Taylor

Yeah, I'd have to agree with Sasori Te, and with your original assessment that you lost awareness. It's possible you cut him off on the road without knowing it, or something like that. That still doesn't mean he wasn't a jerk, or out of line... just that, even entering the parking lot, you might have been able to see a guy driving 'angrily' or following you, or seen him coming towards you in the parking lot, and used an avoidance tactic well before he got to you if you'd maintained awareness. I don't mean that as a judgment, just the reflection you asked for. Every violent act has a 'cause' and I don't buy into the notion that these 'causes' are mysterious. They may seem random sometimes, but I believe this 'randomness', even when truly 'random' is capable of being forseen and avoided with awareness 99.5% of the time. But maintaining awareness takes practice too, and is a skill that may be harder than learning martial arts! So that's why I say, it's not meant as a judgement.

I think some of the points about this title about attitude are interesting, but in terms of martial arts mastery, I think there is only one criteria: POWER. It's nice if a Master can teach, and it's great when they have a good attitude and aren't arrogant, but if they don't fit this image, but still blow you away with the manifestation of amazing power in their art... hmmm? Mastery to me is quite a distinct level of the manifestation of the potential power of their art to the point where it can be dramatic in experience, and consistently so. Someone mentioned Miyamoto Musashi, and I think he's a good example, but not because he was a master of calligraphy and pottery, which he was, but because he would only fight with a wooden sword because he believed it was 'unfair' for him to use a real sword. He felt it gave him too much of an advantage. He killed 60 'masters' in single combat. On one occasion, he got stinking drunk partying all night with a friend the night before the contest, while his opponent meditated and trained and got a good night's sleep. Miyamoto Musashi killed the guy in one blow while still drunk from the night before. His opponent was also a 'master' according to the standards of the time. Mastery of character is a notable mastery, but distinct in my thinking. I think a master is simply defined by what he can DO, and by the fact that he can consistently do it, with almost no exceptions.

In The Book of Five Rings, Miyamoto Musashi says that, “The Way of the Warrior is the two-fold way of the pen and sword.” The metaphor applies to martial arts in many ways, the most fundamental to the context of Miyamoto Musashi’s time is in the art of calligraphy. In Japanese, and in Chinese the techniques one uses to properly control the pen in calligraphy are the same as those applied in the art of swordsmanship. In other words, the practical techniques in artistic calligraphy in Chinese and Japanese are directly applicable in the practical techniques for utilizing the sword. So, each Chinese or Japanese word translates into a technique when wielding the sword. This metaphor becomes more profound, however, when we consider that how we move, act and live, the very motivations that determine what we do are based on a construct in our psyche about ourselves, about our world and about others is based in language. We think in language, and this language then becomes the fundamental construct that determines our conscious and even unconscious motivations, which determine how we act and move. When we look into the training a warrior develops in battle, we learn to predict, account for and eventually even control an opponent’s activity in a conflict. The advanced martial artist can move an opponent around like a puppet in a conflict utilizing various subtle and overt tactics. When we begin to consider the power that language has over our own and others thoughts, motivations and activity both on conscious and unconscious levels, we see how significant this line becomes. A warriors skill in Miyamoto Musashi’s time was not only determined by his ability to defeat a foe in single combat, but also by his ability to lead men. In a feudalistic time, this ability must be profound or one will face betrayal at every turn in the constant changing tides of politics in a feudalistic system. Therefore, it is in the sword that the warrior learns to defeat people, it is in the pen that the warrior learns to lead them. Perhaps this helps to bring some of Miyamoto Musashi’s thinking on this point into a modern context and open up the idea for some discussion. I hope I’m placing this post in the correct forum.

Excellent! I especially like your leaf meditation. Very peaceful feeling. Yes, there are many methods. The one I presented is for the purpose of 'entering the void' or 'realizing the void'. There are a lot of meditations for a lot of purposes.

