"The present moment is the only moment available to us, and it is the door to all moments."
-Thich Nhat Hanh
Time is something interesting. There's the objective; that which we all experience collectively, and the subjective.
What passes as a minute objectively can feel like an hour when bored or doing something detestfully tedious, or can pass in an instant. I have noticed whenever I spar and am under pressure time seems to slow. When adrenaline kicks in this happens reliably. And the more you observe something consciously the longer each instant can take.
(Didn't have time to put this in the original post, so adding now)
The proof of the above paragraph was found when scientists conducting experiments on unstable matter, such as uranium, noticed that when directly observing it, uranium would stop decaying in terms of its half-life. This effect is known as the quantum zeno-effect, and without getting into the heavy mathematics concerning it and quantum mechanics, what it simply means that observing something enough times effectively means it will 'freeze' in terms of causality. The curious name derives from the Zeno arrow paradox, which essentially posited that if an arrow in flight is not seen moving from one instant to the next, it must actually be frozen.
"It is easy to show using standard theory that if a system starts in an eigenstate of some observable, and measurements are made of that observable N times a second, then, even if the state is not a stationary one, the probability that the system will be in the same state after, say, one second, tends to one as N tends to infinity; that is, that continual observations will prevent motion…"
— Alan Turing
So there is physical and mathematical evidence that this is true, and that one can effectively divide time by observing it in a certain way, or certain number of ways given a time constant. This also posits that there is an opposite zeno-effect, where one can speed up the rate of causality and time's passing, but that is an entirely different matter (heh pun) and while related to observing individual instances of causality and existing in the now, instead of focusing on it, one is speeding the process up.
There was a past, separated from the future. Causality can be essentially be divided into slices of time, one instant experienced from the next. As the present translates to the past, and the future becomes realized I find it interesting that though the present is so instantaneously brief we experience it as an on-going. We never leave the present, even when we remember the past. And that experience of the present feels infinitely long.
Time is essential to martial arts. Not only for timing in terms of how one does a technique, but also in combat. It eludes me why so many neglect this essential which can revolutionize how we do the arts; very few exist in the present, which is all that exists. The past no longer does, and the future has yet to exist.
Take the example of sparring; one can predict the entire fight fairly reliably. If you fight someone doing Tae Kwon Do it is fair to presume there will be kicking. But what happens when we plan the entire fight around that, attempting to exist in what has yet to happen, the future, and then they come out only punching?
It is only in existing the now that we are able to best take into account what is occurring. That's a very simple premise, but very few actually do it. Most take the present for granted, and that has led to many people's downfalls.
So how to find the present?
Have you ever questioned why breathing is focused upon so much in meditating?
It is not only for health reasons, but it provides a concrete center. When you breathe, you exist alive. Breathing in, as you focus on breathing, you realize mindfulness of what you are doing in the present.
When you can capture the sensation and experience of existing you can begin to recognize it outside of just breathing. Breathing is a kind of gateway toward being mindful of the present at your own choosing. I recommend applying it to everything until you always exist in the moment, but not everyone is a Zen monk or attempting to be. But at least you can always return to that concrete reality of the now of existing, even if what you experience could be considered by some a kind of illusion. That does nothing to take away the truth that you are existing because you are experiencing.
And when you can enjoy what you are doing in the present, than you know your existence itself has become joyful.
And what you do when joyful is what you do best.
The exercise to do this is very simple. Breathe-in and breathe-out. As you breathe in, recognize you are breathing in. As you exhale, recognize you are breathing out.
I recommend breathing in for 3-5 seconds, holding the breathe for 3-5 seconds, and then exhaling for three to five seconds. This is something the military teaches, so it ties into martial arts through that. But in truth you don't have to breathe in or our for a certain amount of time. Just breathe in and out, and you are doing the exercise. As long as you are focusing on, and aware of the breathe, you are doing the exercise well. And if your mind wanders, as it often may even after years of experience and practice, just breathe in and out again. You may only be able to do it once per time, but sooner or later you will find you can do multiple repetitions, and eventually you will find you have been doing it for hours in what felt like only a brief amount of time.
When you find your now, your existence in the presence, you unlock a door to experiencing life better.
And you will find that what you can do in the present is great.
"Enjoy simple things with intensity. Just a cup of tea can be a deep meditation."
