(New Member) Thoughts on Martial Arts

[gungfufreddie]

Freddie Smith
One thing about understanding all theories, equations, ideas, or techniques it that: “Knowing is not enough, we must apply. Willing is not enough, we must do.”
~Bruce Lee
(To Me)
Basic of Life: Without progress continual growth is impossible. Progress is like individual evolution, and we should attempt to evolve ourselves into the maximum without ever reaching the maximum. This allows the being to always be on this growing path. Progression should be beautiful, natural, yet infinite cycle.

My Personal Foundations as a Person on the Martial Path
One is of endurance
Two is of stamina
Three is of randomness
Four is of reflex
Five is naturalness
Six is of attitude
Seven is of control
Eight is of good judgment
Nine is of growth

One major issue that faces fighters is fear(s); one should be fearless but not reckless. Doing it with all or nothing in mind, no half – assing it, but be tactful. If you throw a punch, throw it with all you got; if you kick put those hips into it! Being fearless is letting go, like tranquility in your conscience. When you can simply react to something without giving it thought, you perhaps have lost your fear. I believe fear stunts personal growth in people, I consider fear to be the root of hesitation.

The Martial Path – (mind you it is nearly all mental)
I think that one should no longer bind themselves as people by sticking to certain ideals. Be open-minded, expand your knowledge to better yourself. Don’t stunt your potential by crystallizing yourself to certain thoughts, follow a path of continual growth and absorb whatever knowledge possible. Instead of believing in what your click, your parents, or your peers believe in, forge a new perspective for yourself. Believe in what you believe is right rather than what the flock agrees with, by keeping your mind out of the extremes in a particular issue you remain in the gray. In life there is little yes/no, up/down, or one/two ways to think or do things, direct your mind into a 360 degree angle of opportunity where little upsets you, or surprises you. Though your knowledge may be limited it will expand with little obstruction. Concentrate on progress so you may find flaws in yourself.

I believe that following the martial path is better than following a martial art since it is evolution in action.

These concepts and ideas have either been contributed by Jeet Kune Do, Taoism, Art Therapy Ideals, Buddhism, standards of Western Boxing, standards of Muay Thai Boxing, or standards of Hapkido. I live by this credo as a human being (and a person of the martial path): “We forge our bodies in the fires of our will.” It takes three measures: ambition, sacrifice, and pain. ~ Shih Kien


I know this is "Bruce Lee-esque," but this is how I honestly feel about martial arts and it's application on life. If you have any comments or additions please feel free to post.

 

[Thesemindz]

Some books about mindset and martial arts that I enjoy are -

The Demon's Sermon on Martial Arts
The Unfettered Mind
Hagakure
The Book of Five Rings
The Life Giving Sword
The Art of Peace

Check 'em out. I think you'd like em.


-Rob

 

[Jade Tigress]

What you describe as being fearless, I like to think of as intent. I think healthy fear is a good thing. You can be effective, in spite of fear, if you train hard to get techinuques into muscle memory (so there is no hesitation, you just "do" without thinking), and intent (giving it all you've got).

Oh, and Welcome to Martial Talk!

 

[gungfufreddie]

Thank you for that bit, I am curious what styles do you like to perform for fun or for sport?
I figure I'd at least give ya'll a little of my background:
I have only been to 2 tournaments (but I got disqualified in both of them since one of my friends kept telling me it was like doing full-contact again so I was stupid by not listening to the referee/instructor)

In the ring I have fought more times than I can count, (mind you not amateur style more of a ISKA style of fighting with less rules)

My martial arts background is 3 years Savate, 2 years Ketsugo, 12 years Western Boxing, 12 years Kickboxing, ? years of Muay Thai, 3 years Burmese Boxing (I think it is also known as Lethwei), 2 years Tang Su Do, 2 years Tae Kwon Do Karate, 6 years of free-lance style Wushu (nothing serious something I do for fun), 1 year of Capoeira (also for fun), and 10 years of old-fashioned street fighting (I grew up in a tough neighborhood).

Most of my backgroud consists of tid bits that I have recently picked up sheerly from novelty interest. But I like to use all that as my own little Jeet Kune Do.

