There are many themes that I talk about on the site, but first and foremost you should develop your own applications to suit your own requirements. I can offer you mine, but really they have sprung from me and my own experiences, and won’t necessarily be of any use if you just know them theoretically or intellectually. Otherwise, you could well just wake up every day feeling as though you have gotten nowhere in training, unless you apply the principles yourself by adding your own flavour to them. Like a recipe, you have to spice them up to your tastes. This is my only goal on here, to help give you ideas for training, I don’t come on here to promote my own interests.
Ideas are powerless on their own, because they require you to apply them to your own experience, then you give them conditions for proper development. Trust only in your own efforts, because that is what brings ideas to life. Your own love of progress makes ideas come alive moment by moment, and this is the animating force, otherwise ideas remain dead husks, that is empty forms.
The Hara Centre
The Hara Centre1, the Dan Tien as it is called in China, or simply the centre of gravity in man, is located roughly 4cms below the naval. The Energy centre is not situated in a particularly glamourous region, and symbolically speaking it involves mining, sifting through, and refinement before conversion into useful material can take place. In other words transformation of raw material energy. The Hara Centre is linked also to the Solar plexus, which is involved in full body breathing, and by focusing on the rhythms of breathing, this can enhance the power of the Hara centre. In fact, the Solar plexus is considered the true heart, because through the breathing exercises one animates and strengthens the physical heart by working with the diaphragm region.
In the evening we can focus on deep slow breathing to expand our body awareness by working with the solar plexus, and we can perform certain exercises to this end2. For example, it can be advantageous to imagine expanding ones energies into surrounding space, in other words unifying with Nature. Actually, in his book “The Body Electric” Robert Becker says the body has its own Magnetic field, much like the earth. This may be how the aura is felt by others. In the day time we can concentrate our forces, go to war or hunt symbolically speaking, by concentrating on and enhancing the energies of the hara Centre within. Concentration and expansion, Fire and Water. Night and day, war and peace, hunting and distributing, these are the keys to the ebb and flow of evolution. This is the way to understanding Work and Rest.
1 The Hara Centre https://intuitivemartialarts.com/2020/10/25/the-hara-centre/
2 Active Relaxation https://intuitivemartialarts.com/2020/04/27/active-relaxation/ and Methods for Sleep https://intuitivemartialarts.com/2020/04/28/methods-for-sleep/
The Higher and Lower self
Human nature is two fold, that is, wise and ignorant, chaotic and prudent. Our instinctive energies often impel us to do counter productive things, and as we become more intellectually developed we can also become more capricious, cunning, and egotistical. The Chinese philosophies divide humans into the physical body (Yang) and the Chi Body (Yin)1. The Chi body is associated with the energies running through it, or the bio electricity, and the physical body is the clothing, or appearance. In this system, the Upper body is associated with above the diaphragm, and below that is the lower body. However, overall people can be said to be composed of a a higher self and a lower self2. In other words, the Martial Artist must learn to use the energies of his lower self (body), and transform them with his higher reasoning and intelligence (mind). Importantly man can never be rid of these often chaotic drives, such as aggression and anger, so he must learn to put them to work.
The Reason for this division of man is that it can be observed that people can react instinctively, and also with reason. Only when the two act as one can man put his instinctive tendencies to good use. The best method of course is to channel the instinctive energies to do good meaningful work. Importantly, these energies are constantly being renewed, and without direction they end up going to waste. To do this channeling effectively requires a high ideal, as an orientating force to strive towards3, will power alone is often not enough. In fact, humans can manifest their dual nature at once, for example when they work physically to realise this high ideal, which requires them to use their physical body as a workhorse, and their mind as the rider of the horse. Then they can be said to be uniting yang and yang. In other words, thought drives their physical activity, and this intelligence promotes meaningful action. Otherwise activity becomes purely instinctive (body), or just theoretical (brain). Instead the two must act in concert.
References
1 See Ida Pingala, Yin and Yang, the Physical and Mental https://intuitivemartialarts.com/2021/04/05/balance-ida-pingala-ying-and-yang-mental-and-physical/
2 See The Higher and Lower Self in Martial Arts https://intuitivemartialarts.com/2020/05/04/the-higher-and-lower-self-in-martial-arts/
3 See The High Ideal https://intuitivemartialarts.com/2020/07/26/the-high-ideal/
The High Ideal
By engaging in Training, breathing exercises, and meditation, and bringing these to our every day gestures, our most seemingly insignificant actions then become powerful weapons. And when this energy and harmony is aligned towards and reinforced by a high ideal1, with our thoughts working on our feelings1, the effects can be quite profound. In this way, our thoughts of a high ideal, a perfection to reach, becomes our goal and orientates our inner force in this direction. Later, you can begin to see reality differently until you are motivated only by strength and the dynamic energy of love of life and progress, which is expressed through the equilibrium experienced in the Hara Centre. I would even go as far as to say one can get so absorbed in this work that he needs it like an alcoholic needs a drink after a long days work.
