Restored by the brief respite, Teg introduced a new element in the attack and sent a sudden burn-line against Duncan's left side.
How easily Duncan parried the attack!
He was using an oddly mixed variation on the five attitudes, each response seemingly invented before it was required.
"Each attack is a feather floating on the infinite road," Duncan said. His voice gave no hint of exertion. "As the feather approaches, it is diverted and removed."
Has anyone discussed the possible source or sources for the above passages before? I don't think so...Teg spoke quickly, hoping to blunt the anger he sensed in her. "He has mastered the seven attitudes today."
"He strikes like fire," Lucilla said, "but remember that we of the Sisterhood flow like water and fill in every place." She glanced down at Teg. "Do you not see that our ghola has gone beyond the attitudes?"
"No fixed position, no attitude," Duncan said.
So I figured I give it a shot since I have a background in martial arts and have been training since I was a kid.
Also, back in the 70s and 80s, the Dune books were not only popular in the science fiction community but also in the martial arts community for obvious reasons. By the way, a samurai sword is part of the lore of Japan, a kris knife (crysknife) is part of the lore of Indonesia.
There are three possible English sources for the description of the fighting method Duncan was learning at the Keep (The Keep of the Borderlands
)First
During the time that Frank Herbert was writing Heretics of Dune, Japan Inc. was in vogue, especially Japanese style management books.
One title that was particularly popular was the English transation of Miyamoto Musashi's Gorinnosho (1645) known as The Book of Five Rings in English. The book originally was five scrolls (earth, water, wind, fire, void), and while the elements do have special meanings, the five elements was also simply a method of classification during feudal Japan.
The five attitudes are: Upper, Middle, Lower, Right Side, and Left Side. These are the five. Although attitude has these five dimensions, the one purpose of all of them is to cut the enemy. There are none but these five attitudes. Whatever attitude you are in, do not be conscious of making the attitude; think only of cutting.
SecondAttitude No-Attitude means that there is no need for what are known as long sword attitudes. Even so, attitudes exist as the five ways of holding the long sword. However you hold the sword it must be in such a way that it is easy to cut the enemy well, in accordance with the situation, the place, and your relation to the enemy.
There was also a series of martial arts books by Stephen K Hayes published in 1980s which also discussed in detail the concept of moving with the five attitudes and ultimately progressing beyond the original five attitudes (earth, water, wind, fire, void or chi, sui, fu, ka, ku ---> mu or nothingness).
Third
There was very little published in English regarding traditional Chinese martials at the time and usually only sold in local martial art stores.
Furthermore, they only would have gone as far as mentioning the five colors, five animals, five elements, etc., but not the five attitudes.
However, the other possible source for the above passages is Bruce Lee.
Be like water making its way through cracks. Do not be assertive, but adjust to the object, and you shall find a way around or through it. If nothing within you stays rigid, outward things will disclose themselves
It’s a summary of the Taoist concept of Wu Wei, which literally translates into ‘effortless action.’ (Wu/Mu get it)Empty your mind, be formless. Shapeless, like water. If you put water into a cup, it becomes the cup. You put water into a bottle and it becomes the bottle. You put it in a teapot, it becomes the teapot. Now, water can flow or it can crash. Be water, my friend.
But, nothing about the five attitudes...Don't ignore the five senses in search of a sixth.
What do you think?
Anyway, I not only wanted to point out the possible sources for those passages but also to take this one step further and suggest what both of the Dune movies missed.
A golden opportunity to produce something special if not legendary, if they had followed the path of John Wick or Batman.
Gun fu in John Wick, as described by director Chad Stahelski, is a combination of “Japanese jiu-jitsu, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, tactical 3-gun, and standing Judo.”
Keysi Fighting Method or KFM, a real fighting method taught in Spain, utilizes the defensive covering technique in an offensive manner. KFM utilizes a double arm covering stance called The Pensador which uses the arms that are defending to strike while still maintaining the covering position in front of the face. The strikes used while in The Pensador position range from elbow strikes to punches to head-butts, with each strike executed while maintaining the covering position of the arms in front of the head.The Christian Bale Batman learned a Martial Arts system called the Keysi fighting system. It is a self defense fighting system that emphasizes a high guard.
The unique fighting styles were an important element that helped enriched both movies especially John Wick.
The fact everyone fought in a low tech manner was not only in the text of the Dune novels but important part of the milieu of Dune.
By replacing with weirding modules, modern armour or weaponry, something was lost.
The HLP