As for fear I failed to put into consideration that it could be healthy, but I was primarily concerned with in the ring style combat. Mike Tyson for example, over-rated by his fans but under-rated by other viewers. He was generally confident and ferocious during fights but until he fought someone who could stand up to him, so he was often regarded as a bully. Right there, that fear rooting into hesitation was a major factor in his losses directly inside the ring. (Yes he had a plethora of other problems but they were all outside the ring.) Who I revere has to be either Rocky Marciano or Mas Oyama, two fearless men who pushed their physical limits numerous times with pure courage in mind and adrenaline pumping through their body - for me a thing to respect indeed. But unlike Marciano, Mas knew when to quit or back off. Though Marciano was fearless, he had an unhealthy level of it, thus supporting your idea of healthy vs unhealthy fear. (wow that was an odd loop!)

Thanks that just gave me something new to ponder!

 

[Jade Tigress]

You have quite an extensive background! I have only been training about 3 1/2 years in Kung fu. Two and a half years in Sil Lum and coming up on a year in Southern Praying Mantis. We don't do tournaments so I can understand how our mindsets defining fear would differ. However, confidence and intent are crucial no matter what the venue, be it ring or street. You must show confidence even if you don't feel it. You must appear *fearless* to your opponent even if you are feeling fear on the inside. In real life situations vs. the ring, having a healthy fear and being able to recognize dangerous situations can keep you safe or save your life. :asian:

 

[Shotochem]

Some books about mindset and martial arts that I enjoy are -

The Demon's Sermon on Martial Arts
The Unfettered Mind
Hagakure
The Book of Five Rings
The Life Giving Sword
The Art of Peace

Check 'em out. I think you'd like em.


-Rob

Good choice of literature.

I keep going back and re-reading the Unfetterd Mind periodically as I tend to be one who sometimes thinks too much. It helps me keep my training in perspective.
Hagakure was entertaining for me as I find that kind of blind devotion and honor to be a little on the culty side. Rings is a classic and worthy of a good read. Don't forget the must read Art of War.

I have not read the Demon Sermon or Art of peace. Could you hook me up with the authors names? Thanks.

-Marc-

 

[Thesemindz]

Good choice of literature.

I keep going back and re-reading the Unfetterd Mind periodically as I tend to be one who sometimes thinks too much. It helps me keep my training in perspective.
Hagakure was entertaining for me as I find that kind of blind devotion and honor to be a little on the culty side. Rings is a classic and worthy of a good read. Don't forget the must read Art of War.

I have not read the Demon Sermon or Art of peace. Could you hook me up with the authors names? Thanks.

-Marc-

Sure man, Demon's sermon is by Issai Chozanshi. The title doesn't mean demon in the western/christian sense of the word, rather it's the english translation of the word Tengu, which are more appropriately described as the japanese equivalent of what we might think of as leprachauns or nature spirits. Sorta a mix between the two. The book is the fictional account of a swordsman who stumbles upon a group of tengu discussing the appropriate mindset of the warrior.

Art of Peace is by Morihei Ueshiba, master of Aikido. It's a collection of quotes by the master, and is more about improving yourself and the world around you than improving your martial arts techinque. Still, in my opinion, supremely important for a martial artist.

Those were just some of the books on my shelf. Some more modern books which I thoroughly enjoy are

Living the Martial Way by Forrest Morgan - A must for any serious martial artist. This book gives you a detailed description of how a modern martial artist should comport himself.

Kata and the Transmission of Knowledge in Traditional Martial Arts by Michael Rosenbaum - This book is HEAVY. You really have to slog through it, it has a huge amount of documentation and deals with martial technique and the methods of passing the knowledge to the next generation of warriors throughout the history of man. A really important book which will change the way you think about kata, or at least inform your opinion, but not a light read. Still, I highly recommend it.

Zen and the art of Street Fighting by Jack Sabat - This is basically an autobiography of one modern martial artists history of fighting. Enjoyable, exciting, and inspiring, although I think many people will object to his aggressive, and at times adversarial, attitude displayed towards other people throughout the book. None the less, it makes you rethink just how seriously you take your time on the mat.

I have many others, including Art of War, but these are just some I particularly appreciate. Bushido, The Lone Samurai, The Little Capoeria book, and of course the Ed Parker books are some more titles of interest. I find it particularly interesting to go through Mr. Parker's books and see how he teaches techniques differently throughout the years, as his understanding and practice of Kenpo grew. Especially when you go back to "What is Self Defense, Kenpo Jujitsu" by Mitose, and see how he taught those techniques.


