Martial Secrets: Simplicity


Stupid, Simple is the way to keep it.

Filed Under: Blog, Simplicity by Kris Wilder — 1 Comment
January 19, 2011

Stupid, simple is the way to keep it.

Yeah a reversal of the old acronym, Kiss, Keep It Simple Stupid, but you want some creativity in the title, right?

Keeping it simple is a phrase that is pitched around may schools, many adhere to it, other schools not so much. I for one really try to winnow things down and keep it simple. I have spoken to it before, and with some depth in a set of previous posts called Smith’s Rules of Design, they are listed below:

Smith’s Rules of Design #1

Smith’s Rules of Design #2

Smith’s Rules of Design #3

Smith’s Rules of Design #4

But the other day a cryptic message came in from a guy that I really like, we have traveled to a couple of counties together and have trained with and around many of the same people. He is always looking at the world and his art with a thoughtful internal dialogue. And he makes me laugh hard with throw away lines that he just tosses out at any moment, and often recklessly, you have to respect that.

His mail in total is attached below:

as I’ve said before, I really like essentialism (in martial arts, and other things)

This nails it

There ya go. Simple direct and really effective. Heck even his e-mail was simple.

I have some serious pruning to do to catch up with him. Soooo…I should stop writing now.

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Smith’s Rules of Design #4

Filed Under: Blog, Simplicity, Skills, Smith Rules of Design by Kris Wilder — 5 Comments
April 13, 2010



This is number four of four blogs based on “Smith’s Rules of Design” from the August 2008 issue of “Popular Mechanics”:


4. Simplicity is the Ultimate Sophistication


Nature builds complexity out of simple commands. Flowers, bugs and you, all made up of simple commands, repetitive, simple commands. The biggest rock in the world is in Australia. Uluru, also referred to as Ayers Rock, has outlasted everything man has ever built, and likely will ever build. Simple, elegant, exactly what it is supposed to be, the world’s biggest rock.


The old saying goes, “Dumb as a rock.” However, when it comes to the simplicity of being what it is supposed to be (built out of simple commands) Uluru has us all beat. To put it in today’s vernacular, (K.I.S.S.) Keep It Simple Stupid.


It is important, in my opinion, that your martial arts reflect this understanding that “Simplicity is the Ultimate Sophistication.”


HOUSEKEEPING: Many of you have already signed up, but do remember I am changing programs soon. To continue to get this blog, you will need to sign-up under “Followers” in the lower right hand corner of this blog – it is easy to do and keeps you in the loop. Thanks for your support- Kris

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Smith’s Rules of Design #3

Filed Under: Blog, Philosophy, Simplicity, Smith Rules of Design by Kris Wilder — 3 Comments
April 5, 2010


Continuing the theme from the last two weeks, this is #3 in a series of four articles based “Smith’s Rules of Design” from the August 2008 issue of “Popular Mechanics”:

3. Transferring Technology is Good; Transferring the Skill to Improve the Technology is Better.

If you are an instructor you have the responsibility to transfer the skill of improving technique to your students. If you are not, you are remiss in your duty to your students. You know that old saying, “Give a man a fish and he eats for a day; teach him to fish and he will eat for a lifetime?” Well this is the same. You as a teacher must have the desire and the vision to teach your students the skills of discernment and exploration.

By discernment, I mean the ability of the student to understand what is going on and to use good judgment. And to follow along that line, exploration is defined in terms of seeking the next horizon. These two make a potent combination. Instilling these two skills means that you students can venture and learn anywhere and will know the difference between, the good and the garbage.

HOUSEKEEPING: Remember I am changing programs soon. To continue to get this blog, you will need to sign-up under “Followers” in the lower right hand corner of this blog – it is easy to do and keeps you in the loop. Thanks for your support- Kris

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Smith’s Rules of Design #2

Filed Under: Blog, Learning, Simplicity, Smith Rules of Design, Training by Kris Wilder — 4 Comments
March 30, 2010


As I noted last week, while in the doctor’s office I came across an article in the August 2008 issue of “Popular Mechanics” titled, “Smith’s Rules of Design.” Because the rules apply so well to the martial arts, I wanted to write about each of them separately.

This is number two in a series of four.

2. Study the Problem

The Scientific Method of studying a problem reads this way:

1. Define the question
2. Gather information and resources (observe)
3. Form hypothesis
4. Perform experiment and collect data
5. Analyze data
6. Interpret data and draw conclusions that serve as a starting point for new hypothesis

The Scientific Method has gotten the modern world very far and is the standard of research, good stuff, imperial evidence, and reductive thinking. If you use these six points in trying to discern your art, you will go very far.

However, the greatest martial artists we have seen have been, as the title implies, artists. They have, or have had, the ability to take a situation and intuit, or sense, the situation without much reasoning. They have, through hours of practice, studied the problem. And after some time they have blended the scientific with the art and solved the problem.

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Smith’s Rules of Design #1

Filed Under: Blog, Cheap, Martial Arts, Simplicity, Skills, Training by Kris Wilder — 5 Comments
March 23, 2010




While in the doctor’s office I came across an article in the August 2008 issue of “Popular Mechanics” titled, “Smith’s Rules of Design.” Because the rules apply so well to the martial arts, over the next four blogs I am going to address each of them separately.


1.” If You Want to Make Something 10x Cheaper, Remove 90% of the Material.”


That is clear, clean stuff. I interpreted it to have two possible meanings: 1) cheaper means faster to make and get it in operation, or 2) whatever is made is not going to last. A one-day self-defense seminar is 10x cheaper because 90% of the material has been removed. There is no history, tradition, discipline, dedication, self-exploration, and several other items. Now the other thing is that cheaper is frequently associated with poor quality and that is not often true. If you define the item by its use then maybe it is not cheap? If my goal is to build ships that move troops quickly and are designed just for that, then is the troop transport cheap, or efficient, or both?


So the question is, what is over-engineered in our lives? After a little audit on my part, I threw out three bags of meaningless garbage, gave some stuff away, and streamlined some training at the dojo. And it was all done right away.


Here is an example of Smith’s Rules of Designs #1 applied to a wind generator – brilliant.

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