morality – Intuitive Martial Arts

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.

People often ask “How do I recognise the attacker in the street?”. What I do is look at the way people walk, listen to their voice, what they are doing with their hands, and then I can get an idea of whether they are a threat. I don’t bother looking at their contrived actions, and their and carefully studied demeanour. No, instead I look for the almost imperceptible impressions he gives off. For example the unconscious movements he makes with his eyes, mouth and head – because this is where people betray themselves. By knowing what to look for, you can therefore avoid being fooled. The tiniest detail is often the most revealing, and most of the time people don’t study themselves adequately to work on these things.

It is unlikely that someone who has studied their demeanour, and the impression they make on others, will allow themselves to lose control. This would only put them in danger on the street. This is why young and naive people are often the aggressors: They don’t have the experience and wisdom to conceal and overcome their natural inclinations. Or to put it differently, they waste a lot of energy on unproductive behaviour.

The strongest individuals will know how to work on their aggressive tendencies and won’t waste their time on pointless exchanges with others. Yes, the most courageous heroic individuals have within them the same monstrous tendencies as violent attackers1. Aggression is very normal, but it is expressed differently depending on the person. If you are inwardly strong you do not need to show off about it, and if you need to show off you are not inwardly strong.

Knowing that people only look at appearances only, many weak and insecure people strut around arrogantly creating hostility wherever they go. This is a tell tale sign of weakness. It is only an outward appearance of self confidence, inwardly they are children who are accomplishing nothing. And of course, children can be dangerous too. Whilst these types are dangerous if, say, you bump into to them drunk on the street out with your family, then of course it is difficult to get everyone to safety and you may be forced to stand your ground. Unfortunately these situations occur relatively frequently, because opportunistic predators often strike when an individual is with vulnerable others. However, I do not wish to talk about that, because any number of martial arts publications deal with what to do practically. In fact this is all they seem to deal with. Although it is an important subject, I instead want to talk about intuitively knowing what will happen in certain situations according to the laws of human nature.

What I am mainly concerned with is identifying a dangerous attacker in somebody who is seeking to take the scalp, symbolically speaking, of someone equal to themselves. Why do people pick on those who are protecting or associating with the weak? Because they know such a persons forces can be divided, between watching over those they are protecting, and fighting off the aggressor. It is a tactic of divide and conquer. So if you want to avoid such a situation my only advice is to be very careful not to attract attention to yourself. Do not let pride get in the way.

As an exercise, whenever you are out and about get a general feel of the area. Is there a sense of tension in the air? Are the people walking around aimlessly creating a general environment of listlessness? Then avoid these places and don’t come back there with people under your protection. These environments attract seemingly pleasant people, but their is nothing to nourish their better nature. Instead, go somewhere out the way, into the countryside, or a slightly more expensive venue. The behaviourally unsophisticated have no taste for these place and don’t know how to operate in them. These are by no means insignificant details.

Many people visit areas and places which attract maggots, vermin, and wild animals, figuratively speaking. Here, they expect to find enjoyment and pleasure. However, they inevitably find trouble. In these dumping grounds which warehouse all sorts of vagrants and idiots (so that they don’t pour onto the street) – trouble is just around the corner. You have been warned. Develop a habit of avoiding these places if you want to be be able to remain at ease when you are outside. The people might seem pleasant enough, but actually in say, a nightclub, there cruelty and instinctive calculations become apparent after a few drinks.

Do not suppose you can come out unsoiled from places like the nightclub on a Friday night. People who are usually sensible and strong willed have got themselves dragged into a fight. It only takes a moment of bad judgement. People smash glasses, slap each other, bump into everything, without ever noticing what effect this has on their own inner condition and others around them. Well, I can only say that it causes great disturbance, whether people are conscious of it or not, and makes them resentful, annoyed, and grudging. People think they can’t do without these places, but it only takes a few years of practice to and you will no longer feel the same way.

As an exercise, start by going whilst not drinking and you will realise that people get drunk precisely because of the foul atmosphere and coarse attitudes of the people in there. By all means drink if you like, a glass of wine never did anyone any harm. People often notice that by doing this they come away tense due to all the meaningless blather that comes out of peoples mouths, which resembles the sound of a machine gun. Then of course they go back to heavy drinking. Instead if you avoid these places, after a few years you may well realise you’re better of without them.

All that needs to be said is that if you associate in bars and night clubs with people looking to ‘lose themselves’ then that is exactly what they will do. In other words, the level of consciousness going on in these places is very low and therefore peoples behaviour is volatile from one moment to the next. There is no doubt that people are looking for fun in these places, but instead what you get is a lot of people groping around miserably, which sours the atmosphere. If you sleep with a dog, you are likely to get fleas. In the same way, if you hang around in many of the nighclubs and bars out there, you are likely to have your state of mind changed to suit the environment and you will no longer be thinking lucidly.

A man spills the pint of another man who blames him for spilling it. The first man insists it was the other guys fault. Neither backs down and hostilities begin. There is beer on the floor, people everywhere, and one wrong move can result in splitting your head open on the hard floor. If it goes to the floor in a wrestling match, other members of the group will pile in smashing bottles and trying to kick your head in. The bouncers will not discriminate, and will often act violently towards the two parties. I have seen this many times, as men on the doors will often look to gain their stripes any way they can. An observer looking at the scene impartially would realise that the two men were collaborating in the same task: A competition to see who was the toughest.

Once you set a scene in motion the consequences are then out of your control. In the above example a 50/50 fight begins. It doesn’t matter what your training is, you are embroiled in a fight which can only work to your disadvantage. You may think you are entirely in the right but that just shows how ignorant you are. When we look at the causal mechanisms of a fight it involves two forces colliding. If you want to take control of the situation I suggest taking the role of the impartial observer and you will see that you can transform a bad situation into a good one by rising above it. Walk away.

As long as people think in terms of beating the aggressor with violence they will never be capable of transforming the situation into a good one. They will continue to give off arrogant glances and signals to other violent individuals, all the while supposing they had nothing to do with the fight when it kicks off. And then situations of this kind will torment them wherever they go. It is they themselves who have given this evil in others power over them. I hope this is quite clear, that you only need to work on yourself principally to stop the aggressor. In other words, by seeing violence as something independent of their influence, they have availed themselves of the means to pre-empt it. It is only because martial arts training has become so lifeless and without philosophy that there is no one to remind them of this fact.

The problem is that many people are ashamed of themselves for not fighting back or crushing the opposition. But it is because they fight without intelligence. If you have a philosophy of doing whats morally right and watching the signals you give off to others, you will act with confidence and assurance. You will know you did everything you could to avoid calamity. On the other hand, rubbing people the wrong way and giving off arrogant gestures tends to make you feel discouraged and lacking in inner confidence. Morality is considered so old fashioned that nobody bothers with it. But actually, the moral teachings in martial arts are designed as a practical guide to developing will power and courage. One of the main reasons martial arts is so ineffectual today in peoples lives is that it lacks this moral fibre.

References

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

Tag: morality

Bringing your training to life – exercises and principles

Identifying Aggressors.