-Rob

 

[still learning]

Hello, Please read the Gift of Fear....great book.....Aloha

 

[Shotochem]

Sure man, Demon's sermon is by Issai Chozanshi. The title doesn't mean demon in the western/christian sense of the word, rather it's the english translation of the word Tengu, which are more appropriately described as the japanese equivalent of what we might think of as leprachauns or nature spirits. Sorta a mix between the two. The book is the fictional account of a swordsman who stumbles upon a group of tengu discussing the appropriate mindset of the warrior.

Art of Peace is by Morihei Ueshiba, master of Aikido. It's a collection of quotes by the master, and is more about improving yourself and the world around you than improving your martial arts techinque. Still, in my opinion, supremely important for a martial artist.

Those were just some of the books on my shelf. Some more modern books which I thoroughly enjoy are

Living the Martial Way by Forrest Morgan - A must for any serious martial artist. This book gives you a detailed description of how a modern martial artist should comport himself.

Kata and the Transmission of Knowledge in Traditional Martial Arts by Michael Rosenbaum - This book is HEAVY. You really have to slog through it, it has a huge amount of documentation and deals with martial technique and the methods of passing the knowledge to the next generation of warriors throughout the history of man. A really important book which will change the way you think about kata, or at least inform your opinion, but not a light read. Still, I highly recommend it.

Zen and the art of Street Fighting by Jack Sabat - This is basically an autobiography of one modern martial artists history of fighting. Enjoyable, exciting, and inspiring, although I think many people will object to his aggressive, and at times adversarial, attitude displayed towards other people throughout the book. None the less, it makes you rethink just how seriously you take your time on the mat.

I have many others, including Art of War, but these are just some I particularly appreciate. Bushido, The Lone Samurai, The Little Capoeria book, and of course the Ed Parker books are some more titles of interest. I find it particularly interesting to go through Mr. Parker's books and see how he teaches techniques differently throughout the years, as his understanding and practice of Kenpo grew. Especially when you go back to "What is Self Defense, Kenpo Jujitsu" by Mitose, and see how he taught those techniques.


-Rob

Thanks Rob, I'll give these a look.

 

[gungfufreddie]

(not sure if you got his already)
As for confidence, I appreciate it. I am a ring style fighter, so I was a little close - minded there. Thank you, (I may have to quote you on that in the near future.)

What is your favorite style and why? - (mind you not best - just favorite)
For me, Western Boxing since it was a way for me to bond with someone who appreciated me as a child. Though after two years of boxing a lot of my training was self - taught due to lack of money. But during those two years I learned sacrifice, ambition, and discipline. Without those two years I doubt I would be discussing this with you right now.

Who is most influential in your life (positively) right now?
For me, had to be my twin brother for a while. But it always will be at least two people, Bruce Lee is one. His outlook on life and his physique are what keep me going the most. Bruce had a knowledge is power mindset combined with high ambition made him into an extraordinary man. That mindset is meant to be respected in my mind - but you gotta do it for yourself or else it's not really as a genuine interest as it could be. But the next person has to be my best friend and more - my girlfriend. She has given me a future to look forward to and a past to learn from. She appreciates me for who I am and not what I have. That in itself is enough to turn my body into a grand machine when the time comes to work and train. Physical progress matters little to her, just as long as I am dedicated, happy, and doing it for myself.

I'd like to hear your input on this, as far as your heroes and preferred styles are concerned. I dunno, I guess I find this kinda stuff fun and interesting to talk about. I mean I could talk about TONS of other stuff, like: favorite animes pertaining to martial arts (Hajime No Ippo - means "The Fighting Ippo" - boxing anime), favorite training tools in martial arts (wooden kung fu dummies), I could go on like a monkey in a tree about fitness and weight lifting (but I'm a little guy of 145 lbs and 5'8''). In one particular instance, I was at a weight lifting competition near my local gym and I did my personal best on back exercises (geared towards the rhomboids and latissimus dorsi "Lats") and chest (I can't bench but I can do flies like tomorrow's not commin! - ha ha no pun intended). I did the weighted wide - grip chin up competition, one arm row competition, and chest butterfly machine competition. As for weighted chin ups I did 25 lbs on a belt 9 times, (I couldn't do 10 - I'll do better next time! evil laugh^^). As for one arm row I did a max of 150 lbs 2 times, and the fly machine competition I did 250 lbs 6 times. I'm a little guy but I have my moments, but not like my twin brother. That is why I look up to him, he has a healthy yet intense pursuit for physical strength. His strength is something I want to achieve one day, (but not his size - he's a biggin!).

Thanks for your reading, and I'd appreciate to hear your achievements as well. Take care now !!