Much has been written about the various Martial Arts postures and styles. However, what often remains a mystery is the inner state which the practitioner should strive towards reaching. In my view, the most important factor is the inner positioning, the inner stance. Fortunately, there are abundant traditions which discuss the inner mechanics of the stance, which in turn controls the possibilities of the body’s power. Broadly speaking, stance means attitude or disposition.
Whilst the martial artist should focus on his opponent, he should remain preoccupied with the inner environment and the obstacles he may face there. In this way, external objectives are achieved relatively easily because he is always at the front wheel There is of course a level of developed capability needed before relying on the inner side mechanics of Martial Arts. It is possible to develop this over time in a sensible way, first simply drawing attention to the inner landscape. Indeed it will all seem ridiculous to someone who has not experienced any these matters first hand. It is therefore a practice which requires experiential knowledge rather than technical. In matters of life or death, it is completely foolish to jump into the subtler side of fighting without first experiencing and developing the inner tools. As such it is best to start small and develop a basic awareness before it is possible to master this path.
Lets start with the gaze. The eyes should track the opponents movements, but this is best achieved with a sense of awareness which is free from the hindrance of self doubt, over analysis, and inner conflict. Once this is achieved, vision and clarity are then enhanced. Even at the technical level, the gaze is only narrowed when you are focusing. Until then it remains open to the peripheral enviornment to take in a wide area of surveilance. This is because historically, threats could happen at any moment.
In Martial arts, a particular inner state is needed, rather than a preoccupation with just outside events. Of course, when one is attacked for the first time, or has experiences any kind of potentially traumatic event, they are overwhelmed by the senses. This can lead to an obsession that such trauma may happen again. It is therefore important to rely less and less on the traditional senses as ones competence level increases, to move beyond this point. This is because the fives senses give us only a peripheral idea of the scene unfolding, and to stay here can become self limiting.
Unmani Mudra, or no mind thinking, is a state of awareness which has traditionally been achieved meditatively. It’s applications apply beyond the sitting postures is it normally practiced ion. Unmani Mudra involves total inner awareness, even when looking around externally. During Martial arts training, once the senses of the body become less and less of a preoccupation, the inner stance or mechanics can be emphasised. This either happens when a particular state of perception is achieved, or during old age when the body itself becomes less reliable as a source or strength or inspiration. It is of course possible to realise this before the body begins to become less and less powerful.
Does this mean you ignore the body altogether? No, not at all, it’s just that you see past the storm of events and the atmosphere it creates with a different set of senses which can penetrate all of this. You are there but not there, with the body but away from it. More and more it becomes about transcending the body to some degree. This can be achieved the more familiar one becomes with the senses and practices them. There is a natural longing to be free from the senses, so the progression is towards something greater. The more logically this longing is followed, the greater the realisation of this ideal which transcends logic itself. In other words, rather than becoming free of the usual perceptions, you bring down the higher ones to the level of the here and now so that everything is integrated.
To do Unmani Mudra, direct your attention to the back of the head, between the crown and the middle of the back of the head specifically (at the level of the eyes). Here, there is a tiny invisible dot, or energy point, known as Bindu in Yogic texts. Bindu is a powerful energy centre which is responsible for enhanced bodily functioning, as well as enabling the fighter to become courageous. If the fighter is hit here, he senses are knocked out of him.
With practice, it is possible to work with Bindu to achieve almost superhuman activity. Without practice, it can be activated or triggered anyway, for example to pull the head away from danger in a merely reactive way. Either way, once you are aware of how it works, it is just a question of becoming consciously aware of this energy centre. However it can merely happen in a reactive way, which can lead to exaggerated action. The idea is to become more and more an initiator of action rather than reacting to an event someone else triggers. By conscious awareness, I do not mean controlling it necessarily. Once concentrated upon and experienced in its proper fullness, it merely acts in a liberated and unlimited fashion beyond full mental comprehension. Your job is then just to work on letting this happen and removing impediments in the form of ignorance. You just have to channel the energies properly. This takes work and dedication.
As you inhale, energy is sharply transferred from the base of the spine to energise the brain at the level of Bindu. This enhances awareness and intuition as you prepare for action. The sensation is like lightning shooting up the spine. This can be constantly maintained for long periods by adepts. There is a sense of excitement, particularly within the intestinal region. It is a similar sensation experience when one is forced to hold urine for a time. There are various yogic methods of training this area, which are similair to sugical methods used for cleaning the inner tubes when disorder arises. However these are not nessessary. The excretory ducts of the urethra, the urinary passage, are drawn upwards with minimal contraction of the surrounding muscular walls of the abdomen. You simply try to lifting them towards the spine. Obviously there is contraction of the core muscles, however the focus is on the inner sexual organs and urinary canal. The surrounding muscles then act in correspondance with this activity in such a way that is not intutively possible by conscious control of the separate muscles.
As you exhale, this energy descends down the spine, towards the body’s physical centre. When this is performed correctly, you will feel the pelvis lifting, tilting, and engaged, as if performing a conscious physical exercise. Howevber it happens intutively. As an exercise in itself this stretches the pelvic floor area.
