Tag: meaning

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.

The Martial arts Community.

Posted on Last updated on by joeharman8 | 12 min read | 94 views

With the recent uncertainty facing us, the work of the immediate future is to make sure we can train alone as we would as part of the group. Don’t get me wrong, I am not saying we can do the same things alone as we could when physically part of a team or group. No, it is the mentality and attitude which is important. So, what I am saying is that we need to draw upon the same commitment and enthusiasm when training training alone as we do when others are spurring us on and challenging us, if we want to progress further under the restrictions of recent months.

It can be hugely encouraging to view people around the world taking the initiative and getting creative in their training, even when no one is there to encourage them or set them exercises. Contrary to popular belief, I don’t think its at all important what technical proficiency they might be demonstrating, or how polished the content is, this doesn’t bother me. If they have some wisdom to give, I am inspired to hear them out. To me it is the attitude that is important, the spirit of a community of ideas and developing those ideas with the help of others who share a common goal.

When people are motivated just by arrogance and lust for views, it becomes apparent that it is all about their personality rather than say, art or contributing to something greater. It is as if something inside warns me that just be associating with such a person I run the risk of becoming less focused on important things, because the individual is made the centre of attention, and so a barrier is put up between myself and such a person. I keep them at a distance and I find it impossible to learn anything. Personally I just engage with something less egotistical to ensure my progress is not distracted, because in my experience when people want to be of service they rarely behave like this.

In my view, that is what is often missing from the Martial arts community today – this inner community of individuals linked together for a common cause, each one of them on the outposts somewhere holding their fortress. Even if you have nothing much in common with others, or they aren’t physically present, this is no reason to feel separate. People can always relate on the basis of some uniting cause, where they forget who they otherwise are. For example, in a traditional Martial arts club you might be a black belt, but outside you are a shop assistant. Similarly, you might be the King of England outside, but inside you are a beginner. This shows us that how we relate to others is situational, and that, in my opinion, it is better to relate to people according to the high ideal of seriously committed work and action in the wider sphere1, not just the little group.

I would go as far as to say that the vital thing is to feel connected to the great ideas and inspirations of others, past and present, and to live in harmony with the spirit of this community. To draw on this source of inspiration, and contribute to it to the best of your abilities, however small, is the best way of relating to this. The more this is practiced the more naturally it will come to you. At first, it might seem like a waste of time and of little benefit, humiliating even. But just like breathing this seemingly insignificant act, this innate tendency, can be brought to the level of consciousness and trained so that it becomes a source of great strength.

It is not so much that some authority should do all the work for us, this would just impoverish us inwardly. However, in being expected to actively contribute, in whatever capacity that might be, we are practicing the qualities and abilities which must be cultivated in order to be productive and useful.

It is a shame that people often feel obliged to leave the community spirit once they have gotten to a certain stage of development. They feel it limits them, and in many ways they are often right because the aims of the group are often too narrow minded. It is true that political considerations, such as turf wars over who is in charge, or differences of opinion often get in the way the group, when instead they would be better of growing and becoming more powerful. In such a situation it is understandable to leave for elsewhere, because when you are obliged to absorb yourselves in the petty squabbling’s and tensions of the group it is difficult to focus on outgrowing the situation.

Many people suppose that the best way to encourage community is to foster inter group conflicts. For example, it is common within Martial Arts circles to only train at one club, or to discuss the short comings of other groups. The idea that training with others inside a like minded community encourages improvement is no doubt correct, however it isn’t enough when there is a negativity in the air which promotes separatism and ill feeling, however well intended. Under this kind of influence, you will at best see only part of the whole picture. It is usually the case that leaders within Martial Arts circles fight with competing groups not because they are superior, but because they feel inwardly limited.

Already this situation is different from the remote past where everybody lived within their own little sectarian bubble. And nowadays practice is much more informed because of work in this direction of evolved thought. But there is still a lot to be done, particularly with the potential for the online community. The best way to communicate and link up to others is by contemplating their ideas. To feel unified with the great minds and the ennobling ideas of others, all of this appeals and stimulates the Hara centre, or the solar plexus2. Yes, this centre can’t be deceived. It’s activity is best stimulated by thinking the best of others, and relating to them through all that is good. This can have a beneficial impact on the brain, and everything else.

“Don’t think, feel” said Bruce Lee. It is then possible for the body to influence the mind, by linking up with the community of ideas as the source of inspiration. Because, when we think only of personal gain, we aren’t working at full capacity. Under such narrow mindedness, we can have all the instruction in the world and it will be of little value. It is often best to cultivate certain feelings and thoughts before attempting further practice. Viewed this way, the brain is a screen for bodily states to be imprinted on, which manifest as mental representations in the minds eye. In other words, the feeling comes first in order to manifest powerful thoughts which lead to progress and clarity of vision3. When the brain thinks first, it often comes out with all sorts of insufficient intellectual theories and transposes them onto an unbalanced body. This is often the case.

