Making I Ching Viable To Understand For Martial Artists

[Alan Armstrong]

Making I Ching viable to understand for martial artists.

Some twenty years ago while looking in to I Ching, by just playing around with it, I accidentally discovered a way to make it viable and relevant for today.

I'm going public with it right here on KarateForums.com in hopes that others can have some interesting, insightfully amusing fun, while learning ancient Chinese concepts.

Your participation and interest is paramount to unlocking the I Ching on a personal level.

Are you interested?

[sensei8]

Am I interested? Maybe! Having a slight understanding of I Ching, and all, I'd be curious as to how it would be utilized in any way in the MA. However, be warned...I'll lose interest if it takes a turn down a dark alley some how and someway!!

[Alan Armstrong]

I like you sensei8, within our day and age and real life experiences, feel like I have seen it all and done it all, been there done that, got the T-shirt, to accept or understnd new perspectives, one needs to change the way one looks at things.

Looking through the eyes, temporarily from an ancient Chinese perspective, is one way of broadening ways of seeing ourselves and our relationship with others, which is possible with the help of the I Ching.

As the ancient Chinese were not cynical rather totally the opposite by accepting everything, this will be the hurdle for westerners to climb over themselves first, to be able to be open for this other way of reasoning.

The ancient Chinese were very superstitious and prayed to everything including the kitchen stove, this was part of their luck management, as famine, earthquakes and catastrophes were punishment for not being respectful to other worldly powers.

As in the west, we usually bury the dead and hammer a cross on top, this to the Chinese is not the done thing, as it is implied as stabbing the earth, which could have its consequence.

Also another opposite from west to east is it is appropriate to wear white to a funeral instead of black.

Bruce Lee was given a girls name, just to protect him from evil spirits.

I feel it necessary to give a little background information on this topic, just to get the picture of how different ways of understanding can be.

For martial artists to use I Ching, it is from a strategic perspective, that includes elements such as fire and water, animals, parts of the body, family, everyday things and their interrelationships.

Within this topic, nothing related or implied to religion or superstitions or supernatural phenomena whatsoever.

Still interested?

[sensei8]

Go ahead...I'm still interested!!

[Alan Armstrong]

Making I Ching viable to martial artists is nothing new, as that it has already been done with the internal martial art style of PA-KUA, eight-trigram-boxing.

What I have done differently, is to make it blend on a personal level with a new type of Astrology.

By using a person's birthday and using the odd or even principle from the day, month and year.

Using Yin representing the even number __ __

Using Yang representing the odd number _____

There are 8 possible outcomes for everyone.

Where each corresponding with a trigram.

Therefore, a person born on an odd numbered day, represents the top of the trigram with an unbroken line _____

An odd numbered day _____

An odd numbered month _____

An odd numbered year _____

All three solid lines together represent the Heaven Element trigram.

Born on an even numbered day __ __

" " " even numbered month __ __

" " " even numbered year __ __

All three broken lines together represent the Earth Element trigram.

----------------------------------------------------

Heaven is: odd _____

odd _____

odd _____

Earth is: even __ __

even __ __

even __ __

Fire is: odd _____

even __ __

odd _____

Water is: even __ __

odd _____

even __ __

Wind is: odd _____

odd _____

even __ __

Thunder is: even __ __

even __ __

odd _____

Mist is: even __ __

odd _____

odd _____

Mountain is: odd _____

even __ __

even __ __

This is enough information to find your element from your birthday.

This is a good beginning.

Still interested as there is alot more?

A little homework is required:

[sensei8]

OK! I'll do some homework!!

However, when you start talking about Astrology and the like, that's when you start walking me down that dark alley because I just don't believe in Astrology and the like; never have...never will. Albeit, for the sake of fairness, I will do the homework, and see what I see.

[Alan Armstrong]

I Ching and the game of chess have a few things in common.

One using 64 squares and the other 64 hexigrams, also the use of black and white for battling.

Playing chess and and I Ching both develop a strategic mindset.

