Category: psychology

Sexual Energy and Martial Arts

Posted on by joeharman8 | 17 min read | 280 views

Note

In the following article, you may find some commonly held assumptions interrogated as well as some unusual perspectives explored. However, take nothing on faith. In the process seeking truth, many preconceived notions become limited, and others get brushed off as hot air. At the same time, all of the information here is easily verifiable with a quick internet search, so it up to you to find out whether these concepts are workable for you. Martial Arts is about fearless self study, and reaching towards an uninhibited life process that you are.

Reproduction

When people think of sex, they probably mainly think about procreation. Procreation is the main driver for survival of the species, which is why its such an enduring process in nature. During the physical manifestation of sex, both parents reach the infinite by passing on their genes to the next generation. In this way, the genetic material lives on even after death. So in many ways, the life force of the parents is passed on to the next generation. At the same time, it can be an extremely enriching process for the parents to bring up their children.

So reproduction is the earliest form of activity alongside eating. It was there from the beginning of evolution, unlike forms of cognition seen later in evolution. In nature there is a certain longing between two to become one. So reproduction is one way. In spiritual terms, this same energy manifesting within has been symbolised as Yin merging with Yang, or the masculine merging with the feminine. A basic example of this interaction is how heat warms water to change its state to more active, or how water cools heat to make it more temperate. Essentially, this is energy finding a a balanced expression through two opposite poles and becoming one. This attempt at merging can be successful, partially successful, or incompatible.

When you remove the psychological and emotional aspects of reproduction, you have an energy expression which has a form of its own. Obviously, this emotional aspect is highly significant in human relationships. On the other hand, the energy expression of the same energy which is referred to a sex takes on a different dimension within the chakra system, or energy body. The energy body, or Chi body as it is known in Chinese Systems, has two polarities within it, the Yin channel and the Yang Channel. This corresponds with the Indian Chakras system of Ida and Pingala, which is talking about the same thing. For simplicity, the Yin Channel is considered the feminine channel, and the Yang channel is considered the masculine channel1. So when a balance is struck within, and the two aspects of an individual begin to function as one, this means that a certain fulfilment and merging has taken place. This is so with or without two people.

Hormones and Energy

When the hormones kick in during puberty and beyond, there is increased testosterone in the system, as well as other sex hormones. It is well known that these same hormones are responsible for athletic performance, motivational states, and other energetic behaviours2. So when an individual starts arriving towards their reproductive prime, there is an influx of new states of energy which is responsible for increased physical and mental power as well as sexuality. This is goes on towards the age of, say, twenty five to thirty years old quite naturally. This is an increased activity related to muladhara, or the root of the energy system. In martial arts it is said that the martial artist must develop a strong root. This can be interpreted in many ways.

Historically in martial arts, it was important to engage the young practitioner in high intensity activity at around the age of thirteen or so, because the root system is highly active at this time. Common experience tells us that around this age teenagers can get despondent or easily distracted if their energies are not usefully employed. On the other hand, they can begin to show exceptional promise in certain ways. So they would be put either into traditional martial arts forms, which had an intellectual dimension, or fighting. This is similar to how in wider society, kids are put into sports clubs or perhaps a more intellectual or creative pursuit like Music or Science, or possibly all of these. The idea is that if the young martial artist can channel the energies into some kind of activity, then these same energies would naturally find an increased expression in this form of activity. Otherwise they would just dissipate at the level of Muladhara, the root, before flourishing within to their full potential.

Developing a strong Root

So activity to do with with the root chakra, roughly related to the pelvic floor and hip region, is strongly related to reproduction and energy generation. The hip and spine are the areas of energy generation for both reproduction and physical work. The root, the instinctive energies, is also related to the pinnacle, which is to say the head or conscious thought. So the whole process of evolution and raising ones energies has to do sending energy upwards from the base. This is why there has traditionally been great emphasis on work and energy expenditure in youth, because at this time the energies go up and down quite naturally as the root is strong. Establishing this root so that an oak tree can grow is a commonly used analogy which is extremely accurate. There is also the same need in later life, however once this foundation is established the later work can develop from this and take on a new dimension. So there is a need for the ground work to take place first.

What we understand as sexual anatomy also has another energetic anatomy in both the Yogic cultures and internal martial arts. The reason it can be important to look at the energy mechanics of sexuality is because this energy takes on a different form once it has been cultivated further up the system. This is why such emphasis has been placed on postural alignment in martial arts, to direct the energy from the root so that it piles up and expands throughout the system rather than just at the root level. In this way, the martial artist can turn an instrintive drive into a force driven consciously from within that takes on an entirely new form. This is all made possible because of the internal longing to evolve and transcend limitations from the ground up.

The Truth about NoFap

In recent years there has been a movement known as NoFap. The idea is that if a person stops sexual activity for a time, then there is an increased level of testosterone, and motivation, as well as general well being. In martial arts, some trainers promote abstinence from a variety of activities before an approaching bout to increase competitiveness and power. One thing that is often overlooked is that it’s not the testosterone or abstinence that creates motivation or power. It is living a healthy lifestyle. So wether or not this is necessary depends on the individual.

Increased testosterone is a stimulus which kind of pesters the system into action, or what the Yogic systems calls Rajas. So the whole point is to change these Rajas into Oojas, which are subtler energies. It is like turning fertiliser into productive soil for a plant. These Oojas are just Rajas transformed and raised to a higher energy pitch. So it is not necessarily that one who has more hormones is more motivated, it is just that it is possible to transform testosterone so that its influence goes down and is converted into oojas through activity in some way. It’s not that it just sits there indefinitely tely. In this way it has become useful whether our not that was the intention.

So bringing physical energies down through work is one way to transform energy. This can be very productive. When a father holds a child, the same thing happens and testosterone goes down. When it goes up, and one engages in work the same thing. So It is being in a stable environment, whether that is within or without, that creates the power and inner clarity to be able to focus and cultivate the energies. So traditionally, sometimes marriage was advocated, whereas at other times, under certain circumstances the disciple remained went to a monastery to work. In both instances either emotional or physical work and effort is going on in a big way.

Sex is just basic biology, and as we have seen there are many expressions of this same life energy elsewhere. Biology is neither something to be denied or glorified, nor does it have to be imagined in any particular way. If it is viewed romantically, the thoughts are different to when it is viewed energetically. It is up to each person in which they they explore it. When it takes on an additional transformed dimension, then this is inner martial arts.

Establishing Stability

When Martial arts takes on an increased inner dimension, it becomes necessary to establish a security within oneself. Traditionally, a person would go to a monastery or temple and remove themselves from certain influences which might draw them towards unnecessary sex content. For example, many of the television and internet influences have a lot to do with sex, in its purely superficial form. So this isn’t always the best place to make attempts to go deeper and to avoid the cyclical nature of fluctuations of hormonal influence. At the same time, there’s no denial of biology, it’s there. When it comes to the biological side of it, there’s no meaning or right and wrong by itself, it’s simply fact.

If you look at India, many of the temples are covered in sexual imagery but they are handled appropriately in a certain environment. These images are on the outside of the temple, the periphery. Once you enter the temple and move beyond this, there is a different ambiance, one of spiritual seeking. So once the way it is looked at changes, there is a shift in understanding first of all. Then there is further development. So it is about seeing the different aspects, to make an informed decision. When it comes to the Karma Sutra, this is a document that was looked at like any other anatomical text, because this is what it is. In the same way, books on Killing written by warriors, as well as Gods of war adorning Chinese temples, were looked upon with “No mind”. This simply means that these things were included in their proper place without undue fixation or obsession. So facts of life don’t need to become an obsession because they don’t have a philosophy or theoretical position attached to them beyond what is basic biology. So how to make a stable position out of this?

So what are these other dimensions of energy we were talking about earlier? When energy circulates and ascends, it is a different experience than that of ignition and dissipation, or start and stop. It is not better or worse, there is just a difference. There are many ways of looking at this. Essentially, when one is able to contain and distribute energy within themselves, having established a certain balance and stability, there is a decreased need to search for an object. This search is going on all the time, whether it is in some kind of conscious martial arts practice, the search for God, or simply in reproduction. The ultimate goal is that one want to find oneness of experience, and this search is limitless. And once there is no object there is no limit.

Reaching the Crown

In Tai Chi, as well as many other practices, when one seeks to expand their consciousness to a higher level, they are looking to awaken the third eye and to reach the crown centre. This is the whole reason behind meditative and inner martial arts practices. This is why the Asian systems insist upon extending the head from the crown, as well as extending the chin down. This stretches the neck, increasing the energy ascension from the root to the pinnacle3. The whole posture is stretched and through the stretched spine, energy transmission is optimised. If this is practiced regularly, then over time one begins to raises their level of awareness, even if they don’t known the exact mechanisms behind it. The goal is a state of no mind, or experience inclusive of everything. This is what is known in Tai Chi as the grand ultimate, or totality of experience. There are many names to it of course. Essentially it means that you include everything in its proper place and in a productive way, around the crown of your experience.

So the energies of the grand ultimate are always trying to come together, either through reproduction or through the spiritual process of universal oneness, love, or whatever you might call it. This is what sex means, and this is what martial arts mastery means. Union of energy is called the merging of yin and yang, or oneness of masculine and feminine energies. This is not some theoretical concept but knowledge which leads to methods of practice. These methods of practice are various forms which encourage harmonious movements and postures, as well as particular attitudes which are conducive to productive behaviour. So all kinds of postures and codes of conduct were established, which essentially are back up systems for the real thing, which is realisation of the ultimate nature.

In nature, the two types of energies take on certain forms which are commonly referred to as a male and female types4. However, these are also considered tendencies which are present in each gender. However, both of these opposite states of energy are really two dualities making up a whole, which is similar to the positive and negative pole of a battery. The two opposites contain power when they unite, which is why there is a strong attraction. This is why it is relevant to martial arts, because these two opposites coming together are at at war as well as drawn together intensely, depending on how you look at it.

When the battery is plugged in, there is an increased energy state which powers the system. For example, when energy particles in distant galaxies create high energy rays, these waves occur far from the Earth. The full extend of these high energy states is not felt on Earth, because they would fry the life on Earth. So, even though they are the most powerful they are tempered by the atmosphere for good reason. In the human being, the earth is the physical body. The Sun is the energy body. So the Earth never feels the full extend of the sun which powers it, because it would be burnt up if it did. The job of the Earth is to make up a protective atmosphere to take in moderate levels of the sun. At the same time, the full extent is felt. There is much confusion about all this. So it is not that if you increase the physical body’s dimensions you get powerful. The best way is to increase its integrity and potential to establish the right atmosphere.

Love

The symbolism of good versus evil and of love are essentially one and the same. The work of the aspiring martial artist is to establish the right atmosphere for successful flowering, or for war to play out as in the best possible way without division. When one achieves love within themselves, if it is not handled appropriately is is like the sword of Damocles hanging over your head. Otherwise it is great. So you could say that what is good and what is evil is a sort of temporary separation of union into a duality. When a balance is achieved there is acceptance and non distinction. In other words, when the two opposite forces within ourselves or the environment finds a common ground, there is balance and stability, which creates harmony. This harmony is a dynamic interplay of intense forces, which is tempered. Balance will be achieved differently according the the individuals type of need. There are many aspects to this.

There is nothing wrong with sex as it is. There is no reason to dress it up into something it isn’t. The various types of physical and psychological forms it takes have nothing to do with the internal side of martial arts. The romantic ideas about it are fueled by imagination and memory, not intuitive sense or direction experiential perception5. This is because in order for sex to become a psychological or biological process, this involves somebody else. However, when these two parts become separate rather than united, they become opposites rather than united. When this happens, all sorts of distinctions can be made between people, as if they are separate species.

If people break up from a marriage, there is an increased emphasis on differences, even if nothing much may have changed. It even sometimes happens there can be an increased attraction, but also an increased separateness. So separateness need not have anything to do with lack of attraction, and two becoming one doesn’t mean necessarily there is an increased attraction. This is because if we stay at the physical level, that is just the front end. In reality, for at least most of the time, there is a lot more which unites peoples than separates them. whichever way allows you to see this is unity between people the right path. When you realise this, you are looking cultivate your relationships with others to reflect this reality.

So when there is an increased separateness, there is a strong opposition, as well as acts of pursuit and avoidance. However, it is a simple biological fact that there is more in common between people than there are differences. The basis of sex is often that peoples differences are exaggerated, which is why there is a powerful urge to get together. These differences are really very minimal and not actually relevant most of the time in our day to day activities. It isn’t enough to make a whole reality out of small differences unless they are worked out properly.

So a very small aspect which separates us has become increasingly the basis of interaction between the sexes in many parts of society. This is largely because differences have often been exaggerated, and many people have become frustrated and alienated from each other as a result. So insecurity and limited identification with differences has gone up. This, in a nutshell, is the problem of modern society, that such a small aspect of life should become such a focus. This has lead to many frustrations. I’m not saying that differences are unimportant, but its just biology, and when you go about your day to day tasks, it’s a small difference.

In martial arts, there is no difference. For example, traditionally at least, every dressed and looked the same in uniforms. Strict social conventions were upheld, not as a way to suppress, but so that everyone looked around and saw familiarity rather than difference. This was the traditional view in its proper context. Normally, it was never about suppression of the individual because everybody knows that suppressing usually has opposite results to those intended. So as a reactionary approach, there was overindulgence. But that too failed to solve the problem of utilisation of energy in its most productive sense. So when you are seeking the best possible way to use your mental and physical energies, this is what martial arts is all about. Each individual will have to address this in some way, but how you go about that and to what extend is down to individual choice alone.

References

1 https://intuitivemartialarts.com/?s=feminine

2 https://intuitivemartialarts.com/2023/04/26/conquest-at-all-costs-drugs-and-the-evolution-of-martial-arts-part-2/

3 https://intuitivemartialarts.com/fundamental-techniques/

4 https://intuitivemartialarts.com/2021/04/05/balance-ida-pingala-ying-and-yang-mental-and-physical/

5 https://intuitivemartialarts.com/2023/03/31/from-knowledge-to-intuition-part-2/

Psychology of the Knife Attack [Part 3]

Posted on Last updated on by joeharman8 | 20 min read | 110 views

As a salesman, the customers need actually has very little to do with you, you just respond to their behaviour. Rather than create a need within them, you respond to their needs. It is like that with knife defence. You would know this clearly if there was some sort of looming threat of happening regularly. It’s just that because modern society isn’t under that kind of threat very often, it has become an exercise. When you desperately need food, you don’t ask how much does it cost? How much should I have? This is the sort of question people ask when there is no urgency around them. Yes there is a certain anxiety about shortage, but essentially these questions come about because we know that there is food available.

In sales, you are aware whether there is a sale or not if you are clearly looking for the signs. If you have to sell because your livelihood depends on it, then that’s what you will do. As soon as it’s there you respond. If you hesitate, then the situation has passed. Reaction times and everything else is all dependant on this awareness. So the idea is to remain keenly aware and switched on. So with the salesman, the need is already there within them, it’s not for them to createWith the starving man, the need is there. With the knife attacker, there is the same needed urgency, it isn’t just about technique. You might chose to remain calm, or you might chose to attack them viciously depending on the urgency of the situation. Your response level is dependant on awareness of the situation as it unfolds.