So feelings of the right quality should be developed fundamentally. And what more powerful feeling than to be part of a great cause in order to surpass yourself? Surely this is better than merely surviving and considering yourself alone and isolated, unless of course you dominate others. This attitude is prevalent among many leaders. A certain level of short term success can be achieved by dominating others, but one day when those who have been trampled on feel that the situation has gone too far, they take the first opportunity to fight back. Then the poor leader becomes the victim, perhaps when he is dried up and weathered from all the disorder and chaos he has sown, and then he is the first to complain about how he has been betrayed.

Just as warfare has two sides, building and destroying, so too must the community aspect of Martial Arts. It is simply not true that you must force your ideas on others for them to listen, as you would say, force someone to back off by physical means. Fostering and attitude of cooperation, even onto aggressors, is a form of combat in itself and requires other tactics. I am not so naïve as to think this is always possible, but it is worth considering.

It is true that every Martial Art has its form based on principles. Boxing is based on the principles of punching. However, every attitude, feeling and desire also has its own form, which although different from physical combative Martial Arts, is actually complimentary. For example, helping others to surpass themselves requires an affectionate attitude and certain humility and warmth, even if you are being rough with them. This kind of behaviour has certain influences which are curative of bad attitudes, such as selfishness. In turn, this tends to nourish not only us but those around us. It is then possible to turn a cold and indifferent relationship of exchange into a vibrant and expressive one. You may not feel like doing this at first, but this is the true are of fighting without fighting, in other words turning what would be an enemy into an ally4.

Martial Arts teaching can produce results and evolution within somebody by way of the soft, in the same way that hard intensive training improves physical technique. If somebody imagines they are engaged in meaningful work which helps others (once of course they have overcome their own helplessness), then they set off impulses within them which increase their will power instantly. This is an exercise to do often, even if you don’t actually materialise such help, it is the desire, the will in action that’s important. If you stay there, with that felt sense of the will acting, then you can remain in a state of high motivation. It is simply a form of practice, as you would practice say, a punch in isolation from the real life context. Instead of physical practice, it is an exercise of the will, which requires dedication and work.

Before we have even helped anybody, it is often the case that we can sense we will do good for others, or even that we have done so just by thinking. Though is all powerful. And in return we get the sustained feeling and thought of surpassing ourselves through our contributions to others. This is a whole science in itself, and will empower you more than any physical practice. In a sense, the truly selfish person, if he knows what’s good for him knows his true interest lies in acting less selfishly.

When there is this unity to a common struggle, peoples attentiveness opens up and they are receptive to each others ideas and innovations, instead of on the guard for being manipulated. And then you cannot help but be inspired by others under this spirit of relatedness, and you improve having been under this collective influence. It is entirely up to you whether you enter into this state. For example, watching someone’s example in an online instructional video, you can get the impression of having been offered pearls of wisdom. Sometimes, you feel as though it is not about them showing off, but for the benefit of those watching.

There is still a lot of work to do here, because a great deal of the content viewable online has the effect of making you feel like you are being manipulated or “influenced”. People then sit there and wait for others to approve of their content before they do anything. But when you are working for a high ideal, a great cause, you cannot let the derision of others deter you, because of course criticism will arise.

Bad ideas are inevitable, but instead of influencing others with such mediocrity, wouldn’t it be better to swallow them up, work on them, digest them, eliminate them, etc., and only present them when they were a genuine help to others? This is the way to develop the best ideas individually before presenting them. And then you can inspire feelings in others that unite or reinforce them to a common cause, rather than repel them.

Yes, everyone must clamour to be heard, but an arrogant attitude aimed at others, as if they were simply supplicants to be sold a sales pitch, should only be used against enemies, not potential friends. Indeed, I would say that the true meaning of training in hostile environments, that is fighting others in sparring or otherwise, is to discern this negative attitude in others so that you are not taken by surprise in real life. When you have developed this in built detection device, you are then ready to go out and avoid trouble safely. You can them avoid petty squabbles and compete with others cooperatively to do the best work. Because competition cannot be avoided, it should only be properly directed. And because your perceptions have changed within, you are in a position to do some real work on yourself to project positivity on others, work which is sorely needed.

References

1 See The High Ideal https://harmanater.com/2020/07/26/the-high-ideal/

2 See The Hara Centre https://harmanater.com/2020/10/25/the-hara-centre/

3 See The imagination https://harmanater.com/2020/10/04/the-imagination/

4 See The True Meaning of Martial arts https://harmanater.com/2020/05/18/the-true-meaning-of-martial-arts/

The Imagination

Posted on by joeharman8 | 10 min read | 140 views

When training in your mind, get into the habit of imagining yourself as the most powerful being possible. Concentrate, for example, on the light emanating from your eyes, on the brilliant white colours of your clothing, as you destroy and burn away the darkness, so that you begin to identify with this image and correspond to it in your physical gestures and bearing. This is a simple example to start with. Whilst it might do you some good to imagine winning a title and how great you look on television for example, this ideal is not high enough to inspire the greatest inspiration to surpass yourself1.