Of course nobody has ever reached perfection, and this equilibrium requires work, but this sense of wonder and harmony we develop through the Hara Centre can be used as a potent weapon against the ravages of others, and all the negativity surrounding our lives. No one is saying to live a life of pure fantasy, and this is why we must be very grounded in our physical exercises whilst highly elevated in our mentality. The Chinese often say “The Chi travels first and then the body follows”. The Chi is thought and will. What this means is that the thought goes somewhere first, and then the body acts. And what is to stop you going far off into the future, to picture success across a lifetime or further still? Nobody ever placed limits on the imagination and power of thought in relation to time and space. No, these are physical limitations. And so the further and higher your thoughts, the better. As such, the love of the high ideal does not so much depend on our strength and desires, but more on our aspirations and orientation of our energies.
References
1 See The High Ideal https://intuitivemartialarts.com/2020/07/26/the-high-ideal/
Intuition
Instead of over analysing all the time, and consciously controlling the body, view things from the perceptive of the intuitive senses. Once you have embodied certain techniques and skills, your intuitive sense will make sure that your actions and techniques flow in such a way that ensures coordination and power without even thinking about it. Yes, but only if you take the perspective of the intuition, which is both technical and off the cuff, rather than copying a set drill or routine mindlessly. Then, everything is done in a balanced and relatively harmonious way, and we succeed in our work. We then start to feel, understand and realise what to do, in all sorts of unpredictable rhythms, in spite of our limited technical understanding of facts and mechanical knowledge. Even the most ignorant person can become very effective when using this approach.
Intuition is not just spontaneous instinct, it is the meeting ground of intelligence and instinctive action and happens on the border of the two faculties. We have all experienced this, however usually the experience is quite fleeting and is all too often left to occur by chance and we are left waiting. With intuition, there is a perfect unity and everything makes sense by itself automatically. By allowing our actions to be guided by the high ideal, and doing what we know to be right, honest, just and great, we can enter into this intuition, which is in built1. Whereas if we act in an uncaring, unconscious and coarse manner, we often deviate from this tendency.
References
See Intuitive Sense https://intuitivemartialarts.com/2020/08/13/intuitive-sense/
The Imagination
The Imagination can take you to places that the physical body cannot. Just take the example of a man who thinks about his sweetheart. Just thinking about her, it is as if he is actually there, in his thoughts and feelings at least. Or the child who reads a story about how a character is whisked away to a land of fantasy. The thing to remember is that the imagination is not limited to wild longings or being swept away into fantasy. No, it is a faculty which allows us to imagine ourselves as better than we are, in other words we can picture our future self. For example, we picture ourselves making a fist and then punching, before we actually do it, otherwise we are hesitant and unsure of ourselves and our next move. The Chinese Tai Chi Masters refer to this as “moving the Chi first”, that is the body of energy within us which is closely related to thought. This is imagination in action.
However far off the goal might be, from picturing ourselves picking up a cup as we walk into the room, or becoming a CEO of a world famous Company, this image of achievement is what motivates us to move forward and work. It is in the future, a future we work towards today, yet experienced now. The higher the ideal, however unrealistic, the more closely we can approximate perfection without actually obtaining it materially speaking. Importantly, if we achieve a goal, it must be replaced by another one. So the thing to do is to have an imagination which is vast and dedicated to all that is most inspiring. And the imagination is not limited to just images. The imagination can be used to empty the mind of imagery when necessary, for example by listening inwards and contemplating stillness or emptiness. Yes the imagination is best employed so that it reflects our inners energy states and breathing patterns we experience when we achieve Harmony and Peace, which can neither be put into words nor pictures accurately.
See The Imagination https://intuitivemartialarts.com/2020/10/04/the-imagination/
Work is its own reward
Many Martial Arts systems teach obedience to certain physical forms. However, this can be limiting because it is not by following a systematic approach that we reach fulfilment, but in working at it day by day. And so, even if we did achieve “perfect form” we would straight away be disappointed that our dreams and drive had deserted us and were no longer required. In my opinion, it is the most intelligent work is often done out of sight, and any plan brought to fruition implies a hidden intelligence behind the plan, a general leading the troops3. Granted, often we have to act before we understand, but if we can trust in the understanding of universal truths, and intuitive principles, the development of our own development will be greatly accelerated.