Your choice of action, your response, does not need to be reactive to the attackers inner state of chaos. It is like if you were extremely hungry, you would be better off taking you time to eat even if the reaction to gorge yourself were present. If the sale needs to happen, still you wait and respond as necessary, not as you might imagine or react. The potential to act is already in you, so what type of action you chose to take need not be initiated by the attacker. Your response can be instructed by the reaction but it need not become a reaction. In this way, your response is an evolved form of the reaction.

Do you attack first, or wait? You can wait until they attack you, but then it is just a reaction. Obviously this happens, but the key is to awaken within you such awareness that when you are attacked this doesn’t increase or decrease the full bodied experience of life within you. When I say awareness, I’m not talking about some little exercise you might do to block out reality, or as an escapism. No, I’m talking about awareness which is the real life kind. External events obviously have their influence, but this need not become the deciding factor in a tug of war. You still have your own input. This is how fighters and trained experts react to threat, and it is useful to practice this even for non critical situations like knife defence drills. Say you are walking down the street and someone bumps into you. Do you need to look at them insistently for an apology? or can you choose to move on immediately because there are other matters to tend to?

The Restlessness of Powerlessness

The important thing to remember in situations involving a knife is that if the attacker is wielding a knife, it is usually because they feel inadequate. They want to validate themselves in some way by making a point. Holding the knife represents feeling like you stand out and that everyone is out to get you and looking at you. This is a truly pathetic existence for the person trapped inside this kind of perspective. It’s as if your carrying an extra limb, which may seem like an advantage but actually can make one feel like a freak. when you realise this, it is natural to feel a certain sympathy even for a wild knife attacker. Not the type of sympathy which excuses them, just an appreciation that there is so much more to life.

In fact, many who pick up the knife in the first place feel do so because they feel as though everyone is looking at them anyway, so carrying a knife and hiding it in their pocket comes naturally in such a state. If you are happy and go around fulfilled, you are naturally in a state of ease. Then, the last thing you do is go around concealing your hands, darting your eyes at people, or hanging around in tense situations. It is this state of inadequacy they are trying to foster within others, because it is all they know in their present experience and to them it’s normal. So it’s not a personal attack really, it’s a reflection of the inner state.

There is a state within the knife attacker which is a feeling of unease and suspicion. There is a certain restlessness which naturally finds expression in holding a concealed weapon, which exists before a target is chosen. Once again the knife attack is not personal really, it just appears as though it is. So it is not that you need to do anything to provoke attack, it is just that any kind of perceived suspicious glance or challenge can potentially trigger an attack from them. This is why maintain an equilibrium and inner harmony in the midst of chaos is crucial for diffusing a situation. It does not matter if you can’t manage this, just working towards this way is enough. This does not mean you act without intensity. It’s an intensity that lights you up rather than burns you out. If you act with real sincerity and effort in life or death situations, not just making up a cover story, then this brings a type of intensity and integrity which is unmatched.

So dealing with a knife attack is a bit like balancing a ball on your head. You just need to make sure the ball doesn’t fall down, by walking with a certain precision and grace, even if you slip. this isn’t your decision, it’s just what needs to happen. So it isn’t about being a pacifist. Because you know that getting dragged into a confrontation is self limiting if it doesn’t need to happen. If you truly value your life, and life in general, you won’t need to fear not defending it properly.

Everybody searches for life when it is under threat, even if they themselves don’t know it. So it is not that you know how to defend or not, when there is a need to defend yourself, do as needed. When you have seen the importance of this, either intellectually or by experience, use this stimulus to plan and strategise. This is training. If you haven’t eaten for five days, you obviously don’t need instruction because the need that is already there has been brought to your awareness. The meaning of training is to bring this level of awareness even when the stimulus of desperation isn’t there. This awareness is only possible because you are viewing something that is already there, it is just that many people are unconscious of it.

Of course you could respond only to the threat of the knife just when it comes out, as if it comes from nowhere, but what is the advantage of only responding with absolute attention to the knife rather than the situation as a whole? When I say the situation as a whole, I mean the internal physiological signs, the environment, all that sort of thing leading up to it. So respond to the knife totally, the whole situation included, rather than as a separate aspect. and do so with full awareness to the situation as a whole and as it actually is.

Absolute attention to the knife is what needs to happen. There would be no need for this is security had not become a take for granted affair. And this is the problem. I’m not saying to becoming obsessed with knife attacks, even when everything clam. There is no need for this, it’s about doing what is actually needed rather than turning everything into fixation or threat. Becoming switched off because there is no threat is not a good response. That is not what’s needed. There is a definite tension in the air when situations of hostility arise. These early warning signs are apparent to certain trained people who have the level of awareness needed. But it needed require training because awareness is your birthright rather than some sort of accolade.

Expect the Unexpected

When someone attacks you with a knife, they can just jab you with it and its potentially fatal. It isn’t a case of generating power with the arm and then sending out a powerful shot. Anyone can do it, trained or untrained. When you are a fighter, the first thing you notice when you do some sparring with an untrained opponent is that they get you with some unexpected shots. When there are no weapons this is not big deal, because it is a controlled environment and the opponents power is low. With a knife, in one instance it can become fatal, precisely because you might get attacked in an unexpected way.

If you get the attacker in a headlock and hit them in the head, all they need to do is poke you in the organs a few times with the knife and it’s over. This means the real threat is the knife not the attack in the first instance. But many people go for the attacker. When you think about it, this comes from a need to dominate the attacker rather than deal with the knife. But it’s not like you hit the attacker in the head and he reduces his power enough for you to win the fight. All they need to do is slash you slightly. If you so much as lean into a knife, this is a huge problem. This is where the knife attacker is different, it doesn’t depend on their power, or even just their mentality and ferocity, it’s just dangerous even in controlled situations.

Mentality of the Carrier

The mentality of a knife attacker is not like that of a normal fighter. For instance, in a normal fight, it will often be down to who is strongest in some sort of contest. Often you see in fights, someone breaking up up and shouting “come on, he’s had enough”. Other times, there is a hesitancy to land a killing blow. In reality, a fight takes on a social dimension of protecting ones social image. This includes not overdoing it. There are times when this isn’t the case of course, but usually it is so to some degree. Since human beings do not need to hunt other humans, it is normally about image rather than hunting for the kill. The worst instances of fighting are usually down to each person refusing to let go of the image they hold in their minds of themselves in the eyes of others. This refusal to let go causes all sorts of determined anger and rage to boil over.

The reality is that if you walk away, it’s better for everyone. This is what I advise if possible. Obviously this isn’t always possible.If you have to fight back, consider the following. In fights, people say “I was defending my family” or “the honour of the clan”, something like that. It is the same as if they lie and cheat a business partner or rival in some way, to provide for the family. The question is, would the family support this if you asked whether they think you should behave in such a way? The question is rarely asked. In knife defence, It is the same thing, and the answer will be obvious. If there’s a threat respond as needed, not according to anything else.

Usually in a fight, it will be over some nonsense like who said this, or who did that in the heat of the moment. The moment you disengage with this, you disengage from the social process of the fight and you don’t trigger a challenge state within somebody. This diffuses the vast majority of fights. So obviously, you don’t run away if the situation is critical in front of you. You just act as need with total commitment and awareness of the situation throughout its unfolding, not just when its reached critical mass.

Even in a mugging, it is not usually worth the attacker assaulting to victim too much, due to the risk of being sent to prison. The threat of violence is usually enough. So in many instances the knife is just a prop. But you can’t take that chance against a determined attacker. The knife attacker is usually extremely unhinged, rather than an expert martial artist. In other words, they have no regard for their own self worth or yours. The knife can be wielded by anyone with enough ferocity and lack of empathy. In many instances, they might mistake this lack of awareness for power, which they use to reduce the victim in their own eyes. So you have a level of arrogance and reckless abandon not usually seen in martial arts or self defence. This is the reality of the knife attacker in most cases, a state of delusion.

If you want to actively avoid the cocktail of adrenaline experienced when the knife attack goes down, just put as much attention into avoiding triggering the event as you do when defending yourself physically. In other words, make passive avoidance an active and energised extraction mission from the situation. Once again, there is no advantage in drawing conclusions beforehand. You don’t need to choose to be a pacifist or a brawler. You just involve yourself totally in the process so that you are free from unnecessary consequences. This will bring out an awareness and intuitive understanding of the situation so long as you are sincere about it and committed to the truth. You cannot control the outcome totally, anymore than you can control a reckless car storming down the street, or some kind of freak accident. However, your own conduct minimises risk to such a degree that you ensure your own safety and others around you by remaining as aware as possible. This will ensure your safety overall, in ways you won’t forsee. It is just that there is a tendency to plan for what you know about various situations, which can increase and evolve. So making conclusions is often effective, but also limited.

The Difference Between Knife Attacks and Street Fights

There are other differences between the knife attack and a street fight. Normally, in a steet fight someone will jump in if it gets out of hand, because normally it is front front of others to protect ones image or their family name. There are not many examples of a fight breaking out that doesn’t involve mutual defence of vested interests. Someone spills someone else’s beer, they refuse to apologise, that sort of thing. There is no existential reason to fight over these, these are social reasons. Somebody is drunk, and instead of moving away, they start defending their honour and beat someone up in public. It is like a mob boss who beats up an associate in front of others just to show what happens to the world if they oppose him. The victim need not do anything particularly wrong, it’s a display of dominance. Who is right depends on who you ask. The knife attacker is in a similar state of insecurity, so it is always best to avoid certain social behaviours which betray someone motivated by such things.

Of course, a normal fight could be over just like that if one person took the initiative to either to buy another pint and apologise, or simply put as much effort into fixing the situation as they might into defending their own social status. It all depends on whether you mission is to recover or to destroy. They both require the same level of energy and intensity. I have lost count of the amount of times I have avoided certain dangerous situations by becoming totally committed to establishing the right energy. Not a raging inferno, but a warmth and a certain glow in my demeanour. So I assure you, this works. If someone is determined to deescalate the situation, this can be achieved simply by seeing this as the best thing to do and paying total attention to the process of conflict management. It can be totally demoralising to engage in a fight that you know is unnecessary. This has always been the case for me, and if I have doubts about something, such as whether I am in genuine danger or not, I will always feel demagnetised if I act unnecessarily.

A single poke from a knife can be fatal, this can be seen in many examples online and from accounts of survivors and witnesses. How is a victim of knife crime selected? I’m not sure that they are scoped out in advance. If someone is carrying, they might threaten or attack you by surprise based on how things go. This is my experience at least.

I was once approached by a man who was clearly off his head and looking to talk with whoever walked past on the street. I was walking past with a friend of mine, minding my own business, when I saw that he noticed me as I was approaching. Of course, I pretend not to notice him notice me and carried on engaged with what I was doing making it visibly clear I was switched on and aware but not reacting. I was on the pavement, on my way to the local park. Something told me he would have followed me across the street if I had crossed over. Once I got close the man started talking about how he’d just got out of prison, how he’d been locked up for murder and was now living on the street abandoned by his friends. He said he used to be some sort of major criminal who was caught because they planted an undercover police officer into his group, who he claims to have gotten into a relationship with.

I have no idea whether the story was true but there was a sincerity about this guy. I knew he was on the edge, and my response would determine whether he was tipped. This is somthing I have always been aware of in such situations. He stopped mid sentence a few times hesitating and looking at me. The fact he was doing this told me that he was at least focusing on me, rather than some internal state of rage which could go off in any minute. This was all I needed to know. Eventually he asked me “hold on, you look like you you could take me out in a second”. He laughed, and so did I to lighten the mood. But the challenge was made. Would I take it seriously, confirming that everyday people are arrogant and think of themselves as better than him? So he was flattering me, a method of lulling me into a false sense of security.

If I had agreed with his statement that “I could beat him up”, I’m sure he would have countered with an attack to try to prove me wrong. There was no reason to see me as a tough guy, so it was a bluff. So I just laughed along and said “no, no my friend I wouldn’t even think about it, I’m not like that”. There was no need to play false humility either, embarrassing the both of us with statements about how incapable I was. I wasn’t acting here, I was just getting behind the act of establishing a harmony in the situation so it didn’t blow up in my face. when I say harmony I don’t mean peace, I mean balance. Intensity requires balance too and there are very few situations where the balance can’t be turned in some way by our actions. Even the most depraved individuals can be influenced slightly by positive acts. anyway, fter some talking, he eventually said he was carrying two knives under his shirt. This, he explained, was because he was living on the street and pursued by his enemies, or former friends. This shows you how betrayed such people feel constantly. This was all going on in the evening in daylight.

As he went on he must have found me endearing and said thanks for listening to his story. He gave me a hug and said “see, I’m carrying two knives”. At no point did he threaten me, because I didn’t provoke anything. Eventually he broke down in tears explaining that he had a drug addiction and wanted to clean up his life. I explained that all this was possible, and that he seemed like an intelligent guy who could turn his life around. The point I’m trying to make is that it is extremely hard to attack some body when all they see before them is someone behaving in a reasonable non judgemental or pretentious fashion. It doesn’t mean something won’t happen, but when you have managed the risk, you feel confident you have done all you can and then you come to the conclusion that there is no alternative but to act. Otherwise you just end up jumping the the conclusion without engaging in the process.

If you are in a boxing match, you have to worry about the crowds of people, looking foolish if you lose, all sorts of pressures. These happen in a minor or major way on the street. Obviously, skilled competitors would be able to block these pressures out to some degree, seeing these as a distractions rather than a focus. The situation is the same on the street. You can then focus on what’s happening in front of you, and what needs to be done. With knife defence, focus on securing the threat, not the person. If you want to beat the guy due to some hatred of him trying to kill you, then you’ve wasted valuable attention and processing power. On the other hand, if by attacking the guy it is your genuine belief that that is the right thing to do, then that is what you will tend to do because. so you respond according to the truth you know best. What you know best depends on how open you are. It’s not a question of right and wrong, just allocation of resources and perceiving the truth of the situation so that you can best know how to respond. In this at least, you can’t afford to divide you attention.

Psychology of the Knife Attack [Part 2]

Posted on by joeharman8 | 12 min read | 125 views

If you saw a wild animal, its image would stay in your mind long after the threat had gone. This becomes a habit sometimes. So there is a tendency to start seeking out that image of the threat, rather than what’s actually in front of you right now. In other words, sometimes the memory of the thing holds more power over you than the reality itself unfolding. The reality of the situation is one of intensity, where every seconds counts. If we can look at it in a detached way, from an outsiders perspective, this becomes tempting and comforting. But this is a simplified reality.

With the knife attack situation as a whole, there is more than just brain activity. For example, if you are attacked with a knife, there is so much going on in that situation which is beyond the brains power to recreate. There is pressure, urgency, and awareness beyond the physical process of the fight. There is increased heart rate and nervous system activity. This makes awareness go up, so that you move beyond the analytical and cognitive stage. This does not mean reduced consciousness. It means that when your mind and body have reached a certain threshold, you break your barriers. So the reality is that you need to break these chains of physical and mental comfort. At this point you make a quantum leap in your perceptions. All of this means that you become supercharged.