By aiming at something totally beyond physical possibility, you unleash the powers of the creative imagination. This is what fills the apparent gulf between reality and the unattainable. And you don’t ned to worry that this ideal can never be realised, because it will be realised in the mental world of ideas, which although invisible can have a real effect on the physical life. In this way the invisible reality of thought and imagination is an aspect of the physical reality, which although real, does not have a material existence. An everyday example should surface to illustrate this point.

Imagine, for example, that you are feeling ill and weak. Just by willing yourself to be in a state of harmony, through the intermediary of thought, you can to some extent at least, improve your health. Yes, because every physical reality starts with a corresponding thought which represents an ideal. And from there the effects of this ideal manifest physically, although not immediately. It is only in the imagination that space and time have not hold, so it is here that we can often do the best work. The results may be poor at first, but the more high the ideal, the more powerful the effect, particularly if you are accustomed to doing this habitually.

You might say “We’ve heard all this before, but the effects are so miniscule, it would just be a waste of time”. Whilst its true the effects are very minimal for many, this only proves how little effort is put into mental practice. Because most people think it is a waste of time, they give in to all sorts of immediate needs and neglect this longer term work of forming constructive thought habits. This is why so many people relate instead to misery and low expectation. Something else to understand is that thought itself cannot act on the body directly. However, the high ideal, which imagines a limitless reality can encourage feelings of inspiration and enthusiasm, and it is through these intermediary sensations that the physical effects manifest.

Simply thinking about light, darkness, and martial arts practice isn’t enough. You need to relate to though through the power of the will, which is responsible for directing our motivating energies. Otherwise your thoughts will likely just turn into listless daydreams. For example, imagine you are fighting the forces of darkness, with the weapons of light. By relating to the light and bringing these images to life by willing them into action, this can have an uplifting effect on your feelings and state of consciousness. Once this is understood, it becomes easier to use the will to concentrate your attention on only the most inspiring and evocative ideas.

Ideas inspire thoughts, and thoughts act on feelings, which act on the brain, and which in turn acts on the physical body. The reverse is also true. For example, by engaging in noble and inspiring behaviours towards others, this is a clear pathway to encouraging luminous thoughts and corresponding to the highest ideals, however dimly represented here and now physically. Whilst we are often unable to do much in the under immediate physical constraints, we are under no obligation to do so in the imagination, which can take any form, and represents an aspect of our high self2. The imagination can envisage the most diabolical things, as well as the most luminous.

Physical practice helps us make better mental representations. And Better mental representations help us to build an ideal model, which surpasses us and guides us. You could call it the God head, the higher self, the spirit, Prana, the infinite. Whilst a master or expert may also symbolise such a model, too often such masters are full of the same weaknesses and bad habits as those whom they have taken responsibility to instruct. To be sure, it is not a problem to have weakness, so long as our habits and behaviours are sound. We need a perfect model, an incorruptible model, with which to relate and feel so that it can act upon us and guide us. This solves the problem of our inherent weakness, common to us all. What this model example is will depend on the individuals subjective imagination, and can take myriad form. The important thing to remember is that the imagination is a tool to develop the most inspiring thoughts and ideas so that they can act and course through our every action and gesture.

Hopefully you are beginning to see that the realism of the mental representation does not matter. In fact, it should be deliberately unattainable and inspire the same sort of mimickery, love, and adulation that a super hero does on a small child. Once you have succeeded in imagining such a visualisation, the physical effects upon your health and well being, not to mention your enthusiasm and energy, will be so powerful that the reality of the idea will be unimportant. In fact, your own improvement will be the measure of reality. The objective results of exercises of the imagination, if practiced and developed over time with focus, will power, and attention, will become self evident. What started off as an unrealistic idea, ended up having very real effects.

I once travelled all the way to Taiwan, where I was invited to take part in a grading event where people from across the Country went to receive their 8th Dan black belts and International qualifications from World renowned Masters. Whilst there were some talented individuals there, I was surprised to find such poor role models, who were neither skilled, healthy, or inspiring. There were people breaking wind in the training hall, eating and leaving wrappers everywhere, lots of noise, and nowhere to practice and concentrate before the assessments began. I had come to learn from the Masters of the World and there I was in the midst of all this. I realised I needed to aim higher, rather than adjust myself to this kind of community.