"There are two mistakes one can make along the road... Not going all the way, and not starting."
-Buddha
I struggled for about an hour on what to write today- Whether to do it on hand postures in meditation, or acupuncture points before I realized the whole reason I wanted to write today was to illustrate to others that I am awesome. -And I had a good laugh at myself over that. So I wrote this piece today instead. I hope you enjoy it; this is something from the heart.
Let's face a common truth; chances are we will not be the world's greatest fighter. Chances are we may never become a founder of a new martial art.
Chances are we will not be the greatest kicker, nor have the fastest punch.
Some will never have a full split, and it may be one of the greatest triumphs we know to do a form correctly even once.
Chances are even if we do become a great fighter, it is certain that we will never be super saiyans or superheroes.
A lot of people get into martial arts to become 'the best'. As if being Batman were something achievable.
Funny, but as someone who chased that for a very long time, it seems so simple now- being the best.
Even the white belt is 'the best' when it is put in terms of our own self-perspective. And all of us are still white belts in spirit if we honest with ourselves. Otherwise why would we still practice?
Even if I am able to punch eight times in a second again, there will always be someone faster. So am I competing against those I cannot catch up to? There is a glory in that- in the effort. But really I only am trying to become better than I was, and as best as I can be.
It is good to set impossible goals for that reason- because even if not reached we still become more than we were. Believe in your dreams, because dreams show the way to the impossible. And frankly, the only thing standing between you and the possible is the 'I M, or as I say, the I AM'. You have to let go of that to become more than you are, otherwise how are you truly alive?
Even on my worst days I am content that I have come to come where I am from where I was- that I can do a single kick at all.
Because once there was a time where I could not kick even once. There was a time I knew not what a kick was.
And there will come a time someday, perhaps sooner than I think, perhaps much later than I expect when I will no longer be able to kick at all.
And it is then that I must content myself watching others perform. Even the world-champion reaches this point, or dies before they do.
That is the secret joy of every martial arts teacher- to watch someone come to their care, and go from that point of being unable to do anything, to being able to do something.
And then there is that sublime joy; watching another struggle, and work, and inevitably fail. We all fail in some way, somehow eventually. That's ok, the only person who's opinions matter in defining our failures are ourself, and to a degree, those who matter most to us. Nobody just decides who they are- it accumulates from experiences and the input of others.
And the joy a teacher has is when someone succeeds, or fails, and show them how to succeed until they do.
In a way I can catch a glimpse of that; I am nowhere near that point, and the glimpse I see is like that of a land just beyond the hill I get to crest every now and again.
And I see it most when I see kids walking around in their school's uniform. It doesn't matter to me what style, or how old they are, if they are coming from the best school in the world, or just another mcdojo. Because every time I see a kid in their gi with a white or yellow belt, I am reminded of myself. And that the spirit of martial arts is still alive.
And that's the only thing I really want out of the martial arts I practice- to make sure that that spirit never fades. And the nice thing is, I don't think I make a whit of difference in terms of it surviving. Martial arts has always been, and always will be. But I like to think if it came down to it, I know I can make one of those kids happy to pursue the arts. And if even one person can be affected with that happiness of getting their first belt; from going from white to yellow, I have done my part.
So be content with what you do, where you are. Be it the best school or the worst. I have trained at both extremes on the spectra, and all have been worthwhile experiences- because at least I was practicing, and eventually training. Dream about what you can, but always be satisfied even if how you practice isn't perfect.
I have never met a single person in my time practicing who has proclaimed martial arts has not been beneficial in their life.
I don't need to be the first place winner in a tournament. I am happy just showing up and taking part.
I don't mind losing a fight, because I at least had the heart to try.
And if I can share that feeling with just one other person, if I can convince just one person to put on the belt and give it a go whether they be four years old or a hundred- I can die happy knowing I did my part.
In the end that's why I make these blog posts and videos- on some level it may be to prove my own worth to others or myself, but it's also a way to teach myself how to connect with others and find a way to inspire them to become more than they are. That pursuit is what makes us human, as opposed to just existing and being one among many people.
"When you are learning about a martial art, you are learning about respect."
-Jackie Chan
"Courage, above all, is the first quality of a warrior."