When it comes to training, you might well be on passive mode thinking only of going over the superficial aspects, such as technique. All of this is useful, and I don’t discount it. But it is like learning your ABC’s. The body and brain must move beyond awareness of just the technical aspects in order to bring out a super normal potential. When I say super normal, I’m not talking about athletic ability. I’m talking about an effort which can only be achieved once you push the limits of what you can do.

So it is as if you are a different person in each situation. One aspect of you is sat in the lab, looking over the data and dissecting it. “This is the correct way to defend against the knife”. The other part of yourself has to work and apply. When you work and apply yourself you get tired. This is necessary, but it looks like a mistake. When you get tired, if you learn not to panic, this can be a tremendous energy. If you lose control of the fire within when you get tired, then it becomes a struggle. So it isa not about avoiding the fatigue of a ferocious exchange.

When two individuals are engaged in combat, there is no way they can avoid getting tired. In order for the full extent of the energies to be released, you need to break certain barriers. This can be demonstrated scientifically. When you sprint up a hill, the muscles get tired and the resources get pooled into the breathing muscles, such as the abdomen, diaphragm, and internal core. This is a good thing, because you are then energising the organs, and becoming increasingly aware of the internal side of mental and physical effort. You are then acting from within, which means you are more centred rather than peripherally aware. You even begin to physically move from an internal centre.

Behind the Mirror

The mind can only act as a mirror, projecting what has some image of what’s happened in the past. This is not reality. viewing things from the point of view of the mirror, of course the situation seems so much different than when you were in it for real. So if you were focusing on just the the memory itself, the mirror, you might tend to discount the forthcoming impressions from the environment in the present moment, the internal registers signals. This saw what I call moving beyond the mirror, or behind what it presents. If you never become tired, training in a way that you just go through the motions, you tend to avoid reaching this awareness and succumb to illusion. The present moment is what draws fourth the energy to respond successfully, because it is a full blown reality rather than an imagined picture of one presented by the mirror image.

So memory isn’t a replacement for experience right now, it just allows you to become familiar with a new situation because you can recall as similar one from memory. In this way memory triggers certain reactions rather than forming a reality. You can’t imagine in the mind something you haven’t yet experienced, only what you already know. This is memory, which can also be used to create an imagined future out of the past. Playing over in your head what you already know is useful but limited in many ways, because the reality of each situation in front of you is new each time even if looks similar. This is why it is crucial to stay switched on to possibilities, rather than utterly sure of things.

The body as a whole knows more about what to do than the mind can make out if it is going by visual memory. as we have seen, there are sorts of internal realities going on that get ignored if we are just looking in the mirror. So the visual memory can only see what has happened, not what is about to happen. That has to be experienced. The body as a whole, including the awareness and intuitive sense knows more about what has yet to happen. The mind resists this in many ways, because it is so sure of how everything should look superficially. It makes you tired and responsive to an emergency, because this sense of urgency is needed to awaken your full potential. This includes the potential of the brain too, in order for senses to be heightened.

Imagined practice

So even if you are mentally rehearsing the experience of a knife attack, practice should seek to resemble what happens in real time, which means planning for the unexpected. It is the unexpected which wakes up your attention, and the memory which familiarises you to what has happened before. The sense of what has happened in the past, memory, awakens the possibilities for action right now. This is evolution unfolding in the moment. Otherwise, what has happened in the past takes over and you don’t make that quantum leap.

The brain can become aware of what is happening know, in other words, it can operate alongside but also beyond memory. It is like if you suddenly lose your temper at somebody, it is as if someone else is acting through you, yet you are aware of some memory of yourself who wouldn’t act like this. So it is about taking responsibility for your actions, whilst accepting that is not what you would do with a cool head. What do I mean by responsibility? Simply that you will be behaving differently under states of increased energy and agitation, and to develop awareness and necessary experience of this when needed. This does not mean you become an animal willingly. No, it means that if you leave the body and mind to its own devices, you tend to just go into berserker mode or shut down in a fight. Do you want to be at the mercy of these things? Then all you need to do is work at it. This is why developing the right level of temperance and self discipline is the real lesson of martial arts.

Proper response

When you are attacked by a knife, the right response is crucial. It is like when you go and serve a customer as a shop assistant. You go through the motions, saying this and saying that, picking up the body language and working the sales floor. You are looking for the sale, and when it comes it’s not in the least bit surprising and you don’t react to it like its a surprise. You are open to the real possibilities rather than just projecting you own ideas into the situation. you have a catalogue of sales pitches, based on memory, but apply them differently each time. Everything from the tone of voice, the projection of self assurance, etc., goes into the sale. Of course, you can pressure sell, but this is really creating a need rather than responding to one. This is the equivalent of selling by memory, you already have an idea and then you force it on the present situation. This is one way of dealing with things.

When you respond to the need to pay more attention you perceive a wider reality. In the same way you can pressure a knife attacker by acting aggressively, because you know from memory how dangerous a knife is. But often this is just a way of triggering the very event you are looking to avoid, by creating a certain tension in the air. In this way, you project the past into the future and repeat it. It’s not a question of wether you should worry about knife attacks or not, there is only physiological responses occurring which you chose to pay attention to or not. These physical responses give rise to possibilities, so they are not to be ignored. At the same time, they have nothing to do with what needs to happen or the energy that can be created by these initial states which we call apprehension, anger, or anxiety. These are transient states which come and go.

One person ignores the internal signals, and acts with reckless abandon, overcoming the attack. Another person freaks out and becomes powerless. So the state someone gets in is good for one person and bad for another. It’s not the deciding factor. What is the deciding factor? It’s whether you fight back or not, whether you act as a fighter or not. This does not mean reacting physically all the time. You can experience all these things and choose not to react, based on intelligence. You have experienced the same thing as a reactive person, and yet you have created a new experience out of it.

Full awareness

The only thing to remember is stay switched on and alive because only then are you working at full capacity. If you are at full capacity and awareness, many options are open to you that in theory aren’t possible. You then ensure your own survival. It is not that you haven’t trained how to defend a particular attack that you don’t defend it. This is just a story you tell yourself if you lack the determination and self knowledge to move beyond limitations. How do you know that the knife attack isn’t jump starting you into a full blown experience of life which is just laying dormant? In other words, it could easily be you that is the barrier to understanding rather than the situation being inherently hopeless. Many people have seen situations of extreme intensity as a revival of their awareness that they weren’t conscious of but was already there. It is within all of us to reach this state and become awakened rather than triggered.

So what about the environment of the knife attack? Staying with the analogy of the shop assistant, each customer is different, and as you develop an understanding, you realise that each customer is there due to a particular need. You begin to spot the types who are receptive to sales, as well the ones who aren’t. In a similar way, spotting a potential threat, such as a knife carrier, is a little bit like this. You become aware of the environment and selectively respond to those who look out of place by choosing a certain course of action. Just as you would pick an appropriate person to sell a product to in a shop, you do the same when selecting someone who looks edgy or aggressive. Internally you get a feel the more you become aware and the more you pay attention to these aspects in the street or elsewhere.

Do you cross the street? Is it too late to do anything other than fight back? These are all the questions surrounding what to do. You do what needs to be done in that moment, and rather than reacting to it you make a positive action, because you have increased your awareness of the situation as a whole. It then doesn’t matter if you see an attacker or not because you have fully responded to the environment and got the most out of it anyway. What does it matter if you don’t confront somebody? You have responded not only as necessary but fully. This is the real victory, and the response of heightened awareness, whatever the outcome.

So wether you see an attack or not is not the point. You just respond equally to the situation wether an attack is there or not, with full awareness. It is no good being told when to become aware, because this is selective awareness. So the choice becomes yours once you are in a certain seeking mode. Otherwise your just reacting to things as they pop up. So just look. Not with tension, but easeful awareness. If you chose not to act, by seeing a situation as harmless, this is a positive action and an informed choice rather than one of unawareness and non activity. If you have to fight then you do so with full awareness.

Conquest at all Costs: Drugs and the evolution of Martial Arts [Part 2]

Posted on by joeharman8 | 14 min read | 90 views

Note: This is a continuation of the previous post, which can be found here: http://intuitivemartialarts.com/2023/04/24/conquest-at-all-costs-drugs-and-the-evolution-of-martial-arts-part-1/

In an effort to combat various aggression and behavioural problems, various athletes have taken to cannabis use. Problems such as inflammation and pain management issues can develop in martial artists, as well as depression, which cannabis is said to mitigate. Indeed, pain management is an increasing problem in martial arts, as elsewhere, because not only are athletes pushing themselves like never before, but also they are also not replenishing their reserves. This is all associated with the huge upsurge in activity in terms of training and competition in martial arts, as well as our attentiveness mentally to demands. Martial Arts for fighting and fitness has taken centre stage because people have taken it up and realised that you can get fit and powerful over a relatively short period of time. Therefore they have assumed that the benefits will keep coming and there is no need for other aspects of training, such as regeneration of ones energies and reserves.

Cannabis has been used by a number of world champion level fighters in an effort to decompress from this experience of constant connectivity to demanding schedules. Some have even gone as far as to suggest that all combat athletes should take cannabis. But rather than taking a particular substance, there are things which can be done which pose no risk in terms of side effects and everyone can do. Drugs are not suitable for everyone involved in martial arts. If a doctor got high and tried to operate on you, I would imagine you would avoid their treatment. In the same way, in order to practices various mindfulness and meditative activities, it is important to remain lucid and aware. Of course, anything can be done in unawareness. However, gradually over time, if activity is performed without lucidity, it becomes more of an escapism or relief from the stress of life rather than a positive activity. Both relief and positive action have their place, and each person varies according to their personal needs.

According to Eastern medicine, the best way is to avoid the need for external drugs in the first place by practicing internal medicine. Internal medicine simply means becoming more aware of the inner workings of the system and responding to these workings, rather than outside demands. It is not a case of internally injecting yourself with something or swallowing some kind of herbal antidote. Put differently, internal medicine is a balance between the the external and internal demands, where the hard styles of training take on a more meditative and internal emphasis. For instance, rather than taking steroids to improve strength, you could work on your breathing muscles to recruit more muscle fibres1. Here you increase the capacity to draw in air, as well as the strength to do so. Anything which can be obtained from the outside, can also be done internally. The methods however, are different.

In the human system there are substances called endocannabinoids2 which are naturally produced. What this means is that a form of cannabis is naturally produced in the system, and is designed to prevent various conditions associated with prolonged stress from overwhelming the individual. This may sound shocking, but to obtain the desired effects it does not necessarily require any special training. There are millions of cannabis receptors in the spine, brain, and elsewhere. This is why posture and flowing movements have always been emphasised in traditional martial arts. It is all about aligning the system and synchronising it to something of a harmonious nature. It is just that in the modern age there is an increased tendency to never have the appropriate amount of meditative practice or down time to let this natural system kick in. Doing something as simple as gardening or mindfulness activities can allow the body time to revitalise and relax, whilst the perceptions stay switched on. The key is to sit or move in a meditative posture for a portion of time so that the spine is fully stretched, and then to sit in stillness if possible, whilst focusing on slow and deep breathing.

Why are there so many endocannabinoid receptors in the brain and body? Many believe this is because everyone used to take external sources of cannabis. This has led people to suggest that everyone should take cannabis externally. However, because in many parts of the world it doesn’t actually grow, and such receptors are present in everyone, it cannot be that everyone evolved smoking weed. It is more likely that because such substances are naturally produced, they can be put straight in and turned into a human experience, much like food produces enzymes. In fact, enzymes or proteins from food break down Endocannabinoids. So the most important thing is to consider the quality of food and the smooth functioning of the system, which allows for the bodys natural internal medicine to work properly.

Because substances such as testosterone are naturally produced in the body, this has led people to believe that we should all be taking it externally. However, the question is this: Do you want to be driven by testosterone, or do you want to be the driver of its production and utilisation? In other words, you can put it into your system like you would oil into a car, but if the car isn’t functioning as it should you will only get so far. Whereas if you have developed an efficient engine and stable car, it will be economical enough to run well on a relatively small amount of oil. Another way of looking at it, is that if a farmer continuously plows their soil, and doesn’t allow it to sustain the many organisms that live within it, the quality of the soil goes down. You then need all sorts of artificial fertiliser. Similarly, in the human organism there are many forms of biology which sustain the system and are broken down if unsustainable practice is allowed for long periods of time. It is then no surprise that artificial fertiliser, which is to say replacement chemicals, are needed.

Neurological studies have shown that when the system is in a certain state, the cannabinoid substance is produced naturally, just waiting for the body to align in such a way that there is a smooth functioning. When this doesn’t happen, where is the natural functioning? Systems such as Tai chi and Yoga have emphasised achieving harmony through movement and posture for this reason. Organic produce can only be created from within. In this way, testosterone and other natural substances work their way through the system if it is driven by your conscious willpower towards sustainable growth and practice.

Your substance levels and your achievements are not necessarily connected. Testoterone therapy can increase activity, I will concede to that, but it does not increase functioning. You learn to regulate testosterone, and the body’s other natural chemical release systems, and everything becomes more tempered rather than wild. Testosterone or other similar substances are formed principally in the liver and intestines from such things as bile and and cholesterol. Cholesterols role is to maintain the cells, so if it is used to produce too much testosterone, as in situations of survival and stress, there is likely to be less transformation into cellular activity. This is why the traditional martial arts systems have focused on working with health, particularly of the core muscles and gut areas.

So you don’t need to be wild to become active and strong. In fact, studies have shown that people involved in woodcutting to support local development have produced just as much testosterone as football players. The difference is, I would imagine, that it is produced in fits and starts during football, rather than at a steady rate associated without outdoor work. But that is just speculation. Nor do you need to be incapacitated to settle down. If you manage the bodys energies and resources strategically and well, you will want to be healthy and active all the time, and there is then no question of activity, it will just happen as needed. Rest from work will happen as a natural consequence of wanting to increase your competence, rather than becoming aggressive and hyper attic regardless of benefit.

It is perfectly natural to chase a state of external stimulus in order to reach a certain state. The problem is that many people do not have the methods of practice to facilitate its happening internally. So they go about training incessantly for some kind of event to peak. Others settle for a steady state of health and activity which can be maintained constantly. This is the meaning behind internal medicine, which is the principal behind the ancient Chinese systems. It involves steady yet vibrant activity all through the day if it is achieved properly. There is a focus on inner harmony because then, when the burdensome nature of compulsively competing against others is worked out, needing to dominate others becomes less of a priority.

So when enough down time or meditative practice is factored in, a balance is achieved. This is to equal out the huge amounts of intense physical and mental work which we are all usually expected to do these days in many different fields. When people take time off from a stressful situations, removing themselves for some time, they naturally get better over time even without any special methods or drugs. This is because their system is given a break, rather than because they have done anything actively. It is then easier to learn things properly, make better decisions, and put up with demanding work because there is an ease and fluidity of functioning within the system. You then can work at a level which is not driven by external events and surroundings.