It is often the case than when we try to pursue physical results directly, they allude us. The models aren’t their to nourish our urge to transcend ourselves. For example, by practicing a form over and over again in a technical and robotic manner, we often end confused and unable to perform with any real effectiveness. However, when we imagine ourselves in our minds eye as a great and powerful being, or even in the shoes of a great champion, we can feel we have the enthusiasm to be like them. We do not need to know how they do it, any more than we need to know how to digest food, we just follow their example and it nourishes us. This interplay between the imagination and our physical actions does not produce the same effect from one day to the next, unlike physical mechanical practice, even if our actions look similar.

This process of striving to surpass ourselves, to align ourselves to perfection, transforms and directs our instincts and desires, which are so often squandered on aimless activity, and this transformation can be used to sustain and develop our mental and physical practice. I’ve been doing this for years, and I entrust myself to this process alone, as a refuge from the seductive illusions created by many so called experts. I found early on that giving myself over to systems and icons weakened me by by making me too vulnerable and sensitive to the criticisms and praise of others. I needed to find this essential inspiration from an inexhaustible source within so that I could live it.

What you should remember is that appointed experts are often little more than actors, who have developed a certain allure and use their powers to seduce and encourage daydreaming in their students in a sense. However, by following a high ideal fuelled by the imagination, and perhaps encompassing aspects of genuine experts, you can then be content to move forward without fretting about what exactly you should be doing or learning, because of this strong sensation and guidance. Without this inner guidance you are obliged to simply fret and worry about the details. However, the details take care of themselves in this process driven model.

When we place this high ideal at the summit, our goal directed behaviour is given a much higher ambition than simply gratification of instinctive animal urges. Instincts are the fuel and are at the root of all behaviour. But why stop there? Gratification of instinctive urges, for example aggression, is not an end in itself for me. In the language of logic, instinctive behaviours are a necessary but not sufficient requirement of action.

Often instinctive reactions blind us. When we let anger take over, all we see are enemies and we want to destroy them. When this obscurity takes over this paints an illusory world that Hindu Philosophy calls Maya. This is our lower self, our emotions taking over. These are the real enemy and need to be fought and driven to into submission3. The meaning of Martial arts, for me, transcends mere perseveration of existence. It needs higher meaning. In any case, Killing the instincts is not the way, because they are vital for energy and action, and without them our behaviour is flat and dead. However, so many fighters are driven to waste their energies by simply supercharging their instincts without any high ideal or thought power to direct them intelligently. Personally, this truth has been the most defining factor in my my life and practice.

So, the high ideal inspires the imagination to create the most inspiring images and fills us with certain feelings which are indicative of truth. Our actions are then aimed at corresponding and orientating our energies towards striving to the highest standards if this practice is taken seriously. Obviously, it is up to each individual to decide to what extend this work is taken seriously. But if we concentrate on this, we relate more and more to it ( even imagining ourselves with others also doing this work), and eventually we are able to tell truth from falsehood merely by looking at others example and seeing to what extend their actions and words inspire a similar state within us. In this way the creative imagination is a key to truth.

References

1 The High Ideal https://harmanater.com/2020/07/26/the-high-ideal/

2 The Higher and Lower Self in Martial arts https://harmanater.com/2020/05/04/the-higher-and-lower-self-in-martial-arts/

3 The True Meaning of Martial arts https://harmanater.com/2020/05/18/the-true-meaning-of-martial-arts/

Martial Arts and Health

Posted on Last updated on by joeharman8 | 11 min read | 92 views

We can think of health as energy available to us to live an intense meaningful life, free from disease and debilitation. It is this state that we should reach in order to train properly in Martial Arts. And so we must cultivate and live in this state as much as possible, so that we can put this energy into everything we do. That is, of course, if we want to devote ourselves to this path. We don’t need to go looking for this energy outside ourselves by learning all sorts of complicated moves, hoping this will give us power. No, instead we should move naturally in ways which correlate with the intuitive rhythms of nature.

Now that science has given us complicated explanations and exact methods of technical performance, we exploit the resources of the body in order perform these techniques. And yet, many people find themselves more unhealthy than ever and plagued with injuries, not to mention lacking in energy. This is because people think about performing certain moves, like a punch, rather than strengthening the body which animates them. They do all sorts of robotic moves unthinkingly, which just causes wear and tear as the years go on. In truth, much of scientific advancement has made us lazy and unwilling to do work.

Whilst skilled people don’t wear out overnight, the abilities they have developed, often during youth, don’t last forever, and before too long they end up stagnating or in a sorry state. Many people put all their energy into the move instead of cultivating health through exercise. What they are forgetting is that the move is just a means of expressing the goal of perfection. Instead they get it the wrong way round, thinking that the move itself is the goal, and perfection of this will lead to truth. They think “I’ll perfect this move and one day I’ll become perfect”. But really, People are deluding themselves if they think they will make long term progress in this way, because once they are worn out and no longer able to animate themselves with zest, they lose the impetus to grow and develop. The real goal is keeping this zest, as this is the means of evolution.