-Carl von Clausewitz
I chose that second quote because a lot of people practicing martial arts become obsessed that the art they practice is 'the best' and choose to never explore the potentials that other arts can add to their knowledge and ability.
It takes courage to admit something is good or bad, and then to try something else regardless. There is not enough exploration of the arts, something I try to keep myself doing endlessly.
I began writing this blog to practice a number of things; one to hone myself as a martial artist, as I believe writing is an integral part of its practice; we are more than just fighters, but writers also. Well rounded human beings you could say.
Another is to begin realizing my goal to create a comprehensive documentation on the history of martial arts, including as many styles as is possible.
After all, though a martial artist, I am also a historian. That is what I got my BA in, and hopefully will eventually get my MA and PHD in archaeology as well.
That being said, today I am writing what I hope may become a template for a later piece on martial arts which originated in India. While martial arts began earlier, I believe in the theory that as long as man has existed there has been conflict, and as long as civilization has existed war has occurred. And while the two are not necessarily synonomous I believe the practice toward becoming better at war is what generated martial arts originally. In that sense, so long as war exists martial arts may be as well.
But Indian civilization dates back millennia, and while the first evidence of martial arts occurs in ancient Egypt at the Beni-Hasan tomb, predating that are images of the lotus position found in Harappa from the Indus-Valley civilization.
While not necessarily martial arts, this picture is indicative that what pre-dated yoga existed as far back at 5,000 B.C. And considering the first documented evidence of any martial art occurred in India later, around 500 B.C. with the Indian great epics and even earlier circa. 1700-1100 B.C. within the sacred Vedas, I believe the Indian culture contributed greatly to the cultivation of martial arts.
Boddhidharma was a martial artist long before traveling to China where he purportedly taught and propagated its influence, so one must take into account where he received that training, and what culture instilled within him to be able to train.
As for Indian martial arts themselves, there are many. The Mahabharata describes Malla-yuddha in the contest between king Bali and Ravanna. While virtually extinct today, it is still practiced by a numbered few, though many of its techniques can be found within later styles, such as Kusti.
Although there are many martial arts, I would like to place my focus on Kalaripayattu. Most Indian martial arts focus on weapons, but this hybrid style is interesting because of how well rounded it is; involving wrestling, striking and weapons training, this style promotes extreme agility not unlike that witnessed in proficient Capoeira practitioners.
In the last portion of the video one can see the jumps of Krabi Kabong, which is often synonymous in the west with each other, but the styles vary widely.
Kalaripayattu is divided between the north and south, as many martial arts are in relation to their culture of origination, be it Chinese, Japanese, Korean or Indian.
A large reason to why I wanted to focus on Indian martial arts is because of how relatively unknown they are in the west. While Southeastern Asian martial arts such as Muai Thai and Muai Laos, and even Bando have become popularized as of late Indian martial arts have been relatively ignored.
Martial arts is not only Asian, especially when its originations were in likelihood African. There is a myth of the culture of martial arts that says it is this and that and one must explore how every culture in the world engages in their own particular brand of martial arts.
Sometimes people call me the 'Karate Kid' where I live because I practice everyday in places that are either community based, or public. That and because I am fairly short. I mind the title because most of my experience is Tae Kwon Do or Chinese martial arts, and though I have practiced some forms of karate, the fact that all martial arts are associated with one or two cultures when they are literally prevalent everywhere is indicative to what I mean when I say people are relatively close minded about how broad the spectrum really is concerning martial arts.
Considering Kalaripayattu is considered one of the oldest martial arts in the world (with only a few exceeding it in history) I wish more people knew about it. While Bodhidharma is remembered for propagating Shaolin martial arts, he is scarcely remembered as a practitioner of Kalaripayattu. And while legends are not the best to go off of for long, they do form much of the foundation of pre-scholastic history. Half of history seems to be historical histories, with the other half being either artifacts or myths.
Something tells me we need an Indian Tony Jaa to make it popular, and it does bother me that more Americans need popularized fighting films before they decide to become aware about a martial art. It honestly does bother me that while we are willing to base our medicine and electronics these days off the nation we choose to stay relatively uninformed about the culture itself.
I'd like that to change, so here is my small attempt at doing so.
Rant ended.
"There is no finish line. When you reach one goal, find a new one."