The biochemistry of the body is like fertiliser to the soil. If the soil is drained of its nutrients, it becomes a wasteland over time. Put some organic matter back in, and it becomes healthy again. Either that, or you up your production and become a better manager. The problem is, that increasingly there is a tendency to take from the soil and not let it become healthy and living again. As it is in modern agriculture, so it is within. So, if you just charge back in doing things as you always did in a state of agitation and prolonged stress, you soon find yourself back in the same condition. If you just slow down and let the system act as needed, there is no problem. This explains the need for testosterone replacement and cannabis. This is not surprising when you think about it.

There is a need and an urgency to take better care of the human organism, because the stress related by products of training and exertion can easily be broken down into fertiliser for the inner soil. That is, if a certain amount of circulation and time is allowed for the system to breakdown, transform, and renew. So it is a question of making situations of low demand a permanent fixture of the timetable, so that the body naturally can replenish its reserves. It is the exact same principle as with soil regeneration. If there is overuse of the soil, it becomes less fertile and needs further nutrients to replenish it. If the sun started shine all day, the plants would soon deplete the soil of its nutrients. In the same way as there is day and night, in martial arts there is yin and yang practice, activity and recuperation.

When you can distance yourself from the stresses of certain situations such as constant fighting, it is possible to view them with a new sense of fresh enthusiasm rather than being bogged down with constant pressure. Modern living is extracting the organism of its natural means of growth and renewal, just as it is the crops and soil. This is essentially why people go for drugs, to escape this pressure for some time when they feel they need to keep incessantly active and keep their head above water. The problem is if drugs are abused, decision making capability goes down because you can become driven by events rather than self initiated. This is why The Eastern systems have always emphasised internal medicine, even if they have been accused of promoting ineffectual fighting methods. You need both good soil and effective methods to make a crop, not just one aspect. Of course, modern fighting influenced by popular cage matches and prize fighting are going to be more effective on the street than doing some sort of Tai Chi routine. But all of that becomes meaningless if you have exhausted your capability to live a balanced life.

Various seeds, or receptors, are planted all over the body, which need to be cultivated to grow to their potential. They need to be cared for and grown. They don’t just happen automatically any more than activity does. Progress does not happen over night, but the desire for this to happen right now is there. So, the desire for this to happen is written into the seed, much like a genome is written into any creature before its growth unfolds. The work that goes in, as well as distortions or transformations which take place all part of the process. So, you can use and harvest the crop before it reaches full maturity, which is what much of modern science is geared towards, so that the system works to uphold insatiable demand. And then, of course replacement therapies are needed. In doing so you will probably achieve more than others sometimes. But not all the time. Of course, carry on taking medications that you need to. I am not saying otherwise, because without alternative methods, longevity can be compromised. But by bringing awareness to the body’s natural energy systems, the need for such medications will go down drastically.

The big difference between substance use and inner practices such as meditation, is that meditative practices enables you to take self initiated action. On the other hand, it is quicker and easier to get a dose of some sort of chemical and get instant results. This is not an either or issue for me, because both methods can be used for different reasons. For example, using steroids is a way of externally obtaining a substance, testosterone, which the inner system cannot manufacture in the desired amounts for some reason. For example, many people want to take hormones to boost recovery, often because they don’t do any active recovery practices. For them, recovery is just some negative activity rather than a positive action.

There are side effects to drugs, which is only natural. For example, there is increased aggression and various organ disorder associated with steroid use, which may or may not be important to the individual who is on an upswing in activity. So initially, there is a certain boost, which slowly over time makes you incapable of other things, such as maintaining health. Not always, but in general I would say that a large percentage of those who take performance enhancing drugs have other qualities which would enable them to succeed without using them. Naturally, these qualities are not entirely developed in an individual who heavily relies on external means. The demand to develop internal action goes down with the supply of external means. So by balancing out the demands of training, both heavy and light work, requires a holistic outlook. And if you have consciously tempered the passions and channeled them in the best possible way, then things will develop in natural proportions, not in excess nor ever in too small amount. This is why the Martial arts traditionally focused on behaviour and personal conduct as sources of success.

Over working the system and getting carried away by the influx or hormones and adrenaline is similar to boosting the system with substances such as cocaine. Therefore, after any combative situation it was generally believed in the traditional arts that a certain amount of spiritual practice should take place. This was also the case in other life events which are taxing on the system, which today many people think nothing of. This was so that the fighter could distance themselves from such states on the energetic and psychological level, so that the intense impressions of combat did not embedded themselves over time and become behavioural tendencies in the longer term. Disasters and problems in life happen, but if they become the basis of day to day experience without relent then there is definitely a problem.

  1. https://youtu.be/2BdUKuyLwWM
  2. https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/the-endocannabinoid-system-essential-and-mysterious-202108112569

Conquest at all Costs: Drugs and the evolution of Martial Arts [Part 1]

Posted on by joeharman8 | 8 min read | 117 views

There are a variety of recreational and performance enhancing drugs that are used in Martial Arts. For example, Cannabis has been linked with stress reduction, and is therefore used by certain martial arts practitioners. The therapeutic effects of cannabis are well known. In martial arts, when the drive for conquest is too high, the natural solution is to bring this down in some way. Otherwise, stress hormones, which are by products of adrenaline charged activity, soon build up. So in many ways, the build up of stress in the system is a symptom of overactivity. This can cause many complications, which often drives certain martial artists practitioners towards self medication. The best way to overcome this problem is to make efforts to stay mindful and engaged with appropriate activity, so that there is neither too much pent up energy nor too much stress hormone as a by product of such build up. That way everything has its place and is put to use.

Mediation, stretching, and breathing exercises, as well as various cool down phases of practice have been observed throughout history. They are all aimed at internally regulating the system. What has been built up must naturally come down in a cycle. This is so that everything can be transformed. For example, after you have filtered the coffee through the machine, there is a certain build up of waste product. In the same way, when the human system processes blood through the system, the kidneys filter out waste from useful substances. If this is not happening for some reason, there are various health problems1. This is why certain systems have always emphasised organ massage and internal practice, such as deep breathing and meditation. This is particularly the case in the East, where the need for personal glory has not traditionally been emphasised in such a way as it is today in many martial arts organisations.

There have been all sorts of stories in recent years about how Western fighters have gone over to places such as Thailand and beaten the Native Thai boxers. Many of these stories are undoubtedly true. For example, when the Dutch kickboxers went over to Thailand to fight in Thai boxing, some of them stunned the Thai’s with their emphasis on punching the head like a Western boxer. Fighters such as Ramon Dekkers did this effectively. It was therefore assumed that the Thai’s were somehow missing something, and that they didn’t understand that it was effective to strike the head and body using hard punches. But this is not the case.

There are so many different styles Eastern martial Arts, that it is impossible to pin down exactly what they did and didn’t practice. This rich diversity has always been celebrated, however because this diversity has not been unified into a single style the whole Eastern systems have been criticised heavily. However, the important thing is that styles such as Muay Thai and Kung Fu have existed for hundreds or thousands of years. This is because they have projected into the future what the want to happen, and adapted with the times slightly, rather than becoming defined by them.

Traditionally, the Thai audience preferred to see fights play out in such a way that the competitor did not steamroll into the fight annihilating the opponent. The modern audience is not like this. Personally I’ve been watching some older fights in the early days of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) recently. I had forgotten how different they were. At UFC 1 for instance, as well as elsewhere, there was a break after each round but no limit on the round. There were no weight divisions. There were three rules: No eye gouging, no biting, and no groin shots. Everything else was developed on the fly in terms of strategy. In the next event there was only one round which went on until someone gave up or was knocked out. It was a tournament format, and because it was in 1993, you didn’t know anything about your opponent. So the early years were characterised by no weight classes and no rules, as well as limited preparation. In those days you didn’t know who you were even fighting until a couple of days before.

When you know what the opponent is bringing to the table and how they are trained, it quickly becomes easy to adapt. There is then advanced preparations in terms of physical training, sparring, and tapering off at the end. In my own experience at UK competitions I never knew anything about my opponent, nor them about me. This was normal, even at national championship level. This was around 2008 -2011 at Taekwondo tournaments. Today, more tends to be known about the opposition due to enhanced communication and social media. Similarly, in MMA is is very easy to pick up any style you want, and to start coaching it at the gym. You just have to go on YouTube. When I was competing, I wasn’t even aware of many techniques which are now easily available online. Again, this was normal.

Once you know something, it’s impossible to unlearn it. So today, we see no such advantage from the Dutch in kickboxing, because the modern version of the sport has taken on the scoring system similar to mixed martial arts. They have all evolved together in many ways, coexisting. For example, one championship now showcases many dominant Thai fighters, who punch the head as much as much as the Dutch fighters used to. So over a short period of time, the system has adapted to include more punching to the head, for better or worse. This shows how quickly a system can assimilate new trends rather than being taken over by them.

In Japan, in the early days of mixed martial arts the Japanese audience preferred not to see the fighters punch the opponent in the head whilst holding them to the ground. Without going into the whole history surrounding this, as it would take too long, basically the fighter traditionally fought according to the audiences preferences to a large degree, and the organisations built various rules and unwritten codes of conduct in response to these preferences. I expect this evolved from the entertainment tradition in Japan, from which professional wrestling was developed. At the same time, due to the promotion of a certain form of sportsmanship, excessive deadly techniques have also been discouraged in traditional martial arts. This does not suppose an ignorance about their effectiveness necessarily, or an incompetence on the part of the martial artist.

Often, the one who restrains themselves from something comes closer to understating of it than the one who over accepts it at face value. This is because it is on their mind totally if they try not to do something. Only then is it possible to come full circle, realising that some powerful urge for conquest is the fuel for the rocket, not the rocket itself. For instance, try not to think about flying a plan and that’s all you will think about. You are also by association thinking about the rocket fuel, but not directly. In the same way, by seeing the urge towards conquest as part of a greater vehicle, it has its place. For the warrior, self restraint from certain forms of violence and gratification requires eternal vigilance and courage to face it, so that the rocket fuel does not blow up in your face.

In the end, there is a realisation that urge for violence can become fuel for something greater. In many ways, if you delve totally into self discipline as a single minded focus, it is possible for this to become a living reality, which is totally transformative. This is because when you energies have reached such intensity and focus, you no longer remember what the point was of conquest.

What does this have to do with drugs in martial arts? In many ways, when a martial artists rushes to get ahead of others they end up burning the candle at both ends. There is a growing tendency to compare oneself with others, particularly with social media. And so, naturally if several people are getting ahead in this way, then the ones who aren’t ahead try to catch up. In other words, anyone who is going at a moderate pace in todays world can end up looking as though they are behind in comparison to others.

The main problem today is that so many people are using the fuel of the body to go elsewhere and do something, rather than be something. This gives them a certain edge, driving them towards dominating others. As a result, they are driven by their own instinctive energies, such as testosterone. There is undoubtedly a medium to short term level of success when one is driven by the compulsion to be better than others. The problems often come later. To some degree, there is no avoiding this in full contact martial arts. But, traditionally this hard side of martial arts has made up only one dimension of practice. The other side of the coin has always emphasised respect, humility, and reverence for the martial arts. This was to save the fighter from themselves, from becoming restless, and hyperactive, by developing other dimensions within themselves.

1https://intuitivemartialarts.com/2023/03/31/from-knowledge-to-intuition-part-2/

From knowledge to Intuition [Part 2]

Posted on by joeharman8 | 21 min read | 93 views

“…become in such a way that masters cannot help but envy you whether you have demonstrated their technical teachings or not. So whichever way, become a full expression of what you are, which is exactly the intention of all martial arts teachings.”

The content of your practice depends on the context. For example, if you are working on technique, then your practice will take on an increased technical dimension. This can be beneficial, if you are working to improve something you already know, or even to pick up some rudimentary skills. Because you have not yet picked up the necessary muscle memory, as it’s known, you will want to imprint it on your system before training under pressure. But technical training can only explain what is unexplainable logically. In other words, the reality of martial arts is not a matter of analysing things to death. It’s just an activity you take care of on the path to self mastery. The technical side of things is necessary but not sufficient to develop intuitive sense, which is instructed by the wider sphere of nature and life.

It is pretty easy to memorise something in the brain unconsciously over time. You just need to repeat it over and over for a few weeks or months, like revising for an exam. It takes commitment, which bis part of the process. This is what technical drills in martial arts amounts to, a commitment to sustained practice. Understanding is another matter. This memorization is just the first step in martial arts. It takes a longer time and more intense energy to imbed this working knowledge into the system so that it works intuitively, even though the brain does not remember exactly how. However, if you just impart in the moment what you have learnt in the past, your expression and energy in performance will become gradually more dull and lethargic.

If you are looking to use up energy, because you have been indoors all day for instance, then you might just train to stop the physiological system from stagnating. This need not have anything to do with technique practice. For instance, if you stay in the gym all day, there is likely to be a deficiency in fresh air, sun light, open space, as well as peace and quiet. This may not seem important, but in my opinion a little of these things can go a long way for many reasons. When you have space and fresh air, you naturally feel more energetic and refreshed, partiularly if you’ve been indoors all day.

Increasingly however, many people are turning to chemical aids in order to improve their health and remain motivated. This is at the very same time as they are relying on too much technical training and burdening the brain with too much information. This is a natural consequence of training in artificial enviornements too much. Both chemical substitutes and over emphasis on technical training, are back up systems or precursers for the real thing. in other words, they boost the system a bit to initiate something it can already do given the right surroundings. However, confusion in this area is to be expected as long as an alternative to artificial practices is not given.

When it comes to technical training, this often involves a focus on the superficial forms. As we have just seen, technical training is a kind of memory drill. It in no way explains how martial arts actually works really. If you tried to explain the reality of martial arts on the inner level, you would just look ridiculous. It is like explaining any important nuanced experience, it’s easy to make a fool of oneself by rationalising it to others. However, technical training is a useful tool. You can be somewhat aware of the technical side of training, whilst immersed in the experience so that you are not looking to control what happens, you just ride the wave. It is as if the technical training instead acts as a reminder or prompt of what to do in particular circumstances. For example, rather than thinking in a step by step manner, you might carry key points in the mind to trigger the expression from within. It is like if you a reading a slideshow presentation. If you knew the subject well, you would just have a few words up there to trigger you and get you going on the subject you understood well. Speaking and expression then becomes natural and inutile knowledge is shared about a discipline.

Like the public speaker, your energies will be involved in the task at hand in martial arts. If you are just reading off the script it becomes subliminally counter productive and undermining of ones capabilities. In this way, it is better if you are just thinking about one thing only rather than trying to overburden the brain with details. For example, once you move into practice in a free flow manner, you could just focus on the centre, to trigger the mind in towards concentrating on the body’s centre of gravity, the Hara Centre. This works for anything. If you were to concentrate and pay attention to just about anything, this would develop the necessary single minded focus and awareness necessary for intuitive performance. The brain should become as singleminded as possible, if the energies as a whole are to function freely and unhindered. This is particularly important from the experiential learning side of things, which we will look at next.

Experiential learning means experiencing what is happening as a whole and adjusting to that reality. This then becomes the basis of experience which you feed off, rather than the scraps of partial experience. It is not just about the individual and what techniques you are doing. Nor is it about practicing from memorised scenarios or drills. These are just smalll parts, however important, of the present reality. For example, you immerse yourself in martial arts practice so that you can become aware of the demands of it rather than the details. Too much memory in this regard is like trying to run a different program at the same time as processing reality. The processor slows down to run several programs at once. However, the processor works fine if it is not syphoning off energy to to and create what it can already perceive.