Yes lots of people get big muscles first, but even a giant brick wall will develop cracks and fall down if the foundations and alignment are incorrect. And it is the same situation for Martial artists. Say, for instance, you are driving a stake into the ground. If you take the mallet and hit the stake off centre, it might bend. If you hit it dead centre it will drive into the floor creating a stable root. In the same way, if you direct pressure through the ground using gravity, aligned from head to toe, you will be much more structurally sound and dynamically stable (Steve Morris, the authority on the subject talks about alignment and whole body tension extensively on his website). On the other hand, if you contorts the body in all sorts of unnatural ways, without the means of stability stability, it’s only a matter of time before you damage your structure2.

How do we learn these “Fundamental” means of action? There is an imprint of how to move, breathe, and learn correctly inscribed within us. If we follow these intuitive pathways we can, with work, learn anything relatively easily to our own specifications. Think of the body as your instrument, you might be inspired by other peoples music, but you yourself produce the harmonies which resonate with your requirements and tastes. You might copy someone else at first, to create a stereotypical impression, but this is not the end of it. You continually develop. This will ensure you never lose interest and keep on growing, which itself is the only real indicator of success. When you train intuitively, all the knowledge is already in your possession you just need the inspiration and living examples around you to bring it out.

So what about adding our own flavour? After we have a fundamental knowledge of how to train and work, we can then add certain embellishments on top of this these forms we create. What Most Martial Arts practice involves is putting on the embellishments first, rather than making sure the basics are in order. It takes many years to learn to walk, so how do you suppose you can embody more complicated actions quickly? This just shows how much work needs to be done, and if the great fighters have to do this, how much more so for the rest of us?

In other words, many people go for the martial arts form without working on their body’s structural capabilities. Many of them go on about persevering through difficulty, and being patient, but in reality they are often looking for the easiest way to learn as many moves as possible to earn a certificate or belt. When you see a fighter in action, ask yourself “Does this form or style embrace universal principles of development and practice?” And, “Can I embody this practice so that it relates to everything else I do?” If not then it does not represent the truth3. There is no point is beating others up around you whilst your practice becomes devoid of meaning.

A true Martial Arts Master takes no interest in mechanical dead forms. There is no point because they do not relate to everyday matters of health and life. In fact they often ruin health because moving so violently without art or grace wears out the joints and causes fatigue. The temptation to stop developing, through pride, dogs the heals of even the best Martial artists until the end.

Routinised, meaningless practice has a terrible effect on health and energy. And then what weapons will you have when you are older and worn out? What will happen when your inner weapons of energy and enthusiasm has gone? You will have nothing. But if you learn to increase your health, training intensely for only short durations4, you will be able to have a profound effect on your abilities whilst not squandering your reserves on mindless work. Yes it is possible, through intelligent work, to remain healthy and vigorous even into old age. This is how you know you are following true Martial arts practice, you will increase your abilities, happiness, and senses.

To the extent that a form of martial arts is useful, you should integrate this with your everyday behaviours and gestures which underpin movements in all domains. Obviously, this works by degrees. Then martial arts simply becomes another way of moving more generally. You simply take the forms in homeopathic doses, letting them colour your existing movement repertoire, and receive a new expression of the same intuitive movements you already posses. Yes, because we already have within us the means to learn, intuitive movement, enthusiasm, and intelligence, combine all three and you will learn anything naturally.

All movements share intuitive gestures and actions with which we should mindfully engage in order to connect the dots between seemingly different activities. In this way throwing a ball, swinging a bat, etc., is fundamentally the same as throwing a punch or kick. They are different expressions of the same truth. It is up to us to become aware of these connections. To divide is to destroy, what you must do is unify everything. You divide up simply to analyse, and then it becomes part of the whole again. Otherwise it becomes dead and disconnected. This is why once analysed, it must come back into our being adapted to the wisdom of the body. We want to work on this wisdom of the body, in other words, to embody knowledge, but what we often end up doing is practicing nonsense. The form is merely the model to aim towards within a discipline, but the greater form, the true form, encompasses everything.

We practice according to a perfect model, that is a representation of the higher self. This mental model, and physical representation, is always better than we ourselves are. It assimilates what is useful, in other words the essentials, and discards what isn’t. These are the fundamentals, and the intuitive movements we all posses like walking and grabbing are used as building blocks. I have no objection to practcing a specific style, they are good as far as the go, but the problem of inner evolution and and progress cannot be solved by an existing physical forms. But back to fundamental building blocks.

A baby can learn to crawl, and then walk, and then run.But adults often have difficult applying the concept to even more advanced movements as they grow in intelligence and power. Because they fail to capitalise ion this, they stagnate and go backwards. Martial arts is just an extension, and evolution, of these basic fundamental actions. Once they are tapped into, these basic movements stimulate and trigger the development of more advanced skills such as punches and kicks. They are not simply new movements disconnected from previous learning.