This is why we should work constantly and never give up trying, because it is in the effort that our thought and feelings are unified into action. Yes effort and work are all important physically speaking. In the mind, thoughts and feelings, are a strong indicator of later success, and by working on these you will guarantee success as long as the will is active2. For example, you could have the strongest Champion fall to pieces the moment he loses motivation and drive. Whereas the relatively scrawny underdog, although not endowed with physical prowess, if he dogs the heels of the physically strongest man will eventually overcome him. This is why work and effort must come before learning theories and just listening to ideas. Of course you must take into account whether the ideas themselves are worth working towards. And if ideas are worth applying to your practice, it is your attitude towards these ideas, in other words your actions and work, which determine the outcome and the truth behind them.
1 See The Skill is not separate from the work and contemplation https://intuitivemartialarts.com/2020/07/04/the-skill-is-not-separate-from-work-and-contemplation/
2 See Willpower https://intuitivemartialarts.com/2020/10/04/the-imagination/
3 See The General and the Troops https://intuitivemartialarts.com/2021/04/02/the-general-and-the-troops/
Vigilance
Vigilance, or attentional awareness, implies that we must be aware of our inner and outer states at all times where possible. This is the reason behind meditation, to attune oneself to the energies and thoughts which inspire the best in us. If there is one thing that the great Masters of Martial arts and other disciplines have relied upon, it is their constant vigilance1. They have a lot less time for paying attention to the usual worries and distractions of mankind, but they are always observant of the great truths and keep their eye on the universal laws of Nature. And this is why they preach humility and subservience, not out of the respect that should be demonstrated in front of them necessarily, but submission to certain laws which must be observed and adopted ceaselessly. The humility they show to others is merely a reflection of this, an application of a principle.
That you must pay attention and remain vigilant goes without saying. However, the problem is what to pay attention to. Paying attention to all sorts of nonsense and distractions is a disaster for everyone. This misses the point entirely! If you look at all the developments in society today, a great deal of it concerns paying more and more attention to the most obvious things in greater detail, in other words the material aspects. We have computers to analyse this, experts to dissect that, etc., but are people more aware and vigilant over themselves? I’m afraid not a lot of the time. What you have to realise is there there are things to pay attention to that are not obvious and are becoming increasingly ignored. For example, when spotting a modern day attacker, the details that betray their intentions are often the darting glance in their eyes which indicates an underlying tension. They don’t come at you with a club signalling themselves a mile off, bellowing like Tarzan. This is just one minor example, but you get the idea. Look for what is not obvious2.
1 See Stay in the Centre https://intuitivemartialarts.com/2021/01/28/stay-in-the-centre/
2 See Identifying Attackers https://intuitivemartialarts.com/2020/07/30/identifying-aggressors/
Harmony
In the past people found the external details less important. Any old stance would do for training, a punch was a punch. What mattered was the why. The wind blowing through a hole in the wall made no difference to training, even if the windows were broken. No health and safety checks were carried out, and no behaviour expectations were laid down. Even so, in the Martial Arts you could often find a harmony within the environment which is not so easily experienced nowadays. When I speak of Harmony, I mean the energies, thoughts, and actions matching relative to one another. Whether this is a kind of mental and physical expansion of consciousness reached through meditation and Tai Chi, or a highly intense concentration of energy into a punch, the principle is the same.
In Yoga, the practitioners achieve this Harmony by working on their breathing. There are fast asanas, and still ones, but the goal is to keep the air flowing2. There are even exercises to work on each Nostril flowing properly, so that the oxygen is working its way across both channels, that is the physical and mental expressions of Energy. These two pathways they call Ida and Pingala. Similarly, in Chinese Chi Gong, breathing and Martial Arts movements are used to energise the various meridians, or energy channels, which supply the body with life force. This enhances the Nervous system activity so that health is maintained, motivation is high, and the mental faculties are unified to the physical dimension. Yes, it is the nervous system which energises the body principally, because it is a conductor of bioelectrical currents. This is why we should work with the Solar Plexus, Hara Centre, and generate this energy so that it can transpose itself across the whole body. This is how we unify the mind and body3.