Imagine you are on the laptop and you want to immerse yourself in a film, yet you’ve got half a window browser open doing some shopping at the same time. This is what many people try to do when they get involved in martial arts, as elsewhere. It’s a kind of fragmented awareness of reality, rather than a total one. When the experience is total, awareness is drawn to it in the present, rather than on what happened in the past. This is because you cannot live in the past, you can only observe it, because the nature of life is not in the past it is in the present. When there is less past, there is more presence. Nevertheless you are able to observe the past from the present only, so bringing the past (technical memory), into the present works better if you are totally involved in the present experience.

When you experience reality as it is, your expectations move beyond just the physical body and what it can theoretically do. Expectations also move beyond what happened yesterday, or the day before in some drill you did. Rather than emphasising the purely theoretical or physical experience of martial arts drills and techniques, you throw yourself wholeheartedly into the experience as a whole. Even if you bring the past in to remind you of some tips, you are still in the present. You have to be in the present to experience the past. If you are in the past you cannot experience the present. But enough musings.

If you are intensely training, the outward bound senses are quiet and still whilst the inner senses are operating intensely. These may seem strange, but if you are intensely watchful of a situation, rather than just reacting to it superficially, you naturally attain outer stillness and inner intensity. You are like the deer who senses a predator, or indeed a predator who is stalking the deer. Of course with animals this state is fleeting, but with human consciousness it can become prolonged indefinitely, even in action. In other words, you are aggressive inside yet calm on the outside. There is no danger in this if it is done properly, it isn’t like holding back expression, it’s just that expression becomes more inwardly orientated. Instead, there is a relaxed outer state in order to transmit energy and power, but an intense energy within. This is why martial arts systems speak of relaxed power, which only seems like a contradiction. If this is practiced, over time the martial artist can become intensely watchful and not rushed or hurried. Becoming too rushed and hurried tends to drain the system and evacuate its energies without sustaining it properly.

It also works the other way round. Say you want to get the energies moving outwardly because you feel stagnant, make sure that you are inwardly calm. If you let your energies go, whilst remaining inwardly calm and not drawn to peripheral concerns, the energies become malleable. In this way, it is then possible to reverse the situation so that the energies can then be drawn inwardly after they have been shaken up a bit outwardly. The need to shake things up comes because of high inner pressure which needs to be dealt with. It is like blowing a bubble, which expands from high to low pressure. Once the bubble has been blown, in other words the contents spread widely and peripherally, the inner pressure lowers and the contents naturally collapses back down. This is why it is not really possible to become relaxed until worked out the energies properly, because a relaxed state is really an expansion of a concentrated energy rather than a state of non being. This has been expressed in various ways in martial arts, for example as treating the big and small as one and the same.

In martial arts, the energies of the body undergo a state of contraction and expansion. Once the energies are back in, you clam the body and mind again and remain inwardly energised with the energy now worked out. It is like when morning due falls to the earth in the morning, having evaporated previously. It undergoes a certain transformation, and this change of state gives the water an enhanced capacity. This is known as the relationship between yin and yang, which involves a pairing of energies, which undergoes continual exchange. This is not a bi polar practice where you are up and down all the time without any real relationship, or even in a self initiated way. Instead, you bring your energies under your conscious will and behave naturally and intuitively as part of an active process of positive change. By naturally I mean as the nature within you is rather than a modification of it according to modern notions and philosophies, which again, although useful are insufficient to explain reality properly. This of course takes time and practice.

There are any number of systems of practice which look ridiculous from the outside, which have been used cleverly to stir up the energies and balance the system out. Today, many people stifle their energies so that they never really express themselves fully, nor do they ever relax. This makes intuitive practice difficult because there is so much taking off that needs to happen first. However, lots of people have no problem getting going when they’re drunk, they let out all their energies and act with more vigour. The problem is, there’s a hangover and a lot of wasted energy. This is because this is all done without conscious awareness and can lead to poor judgement and decision making. To do this without external substances, is known as drunken boxing, or working with the internal elixir. No doubt many masters have become drunk for various reasons, but this has nothing to do with martial arts really.

When a martial artist mimics the state of relaxed free and easy movements that a drinker makes, they are practicing a kind of drunken boxing. When someone is fully conscious of this, rather than having their consciousness suppressed by actual substance use, they instead become playful, relaxed, and unhindered. Have you noticed, that if you start dancing around like a drunk person when you are sober, you soon become slightly intoxicated for a time? Personally, I have done this often. It is true that any sustained state can have an affect on people around you, or even within. Aside from being fun at a party, becoming more playful and relaxed is a good way to diffuse an argument because you don’t give off a stiff unrelenting attitude. This is by far the best strategy for avoiding trouble by diffusing the threat before it happens. It is an extremely effective strategy to infect your opponent with an attitude of joyfulness and ease. And because you’re not actually drunk and are fully conscious, you don’t flip from one extreme to the other or push things too far with bad judgement.

Drunken master style is not really a fighting style. It allows you to play around with movements of any kind that practically speaking would be inadvisable. Drunken boxing is a style of playfulness, where the practitioner is doing it for fun, even if they die in the process. When the energies become playful, you naturally become less of a target for the many people out there who might want to take out their misery on you, knowingly or unknowingly. Above all, drunken boxing is an energy state rather than a practical method. I have not read this in any martial arts texts directly, it’s simply my own conclusion. There are many levels of martial arts, mental, physical, and energetic, for instance. This attitude of reckless abandon, or drunken boxing, can even be done with the most ridiculous looking martial arts forms to make things more lively and joyful. Otherwise it would be pointless to even bother.

The only real impediment to training is losing the joy and energy for it in the end. If the energies remain high and your are enjoying the process, you don’t suffer anything because its all fuel for the furnace. On the energy level anything can be useful. This is why intuitive practice, which aims to orientate the energy levels a certain way, is a useful approach. So from time to time it’s good to get as far away as possible from the serious side of martial arts. In this way you are still training, just a different dimension. For instance, if you turn inward and become still and more meditative, you might be surprised to find new energy for no external reason at all.

You see, people are always looking for external reasons. they think it’s because of this or because of that thing. They think they are only good because they have won somthing. But in my experience, these events happen any way and they just correlate with what everyone experiences on the inner level. For example, if you lost a match, you have still experienced the thrill of competition and the win through somebody else. As long as you are fully engaged with the process, the result makes little difference. This insight can become invaluable if your experience of training has become boring. We tend to think we are bored because we a not succeeding, in the narrow sense of the word. In fact everybody gets bored, regardless of what they are doing. If you win at everything, you will just find another problem. The deciding factor is whether you can extract gold from any experience.

So even if you’re a serious competitor, it will become more relaxed and fluid if you take it less seriously from time to time. It will be more intuitive even if your technical practice has been neglected for a time. This is so long as long as the mind is focused and sensible, even if the exercises and energise are lively and wild.

If you get carried away by your own performances, or too concerned with the outcome, this is known as being beaten by the inner enemy. This is why many of the masters of the past have been considered as mad, they have given up the game altogether. there is nothing wrong with the game. In reality, it is a controlled kind of liveliness which is no different fundamentally from the need to blow of some steam in a nightclub. There are many ways to go about this. Many people, after all, would become a nervous wreck if they were unable to get to the nightclub on a Saturday night! Society has always needed ways of working out energy and relieving tension. This is just one way.

Full on bareknuckle experience is of course dangerous if ones does not know what they are doing. There are often all sorts of unpleasant experiences which go on in nightclubs, which fly under radar of peoples awarenesses. You will see this if you go down there fully sober. This is why traditional martial arts has always looked to cultivate the right attitude as well as the physical tools in preparation for the real thing, because it can become overwhelming without preparation.

Styles such as drunken boxing are usually reserved for students under the tutelage of a master. Once again, I don’t know the formalities of drunken boxing according to Chinese systems, but I know that it all derived from buddhist teachings, which spoke of becoming intoxicated from within. So becoming intoxicated from within, in a natural way, is fostered by supporting environments. This is because the relationship fostered by such an environment prevents indivudals getting caught up in the process of self expression and letting go, avoiding stupid situations. The aim is to prevent too much too soon, and this is why such systems will always be accused of being ineffectual by modern standards where the aim is to experience everything at once. Of course experiencing everything at once is an equally good way of knowing, but according to eastern systems, this carries various dangers. This is where traditionally East and West have differed significantly.

From the purely practical perspective, it makes perfect sense just to endlessly perform physical drills, even taking performance enhancing drugs so you can do more of this. This is the practical and serious side of martial arts. On the subject of external chemicals, one of the side effects of taking steroids is that users have experienced liver problems. This is no surprise, because all drugs have side effects. Another such side effect is the decrease in the natural production of hormones when replacements are over subscribed. In other words, where they are naturally produced, they nourish those areas first before anything else. the situation with performance enhancers is to bypass this and create a demand elsewhere, which can only lead to maintenance issues of the body and its resources further down the road.

When someone values winning over others so much, there is usually a deficit in motivation from within. What this often means for the system as a whole is that something is being syphoned off from somewhere to support a hyper abundance of development elsewhere. For example, there might be an excessive sensory need for stimulus from the outside world, which takes on the job of satisfying the inner life. This obviously isn’t the best solution overall, because it relies on all sorts of factors outside of your control. You then potentially don’t have the necessary means of maintaining long term health because energy is all being borrowed from outside factors, which change over time, to sustain the system. For example, say you have a need for others to love everything you do. This obviously doesn’t drive optimal organ functioning, digestion, or energy circulation to any significant degree. And yet, this is what many people are relying on to survive. In other words, the normal survival process has been reversed, and happenings in life have been mistaken for the source. People have moved from creating to consuming.

This is exactly how steroids work, they encourage growth where it does not usually occur, at the expense of life sustaining organ systems. You consume instead of create. If this becomes the basis of experience, then other areas suffer and a certain stagnancy creeps in. In the case of performance enhancing drugs, it is not that there is too much hormones, it’s that they aren’t necessarily being utilised effectively for health. Hormones are not the problem, it’s how they are used, whether they arrive internal or externally. For example, a strong body is the result of a strong core and a healthy functioning. This is the source of strength. The source has been mistaken for the result, and people start abusing steroids to go straight for the result without working on the source. Once again, they consume rather than create the process, mistaking this for a definitive advantage. It really is that simple. If you work on the source, it will be so busy circulating the energies effectively and intelligently, that you won’t need to throw yourself into work which is unsupportive of this. This isn’t a judgement, as many people are free to take steroids. They are neither better nor worse than natures solution, just different.

When excessive build up of energy in the liver occurs, this can lead to various ailments. There are methods for alleviating this, whether you have taken steroids or not. For example, the Chinese systems of Tai Chi, as well as yoga, have developed various exercises to massage the abdomen and increase circulation around the internal organs. Problems can occur anyway, it is a question of enhancing health. These exercises not only increase circulation, but also the distribution and supply of various health promoting hormones in the body. The problem is that, because these exercises increase vitality and health, they need to be maintained the more activity one does in order to become powerful methods. It is the same with pills, they need to be consumed regularly and with additional life changes. This is particularly so as one gets older and wishes to still train physically to a high level without performant enhancers.

So the traditional practices of martial arts engage the practitioner in exercises which are aimed at establishing health as well as fitness. The goal is also to establish a work ethic which matures later in life, much like a long term investment. There is then not the same reliance on brute force in all transactions thereafter. Establishing the right attitude is needed in the beginning stage particularly, because the young martial artist tends to do everything with reckless abandon. This is why the traditional arts always hold the disciple back, there is no question of their energy only their understanding. Instead, when in martial arts you work towards a high ideal rather than for purely personal reasons, you are setting in motion future possibilities rather than immediate gains. The disciples of old would work tirelessly, often doing back breaking work, and when the energies and efforts reached boiling point, they would become more malleable. Many people believe that this was to manipulate the disciple. This is not so, although undoubtedly, corruptions can happen in all areas of society.

A genuine master has no interest in controlling the disciple, because they don’t want the baggage associated with such a relationship. So after many hours of unrelenting work, the disciple would undergo an inner transformation and would be at ease to change their own form. This was seen as the beginning of inner progress, because when this boiling point is reached, the energies become malleable and easily transformative. Whatever was fragmented became defragmented. This requires dedication and work, as well as commitment between master and disciple. Is a master needed? Not at all. I have already explained some of the methods people have used to transform themselves and their energies. This can be done by anyone, but generally is not. So if you are willing to take utter responsibility for your practice, and not dwell on complaining when it goes wrong, then anything is possible. If you do this properly, you become in such a way that masters cannot help but envy you whether you have demonstrated their technical teachings or not. So whichever way, become a full expression of what you are, which is exactly the intention of all martial arts teachings.

The Benefits of Martial Arts

Posted on Last updated on by joeharman8 | 12 min read | 78 views

When you move up to a certain level of attainment, a major pitfall can be getting caught up in that stage because it is far more alluring than continuing on the path. However, if the process of progression is the top priority, then anything which does not bring you a step closer to beyond this is just a side show. This is why various systems have recommended seeking nothingness, which means you just continue up the ladder rather than stop and establish yourself.

Martial Arts is a powerful practice which aims to overcome weakness and suffering by way of self transformation. The goal is inner expansion, and by taking your capabilities to the next level repeatedly, the possibilities are limitless. If you look within yourself to the core, you inner being is trying to do just this. It is a question of allowing the body and mind to synchronise properly to allow it to just happen, whatever your current level of capability and understanding. It is not a theoretical practice, but an active and experiential one, where limitations are decimated by overcoming weaknesses over time.

By remaining fully involved and aware, you open up limitless possibilities for your ongoing progress. This is what Martial arts is, an ever evolving process. Because fighters have founded most martial arts system, their practices are of a physical nature predominantly. But some looked beyond this one aspect of training, and created systems such as Tai Chi and Aikido, as a way of developing inner harmony as well as physical presence. Therefore, the practices of Tai Chi  for instance and the more physical systems such as boxing may seem at odds. However, the practices of Tai Chi, such as the ritualistic forms, are not so much for the practitioners sake, but to keep the culture and sense of devotion that it contains alive. What the practitioner does with the increased vibrancy of their system is their choice.

You must learn to organise your mind and body awareness in such a way that you create an atmosphere of optimal functioning. Whether you are big, small, athletic, fit, or otherwise, it is possible to enhance your functioning according to your present capabilities, and then blossom from there.  It is not about developing super human abilities. It is about continuously moving up the ladder, and avoiding the snakes where possible so you don’t fall flat on your back. In other words, when you move up to a certain level of attainment, a major pitfall can be getting caught up in that stage because it is far more alluring than continuing on the path. However, if the process of progression is the top priority, then anything which does not bring you a step closer to beyond this is just a side show. This is why various systems have recommended seeking nothingness, which means you just continue up the ladder rather than stop and establish yourself.