The flowers of one plant spreads and multiplies new plants which then blossom into new flowers. In the same way humans learn one skill and then cultivate it until it is ready to spread into new domains. The whole thing then goes on and on again, even into later eras after the death of the practitioner. These ideas are then passed onto someone else and then come back to where they began, inside the individual. That individual is then in possession of certain knowledge that he must then pour out onto others. If the flowers are uninspired, dull, and disfigured no one looks at them and it is as if they never existed.

By helping other develop, you will find solutions to your own questions due to this effort applied to the process of “blossoming”. Others around you will be attracted to your flowers as a bee is around nectar. Naturally, this is how ideas spread. In this way your own practice will develop, fuelling your optimism and abilities. There is no escaping this process. I know that this may seem naive and childish, and it may not be taken seriously, because as everybody knows that you need to flatter people and quote recognised authorities, otherwise you don’t get anywhere. This just proves that despite of the hostility and hazards around you, you must keep fighting, and it is these trials if you like which oblige you to develop will power and evolve. I will go further to say that this is a blessing in disguise.

People tend to be happy one minute, unmotivated the next, always changing theirs moods and ideas. The least little problem knocks them off balance. This is why we need a high ideal, or if you like a perfect model to orientate ourselves towards. Compared to this ideal we are weak and ignorant. We keep failing, making mistakes, making enemies… We then think this weakness represents truth, and we bring everything down to this level. And then progress stops because we have focused on our lower nature and its insecurities rather than treating the high self as a living being. So many people have received so called wisdom in this form, and became disillusioned by it. They think “That’s just the way it is, I’ve invested so much time is this big lie, and since my livelihood depends on it I’ll just be the one to lie to others as I have been lied to”.

But perfection does not have an enemy, nor does it make mistakes or errors. Perfection, of course will never be achieved, it just orientates us in the right direction. That is why it is without form, and greater than form.

Like the earth around the sun, we must become “Centred” around the high ideal5 which inspires us and keeps us in motion, keeps us revolving. All people posses this faculty, but they often spend their whole life not knowing how to use it. Some people think that they must resemble exactly the perfect form, other believe that having an ideal is a waste of time because it can never be attained. But really it is something for our will power to strive towards, representing essential truths symbolised by martial arts practice. All the forms are merely different representations of the same truth.

Our will power must desire perfection, because it has an infinite scope which can reach far beyond physical limitations. Only the best satisfies it and will empower you towards real success, and by success I mean reach your full potential6. It does not matter if you achieve the ideal, but the important thing is to keep trying.

1 Steve Morris http://morrisnoholdsbarred.com/

2 Alignment and Tension exercises https://harmanater.com/2020/03/22/alignment-and-tension-exercises/

3 Which Moves? https://harmanater.com/2020/04/30/which-moves/

4 High Intensity Work and Balance https://harmanater.com/2020/07/05/high-intensity-work-and-balance/

5 The High Ideal https://harmanater.com/2020/07/26/the-high-ideal/

6 Will power https://harmanater.com/2020/05/10/will-power/

The True Meaning of Martial Arts

Posted on by joeharman8 | 13 min read | 180 views

“Weapons are instruments of ill Omen, despised by the Way of Heaven”

“What is gained or lost by winning of losing is trifling”

“It is not to kill people, it is to kill evil”

Yagyu Munenori

Despite what many people think, the true meaning of martial arts is not to maim or destroy your opponent. Neither is it to dominate others and reign victorious over them. No, instead the only enemy to overcome is yourself. “What kind of philosophical rubbish is this” you might say. “I want to be able to intimidate and impress people!” Let me assure you I have gone over every argument you could think of already, and more. At first sight, the self dominance and inner enemies may seem like an evasion of fighting spirit, a passivity and inertia. But in fact, it is the highest form of activity and intense training.

Whilst people may have injured you, or slighted you in some way, it is you who chooses to see them as the enemy. By the time many people realise this choice, it is often at the eleventh hour and they may end up in a very sorry state, having wasted years on trifling matters, ignoring what’s good for them. No matter, because these trials and errors are the only way the vast majority will learn. This is why it doesn’t matter how many mistakes you make along the way, how many beatings you take, and what poor circumstances you might find yourself in. The important thing is that you learn.

This is the path of water. It twists and turns, flows this way and that, crashes against the rocks, and endures turbulences. In the words of Bruce Lee and others, “Be like water”. Most people assume that a martial artist should be hard and tough like solid rock. This is a mistake because as time goes on a rock is worn down and erodes. How true this is of individuals, and of course to some extent all of us.