Games and divination have been around since civilization began perhaps even further back than that.

A simple pack of playing cards was developed from the fifty-two weeks on the year and the four season.

What I am doing by matching a birthday with an I Ching element, is making it relevant to each individual, by calling it astrology is just a name, something recognizable but not exactly the same.

Just as chess is a game of life and death understanding and problem solving, I Ching can be viewed the same way, not to take it too seriously, as it is about opening up ways of understanding outside of the way things are usually looked at.

I Ching is the book of changes, a reflection of how everything changes within us and around us, slowly or over long periods of time.

As with chess and I Ching using the element of time changes everything.

Yes more homework

[Alan Armstrong]

ATTRIBUTES

Heaven

Key: Creative

Animal: Horse

Body link: Head

Element: Metal

Color: Purple

Family: Farther

odd _____

odd _____

odd _____

------------------------------

Earth

Key: Receptive

Animal: Cow

Body link: Solar Plexus

Element: Soil

Color: Black

Family: Mother

even __ __

even __ __

even __ __

-------------------------------

Fire

Key: Separation

Animal: Bird

Body link: Eye

Element: Fire

Color: Yellow

Family: Middle daughter

odd _____

even __ __

odd _____

-----------------------------------

Water

Key: Abyss

Animal: Pig

Body link: Ear

Element: Wood

Color: Red

Family: Middle son

even __ __

odd _____

even __ __

---------------------------

Wind

Key: Gentleness

Animal: Cat

Body link: Thighs

Element: Air

Color: White

Family: Eldest daughter

odd _____

odd _____

even __ __

-----------------------------------

Thunder

Key: Arousing

Animal: Dragon

Body link: Foot

Element: Grass

Color: Orange

Family: Eldest son

even __ __

even __ __

odd _____

---------------------------------

Mist

Key: Happiness

Animal: Sheep

Body link: Mouth

Element: Flesh

Color: Blue

Family: Youngest daughter

even __ __

odd _____

odd _____

-----------------------------------

Mountain

Key: Blockage

Animal: Dog

Body link: Hand

Element: Stone

Color: Green

Family: Youngest son.

odd _____

even __ __

even __ __

--------------------------------

This is the beginning of becoming familiar with your attributes and others.

[sensei8]

Oh, that's cheating Alan...using Chess to peak up my interest...effective move!!

I do see the similarities between Chess and I Ching. In Chess, controlling the 4 center squares, especially in the opening and mid-game, is key to overcoming an opponent. Put knowing the when and where to relinquish the center for the end game, is key towards Checkmate!!

I'll also do the additional homework, but please don't overwhelm me with a lot of homework because I HATE HOMEWORK!!

[Alan Armstrong]

Oh, that's cheating Alan...using Chess to peak up my interest...effective move!!

I do see the similarities between Chess and I Ching. In Chess, controlling the 4 center squares, especially in the opening and mid-game, is key to overcoming an opponent. Put knowing the when and where to relinquish the center for the end game, is key towards Checkmate!!

I'll also do the additional homework, but please don't overwhelm me with a lot of homework because I HATE HOMEWORK!!

Yes, using Chess was a good tactic.

Was once invited to a chess club, while there of course played chess with this guy, that I never knew.

I won the first game, he was upset, won the second game, he became even more upset, won the third game, he broke in to a fit of anger and stormed off.

I thought this situation might get violent, I asked the friend that invited me there "who is that guy?"

He replied "He is the club chess champion"

The chess champ returned to play more chess with me, this time armed with a tournament stop clock, something I have never used.

We played again using the stop clock and he won, how happy he became, as he regained his pride and honor, for me it was no big deal to win or lose.

Playing chess as a martial artist was something this chess champ player hadn't had much experience with, as I learned and gained from him how to fight with the element of time.

This chess lesson became very useful when sparring in the dojo, by combining not only martial art experience but also using the element of time against the opponent.

Here is video especially chosen, for those that seriously hate homework.