In trying to play god, many martial artists have stopped half way along the path and by achieving things other people cannot, such as world titles or excessive awards. There is nothing wrong with this, it just isn’t the main purpose.  Realising this, the masters of the past have advocated detachment from this, not because it is good or bad, but simply because if you want to transcend your current limitations, you need every ounce of what you have, and even then it’s still not enough to free you from the process of evolution and moving forward. As you can see, climbing half way up the ladder and then concentrating on how high up you are detracts from the precarious balancing act which is going on up there. This is when people fall or begin to doubt their position. This is why the traditional systems have always emphasised humility and service to others in the pursuit of attainment, to put stoppers on ones ego.

So the real benefit of martial arts practice is to view these successes along the way as indicators that you are getting to the core. In other words, you overcome one adversary as confirmation that you are in battle with the eternal enemy, which exists ceaselessly. Difficulty, and overcoming this, shows that you are doing the necessary work. You chop of one head of the hydra, and others reappear. What this means is that you are battling for existence, that you are earning your place. 

The main purpose of advocating self advancement is to benefit the majority of people who have lost motivation or have no direction. In this way, martial arts systems have helped people achieve more than they thought possible, even if those system lack practical application to fighting. If you can overcome life’s difficulties, as well as attain new skills which enhance health and fitness along the way, then this is doubly beneficial. At the highest level, once you learn how to make every moment into a training exercise towards self realisation, then the martial arts specific forms become less of a preoccupation, but still important in many ways.

When an individual can make their everyday activity into a training exercise, going to the gym and clocking the hours is not so significant. On the other hand, once you have reached a certain level of progress, can you keep up that level of maintenance to keep evolving? How can this be ensured?

Turning your everyday actions into martial arts activity, in other words becoming mindful of your everyday gestures, is one way of ensuring that your mind and body remain connected and switched on to the process which is ongoing and that you have already been through. So we are not talking about maintaining a low base level of activity, we are talking about maintaining the body and mind so that you are fit enough to maintain the process of transformation that you have initiated yourself into. This can only be done if you continue to surpass yourself, climbing the ladder continuously in order to reveal more of the landscape. When this process becomes the norm, you will begin to intuitively anticipate difficulties in advance, knowing when to pay close attention.

The idea is not to create a system of practice or personal bearing which rivals someone else. This obviously happens sometimes, but it is limited in the sense that not everyone can be number one in a competitive system. This is because each individual is built differently. The idea is to live within and experience an environment which is conducive to personal growth. For example, the goal of traditional practices such as Shaolin Kung Fu is to make sure that as many people as possible are not without some method of practice which empowers them. In this way, there is no limit to the amount of pie that can be divided up between people, and things improve the better off more people are. 

Today, well being for all through discipline and work of some kind is very much a possibility, because due to enhanced communication quality of living generally, the resources are not so scarce anymore. There is already a bigger potential for mass well being. Physically, the same old game of winners and losers is still going on largely, but in terms of inner development, well being, and self transformation, the possibility for exapansion is limitless. 

When you eat food, this eventually turns into flesh and blood, through the process of digestion. This involves creating hormones, which is enhanced if your body is in a state of flow and charge. What scientists are now calling bioelectricity, is what Martial Artists have been calling Chi for centuries. Specifically, this is the amount of electrical potential that a cell membrane contains, which increases the aliveness of the organism and its potential for growth. So, if you can train the body in such a way that digestion, breathing, and exercises happen in a natural and optimal way, this creates a certain energy form which orientates the body’s chemistry in the best way possible. In doing so, the martial artist learns to create powerful forms of movement, and becomes vigorous enough to take on opponents if necessary.

The overall goal is to cultivate energy within yourself, not to dominate others, but if this is done properly  you can do a lot with physical prowess. If you are able to dominate others but chose not to then this is a powerful thing. On the other hand, if your system becomes vibrant beyond normal parameters and you are empowered physically but your mind, attitude, and energies are not as they should be, eventually the system collapses, and the practitioner causes immense damage to themselves, limiting the possibilities of those around them as well as themselves. 

Suppose today you became a black belt in this or that style of martial arts. It is similar to eating a big meal. Pretty soon, what you had accumulated will break down in your system and no longer supply you with the same energy or nourishment because it has done its job. You need to eat something new. When you gather many different achievements or ideas about things, slowly these form tendencies of their own. If these tendencies build up without fresh ones coming in, then it is no longer you acting from a position of intelligence, the centre. Instead, you risk becoming like an automaton, who simply recycles past acquisition because you identify with these. 

The mind can be used to cut through things or to get caught up in them unnecessarily. If you cut through ideas and reality with a razor sharp sword – the mind, your understanding will penetrate reality to such a degree that you break it down so that it becomes fuel for your next endeavour. In this way, martial arts is a scientific practice, which allows you to take the process of growth and renewal, and ultimately life and death, into your own hands. There are many instances where, had someone been a littler older or more weathered and frail, they might have died from certain experiences. Realising this, the martial artists realises the the same forces of nature are best kept at bay by keeping the energies at a certain vibrancy, rather than polishing the body and mind. So when your stomach is hungry, you eat. In the same way, when your energies are hungry for more, you just make a plan to nourish yourself rather than becoming overburdened by the mind.

The life energies are switched on all the time. They record everything whether you are aware or not. Take the example of a bad nights sleep. The effects can sit with you the next day, effecting your mood and what you are capable of doing. In this way, the body has recorded everything that happens the previous night, and as a consequence you are tired. But, say you had a good nights sleep, you reap the benefits of increased energy levels the next day. So whether you pay much attention to sleep or not, the body does. This is the meaning behind meditation, to understand the body and become mindful of its ways and signals, which we will cover later in the book. 

The turning arc of the earth is so much bigger at the periphery than from the centre. In the same way, what you are doing on the surface of practice takes so much longer to realise than the idea from which it sprang,

The idea of meditation, or one major aspect of it at least, is basically to work on your mind in such a way that you carry over the minimal amount of accumulated impressions from one day to the next. In other words, you wipe away the mildew as a conscious process. It will happen anyway, it’s just that you make this a personal responsibility.This is so that the body records a night of restfulness and ease, so that the energies renew themselves rather than fight of potential health problems. In this way, life does not ignore anything even if your awareness is elsewhere, so everything you accumulate from the outside becomes held in the body and must be released in some way.

The work of the day, the arguments, the violence done to others can carry over and putrify within if a certain distance form all this is not cultivated in your experience of reality. This can cause damage to the organism and its functioning. This is where meditation comes in. As a meditator, you have not removed negativity from your experience necessarily, but you have not identified it with your experience exclusively either. In other words, who your are and what the body and mind have accumulated are not differentiated, it’s just that these accumulations take on a smaller aspect of the overall being. This is because acquisition is not the goal. The goal is to extend the experience further, not to exclude any part of it, but to see each aspect reach its full conclusion. When you realise this for example, you will see that problems are stimuli to successes which have not yet reached their conclusion. 

When you seek limitless expansion, it is not going to settle down, it is always seeking more. So when you exclude some aspect of yourself, if you are seeking the ultimate, then you will simply end up including that which you have desperately tried to discard. This is what it means to come full circle, you start off on the line and end up back where you started because you are travelling around a central axis. From the periphery as you walk along the earth it looks like a straight line, just as it does to the sailor at sea who is in fact going round the centre of the earth as he heads to the horizon.

The turning arc of the earth is so much bigger at the periphery than from the centre. In the same way, what you are doing on the surface of practice takes so much longer to realise than the idea from which it sprang, that it almost seems unrelated to this inner reality of ideas. So keeping on the straight line means to keep going out from the centre to the periphery. But one can go on about nonsense all day, you simply have to walk and live it.

Aggression, energy, and karma. Tending to your business.

Posted on by joeharman8 | 20 min read | 99 views

Aggression is powerful means of exerting your influence over situations in life. People can fight aggressively, sell a product aggressively, and can even meditate aggressively towards a goal. Aggression takes many forms, but it is the same energy. In martial arts, pent up energy, potential stored energy, can be used in order to land a decisive attack on the opponent. This shows how a potentially volatile energy can be channeled and externalised effectively. This is why people with  excessive energy are drawn towards and tend to engage in military or martial arts training. Whatever the way of life, there is a need to direct and channel energy appropriately in order to give it a direction, or to simply let off steam. The only main difference between the scholar and the fighter is the direction of energy and the form it develops.

In Martial Arts, we say that one must become like water. Water takes many forms. Water can learn how to evaporate from a high pressure state of heat and aggression towards a low pressure state of steam. This is why the Martial artist must also develop the capability to become like fire. The fire heats the pan, which is represented by the Hara Centre and the Solar plexus, so that steam is created and the fighter becomes like air. The Hara centre and the solar plexus is located around the organs of the trunk, and this region contains systems of high pressure, conduction, and insulation. It’s all there to convert gross energy to more subtle forms.The characteristic of evaporated air is constant movement and rising towards lower pressure systems, which is represented by the mind. From here it drops back down again in an ongoing cycle.

Water drops its heavier elements and rejoins them later when it is time to come back down to earth from up high. It is like when you drop your bag and run somewhere else. You pick it up another time and it weighs you down once more. And yet, even when you drop the bag, it is the same you without the added weight. There is a time for carrying the load and working with it, and a time to drop it off. Symbolically, this represents the process of transformation which occurs when the Martial Artists works on their physical training in the day time, and then meditates in the afternoon and evening.

In the process of evaporation, or transcendence, there is shift from the physical experience to the spiritual, the gross to the subtle. In other words, you begin to see that you and the gross aspect of your being, the body, are separate states of experience. This may not be in your actual experience, but it becomes more and more so the more one works on themselves. 

As an individual begins to reach nothingness, or no mind, this itself is the beginning of a new form. Jesus was said to have gone to the mountains after working in society, in order to evaporate all the stress, all the karma he accumulated from others. This is a famous example of how one mans intense activity needed an equal period of meditation and recharging. Not only that, but a person who begins to experience an expansion of consciousness can become disheartened because they are forced to undergo the process again and again. This is another reason why one should not get carried away in the spiritual process, it just demands more and more of us the more we progress. The more someone experiences  an expansion of consciousness, a greater awareness of reality, the more their capacity for growth and development increases. This involves them more and more in their particular mission as their scope for action increases.

During the process of becoming free from physical bondage, or karma, the life energies simply cause a new cycle of life to begin all over again once they have reached the highest point. When the energies drop back down successfully, like morning due, they are infused with a certain increased magnetic charge. There is a new and greater capacity for action.That is what Karma is, a cause an effect, which enables someone to continually work with physical and mental energy. The reward for work is more work. The moment a void is created, it is immediately filled by additional energy, this is the nature of the universe, which is expanding all the time. So you don’t need to worry about reaching nothingness, or losing your identity and becoming a vegetable. 

The highest point  of experience will vary from one individual to another. For some, simply winning a contest or the thought of winning some money will propel them to the heights. For them, supplanting a rival aggressively is enough to get there. For others, they want to draw in a new Karma which is based on fulfilling other kinds of obligations, such as raising a family or reaching states of nirvana for instance. Jesus wanted to take the karma of others and dissolve it.  The Buddha wished to enlighten as many people as possible. It all depends on the inclinations of the individual, but in the eyes of the universe it is the same energy, just a different form of expression. So depending on what direction the energies are given, what high ideal you aim towards, you will orientate towards a particular type of activity. This decides the thought processes which leads to accumulation of Karma, which has a cause and effect relationship towards the strived for ideal. The person who obsesses about drugs eventually ends up taking them. It is a question of becoming absorbed in the right though processes. 

This cause and effect relationship ensures ceaseless evolution in response to a deep longing towards expansion of experience. In a way, this represents death and rebirth, because you end up becoming an individual with new capabilities as if you were totally different. Just like the drug addict who wonders how he got that way years down the line, it is also possible to make informed conscious decisions about the expression your energies take, rather than giving way to compulsions. It is just as possible to become a warrior, or a saint. Such an expansion of consciousness enabling new possibilities usually happens gradually. Say somebody wants to kill somebody else. Usually, they will experience an aggressive urge in order to carry out this compulsive need to wipe out their enemy. This is a survival instinct which to some degree is necessary. 

The energy to kill another person is experienced in response to a need for action, not a need to kill. The same need to kill an opponent can be directed at oneself, so that one feels like committing suicide. If such a person uses their energies to meditate and reflect intelligently, such an urge to kill may evaporate entirely so that the need to fulfil it disappears and their energies take on a new orientation. The urge to kill is often confused with the urge to simply dissolve or evaporate the ego, which is the goal of the spiritual dimension in the martial arts. It is not necessary to kill the aspiration for spiritual growth annihilating someone who dishonours you or any of that nonsense. Perhaps there was a time when war was an everyday reality, but except in particular circumstances this is no longer the case. For the first time in history we can say that the meaning of life for many is now in well being rather than survival.

The instincts never decide the appropriate direction of energy, they just inject you with a certain force. There is no reason to eliminate this force, it is just a question of directing it towards the highest goal possible within you. The instincts are doing their job just fine, you would be dead without them.Now, the highest point within you may not be a conscious reality yet, but you can work towards it by using the imagination to create such an experience. Perhaps you imagine yourself to be a ball of energy radiating outwards. Just aim towards whatever is highest in your experience. In other words, you can imagine a type or ideal reality and this will address the deepest aspects of your core longings, even if you are unconscious of the need to do so. It’s all taken care of if you work in the right direction relentlessly. The key is to meditate and think about expansion of experience and consciousness, which means becoming fully involved and aware of your experiences and reality more broadly. 

It doesn’t matter what you imagine, because this isn’t the point to focus on. It’s a way into an invisible doorway. This is how the imagination can work on the energies indirectly, because even if the imagination bares no resemblance to what physically occurs, the thirst is quenched and fulfilment of the need for expansion is granted on an even higher level. This level is known as the energy body, which extends beyond the physical and mental bodies, and is closely related to the aura, which is influenced by the thoughts and feelings.

Many people experience reality simply on the level of memory. Say for example you want to wipe out an enemy. This is in response to the memory of what they have done to you, rather than what the reality is right now. Perhaps they even did you a favour by letting you see them for what they are, but still you are angry at them. You then imagine all sorts of ways to get your own back. And so your energy is spent engaged in exercises of memory and imagination, of past and future prediction, rather than the moment by moment experience of reality as it actually is. In reality, there is only the present moment, which should be given your full attention. We are not yet even aware of what the present moment really means, or how to live in it really. 

The memory of the past is something like a saved progress of the software you are running in your mind. It is useful to know where you are in your experience of the world, so a backup copy of reality is created. This is so you can save your progress. From there, the imagination is used to project you towards a reality that closely approximates an ideal, which is the best you can come up with in the mind. But it is still limited. Even so, imagination creates a psychological energy boost even if it isn’t an accurate representation of what eventually happens. The energy that this process of imagination creates is the important factor, rather than the particular form it takes.