Water gains momentum as it journeys, and is adaptable and receptive to its changing outer environment. But it retains its essence. In fact, we are more like liquid than solid substances, or should be. Even when we put food in our mouths, it takes liquid salva to break it down and taste it. Don’t be like a rock, developing cracks as you are weathered by circumstances and unable to act fluidly. Water on the other hand retains its qualities and moves forward. Yes, be like water instead, constantly in motion

Many martial artists out there, fancying themselves as tough guys, go around dominating others with their overbearing attitude. This is a huge error, because there will always be someone bigger and tougher out there ready to take your place when you’re worn out and disillusioned. Unable to come to terms with this you’ll end up exhausted and embroiled in a losing battle. Just think of Napoleon. The world is not lacking in such types. This is not the way to spread your influence far and wide. What’s required is a kind of humility, a submission to higher reasoning.

Instead of bullying others and dominating them, I suggest making friends of enemies and showing them positivity. They will be so in awe of your generosity when all they have shown is bitterness or hatred, they will end up showing deference to you. And whilst some battles can’t be avoided, you should do your utmost to avoid them. This approach may take a while, but it is the ultimate form of victory in which everybody gains. The goal is to “entrance” an enemy as the Swordsman, and Zen artist Miyamoto Musashi put it, so that “adversaries themselves are influenced by this mood, becoming less enthusiastic”.

Miyamoto Musashi said “think of your adversaries as your own soldiers”. You might say “What nonsense is this?” I’m motivated by hatred of the enemy, he’s after what’s mine!” But it is not nonsense, because every interaction with others and their hostilities can be seen as a war, a situation requiring diplomacy and command. It is a mistake to just think that one day you might have to throw someone to the ground and that all the training is about one event. This is why Yagyu Munenori Said to “observe the dynamic of situations even in a group as an art of war”.

In fact, by showing your best side, you bring it out in others. This is what Myomoto Musashi referred to as infection. You must not let others infect you with their negativity, you must dynamically engage in positivity so that you are full in the presence of others, and unable to be filled. You must not be passive to the chaos of others. This is the only way to battle negativity: By being ceaselessly engaged in higher thoughts of an inspiring nature. Everybody has ordinary thoughts and is open to whims of doubt and aggression towards others. There’s nothing great or inspiring about any of this, it’s the norm. This is why it’s important to love what you do. No one is saying love what is bad in people, what I’m talking about is an impersonal love of the best possible outcome with the goal of achieving this. In this case through martial arts.

Not only does your vision of the world and other infect your opponent, it principally infects you. So why waste time on infecting yourself with negativity, when there is nothing to be gained in the long run? This is a technique in and of itself. Forget about all the drilling, and which punch is the best. Insistence on merely physical pedantries is itself a form of negativity, because it obscures any thought or discussion about the truth: Which is that the devil is in the details.

You could even say that criticising others on the basis of their technical skills is often a form of self deception, a form of self congratulation that you look better. None of that matters very much and distracts true progress. Just think how much time is wasted doing this! What’s important is to focus on concentrating all your efforts towards overcoming weakness in even the most seemingly insignificant events. The outer transformation will then take care of itself, there is no magic formula or ultimate system. It just takes time, and I assure you that even though others go racing ahead exploiting people around them, the reality is that they fade from the scene and end up losing ground.

Sun Tzu said “incitement must be given to vanquish the enemy.” Yagyu Renya said “Greet your opponent”, and Gichin Funakoshi said there is “No first attack in Karate”. Kyuzo Mifune said the soft beats the hard. It all means the same thing, symbolically speaking. This is the meaning behind turn the other cheek: You don’t give in and let them abuse you. You show the opponent your better more evolved side and win thereby. Many of the greatest truths seems contradictory, overly simplistic, or unintuitive, so people ignore them. But the reason for their simplicity is that they are universal principles and could apply to anything. Analysing them to death often makes you feel less in touch with them, so they have to be lived.

No one wants to face off against someone who they instinctively feel is high in the pecking order. It is impossible not too look up to someone who is a living example of all that is good. This is why the great masters of the past talked of the “empty sword” technique”. For a technique is an inner strategy, not an outer attack. Just as a goal is a process, not an outcome. This is why Musashi also said “intending to deal a powerful blow with the sword, you will not be successful… and will wind up being manipulated by others” Of course this takes a lot of practice, and no one devotes their time to this anymore. No wonder people give up on martial arts or don’t dedicate themselves to it as they used to, they’ve lost track of this rich source of inexhaustible wisdom!

Yagyu Munenori said “Keep the mind attentive”. What he meant by this is to keep it occupied with positive and constructive thoughts. He said don’t let the mind wander off. This is why such emphasis is placed on breathing and concentration on it. It is a means ready to hand to practice concentration on something essential, rather than dwelling on non essentials. Breathing should be rhythmic and brought to the level of consciousness, so that this rhythm can infect your organism and its processes. Breathing is an inner example of the to and fro motion of not lingering in one place that we should aspire towards. Keep the mind attentive towards such harmonious examples. When we concentrate on the non essentials, peripheral matters, we lose balance and perspective.