"It's not just self defence, it's about self control, body discipline, and mind
discipline and breath techniques. It involves yoga. It involves mediatation.
It's an art, not a sport."
-Elvis Presley (I did a double-take when I first read this also.)
"You may train for a long time, but if you merely move your hands and feet and
jump up and down like a puppet, learning Karate is not very diffferent from
learning a dance. You will never have reached the heart of the matter; you will
have failed to grasp the quintessence of karate
-Gichin Funakoshi
When I first switched from Moo Duk Kwan Tae Kwon Do to Chung Do Kwan Tae Kwon Do I had an unfortunate problem of when kicking, because of their stance, inadvertently hitting them either on the waist or around it when doing any kick.
This was partly because of sloppy technique, but also because I had been taught to 'swing' my kick, instead of hinging it. While I did have strong kicks because of this, I also had technically poor form when doing so. And all the power in the world means nothing if you are not doing it with proper technique. Perhaps it does make a difference when fighting, but in terms of practicing an art one does it a certain way, and then develops speed and power.
So there were two methods I learned to improve the kick. One was instead of swinging the kick from its placing on the ground upward, to instead hinging it at the knee. This removed the tendency to swing the leg like a pendulum, which while very damaging, was also much slower than utilizing it as an angle instead of a motion like an arc.
Secondly, I learned the importance of raising my knee. It seems something obvious, but for some reason I never realized that the higher I raised my knee when doing a kick, the higher the kick would land. Because of this I developed kicks which could be done above my head, but there are other ways to increase the height of your kick after you have developed proper technique.
For my side-kicks it was a harder problem; I never developed full splits, something I still am working toward today, and because of that may never have a vertical side kick. Then again, there is a good chance I will never need such a flexibility with my kicks to survive a fight on the street, but in terms of practicing the art and developing the flexibility it will be nice.
That being said, a stretch that is surprisingly beneficial to developing a vertical front kick (which I do have) is that of the butterfly stretch.
Stretching does more than just increase one's flexibility, it also restructures the muscles and tendons to become more resilient. I can recall on one occasion a person with very developed kicks kicked my shin, and swore he had broken his toe. Instead what had happened was his tendon was so strong that when his kick landed it tore off a piece of the bone rather than detach. He found this out after X-rays. What I learned from this is that the tendons and muscles can become strong enough to resist tearing, and thus more resilient.
I came from a school where it was prone for the HCL and ACL tendon to tear, and for a very long time wondered why it was only this school where I witnessed this occurring. After having gone to nearly a dozen or more martial art schools, it is the only school where the incident took place.
I don't know why, but my theory is that practicing on the cement floors, combined with a stretch called , where you tuck your leg behind your back as you reach for your toes, caused that particular tendon to be strained in a way that was detrimental to the tendon, as opposed to the opposite intended effect. I may never know, but this taught me to be cautious in how I stretch. Some stretches may actually be bad for us, so do research about how you stretch.
That being said, I fully support the side-split, for-ward split, and butterfly stretch. The latter, which I can do fully, seems to correlate with my ability to do a vertical front kick.
Another technique you may consider tweaking to increase height of your side-kick would be to raise your shoulder towards your knee as extending the kick. Many have a tendency to dip their head toward the ground as they kick. A teacher I had pushed my shoulder and thus head toward me knee and the effect was an immediate ability to raise the kick six inches higher.
One dynamic stretch I have found useful is 'swing-kicking'. This is where you deliberately swing the foot back and forth, from as high as possible in the front (not unlike an axe-kick) to as high as is comfortable to the back. This will stretch your buttocks muscles, as well as your hamstring and gastrocnemius muscles. I had difficulty finding an example of this stretch online, so I made my own.
“We all have inner demons to fight. We call these demons ‘fear’, and ‘hatred’, and ‘anger’. If you don’t conquer them, then a life of a hundred years… is a tragedy. If you do, a life of a single day can be a triumph.” – Yip Man
"Do not fight with the strength, absorb it, and when it flows, use it."
-Yip Man
When the name of Yip Man is mentioned many often think of this scene;
Or his teaching of Bruce Lee;
I take some issue with that for several reasons. First of all, many consider the characterization of Yip Man in the movies as being accurate- they aren't to start with, at all. Secondly, his persona was dramaticized to keep up with how iconolized his student Bruce Lee is held; and thirdly, people do not even know his actual name, which was pronounced slightly differently than most Americans pronounce it.
