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From: The Caretaker
Category: Martial Arts: Philosophy
Date: 12/10/97
Time: 9:17:59 PM
Remote Name: 204.212.132.27
Unfortunately, for most people in America, the phrase "Martial Arts Training" conjures up an image of a lot of guys punching, kicking, yelling, doing pushups, learning how to beat people up, and getting yelled at by some Asian guy. Even some that are in the Arts have this image as what training should be like. Nothing could be further from the truth. I will be the first to admit that I go through all of the above. I do the punching, kicking, yelling, pushups, learn how to "beat people up" (defend myself, there is a difference), and have my instructors (one of whom is Asian) get on my case. But this is not all that the Martial Arts are about. The Martial Arts are about learning to become your own master. This means control of your body, mind, and spirit. The physical training is the one that everyone thinks of first. But most do not realize that at the same time, they are working the mental and spiritual training.
Physical mastery is the most visibly impressive part of the Martial Arts. Anyone who has seen a Jackie Chan, Bruce Lee, or Jet Li movie will agree that they perform spectacular physical feats. The same could be said about a 5 yr. old kid who breaks wood or bricks with his hand and comes away unscathed. And what about the 40-yr. old man, who, when he started, could barely lift and hold his foot thigh-high? Now he is sparring 20 yr. olds, kicking them in the head?! Amazing! This control of the body is phenomenal. But to gain this type of control, this mastery of your body, you have to have rigorous physical training. How tough it is depends on the individual. What one person finds incredibly challenging, is a "piece of cake" to another. Practicing this challenging event for the first individual would gradually increase their mastery of their body to where it might become a piece of cake to them as well. The second person would have to find a way to make it challenging for them to receive any benefit from the training. Mastery of one's body generally leads to better overall health, more stamina, more strength, increased awareness of one's surroundings, and the ability to defend oneself.
Mental mastery is not visible in a physical way, except through one's actions. Discipline, Courtesy, Respect, Self-Control, and Patience, are all mental aspects taught in the Martial Arts. Everything from calling your instructor "Sir/Ma'am/Sensei" and using Japanese/Chinese/Korean/Filipino/etc... commands/names of techniques, to being punished for disrespect by doing incredibly hard physical tasks. All of these are little things, which most students do not consciously pick up on as part of their training. They reflect in your life outside of the structured confines of the Martial Arts. Treating others with Respect. Being Courteous to others, even if they are not courteous towards you (does "Sticks and Stones..." ring a bell?). Having the Discipline to complete tasks you are responsible for. Using Self-Control to calm yourself down in situations where one normally is expected to panic or have an extreme emotional reaction. This goes hand-in-hand with Patience. Being able to listen to others without interrupting or putting aside your own vacation/play time to get work done are prime examples of the above Mental "techniques". These "techniques" effect your family life, business life, school life, and your recreation life.
Spiritual mastery is a little more difficult to recognize. It can be seen occasionally through one's actions, but mostly it can not be seen by others, just "sensed". Most everyone should understand what I mean here. There has probably been at least one person whom you have met who gave you an instant impression of intense inner strength. Even though they may not have been physically intimidating, something about them made you respect them (out possible danger or being a great person is a different topic). Honor, Integrity, Loyalty, and Humility, are the "techniques" practiced to achieve Spiritual mastery. Note that Spiritual mastery is not about what religious beliefs it is that you follow, if any at all. This deals more with being at peace within yourself. Loyalty is often the one "technique" found in most Martial Artists. Not only to one's "style", but more specifically to one's instructor and schoolmates. However, this loyalty sometimes comes at the expense of the other three techniques, Honor, Integrity, and Humility. Such is the case all too often at some of the "Open" Tournaments in recent years. Students yelling at and insulting referees/officials, often with their instructor right there doing the same thing! "Superfoot" Bill Wallace even wrote an article on this display of Loyalty through disrespect in his column in Black Belt Magazine. Honor and Integrity is usually instilled in students of the Martial Arts by way of responsibilities. This, in turn, is usually incorporated into a ranking system of sorts. These tasks are to be handled by the individual and it is their duty (Honor) to insure that they are completed. This includes cleaning the workout floor to practicing the techniques that you are supposed to even when the Instructor is not there watching you. Claiming responsibility for the tasks, be they a success or complete failure, leads to one's Integrity. Someone once said, "The greater good is accomplished when one does not care who gets the credit." Here is where Humility comes in. When the students are complimented, they should accept the compliment, but then move on. One should not bask in it! Going back to the example of a 40-yr. old man who can now kick to the head, he has gained the self-confidence necessary to know that he has trained hard and has completed an imposing task. If someone were to ridicule/mock him for not being able to do some sort of jump spinning kick, he would simply ignore the insult and perhaps go along with it. For what does he care if he can not do that particular kick yet? He does not care, because he knows that at this point in time, he is already able to perform a once impossible physical feat. In time, if he trains, he will probably be able to do this current "impossible" feat. This example leads to a combination of the three different types of masterships, Physical, Mental, and Spiritual.
The truly great Martial Artists have a vast understanding of all three types of training. They are truly their own masters. They control their actions, their emotions, and their life. They are more-than-content individuals, because they can perform amazing things, are looked up to, and are at peace with themselves.