References
1 See Inner Disharmony https://intuitivemartialarts.com/2021/01/05/inner-disharmony/
2 See Ida and Pingala, Ying and Yang, Mental and Physical https://intuitivemartialarts.com/2021/04/05/balance-ida-pingala-ying-and-yang-mental-and-physical/
3 See Convergence at the Centre https://intuitivemartialarts.com/2021/03/04/convergence-at-the-centre-the-solar-plexus-fire-and-water-and-the-hara-centre/
Thought, feeling, and action – The Trinity.
Think first, and then act. This is clearly a good method. However how do you make thought a reality? The Chinese Chi Gong philosophies suggest willing the Chi into action, in other words mentally imagining and feeling the movement before doing it. Only then can you be sure of it being successful without hesitation. So we begin with a thought. However, thought works through the intermediary of feeling, that is a thought must develop a “felt” sense of within the body. So we must develop a feel for what we do.
This is why the Ancient Eastern philosophies place so much emphasis on meditation and contemplation of inspiring and uplifting ideas. They wanted to link their thoughts to their feelings1. For example, there is much mention of Heaven, virtuous conduct, courage, as well as tales of legendary figures, which by identifying with, disciples were able to transcend themselves and feel enlightened. After that, the physical representation began to manifest. And so, certain thought encourage certain feelings, which we must be vigilant over. In our own day, think of how children imitate super heroes. In my own experience, when I was young I thought about the Likes of Spiderman and others all the time! I’m sure this had an effect on my certainty that good always triumphs over evil, even if evil calamities take over for a time. I have forgotten lots of formal instruction, but never these lessons.
Feelings later naturally express themselves through appropriate and corresponding actions. Someone who thinks about stealing and doing in a competitor eventually ends by identifying with the enemy he makes of his fellow man. And in this way it is said that by watching over our thoughts and feelings that action can be orientated to become meaningful, as well as inspired by the highest ideals. This is why the Sages of the past promoted the virtues. If thoughts just remain purely theoretical, you will not necessarily be motivated to do anything even though they are in accord with reason. If you let your feelings blindly take over, you might end up in an even worse state! This is why you should start with thought, but don’t stop there. You have to will it into action so that it is given physical form and expression2.
References
1 See The Force of Love https://intuitivemartialarts.com/2021/02/07/the-force-of-love/
2 See The Marriage of inner and outer forms https://intuitivemartialarts.com/2021/01/24/the-marriage-of-the-inner-and-outer-forms/
Physical Demonstration
Here I will demonstrate a typical training session. But it is not a question of copying mindlessly. In fact, the principles I demonstrate here apply first an foremost to everyday actions and tasks1, and so all I am doing is applying universal principles of action into the domain of Martial Arts. In other words turning up the furnace and outwardly manifesting the energies within. It is not aimed at developing the muscles, because strength is not a product of muscle size. Although as a natural by product it does just this if practiced correctly – increase strength and muscle. It is important to know why you are doing what you are doing, otherwise it produces no results. You don’t need to practice for long, a few minutes of high intensity work is enough, with some warming up beforehand. No, I don’t advise doing this for hours on end, there are more important things to consider.
The training should be aimed at developing will power first of all. If you develop a good sense of will, you will be formidable against the strongest opponents, especially the inner opponents, which are really the only ones. This explains why the same physical person one day can appear intolerable, and then when we regain control of ourselves we find them less annoying, and even regard them warmly. It is a question of self control, persevering through a temporary irritation, and regaining positivity through will power.
Someone might annoy us and spark an emotion in us, or offer us wealth and prosperity in exchange for our services, which can produce powerful forces and reactions. But these are only temporary and often lead us astray, and without will power you might end up losing all you have acquired. Will is developed when we put an idea into action. And when we have a feeling behind this action there is a movement of the will. Only you can develop will power, which is reinforced over time with exercise and discipline, and when you have achieved self mastery you end up with everything else, health, beauty, love, and overall form.
And so you have to learn to practice on the three levels: Feeling, thought and action. This is extremely important. The Yogis have developed exercises which open both channels of the brain and body, that is to say the positive and negative poles of the brain and body. The positive current (Pingala) and the negative current (Ida) should run uninterrupted for balance and equilibrium. The current thus produced runs up the spine and through the brain for optimal function. This is how they unify the two half’s of the brain (two hemispheres), which differ in their roles.
The body is also polarised from right to left. The left side is negatively charged, that is more receptive and emissive. Whereas the right is Positively charged, assertive and active. The two sides, or two natures must converge at the centre to form a whole and unify. That is to say will power must be used to unify thought and feeling, positive and negative.
References
1 Intuitive Sense https://intuitivemartialarts.com/2020/08/13/intuitive-sense/