Now that last point is a minor one, but it does highlight the issue that if one cannot even pronounce the name correctly, how accurately does one know the man's actual history, especially if only observed from stylized films.
Perhaps the real reason I am writing this article is because I hate 'master-worship'. Reverance for one's teacher is one thing, but raising them to the status of epic heroes is disingenuous.
That being said, I do have respect for the now considered patriarch of Wing Chun- Yip Man, but having heard him even claimed as a founder of Wing Chun when it predates him by centuries I decided to write this article to clarify a few things.
With that written, I would like to emphasize that like all famous masters in martial arts history, there are many stories which make is hard to differentiate between fact and fiction. I do love martial legends, but at the same time I recognize they take away from the truth of who are beloved past teachers were.
So let me just say, that if I am repeating a story that cannot necessarily be proven, I will distinguish it as that.
So let's begin.
Yip Man was born October 1st in 1893, in Guangdong province. He was born to a prosperous and influential family, and educated by Chan Wah Shun, who taught mainly scholastic education. It would be around nine or ten years of age when Yip Man would request proper martial tutelage from the man, who was dubious as to whether or not begin his training.
Here is where the first of the famous stories of Yip Man begins. This is a true account; he requested to be taught and was told by Chan Wah Shun that he would require three taels of silver to do this, believing the child would take a very long time to accumulate that much money. When Yip Man returned the next day, Chan Wah Shun believed he had stolen the money and confronted him with his family, only to find that they were the boy's entire life savings.
Yip Man would thence become the last of Chan Wah Shun's disciple, studying with him until his teacher's death. It must have been tragic- I myself have had a beloved teacher who passed away and from personal experience empathize with what the young man must have gone through. It is not easy to deal with, and one is often left feeling as though they are missing something- and with an incomplete training that is an essential truth.
When sixteen Yip Man was sent to St. Stephen's college, where he gained a reputation as an able fighter (and troublemaker) and is reputed to have never lost a fight. It was after a time there Yip Man was told about an old eccentric man in the town, and went to confront him to test his skills.
No matter the iteration, Yip Man lost the bout and decided to learn from the man he would come to know as Leung Bik.
"'That evening Yip Man found the man living on a fishing boat anchored near the typhoon breakers in Hong Kong Bay. "Hey, old man!" yelled Yip. The old man did not answer. Yip Man picked up a stone and threw it in the man's direction. "Hey, old man!" he yelled once more. "What do you want, youngster?" "I've heard that you are a great kung fu master and I've come here to find out. I'd like to spar with you." No answer. "Old man," Yip said again, "I'd like to spar with you." The man stood silent. He stared into Yip's eyes, then moved his gaze up and down the boy's length. "I don't know, youngster," he said at last, stroking his chin. "You look pretty puny. I might be wasting my time. I'll have to see you do a form first." This request irritated Yip Man. "All right, old man," he said, dropping into a pigeon-toed horse stance. "Watch!" Yip performed the entire Shil Lim Tao form of Wing Chun, with its long isotonic motions which always seemed punctuated by a sudden combative pop. The old man smiled. "Okay, youngster. Come on board. We'll spar." No sooner had the two squared off than Yip Man raced after the old man in a blaze of punches. The old man met Yip's attack, stepped to the side, then ... SPLASSSHHH! The old man looked down at Yip in the waters of Hong Kong Bay. "What's the matter, youngster?" he said. "I thought you wanted to spar!" Yip climbed out of the bay, onto the dock, and back onto the boat. "Don't worry, old man," he said. "I'll show you sparring!": He launched after the old man, a jet on takeoff. A few techniques were exchanged at a furious pace, then ... SPLASSSHHH! "Hey, youngster! Do you want to spar or do you really want to swim?" Yip Man could not understand what had gone wrong. He had done so well against other supposed 'masters', but he didn't even know what this guy was doing. Yip began to visit the old man at every opportunity. He would bring him wine and roast duck. Sometimes he would wash the man's clothes, then leave. But not a word was spoken between the two. After about a month, the old man confronted Yip. "Look, youngster," he said, "I know that you are a Wing Chun practitioner. And I know that you aren't bad. I also know that you show me all this kindness because you want to learn from me ... Well, okay, I'm going to teach you, rather than let the art pass away. You see, I too am a Wing Chun practitioner. My name's Leung Bik. I am the son of your teacher's teacher."'