In the case of aggression, you must learn to put it to work for you, rather than giving in to the dictates of it. It is a tremendous power in the right hands. In the martial arts, raw energy is built up in the Hara centre, which is located in and around the abdomen, the body’s centre. If the energies stay here and are used only to satisfy the instincts, then they are dissipated here and the energy doesn’t function in another way. This is the lowest level of manifestation, and at the same time expert martial artists have mastered this level of activity. However, the Hara centre is also the body’s maintenance centre, which means that if this is excessively externalised and used up there, rather than evaporated upwards towards the higher centres, then health is eventually undermined. Many martial arts have died fairly early because of this. Just as electricity can be used to power an electric chair, the same energy can be used to light up a village. This is why as ones perceptions evolve and reach new heights, such dissipation of life energy becomes less of a priority and lightening up becomes the goal.

Why not direct aggression towards driving out the negative attitude in others around you? Very often if you go the right way about it, you can gain the respect and even admiration of your antagonists, which is a definite possibility. There is no shortage of the need for such work, so you will never be out of the job. If someone antagonises you, remind yourself how ignorant and helpless that person must be to waste their time and energy on trivial disputes, and that they deserve compassion, rather than passion. In other words, you can learn to consciously direct your energy towards them in a harmonious rather than reactive way, ensuring your own inner balance is maintained. Otherwise you run the risk of  creating the same inner disharmony within yourself that your antagonist is experiencing.

Obviously, when someone is insulting you or attempting to drag your name through the dirt, this is no time for idleness. It’s time to show them how strong you are in your whole demeanour and expression, by directing your willpower towards creating the type of persona which is above all this. Usually only desperation, caused by stress, can bring out this possibility. By creating such a personality, an exteriority that others see, you set up the conditions for receiving good karma and future gain. This does not mean you wont experience difficulty, it just means you wont suffer the process of cause and effect so much, or even at all. The key is to suffer moments of stress intelligently so that you do not suffer the process of it, which actually leads to growth.

Karma does not cause the effect of well being, it only responds to the longing, the high ideal of the individual. In other words, the consciousness you have developed determines the energy form you receive. The Karma you experience is related to the inner receivers you have developed, and so what you create within yourself is how the energy will function. The same energy is sent to the maniac and the soldier, because they are both equally charged. But they both work at different levels so their possibilities are different.

Say you work on sending you aggression upwards, towards evaporation and the higher subtle centres, then the form of behaviour you take will be one of compassion rather than anger towards your opponent. It is the same energy converted into a different form, which takes on a particular demeanour and body composition. The nervous system can greatly influence the other bodies. This is why in the spiritual dimension of martial arts, the nervous system is focused on first of all. The martial arts systems aim towards fuelling the energy body, which extends beyond the physical body and crafts it. The energy body seeks a proper relationship to the outside, even using the opponents energy to convert and fuel itself. Otherwise you just waste energy siping out the opposition. Then, you are just fuelling the ego which wishes to destroy an opponent violently rather than make proper use of them as a means of self realisation and transcendence. 

Just having the right attitude and determination can make a potential antagonist powerless. Most of the time this is all you need, because your antagonist will sense that you are superior to them they will see how futile it is to resort to pettiness. And also, you make yourself a hard target for opportunists who may otherwise make a move against you. Finally, since you are not threatening anyone else, you don’t rouse in them feelings of resentment, or competition. 

The next time someone tries to draw you in to nonsense, ask yourself whether there is anything to gain from getting drawn in. For sure, there is likely to be an experience of heat and anger initially, but perhaps it is better to use these states to put on a powerful display of tolerance where you distance yourself from reactivity. It is important to act, but not to react on the same level as the antagonist. 

The aggressor is often trying to make an opponent out of you, a straw man, when really all experience is within. Likewise, your experience is within. For them, a tremendous amount of energy is spent creating this caricature out of you. People get drawn into wasting energy, by playing a game where everybody loses. So one way of dealing with this expression of madness is to cover it up by making others out to be the problem. Another way is to transcend it altogether and evaporate these states, which takes a lot of work too. The only difference is that you end up with a good result the second way. So these are the choices, to battle your own weaknesses or to cover them up and externalise things, depriving yourself of the opportunity of inner transformation and certain powerful states of energy. 

All aggressive behaviour aimlessly directed at others is an accumulation gathered over many years, a karma which needs to be worked out one way or another. For many there seems to be no other explanation other than to burst the build up of excessive energy from time to time in counter productive ways. This is limited. aggression shouldn’t be taken personally, because in a way it is natural for people to get riled up and act aggressively. This is mans lower nature, his animalistic side. Animals act this way constantly because they lack higher reasoning or even a possibility of transcendence.

In todays society, largely due to sedentary life styles which lack physical vigour, energy stays largely at the lower level of existence, the low chakras. The only solution for many is to go clubbing all night and drinking all day so that there is an outlet. Instead, if people were to get into the habit of manual work, chopping wood all day for instance, the body and its energies would be utilised more proficiently, and we wouldn’t have such large scale mental health problems. 

Once you are aware that aggression is a powerful force, a source of raw energy, you produce something from this potent power, rather than letting it overwhelm you by ignoring its wider implications. It is entirely up to you how you direct the energy provoked by hostility and frustration with life events. And the more highly attuned to life, the more likely you are to pick up the early warning signs and act quickly. In other words the most alert and powerful individuals have the most frequent need of intelligently directing their energies. This is the problem with martial arts, you start off trying to overcome difficulties, and you end up with a thousand more difficulties because your scope for action has increased. This is just the way it is, the more capable you become, the more karma you take on. So eventually, you begin to realise the work and intense energy that goes into such apparent calmness and natural suavity that exudes certain Masters.

So next time you get pent up, you could try going off and using this energy to go for a walk or some other type of exercise. After all, there are many martial arts exercises which are aimed at precisely this need. Of course, many people think such exercises lack practical self defence value, but this is largely because the world is going through a kind of neurotic phase of hyper sensitivity to survival needs. This tendency causes people to stop looking for meaning in life to a large extent. But don’t let the opportunities for growth go to waste. And never let feelings of defeat and weakness linger on without action, because then these will have a chance to eat away at you. Go mad for a moment and shout at the punchbag if you have to, and you might see that there is a kind of potential madness in you that is not put there by someone else. Indeed there is enough in anybody to work with already. Hitting the heavybag has a certain theraputic value to it. There really is enough potential raw energy in yourself to power you for a lifetime without looking to others.

Sometimes you will have to argue your corner to avoid being bullied, or to simply demonstrate that you are not going to be walked over. Some situations are unavoidable. However once you have tried your hardest to sustain an attitude of fairness whilst making the most of the situation, sometimes the antagonist almost needs you to take control. They may even thank you for it afterwards. In the end, it is only the emotional and physical level, which can always change. So if you have to do confront someone I recommended exerting yourself in the following way. 

After deciding that you have no choice but to make a stand to put an end to the unfairness of the situation, explain how the behaviour of your antagonist is spoiling things. Then explain what you would like to be done about it and what you are willing to do to support the situation rather than assigning blame. Very often this will be enough to put your antagonist off any future confrontations, since you are behaving reasonably. You have then found a new ally. Many lasting friendships have happened or been repaired this way. In other cases, people simply know no other way than to waste all their energy in pointless battles, so you just leave them to it.

If instead of taking control of the situation, you inspire bitterness in them by carrying on arrogantly and making demands of them, expect never to see the end of it. Make every effort to spare the embaressment of the other person so they don’t come back and bite you at a later date when you least expect it. Because that’s what they feel they will have every right to do if you have inspired such a state within in them.

You must defend yourself but often not by the same primitive means that others tend to use. You can rub your hands together and create heat. This is what two people do when they argue, they heat each other up at a certain level. Instead of reactive force, use intelligence to direct the primitive urge to retaliate immediately towards other regions and dimensions. Most of the time your opponent will be so surprised by their lack of impact and control over you that they will simply have no choice but to move on and find an easier target. In terms of physical self defence, they’ll pick someone weaker and less determined if they even suspect it might be an even fight. 

Above all, martial arts practice isn’t just the raw expression of aggression. On some level it is just that, a way of venting emotion and using up energy. But once this phase is over there’s no going back. In fact, many people who start in the first place do so because they simply would go mad otherwise if they didn’t have such an outlet. This often carries on into later life and it becomes a kind of therapy. So whichever way you do it, it ends up good.

On the deep level, energy must be intelligently managed. Any kind of aggressive volatile energy, which is a kind of anger, should be directed as wisely as possible, to avoid it turning against the user. Obviously this doesn’t mean you will be totally devoid of emotion during a heated exchange. This just shows that everybody, including the most composed people, need to work ceaselessly on managing and directing their energies. The thing to do is to put your aggressive drive to work intelligently and to do this often so that you encourage the interaction between energy and intelligence to become one. This reciprocal exchange then becomes second nature. The more you do this in everyday life, the more likely it will work with you when it matters. The most dangerous encounters are usually unexpected, so it is a case of preparing well in advance.

The Shadow and the archetypal form, aspects of the feminine and masculine principles.

Posted on Last updated on by joeharman8 | 13 min read | 68 views

Human beings have within themselves an animalistic nature, as well as a higher nature. They have within themselves a shadow and a true image of the same reality. The animalistic, lower nature, refers to mans instinctive energies and drives in their raw form. These are powerful and necessary for survival, and can be used in a variety of ways, such as to fend off enemies for instance. However, these instinctive energies can also be transformed into something greater. Every form of energy comes from a universal source, which can be referred to as the masculine principle.

In the case of Martial arts, any energy can be utilised to achieve a high ideal. This is energy harnessed in the best possible way. To the Master of Martial arts, energies represent a rich source of power, which can be forged into creations. The forge itself can be seen as the body, which gives expression to energy. Depending on the expression of these inner energies, the form they take, the body can be used to produce powerful or even sub optimal creations. If left merely to the lower nature, such energies end up being wasted in the end or used to meet purely superficial bodily desires almost exclusively. In this way, if an individual relates merely to his lower nature, he becomes a shadow of what they could be in their fully realised form.

The psychologist Carl Jung referred to the shadow as “the dark part of the psyche”. This refers to the instinctive tendencies and personality that lies deep within, at the subconscious level. Here lie powerful forces which can be exploited. The urge to act aggressively towards someone who has wronged you is a characteristic of the lower nature. However, the scriptures say that out of darkness came light. This simply implies that when the dense and inert matter has been heated by fire It ignites a reaction. Fire is the invisible energy which brings life to form. The higher nature, which is rather silent, urges you to freeze, to stop and think a bit. This stillness and silence causes an individual to internalise energy in an invisible way. As a result, both aspects of man, his higher and lower nature, are called to action by the same process. This process is an expression of fire. The true master must learn to become both visible and invisible.

Many business leaders have managed to harness powerful energy to outfox and crush their rivals. Instead of striking competitors to the floor, they work on the hearts and minds of the consumers to win their favour, or simply produce better products than their rivals. This is done with the same relentless advancement as when a predator hunts its prey. Therefore, aggression and power have taken on a new dimension in the modern world. It is no longer necessary to swell the ranks of training centres to practice martial arts. The modern warrior can chose to fight in everyday situations. Like the business leader, the martial artist can crush his rivals, or he can silently develop and idea which will one day bring harmony to others, even to his or her rival, forcing them to capitulate. 

When trained to support purposeful action, the same energy which can undermine an individual can instead be weaponised. This demonstrates how instinctive drives and energies from our ancestral past can be used to fuel powerful behaviour of one kind or another, according to what needs to be done. However, In its untrained form, the aggressive drive can be counterproductive, and can even turn on its user.  The energy an individual transmits can be like a stern father who scolds his child if they behave badly. This may sound like an odd way of putting it, but the non visible energy represents the masculine principle, the father figure, whilst the form of expression represents this energy takes represents the feminine principle, which is to say the visible form. An individual follows both a visible and non visible form. Together they form a unified whole, the offspring of which are represented by our thoughts, deeds, and other creations.

Just as many species intuitively recognise the mother figure when born, we have in us a psychological imprint of the archetypal man. Just picture the ducklings who recognise that it is their mother who they must follow around. They recognise the care giver form, whether it is their biological mother or not. The mother can take many forms, not necessarily restricted to the female biology. 

Rooted in the human psyche is also the capacity to recognise the father figure. Unlike the Mother figure, the father figure is can be seen as an inner reality, or an ideal inner being which we seek to become. Symbolically this may take the form of gods, statues, or whatever else. However, the energy which this form represents is not yet a visible reality within. It is said that the voice of God is silent, and that silence is the highest expression of the divine. Therefore, it is possible to internalise this quality. Obviously there is also a physical father figure too, but what I am talking about here is the masculine energy, the inner fire of life energy, which is a felt intensity and perceived with the inner senses.

The inner experience of energy is thought to underlie the basis of the father figure, which has also been called the God image. The true image of the father is therefore not an expression or form of energy, because the form it takes is considered to be an aspect of the feminine principle. The father figure then is the full experience of life energy itself. Therefore it is a perception, it is not a creation. However, together, the father and mother create the child, which can also take form an inner reality as well as an outer one. The Martial Artist who works relentlessly at the inner level takes responsibility for their own own creation, for their very birth. 

Like the duckling which ends up following the wrong species around from time to time, humans can end up serving a father which isn’t actually of the same nature as they really are. Or, they end up becoming what they relate to, which becomes their reality. This reality may be monstrous, or good. However, energy when perceived as it truly is in its full blown potential, and harnessed towards a high ideal, has been called the path of the inner master or guru. This inner guru can be expressed in many forms, but its true nature is a formless pure energy.  Of course, energy must take a form of expression to be perceived, and this is known as unification of the masculine and feminine principles through the senses. Emptiness is needed before a form can be filled by energy. This is a true reflection of the human being, who must achieve emptiness before being filled.The shadow is simply a darkness waiting to be lit up, or an accumulation of energy which has condensed and solidified. It is related to the physical body. The task of the disciple is to vaporise this matter, by becoming like air. The defining quality of air is that it doesn’t stop moving imperceptibly.

The shadow form of the inner fire are the instincts, which are a form of energy. In this way, they are not the fully realised form of fire, but operate according to the same principles. The intervening link is intelligence, feeling, and will power according to a high ideal to be realised. This high ideal stops an individual acting purely selfishly, which would isolate him from others. Therefore, the instincts have a subjective expression which is higher than the base form. This requires work. This higher expression has to be created. The task of the disciple is to identify with this work, the masculine principle, to become like the Father.

According to the spiritual teachings, the higher subjective expression of energy is achieved by meditation as a method. Meditation involves becoming receptive to certain energies which guide and revitalise an individual so that these forces flow through him like water. In other words, the energy of the masculine principle is expressed by the feminine principle of an individual becoming receptive. Such an individual is then able to receive new knowledge and life by containing the two principles within.

So, we have within us instinctive tendencies which if left to their own devices can lead to negative consequences. Everybody finds this out the hard way. Therefore, to bring energy to its fullest expression, an individual must act with their mind, their heart, and their will. In other words, thoughts, feelings, and behaviour must be harnessed consciously and intelligently if they are express life in its fullest form. These three aspects must be unified, rather than acting in opposition. If the senses act in opposition, then there can be no wholeness. If there is no wholeness, then that means there is no total absorbtion and commitment to the task.

The serpent or snake has been repeatedly used to symbolise evil throughout history, and recent evidence suggests that the brain instinctively knows to avoid snakes. More accurately, it knows to react to snakes, to switch on fully. Once again this is thought to be a heritage left from our ancestral past, an ancient wisdom of the body. This heritage is by no means primitive, or even obsolete. The immediate expression of an instinctive response can be adapted to suit various needs. The immediate reaction to a stimulus does not define the true expression of behaviour.

