external exercise for internal development

Since the 1970s there has been a common dichotomy of martial arts practitioners presented to the public. On the one hand you have the big, tough, often brutish type- a well muscled guy who maybe yells and moves with lots of speed and intensity. On the other hand you have the gentle, leaner type who moves with grace. He is thoughtful and probably meditates. This latter has “internal power” that is much stronger than the muscular strength of the big man. But does one type of energy necessarily exclude the other? Can they not co-exist or even facilitate one another?

thoughts on breaking.

Breaking has been a mainstay of martial arts exhibitions in the US for decades.  In fact, the average layman when thinking of martial arts probably conjures images of a yelling "karate chop" through some material.  Perhaps this is due to to ubiquitous satire in popular culture.  Many legitimate masters decry breaking as mere parlor tricks or at the least unoteworthy or unimportant displays.  Still, they are a key component of many traditional systems.  Why?  Is there any inherent value in breaking some bricks, or is it just for show?   

thoughts on belt ranking.

I recently read an article thread on belt ranking systems on MartialTalk and was inspired to comment. The original author briefly elucidates the factors in a common complaint against martial arts- that the pursuit of rank often detracts from the pursuit of the art itself. While I couldn’t agree more, I also feel that some sort of rank system is necessary in public schools.

the art of studying martial arts.

part one: choosing a school

I have had several people ask me recently to assist them with choosing a martial art to study. Sometimes they have a vague idea what they want to learn, often it just seems like a more interesting way for them to work out. “Why lift weights and run on a treadmill when I could be learning something cool and important?” Fair enough. I believe however, that if one gets invested in a particular school, or specific art without adequate research they are prone to losing interest after a short period and becoming discouraged from further participation. Unfortunately the volume of (mis)information out there can be quite daunting for the uninitiated. One solution is that those of us currently studying develop a holistic knowledge of the Arts in order to assist those who are curious about taking up their study.

fights.

Fights and physical altercations have always upset me. Not watching them, I mean I love Steven Seagal movies and shit like that. Boxing is my spectator sport of choice. I’m talking about getting into fights; I find the experience highly emotionally upsetting. Now this isn’t due to a particularly bad experience or anything. I’ve been in a few, but I’ve never been hurt and I’ve never had my ass kicked.... One time a guy stirred up some shit. He was drunk and just plain wrong. He was aggressing and aggressing and eventually created a situation where I physically couldn’t walk away and then he attacked me. So I fucked him up. Then I went and got a beer from the store, had a few cigarettes and cried.

experiences with chi.

The other day I did a little over an hour of yoga practice, afterward I lied in meditation for 15 minutes and experienced something quite interesting. Starting at my groin and working down, then from my waist back up, I consciously tried moving and focusing my energy through different body parts in sequential order. I have previously done similar exercises for relaxation but this time was able to really feel my energy, to concentrate it in specific areas. A couple times while directing my energy I “looked” briefly at a different areas of my body to see if the energy was in fact everywhere and that I was simply paying attention to it only in the area of focus. I found it was not in other places but that the energy was indeed concentrating only where I was consciously directing it. This could be something else and I will confer with an instructor but it seems that I am developing the ability to direct and concentrate my chi.

a reading list.

So many books, so little time… I complained in an earlier post about the lack of quality books non-Taiji, non-training guide books on Chinese Martial Arts. That being said I’ve burned plenty of hours scouring for interesting material. Here are a few I would love to get around to reading sometime soon…

where do you use your arts?

Nowadays, at least in New York there is a relatively low need for self-defense in public spaces. Street crime is the lowest it’s been in generations and if you are victimized, chances are good that the perpetrator will have a gun, negating the sensible use of fighting arts. Ruled out as a practical application in everyday life you are left with a few choices of application: competition, artistic expression, athleticism and personal development. But when do you make use of actual fighting capabilities? What considerations govern the path of their pursuit?

a season for all things.

One of the most popular literary archetypes* begins To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven. While it may seem cliché at this point I think it offers an important insight to the ever changing needs we have as people. The ability to appropriately address the omnipresent need for situational analysis is part of what being a mature person is about, but I believe there are many cues that can be taken from our environment.

kung-fu college?

What martial arts enthusiast hasn’t dreamed of studying their art full time? It is a popular fantasy and one that many indulge for limited periods with intensive studies in Asia. I am now living in Cambodia and recently spoke with a Texan who is living in a Bokator school, practicing 8-10 hours a day. When he goes home in a couple weeks he will have been here for 8 months and received the equivalent of a black belt. Well, for those of you uninterested in racking up skymiles, there’s a new option, I present to you the University of Bridgeport’s BA in Martial Arts Studies.

why shaolin doesn't impress me.

Anyone who’s practiced martial arts, or watched more then one Kung-Fu flick has heard of the Shaolin Temple. Most believe it to be the “birthplace of martial arts,” and revere it as some sort of holy site for all practitioners. While it is certainly a significant site of development, and I would love to join the throngs of tourists who flock to it, I remain thoroughly unimpressed by its current incarnation.

a yoga retreat

I just went on a weekend yoga retreat that was quite interesting. There are a number of online resources out there on yoga retreats- reviews, how to pick the right one, what to expect, etc. so this entry will instead be a little something about my personal experience.

thoughts on ba duan jin.

Ba Duan Jin, variously translated as Eight Silk Weaving, Eight Piece Brocade and Eight Silk Brocade among other names is one of the most well known Chinese exercises for internal development. Due to this popularity there exist many variations of the exercises and disparate teachings on their benefits. Most practitioners utilizing these exercises perform them by rote without care or consideration for what or how they are doing them, or what the exercises are doing in return. As such, this article is an exploration of some of my questions on the “how.”