At twenty-four years old Yip Man returned home, with skills comparable to a grandmaster. Due to the politics which often can take place in martial arts, Yip Man's original teacher had not been taught Wing Chun correctly by Leung Bik's father so as to handicap the man. Thus when Yip Man returned to his brother students, they accused him of having learned an entirely different style, and a vast schism remained. This was at a time when one's style practiced was usually the only one practiced, and was believed to be the best possible. If it weren't, then why learn it and not another which may be better? One's innate personal ability was disregarded, and any greatness of skill was attributed to the art, not the individual. Thus when Yip Man returned, practicing the proper form of Wing Chun his brothers shunned him.
He never let it hold him back however, and instead continued to improve himself.
Something that disappoints me is that the real life of Yip Man is in many ways far more dramatic than anything portrayed on television. For example, he is portrayed as most of the drama in his life having taken place because he was a martial arts teacher, but that was never his actual life role; for many years he worked on the Foshan police force, and there are some pretty epic stories concerning it, my favorite being when he chased a robber;
"Tsu Ping was a wanted criminal for theft and became targeted by Yip Man's police squad and was soon located and pursued, Yip Man's teammates given strict orders not to engage the man directly in public as he was armed and most likely would not only cause a scene, but injure passerby's. The plan was for Yip Man to subdue him (probably exaggeration) and only then would his teammates make the arrest.
Yip Man, dressed as a scholar approached Tsu Ping, who was not threatened by the small man (Yip Man was only 5'5") but when his name was called, the thief became suspicious and fled. Eventually apprehending the man as he tried to withdraw his gun, the thief would later recount he never thought he would be apprehended by a small scholar."
Another of Yip Man's legendary exploits was in the pursuit of a criminal who has ascended to a flat roof by its inner stairway.
"...As Yip Man came to the roof the thief had by then jumped over the parapet to another roof on the neighboring house, which though quite close, was about to go down the stairs from case from the roof of the house. Yip Man made the jump instead of allowing the thief he was pursuing to escape, following suit he also jumped over the space between the two roofs.
The thief, seeing the police officer approaching, slammed the door of the roof stairway whom had landed just in front of it, very near to the edge of the roof. Most onlookers on the street believed the detective would fall because the suddenly slammed door would force him to stop and fall back. Instead Yip Man swayed backward, able to keep his balance, and would soon thereafter apprehend the criminal. This story helped spread stories of Yip Man's competence in Kung Fu."
There are others, such as a time Yip Man disarmed a gun with his finger, and another where he demonstrated exceptional kicking power, practically kicking down trees to apprehend fugitives.
How did only the dismembering a gun get into the movies??? I'd have rather watched Yip Man the detective and Master than just the war hero he was portrayed as being, which were completely fabricated.
The breadth of his nationalistic ferver went to refusing to teach Japanese troops martial arts, and his property being confiscated when he refused to collaborate. That happened to literally millions of Chinese, and is in no way particularly exceptional, even if admirable for loyalty and national pride.
Yip Man would no longer be able to rely on his family's wealth, and this became the impetus which caused him to begin teaching his martial style.
In his final years in 1970 he was diagnosed with throat cancer (he is purported to have greatly enjoyed smoking tobacco and opium, and there is even rumor this was his primary reason to begin teaching, but I do not think that true, mainly because I have had difficulty finding hard evidence of such.) and in 1972 made his only martial film, which was a demonstration of Wing Chun techniques on a wooden dummy, to preserve the proper techniques.
Yip Man died December 2nd at the age of seventy-eight.
Among his final students was Bruce Lee, who through the establishing of his own legacy would cause that of his teacher to become renowned as well.
In that regard the actor and martial artist did a superb job in honoring his teacher.
Yip Man left a profound legacy for the style he taught, including the legend of its origin between a Shaolin nun and her Student whom the art would be named after. He was whom taught its origins based on the fight between a snake and crane.
The story can be found here in its original Chinese (handwritten by Yip Man) and in English. It is a very good story.
