that using broken rhythm in my training is still valuable. Even if it is just because I don’t feel like stepping outside into thirty mile per hour winds while the temperature hovers at the freezing point, to punch the makiwara. They say it is better to burn out than to rust out. I have noticed that many of the people who were only going full burn lost their fire, and this in turn brought about the rust-out phase. A wise old Japanese sensei once said, "Everyday training is the best." So, even today when my work is not as physically dangerous, and my workout routine is less demanding I still find that the application of broken rhythm in my training routine is most beneficial.

“Engage people with what they expect; it is what they are able to discern and confirms their projections. It settles them into predictable patterns of response, occupying their minds while you wait for the extraordinary moment; that which they cannot anticipate.” Sun Tzu

Thanks to my readers for your support, you give meaning to my life and training and justify my time bleeding into the keyboard. Inside the pages of these following volumes are stories gleaned from life experiences although the examples have been fictionalized.

My books are somewhat esoteric, and are a combination of science fiction and fantasy. My stories are about martial arts adventures that are intertwined with paranormal or supernatural events. The following links are to the Kindle version books from the "Dream Walker” series. Our adventurers find themselves on a quest where they are confronted with both conspiracy and mystery. Their challenge is to unite their mind and body skills together utilizing what they have learned in the martial arts with the transcendental power of dream mediation. They attempt to do this while they are trying to make a life for themselves and elude those that seek to use and control them.

Conversations with a Sage (Book 1 of the Dream-Walker)

Conversations with a Sage: This explores Xander Davidson's early encounters with the mysterious fog like Dream Walking martial art sages. He ponders if they are real or if they are only remnants of his dreams. He mainly keeps this secret world to himself as he tries to copes with abuse, growing up without support or guidance and the mystery of his family's past. 

Xander and the Assassins Gift (Book 2 of the Dream-Walker)

The Assassins Gift: Xander Davidson struggles with the conspiracy of his family and the group that is actively trying to manipulate him to join them or die. The young Dream Walkers learns an early lesson to be careful about whom they let into their circle.


Warriors of Perception (Book 3 of the Dream-Walker)

Warriors of Perception: Xander Davidson and his band of friends embark on a mission to free themselves from their oppressors. They bravely face the challenge all the while vying for the right moment to turn the tables.

Jace Lee The Shift (Book 4 of the Dream-Walker)

Jace Lee The Shift: We find a new apprentice, Adam, that is fighting for his life. He is struggling to understand the amazing skills of his mentor, Jace Lee; a younger man that has trained under Xander Davidson. All the while his mentor attempts to reconcile the fact that his skills do not match up with the other Dream Walkers.


Jace Lee No Agenda (Dream Walker Book 5)

Jace Lee No Agenda: Jace Lee attempts to find himself on a self-imposed vision quest of sorts. Instead he finds himself being stalked by the same group that had previously sought after his teacher, (Xander Davidson). Instead of mastering his odd Dream Walking skills he finds love and the potential loss of his powers.

Jace Lee and the Tutelage of Ming Wu: Dream Walker 6 

Jace Lee The Tutelage of Ming Wu: Jace Lee rejoins his teacher Xander Davidson as they cope with a possible combined threat (the mysterious), Ming Wu and the Council that has continuously monitored the Dream Walkers.