When we think of punishing someone, or how they have insulted us, we disrupt our breathing so that it becomes rapid. This can cause disordered functioning such as heart rate increase, anxious thoughts, and then a focus on trivial matters. This is how focus on outside things has a knock on effect to disrupt our internal equilibrium. Before you know it you are wound up by the most trivial of matters. You might tell yourself, “Well, that’s life!” But it is a mistake to think that life is about constant disorder and chaos. Sure, life is difficult and requires constant vigilance, but this is simply a pre requisite, a motivating force, to reach great heights. It’s the other side of the coin of success. There can be no fire without heat1.

When we are preoccupied by pettiness, material status, popularity, etc., this is our lower unconscious self, the instinctive side, asserting its influence2. It will convince you of all doom and gloom. But don’t let it devour you, let it feed the fire of success. The higher self, the conscious self, should exert influence over the lower self with its higher reasoning. This is what Sun Tzu meant when he referred to how the General must lead the troops and not the other way round. Using the analogy of War, the Art of War is actually a practical handbook to help solve many of the problems of existence. There’s an individual equivalent to this representation. The general is the intelligence, the troops are the instincts. In fact, the two self’s work as one, but usually the instincts are given the leading role!

By identifying with higher reasoning, create a high ideal, and think of all the most positive and grand inspiring ideas in your mind. Imagine yourself thriving there, as a powerful and courageous being. This is Jung’s archetypal God image3. In other words, you create an inner environment with everything you need to cultivate the inner man. By focusing on the inner environment you can influence the outer environment. Athletes call this “Imagery” training. They will tell you the environment and the self in it are very real. But for now, back to breathing.

Now rapid breathing isn’t necessarily bad for short periods of time, such as when under genuine threat or for example when exercising. The point is however, that most people today rush about in this frenzied state all of the time. This is why the monks and Yogis have insisted on breathing for thousands of years as a basis for concentration and exercise. By focusing on breathing through will power, you bring it to the attention of consciousness, rather than bringing to your consciousness disorder and worry.

The “Hara centre” or the solar plexus, solar referring to the centre, should be the focus of concentration. And so that by working with it you can synchronise your consciousness with the harmonious rhythms of breathing. That is, the breathing sets up everything else. It is then much easier to tune in on a wavelength conducive to thinking positive ideas. But instead modern man has chosen to analyse and make the focus of his life the very disorders that have arisen from undue focus on problems and negativity. He is the architect of his own destruction. This is what Musashi rereferred to as a sickness. Man then needs all sorts of distractions and stimulants just to feel alive or motivated.

In the context of martial arts people focus on technique, winning and losing, or reputation, etc., as they think this will set everything in order. According to this reasoning success is obtained from the outside. As I have reasoned here, success takes place first inwardly. Inner work isn’t just something to do when you have a spare ten minutes as most people view it. In this way, every challenge, and pitfall, can be tackled inwardly by mentally channeling outer stresses into positive constructive thoughts. This is the real battleground. Success at this will affect your breathing and therefore health, releasing constraints in the muscles and diaphragm for example. This then affects everything else.

I don’t need to tell you that there is constant occasion to practice inner work. Which is why there is no point going out and looking for medals, people to dominate, pats on the back, etc., the inner work is a relentless battleground of glory. Most people hope to obtain all sorts of material things hoping that this will clam them down and settle them. More often than not, the reverse is true: People begin to think they should have no need for inner work, and then when they find themselves depressed and anxious they feel bad about it. Because after all what do they have to be depressed about? They have the job, the car, and everything else. But ignorance and suffering is the natural state of man, it is success and intelligence that needs explaining.

The true martial arts master aims to bring about success by working on their inner thoughts and organs, such as breathing work, so that this harmony is brought to the level of consciousness. This is done rather than thinking about personal gratification and indulgence in comfort. Because the rhythmic breathing communicates this to the rest of the body, this is where they start. The brain perceives this state and conducts it through the nervous system. Call this “The Way”, “Nirvana”, “Infinite Wisdom” or whatever you like, it just means you a free from ignorance and the limitations around you. Instead, most people look to stimulate their nervous system with outside interventions, eroding the very foundation of their health and happiness.

By focusing on peripheral matters, you stray from the centre, or in other words, by focusing on effects you lose track of causes. For sure, no amount of focus and attention to the wrong thing can turn it into a beneficial good. I know that modern conditions aren’t very conducive to inner reflection, or even slowing down, but try to think and act in accordance with these laws whenever you get the chance.

References

1See Strength of Weakness https://harmanater.com/2020/03/12/strength-of-weakness/

2 See The higher and lower self in martial arts https://harmanater.com/2020/05/04/the-higher-and-lower-self-in-martial-arts/

3 See The Shadow and the Archetypal Man https://harmanater.com/2020/03/28/the-shadow-and-the-archetypal-man/

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