"When you watch my films you're feeling my heart."
-Donnie Yen
"Use your martial skill for the good of humanity."
I have an interesting story about how I got into martial arts. Actually, I have a lot of interesting stories, but this one is about how I came about starting my martial sojourn.
The truth is we all have a story about how we started. Some are dramatic, some are not. But all are fitting for who we become through practicing.
I was just about to turn four when I requested to start practicing. I believe I had been in the United States for less than a year, and at that time, still spoke French though I had switched to English about that time.
I used to avidly watch the power rangers as a child, my favorite being of course the red. I don't know how many children began to want to be like them because of that show, but for me it was certainly what inspired me.
It's strange, when we are young we seem to know most what we are meant to do. And whether we realize that or not is something time and life can either ensure or inhibit. I was fortunate my family and life allowed me to begin.
It would be many years, almost twenty before I realized it wasn't that I wanted to be a superhero, or even a power ranger actually. I wanted to help others. I see that in my compassion for others; I have always been that way. Perhaps it was because of a troubled childhood as some have told me they think it, but in truth I believe it is because I have a kind soul.
I believe in all earnestness that each of us can make the world a better place, better than it was before we came. And even the smallest actions can create an infinitely better future. 1 is always infinitely greater than 0.
I find simple joy in helping others; it gives meaning to my life. I see no difference in the value of one life from another; I often rue walking to work when it rains, not because I hate getting wet, but because a five minute walk becomes forty. I cannot help it; every earthworm I see on the ground either drowning or blindly struggling toward a body of water I move. And I treat people the same way.
I think about that a lot, around four years old we begin to develop true consciousness. Most of us begin to form long-lasting memory at that point (my earliest was around two years old, but they are fragments) we begin to become truly defined as who we will eventually become. And much can and will change of course, but it seems to me that from the instant we begin to realize ourselves, when I began to, I knew in my soul that helping others in any way I could was why I existed. Perhaps I made that my reason for being, or perhaps other events conspired for me to be that way. I don't know, but it's not something I regret in the least.
About a week after four I began to practice. Eventually I began to do kendo, and then switched martial art schools after a decade of training and service at my first school. I received my first dan when I was 7, and whether or not I deserved it (I do not believe I did, though my father tells me otherwise) I know in my heart I deserve it now. Well I should after over twenty years of practice, but I made it a point to earn it again at the second school, and that is where things get interesting.
You see, the second school I trained at, switched from WTF Moo Duk Kwan Tae Kwon Do to Chung Do Kwan was run by the greatest teacher I have met in my martial arts journey. Master Fazel Khan.
I eventually received another black belt there, and became the last head instructor appointed at the school before he retired and it shut its doors.
It would only be years later that I would learn that he was also the teacher of Jason Geiger/Austin St. John, also known as Jason Lee Scott, who was the very same power ranger who had inspired me to begin martial arts.
The world works in strange ways, and causality falls into place like rain does. I learned later that Jason received his training at the school before moving and eventually beginning a career in acting.
I still have difficulty understanding how a teacher I love and admire for his impact on my at fourteen, and making me more than just a true martial artist, but a great one- one I would have admired when I was little and just starting, was also the man who taught the martial artist and being who would inspire me to begin. And in that sense, it is because of Master Khan I ever began martial arts at all.
And if it's the case that I began to practice indirectly because of his influence, I can only wonder at how many others began their path never having a clue who he is. I sometimes wonder if he realizes how great his own impact on the martial arts has been.
It is true, he never created his own style directly, and it is true that any influence he had was very behind the scenes, and I doubt deliberate in the sense I am referring to. But it exists nonetheless.
My understanding is he had over four-hundred students who became black belts, and every single one deserved the rank.
And although it was long after I met him and had left his school that I learned of his hand in my past, I will always be grateful, because he did something truly great. Without either of us realizing it until well after the fact he helped a little boy realize his dream; true, I never became a power ranger, but it was always my dream to become something as capable as what I saw on that television. And then I went beyond it; I became higher ranked than the person who inspired me, by his very teacher.
And perhaps it is pride, but I do take joy from that fact. Not because I am better, but because of the simple fact a man without even realizing it helped me achieve a very real goal.
And that is something inspiring to me; that perhaps I could do the same for another.