Vajra means lighting, and there is a sensation that the hips are elevated as if electrified and charged with a certain energy. This means the Hara centre has been energised. However, conscious awareness is directed directed towards performing unmani mudra, because this is more related to work at the level of the nervous system as a whole, or more specifically, the energy channels. The whole body and system can automatically arrange itself in the appropriate physical stance with practice.
Predominantly the exhale is focused on in combat, because you are externalising energy. The inhale as an exercise of focus is usually reserved for yogis. By inhale and exhale, I am not referring to air. The inhalation and exhalation requires a certain energy flow which posture the body in such a way to receive oxygen. It is not the air that does this or the lungs, but the nervous system. You therefore focus on the expansion and contraction as well as the energy, and the air flow will naturally happen.
There are two interesting points to consider here. As the energy shoots up the spine, towards the brain, the eyes tend to open widely, as if to take in information. This is known as spontaneous pyschic attitude in Yogic texts, and can be seen in tribal displays where the eyes are used to intimidate. That means the system is fired up, even without the need for external stimuli. At the very least then, this means that training alone can become at least as beneficial as training with external opponents, provided this energy is properly utilised. But this is a separate matter.
As the energy descents towards the hara centre, and towards the base of the spine, the gaze narrows because information has already been taken in at the level of sight and perception. The gaze therefore restricts, and it sometimes looks as if there is a laziness in the eyes.The energy moves from the visual field, and you may find the eyes move of their own accord. Yogis have sat an experienced this state, which has sometimes been called bliss under certain conditions. In terms of survival, it is like the deer who first freezes by taking in oxygen, eyes wide open. When it decides to run off, it has committed to running and energy is sent to the rest of the body for action. Obviously there is an intensity present at both stages, but for different reasons. Broadly speaking, this energy can be used for survival, or enlightenment purposes, as in mediative practices.
As the energy descends down the spine, known as the sushumna nadi in Yoga, there is a tendency to look more downward, towards the centre of the nose. This is why the yogis cross their eyes and look at the tip of there nose, to work at the level of the base of the spine indirectly. It is also seen in boxing, when the fighter ducks down slightly to work with gravity and naturally looks down. However, yogis have always know that to become powerful it is not necessary to become a savage. However, they must posses the power to become violent, if only to direct this potent source of energy towards inner work. This is for the devotee. Remaining weak and powerless is not a virtue, but the choice to shut up and chose non violence by choice can be virtuous. It always comes down to choice. Do you chose to be this way or that, or is it forced upon you without your consent? There is no right or wrong necessarily.
The base of the spine is also related to and directly next to the excretory system. As the Energy rises upwards, there tends to be an upward gaze, converging at the eyebrow centre, which is at the level of the pineal gland, or the third eye. This region is also know as ajna chakra. So, both process, or gazing towards the tip pf the nose, or inwardly drawing attention to the eyebrow centre, are ways of moving the energies of the body. To move them up, think of the eye brow centre, the ajna chakra. To move them down, concentration is focused on the nose tip to work with the region of the Hara centre.
By now, you may have noticed that different chakras can be moved or activated from apparently unrelated regions. They are therefore mobile rather than fixed. For example, by working at the level of the eyes, it is possible to activate the lower regions of the spinal collumn, related to the hara centre. The Hara centre is not moved, but the activity of the higher centres can be. The higher the centre, the more mobile, generally speaking. This unites and fire up the entire system, from a top down method of control. Otherwise, activity is purely instinctive
Therefore, it is not necessary to even engage in combat to develop these capabilities. Combat has always been seen by fighters as a way of experiencing physical reality in the full sense. It often happens by circumstances rather than choice. Whichever way it happens, the master martial artist learns to more effectively manage his inner states by switching from a purely survival view of things at the level of instinctive action, towards a more powerful inner state of energy functioning
When the Martial Artist focuses on the subtle energy systems, this does not mean he no longer experiences fear, pain, or loss. Instead these consideration fade into the periphery or experience, particularly as bodily and survival imperatives become less of a basis for existance. They cease to have an all encompassing hold as wider experience enters the fold, or if he imposes a system of self discipline to habituate himself to stress. This is why Fighters have fled to the mountains to experience harshness, so that it becomes a constant thing they acclimatise to. They then forget about it as a hindrance and it becomes a constant companion they just get used to and they no longer shun it. This is one way of overcoming pain and resistance, to simply master it by becoming familiar with it and developing a certain contempt for its power.
Obviously, many chose not to move beyond survival as a priority, or are for some reason they are unable to. It is therefore ridiculous to speak about energy systems to such a person who is faced with constant stress. For them, it is best to make efforts to overcome or meet immediate survival needs. jIn the same way, it is ridiculous to speak of emotional wellbeing to a prisoner in a cell who takes joy in killing people. It is often simply not in their experience or understanding to derive certain experiences from inner means which do not involve exploiting or gratifying instincts.Therefore, there are multiple ways of looking at it. The body and its capabilities can be used and exploited purely instinctively and explosively, or you can use them in a non exhaustive way to flow like water. There is nothing wrong with either way, it is just a question of whether you want to use energy dictated by survival processes, or inner development, or perhaps a bit of both.