Masters of the past have contemplated the snake to take on its energy and express this through their own form of martial arts. They did not see this as an inconvenience. The snake was seen as a total active being, which was able neutralise the neutralise the poison within. They took  on the snakes influence, so that the energy it possessed moulded and impregnated their being. The same force is said to reside in the human being. In this way, the masculine energy fused with certain forms created by the user. These forms represented the feminine aspect of energy expression, which is always a duality of polar opposites. Form and formlessness therefore make up a whole being.

Although fixed, there is a certain flexability about instinctive responses to various stimuli. Once again, we see the masculine and feminine principles at work, a fixed supply of energy, and a flexible form of activity which can take place. This leaves room for evolution. Our innate instincts are a starting point, not an end in themselves. Or at least they can be. At the same time, the instincts represent deep seeded mental phenomenon that work to move dense physical matter. This is why the instincts are so important, they work with tenacity to move the body, which may otherwise buckle or crumble under its own weight.  This provides power behind movement, and allows an anti gravity to take place against gravity, which pulls and condenses matter. This is the work of the psychic entity known as the shadow, which is not yet a fully fledged life and is just content to move around mindlessly. But at least its moving, so its good.

The snake, says Jung, “symbolises the instinctual side of the unconscious”. The unconscious energies can be used as raw material to serve the higher principle in man, his higher nature, which resembles the masculine. In fact, the higher nature feeds off of the lower nature. At the same time, it provides increased impetus. As such, the intelligence and the instinctive energies work as one to fulfil the mission of the high ideal. Importantly, the two polarities, the higher and lower aspects of the individual, make up a unified whole, each pulling in opposite directions to cause the other to respond. This movement creates fire, which the Hindu systems refer to as Agni. If the exchange of energy between the two polar aspects of man were to stop, there would be inertia and no movement would be possible. This arrangement is therefore like a battery. Importantly, inertia is often mistaken for peace, but peace is an intense form of dynamic energy powered by a battery.

Conrad Lorenz, the famous behavioural scientist, said that aggression is synonymous with motivation. This demonstrates the unity between the Archetypal man and the Shadow, the higher nature and the lower nature. Once again, aggression if unwisely directed can lead to problems, such as pointless disputes and unnecessary stress. This is a waste of energy unless there is nothing better to do. This shows that an intense attention towards a high ideal is needed to channel the forces which the shadow represents, if such energy is to be used productively and wisely. Importantly, the high ideal is never truly realised, it is in a process of being realised, which is why it becomes the life’s work for some who dare to reach for this summit.

Some have suggested that the ideal of the higher and lower nature working together symbolises Heaven and Earth, with the Angels and Satan working together to bring Heaven to earth. For example, the Bible states that God called his servants before him, and Satan was among them. Symbolically, this represents how the archetypal man, the expression of energy, uses the materials represented by the shadow, the lower self. In other words, the raw material instinctive energies can feed the higher faculties and expressions which man creates from this fuel. This fuel is necessarily pungent and unpleasant, like the devil, because it acts as manure on the field, which some dimensions of life and energy can make use of.  

In Martial arts, this process of unification of the higher and lower nature represents an eternal battle between two opposing forces on the battlefield. It symbolises an infinate interaction which is beyond good and evil. In other words, if an individual engages in the process of working ceaselessly at fully harnessing life energy, he need not worry about the outcome or goal. Nor do they need to be ashamed of so called lower states of being. This is because when one works authentically on the process of their own evolution, this requires maximum involvement and and intensity of effort. All aspects of life are present here, from high to low there is a collective effort. This is known as working at the deep causative level, rather than the superficial level of effects. When one works to become the very cause of his own evolution, the effects are taken care of automatically. 

Bringing your training to life – exercises and principles

Posted on by joeharman8 | 14 min read | 87 views

Recently, the restrictive measures placed on society have reduced peoples access to gyms and other exercise areas. However, you do not need a gym or equipment to do the best exercises. The best thing to do is think about all of the opportunities in the day that you could be doing productive activity, such as gardening, housework, or DIY for instance. Such activities contain not only provide meaningful purpose, but also opportunities to get deeply involved. In other words, physical activities of any kind afford ample opportunity to practice mindfulness, which simply means conscious awareness of your movements and gestures.

To start with, it is a good idea to start activity by building a good level of strength and endurance. One way of building strength is by contracting the muscle in a given position of alignment for either a short or long duration. This is known as isometric strength. This will enhance the firing rate and strength of that  muscle region. For example, by walking around and pressing your foot into the ground, you can align the body in such a way to produce maximum force and tension. This can build strength, but more importantly awareness of internal connectivity. Such awareness can be developed when performing fast footwork, such as when skipping, or in a static position such as when holding a particular posture or stance. Simply by trial and error, and concentrating on the intuitive sense of energy and power, you will gradually find the alignments which produce the greatest balance and stability.

Which are the best exercises? Obviously there are many different forms of martial arts, such as boxing and Tai Chi. These are just different expressions of the same central idea, which is to build internal power. Whether or not this power is used to maintain health or to fight off enemies is another matter. The question is, how can these exercises be practiced effectively, whether in the gym or in everyday settings? 

First of all, it is important to train fundamental movement patterns to keep the body fit and supple. At the basic level, these fundamental movement patterns include stationary forms of kneeling, squatting, clenching, etc., as well as the more mobile forms of walking, jumping, and spinning for instance. When you combine the stationary movements of clenching the fist, for instance, as well as mobile walking, you are making something more complex which is used to create a martial arts movement. For example, a boxer walks around the ring in a particular form called a moving stance, which is based on clenching the fist, walking, and slightly stooping. The varieties of combinations are limitless. 

All of the dynamic techniques found in martial arts, such as throwing knife, launching a punch, rolling on the floor, etc., grow from the more basic forms. It is like when a flower grows from a branch. The branch gives the flower the basic stability to produce something new and beautiful, which later brings dynamic new life. In the same way, our basic everyday movements form the basis of more dynamic expressions. The flower cannot grow from a base without strong roots, which is why in martial arts you will find so much reference about working at the root level of stability. In a sense, the flower is of the same nature as the tree, but it does not look the same, it only resembles it. Before long however, the flower will attract other life forms to spread its seed more broadly, and then also drop back to the ground to fertilise the soil. This process of growth and renewal ensures life is experienced in its fullness.

Certain primordial actions and drives left by our ancestors have limitless creative expression. But only if used intelligently. Therefore, they leave room for adaption to modern day contexts. We are human beings, not humans finished. Naturally, our modern day equivalent creations of certain basic forms must build on the inherited forms, which are the foundation. Children who have not yet learned anything have no problem performing basic things like squatting and running. In fact, they often do them better than adults, who tend to over complicate what is profoundly simple. Obviously, children have youth on their side, but that’s not the whole reason. They also have greater capacity for imagination and a sense of doing things just for the joy of doing them. This is because the pituitary gland, the region of the third eye, is highly active in children, and they often have no problem using the creative imagination and then immediately switching back to objective physical reality. 

The adult often finds reasons why certain activities are not practical enough, or simply looks at other people doing it better than them and loses enthusiasm. The natural intuition of the child often becomes a dim memory, depriving the adult of a certain creative force if they are not careful to exercise this faculty. Much of what we refer to as culture is responsible for the decline in this area, which is also responsible for material advancement. This is not categorically good or bad. There is a trade off. However, if you want to develop the intuitive sense, the first thing to do is not worry so much about what progress you are making physically, but to do martial arts activity for its own sake, and to be present at that level. Then, because you are relying on nothing outside of yourself, results will naturally flow even in spite of your limitations. If you are absolutely determined to become totally involved in your training, nothing will be able to stop you. The key ingredients are time and energy.

Instinctive drives and motives underpin all martial arts movements. These are things that the adult has in abundance. The child is fairly powerless in this sense.Therefore, the more our innate instincts are experienced and applied to our actions, the more they will integrate within your system in a constructive way. Rather than letting the instincts control behaviour, and becoming subject to their whims, the instincts must be seen as the object. Children must develop their behaviour, and adults can learn to manage their instincts rather than become hijacked by them at a certain age. For example, if aggression is simply pacified, there will be little power behind a technique. On the other hand, if aggression is given free reign, screaming away without self control, then there is no discipline. 

If you apply discipline to the instinctive energies, they will eventually give up working against you. But only for a time, which is why eternal vigilance is important. Remember, the roots are solid and tenacious, they are full of energy, a rich source of energy which needs intelligent direction. Otherwise they simply deprive the soil of nutrients without producing anything of worth. Then, these potent energies can undermine the stability and health of the organism as a whole, because it’s only goal was to survive at the root level rather than to raise its perceptions of life.

You cannot rely on the instinctive energies to make wise choices, because they work within the physical limitations of the body. Anything which works constantly within limitations cannot perceive of reality outside of itself. The roots of the tree rummage around in the dark, with no thought about whats best for the tree overall. This is neither good nor bad, it just depends on how energy is utilised.The intellect relates to the imposed limitations on the body, and in the same way cannot be expected to find anything other than resistance and then temporary solutions to problems. Still, the intelligence level is a step above the instinctive level. Technical proficiency in training will never fulfil us totally, because the nature of the intelligence is to criticise and find only transitory solutions, and the instincts are there to provide the energy for this work. This is why in certain spiritual practices, the importance of the moment is emphasised, because each moment is a reality which can be perceived in its entirety. 

When the intellect and the instincts have achieved great things together, the very next day the whole process begins again, simply because the intelligence is never happy and the instincts are so tenacious. Together they are phenomenal, but limited to a certain degree. This is why there can never be a so called perfect form. The perfect form is formless, which is to say limitless and without dimension, where the inner master dwells. The inner master has a certain perception, and is the higher self which experiences life at another level. This is why it is better to relate to the work and effort involved in being totally absorbed in ceaseless evolution and progress, without worrying what the outcome is, because the outcome is not really important. 

Only life is important, and experiencing it at the highest expression.The disciple in martial arts must learn to sit back and let the instincts and intellect do their job, because he is not really them. He or she shows benevolence and kindness towards them, because this is the only true way to appreciate them and remain linked. In other words, you can transcend these two dimensions without leaving them behind by anchoring yourself firmly to the ground with a high ideal. This high ideal is to work with all that is limited, to unite it with the higher consciousness, the higher self. If this unification does not happen, the day will come when you no longer have motivation, drive, or the intelligence to work properly. If your intelligence fails to embrace the whole, and is no longer so consciously aware at all levels, then there can be no awareness or ultimate meaning behind activity.

The body has certain tendencies which can be observed across different movements. For example, you might squeeze a tight fist to create tension in the forearm and wrist. This action generally has the effect of causing the elbows to tuck, the jaw to extend, as well as other stabilising postures such as locking the neck for stability. If any of these particular movements and states are practiced, they will tend to provoke the other corresponding actions regardless of which part of the body initiated the activity. In this way, the more mindful you are of engaging the whole body, the greater the interaction of each part on that whole. In addition, there is a greater experience of the unity of mind, body, and will. It then does not matter what you are doing, because each separate aspect is just a way in towards feeling this state of unity across the whole. 

When the whole body and mind is involved at the maximum level of intensity, you will feel the sensation of power in the most subtle gaze or posture. From this, it is easy to see how basic exercises encourage not only full body strength development, but also translate to all aspects of life. The two considerations, of personal life and training, become inseparable when this reality is realised.  

When performing an action, you should try to align the body in such a way that you achieve perfect balance for the demands of a task. This is usually only for a moment, such as when taking a step, and the motion should be as economical as possible so that effort can be applied optimally from within the framework of the body. It is like water running through a pipe. You don’t want any of the water to escape, and you want the pipe robust enough to send high pressure through it, in the form of energy. The energy, the pressure, is felt throughout the pipe and is not concentrated anywhere. Then, the whole house can become warm and powered. 

The training should support the system as well as make it run efficiently. If you do that, what question can there be about the efficacy of your skills and abilities? As such, work in this direction and the technical aspects will take care of themselves. Do not listen so much to the chatter of the mind, or the criticism of opinion, these are all working within the limitations of the material. Instead, try to cultivate a playful attitude which does not take things to seriously, but works with intensity. This attitude, which works with an intuitive playfulness, will allow you to transcend any limitations you might think of. 

When you experience doubt, get into the habit of questioning whether that doubt is really there, or whether it is you giving power to it. For example, if you doubt that your hand can lift a table by itself, is this the reality? No, it’s a reality only for the hand alone, which never works in isolation. If it works with the entire mind, body, and will, it will find a way to lift the table. In the same way, the intelligence in isolation finds ways of reducing things to its dimension. Eventually, it might convince you that other people are simply there to be beaten up. However, this is not the reality for the master, who sees all the same limitations in others but views things differently. He sees the criticism from others as an anchor, an energy, with which to hold him to earth. If you simply beat others up, then they will run from you and get tired of your self centred behaviour. Let the brain chatter for a bit, and then it will become more subservient, because it’s useful as a tool. It forces you to learn discipline of the mind, body, and will. Just sit still and wait until the brain calms down, then just be as you are.

A practical example of movement principles in action comes from the Alexander technique. Here, practitioners are told to lift the crown of their head towards the direction they want to go. This encourages good alignment of the spine and posture. This is because within the ears there are sensors which ensure weight is distributed properly, controlling posture. This idea is central to Yoga and Tai Chi, which describes this kind of activity as being lead by a golden thread which extends from the crown. As such, you are encouraged to lift the head to extend the neck and body in whatever movements you are doing. This is to lift yourself upwards away from gravity, which tends to pull down. In other words, you lift the body from the ground, which is  simultaneously being pulled down by gravity. By doing so you are using gravity , which can be translated into energy, to maximise tension in the system through correct alignment. This is a dynamic tension, which keeps you grounded and out of harms way. These two polar opposite forces, of heaven and earth, are working together and feeding each other. This is all done unconsciously. However, by deliberately practicing this principle and becoming conscious of it, you can apply it to any kind of movement. For example, from throwing to punching. It is also a way of viewing the world more broadly.

Alignment of the body and muscle tension are two complimentary aspects of movement and activity. They work in unison to raise the body away from gravity so that you are able to move freely and without resistance. This makes one grounded and rooted, as well as free and buoyant. Therefore, the two opposite forces of gravity and anti gravity, make up one overall whole. I mentioned earlier that the mind can hold us back. However, without this holding back, the spirit and will power would simply expand and spread, and you would be so self sufficient that you would become isolated. Nobody would talk to you, and you would interact with nobody, like a hermit. This has been the goal of enlightened beings, but it is not without danger, because meaningful interaction with life is then under threat if one is totally without need of others. It is better to take a step down and anchor oneself to the physical body from a high position. This is the reason for virtuous conduct, because there is no other reason for a master to come back down if he has beaten all opposition within himself. The only reason is to express love and kindness to others by demonstrating self mastery. Virtuous conduct, and morality, are therefore the highest form of martial arts and the most difficult to develop, but once this effort becomes habit, it becomes effortless.

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