We all walk a path that leaves footsteps to create a great story.
Today I work toward working for the Kids Kicking Cancer foundation. It has been my goal for years now to find a way to take martial arts, something I long thought only formative and destructive to being able to help others heal; to find a better quality of life. And I can see now how that can be done.
And perhaps I can find a way to use what I know to help those suffering and some to survive their illness or depression (as it did for me when I was suicidal four years ago) and persevere. And if I can even help one person find within themselves that ability to make themselves survive than I will have helped another save and better their own life.
And any I can do that for, I can attribute to a teacher who inspired me through his student to take up that mantle.
Perhaps that goal isn't realizable, but I believe it is. We should all use what we have learned in a purpose to help others.
And who knows? That foundation teaches terminally ill cancer patients who are children martial arts; gives them a confidence and strength that may be what allows them to survive their disease. Who I am to doubt that? It has helped many already, saving lives in the process.
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-Jason Geiger is now an EMT in the Washington D.C. area, near where I live. I still hope to meet him and tell him his role in inspiring me to begin practicing.
"Life and death are important. Don't suffer them in vain."
-Bodhidharma
"Every suffering is a seed, because suffering implores us to seek wisdom."
-Bodhidharma
"To find a Buddha all you have to do is see your nature."
-Bodhidharma
Normally I reserve this blog specifically for martial arts topics, but as a practicing Buddhist (and Jew) I greatly enjoy the story of Bodhidharma. Founder of what would become Chan/Zen Buddhism, he is particularly responsible also for many of us who practice martial arts.
Since his existence in history occurs around 500 AD, about the time the western Roman empire collapsed, his story is riddled with both history and myth, with much of the latter involved. Keep that in mind, it is very difficult to distinguish between fact and fiction the farther we get concerning history.
So before anyone raises any complaints I am writing this post with far too much spirituality or buying into myth, I gave fair warning that will be present.
A monk born in India, Ba Tuo, later known as Buddhabhadra and later still as Bodhidharma is held to be the individual who began the training of Shaolin monks. Because of this, in my mind, he is the key patriarch to the practice of martial arts as we know them. Of course martial arts existed long before him (evidence can be found from Babylonian and ancient Egyptian inscribings) as well as scrolls detailing Taijiquan postures. But in the sense that Yip Man was the patriarch of Wing Chun, though not the founder, takes little away from the influence felt from their impact concerning their respective practices.
Bodhidharma founded the original Shaolin temple purportedly, having been raised in a southern region of India, a favored son of a king. He was tutored under the Buddhist master Prajnatara, and it was his master's idea that Ba Tuo go to China after his teacher passed away.
Known as Da Mo when he entered China, practicing Da Sheng Mahayana Buddhism. There are many stories concerning his adventures in China, from angering an Emperor and general, to floating atop a single reed on the Yangzi river. Meditating in a cave for nine years in the mountain range close by the Shaolin monastery.
He would eventually become of great influence to the monks there, and as the story goes when he reached the monastery he found them to often be at desks transcribing documents to preserve and pass on knowledge. Viewing their practice as uncondusive, at least physically, and thus taught them martial arts which would help them physically retain their health.
Passed from generation to generation, these martial arts he taught would evolve to become the 'Kung Fu' we associate with the order today.
Whether or not it is true, it is good for martial artists to have figures they can think of as embodiments of arts. In a sense it does give us a focus- but when we begin to revere them as saints it detracts from the purity of the arts themselves.
I enjoy the story of Bodhidharma because as a Zen Buddhist I enjoy the legends and stories which enrich the faith. As a historian I view the human experience as a story unfolding much like a flower. I look to beings such as Bodhidharma as inspiration, because whether real or not, they can offer us example in terms of our own possibilities.
The goal of my life is to affect others in a way that can improve quality of life, and to ensure martial arts never ends. I am certain that whether or not I existed martial arts would always exist- there will always be someone, somewhere who is practicing life as an art itself.
There will always be soldiers and fighters, and that fighting spirit will always exist. So in a way this dream of mine is irrelevant to a degree, save that it gives my own life purpose and direction.
Find those stories which can inspire you- whether they are real or not, they are always metaphors which can better our pursuit in the journey.
For more in-depth covering of Bodhidharma and his history read;