Controlling the Ground is about choosing the place where the conflict will occur that allows your techniques and strengths to be emphasized and your opponents to be undermined, as well as the art of engineering an opponent onto this ground. Discussion and education on this principle can range from complicated strategic determinations to a simple discussion of where to stand in different environments based on your size, weight and height. An example of a common area where this discussion can creatively applied is in dealing with multiple opponents. In fighting multiple opponents, some techniques might be taught, but we can also think about the place in a room that negates a number advantage. Furniture, hallways, corridors, a corner or even a stairwell can quickly ensure that only one opponent can approach at a time indoors. Outdoors, between parked cars and behind large structures can also negate a number advantage and ensure only one opponent can approach at a time. Another consideration can be as simple as monitoring the ground where you stand in a fight in relation to your opponent's ground. If you force your opponent to stand on a curb or the lower side of a curb if he wants to engage you, then immediately your opponent's ground is awkward and unbalanced, you place him into a clear disadvantage. If you get good at moving an opponent around, you may be able to even back him into a curb, causing him to trip, leading to a quick victory! These are practical examples, and the art of "Controlling the Ground" has it's practical applications, which involves learning to move an opponent around and control the place an engagement happens, and even enticing a particular attack where and when you want it to happen. This is all work that happens in most martial arts studios, however, and this gives some context about why these skills are so important to learn. Once learning these skills, and knowing how to apply them, another aspect of the work is the creative mental exercise in which you think strategically about the advantages and disadvantages of numerous environments, and find the places that emphasize your strengths and negate various opponent’s strengths, or draw out different opponent's weaknesses. Also, one can think about how different environments simply give anyone an advantage, empowering your defense so you don't fall into those traps, as well as your offense so you can use them. It is an exercise in thinking creatively and habitually about the environment so that eventually any particular space around a martial artist becomes a potential weapon!

There are various methods of meditation, and you are right bushido man about the ideal, but ninja is also onto something. The issue that comes up is, how the heck to you meditate on 'The Void'? Do you meditate on an empty space? That's not 'The Void' proper, that's a SOMETHING, an empty space. To meditate on 'empty space' is to look at or imagine something, and empty space. We might envision 'empty space' as a dark void or bright void, but none of these are really The Void, because this is absence that is the fundamental ground of all imaginings, and all existence, including the absence in which space exists So we can end up tricking ourselves into believeing we are meditating on The Void when we are really subtly imagining. What is The Void, really becomes an interesting meditation in itself when we look into it. We can witness this if we look into our own minds. Watch a thought, any thought. It can be something with an image, or not, just watch a thought. Then follow it into non-existence and try to find the place it goes when it dissapears. When you think you found the place, look at that, and recognize another sutble imagining, and watch that dissapear and try to find the place that goes as well. You will discover you cannot find the place. This is VOID proper. Thoughts come from SOMEWHERE, so it's not NOTHING, but we can't see from where they come or where they go, so rather than calling it NOTHING it is called VOID. This is the first meditation. I'll give the second meditation after people have a chance to try this one. Simply follow thoughts into the Void and try to find the Void. Accept that you cannot, so that you can relax in the meditation, by try to find it anyway by following these thoughts into the void.

Discussions on "Chi" are compromised by a severe lack of education in it by most practitioners. We learned breathing techniques in Tae Kuk Mu Sul which facilitated some interesting experiences, but they didn't know much about it, or how to pursue it. Form practice also facilitated some interesting experiences, but no one knew what the experiences meant or how to work with them practically. Then I sought out some Tai Chi practitioners. No one really could explain it. It's rare to get a real education in it nowadays, but I've been lucky to get a real education after a lot of seeking. Here are some clarifications that de-mystify and yet also allow room for some interesting possibilities. First, 'Chi' simply means breath. Also, the discussion has several levels. The most practical levels that are spoken of in learning the principles are the "Chi" that is will, the intention to do something like strike a person. Then there is the level of 'Chi' that translates that intention into a feeling, thought, or a movement in one's consciousness that proceeds from that intention. These two distinctions are very subtle, but very important to some of the more esoteric conversations about "Chi". Then there is the "Chi" that translates to actual movement in the body, this is "Chi" proper. Then there is "Chi" that translates into Kinetic energy from this. That is also "Chi" proper. There are other names for the other principles. Above all of this is what translates to "Wisdom Mind" which is a different matter altogether. So, that kind of de-mystifies "Chi" doesn't it? It also opens the door for a discussion of how consciousness participates in the activity of the body and practically how movements in consciousness translates to fighting, doesn't it? This is also able to be utilized in any martial art training. Perhaps this is why the old martial artists kept stuff like this so 'secret'... I'll find the name of a book I've been reading that finally gives practical, direct instruction on these principles and put in on this post for reference. It's good stuff!

Well, I don't know about 'never'. Intimidating an opponent can be an excellent alternative to fighting. Someone who has decided to fight can be 'persuaded' to change their mind by intimidation tactics. That seems to me to be ethically superior and an appropriate use of the tactic.