Martial Arts
Dear Students,
Learning involves thinking.
It seems obvious I know but so many go to Martial Arts classes with closed minds and ears and expect to learn a high art,
If they are fortunate they will go back with fatigued muscles and an unbalanced idea of what they managed to “learn” besides how to make a fist and throw a punch or a kick in some fashion,
That would not be enough for me, and I trust not enough for our School’s Instructors either.
What we have is so much more than that.
What we can do with it knows no bounds.
What we can impart can help so many people to finally understand their bodies and how that works- in conjunction with their minds and that ultimately most important part – our indomitable Spirit,
When we decide to embark upon learning a “martial art” we have a choice.
Despite what we may think, the choice is not about which martial art – but one of whether we will learn a body and muscle centered art, or something that uses a symbiosis of all our parts including (as I mentioned above) our MINDS and the SPIRITUAL aspects of our existence.
“Spiritual” does not necessarily mean religious (as so many use the term to mean these days).
It does mean an inclusion in our understanding and practice of all important aspects of our being – our psyche, our focus our mentality and our grasp on our humanity and compassion with our eyes always looking further and upwards.
The study of our Chi-Gung skills would be an aspect of our daily practice that should find inclusion, especially when we become more advanced in years and understanding , and not just physical excellence.
In my continuing journey towards this goal, I have found periods of quietude and silence to be of immense help.
In a world now largely given to external actions and attributes I have found myself tending towards a place of quiet.
For me the brightest part of a morning is the quiet, and the absence of the jangling annoyances of constant noise and babbling.
Meditation is another Eastern Life-Way which has suffered the attentions of western thought, and been hijacked by many for commercial gain.
In the East, we instinctively know how to meditate without a need to belong to an temple, or have a bunch of Mantras in our hands. Meditation is not a religion and does not belong to a religion.
Zen Buddhism, the religious nature behind Shaolin Kungfu, does recommend Zen meditation – known as Chaan (in Chinese) and ZAZEN (in Japanese)
Meditation, for me simply means to be quiet, so that our bodies become inert and thence our Minds become paramount.
Just as we try to balance and control our external bodies, we take time to balance and control our inner body – our MIND.
This can be the most difficult thing for us to do.
It can also be the easiest thing to do, for it is the natural course for an active body to seek quiet and refuge from the world’s day, just as a thirsty animal will seek out a freshwater stream.
With this premise you should now approach the study of your martial arts with the proper attitude of mind and aptitude of faith and ability.
Sifu
SHAOLIN GAOCAN MUN NAMPAICHUAN
9th May 2024
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