This blog is based on excerpts from my book: The Spiritual Energy Way. This was a book I wrote about martial arts, specifically, Seishindo, a curriculum I developed over thirty-eight years of studying martial arts and nineteen years working as a correctional officer. In the last segment of the book, I related martial arts tenets and philosophy to everyday non-martial art life. This excerpt talks about self-esteem and confidence.
It is acceptable in martial arts to adopt any particular "kamae" or posture, as an expression of one’s self in an emotionally artistic or stylistic manner provided it is either a sound stratagem in and of itself or the individual is so adept at the posture that she can make it work.
Couldn’t the same be said of how we present ourselves in daily life in a non-martial context?
When I was teaching women’s self-protection, I taught participants how to not present themselves as an opportunity for targeting.
Statistically, women are more likely to be attacked by people who are known to them, while men are more likely to experience violence at the hands of a stranger.
Nevertheless, while it is not so likely that there is a “boogieman” waiting to jump out of the bushes at you, my nineteen years of experience as a correctional officer and learning martial arts from other law enforcement agents, there are criminals out there and like sharks, these criminals prey on those they think they can successfully attack.
That is why I always talked about how we present ourselves in public.
Walking with the head down, shoulders hunched forward, hands full and perhaps a phone in your ear, invites those already bent on criminal activity to act.
They may not personally seek you out but they will act if the opportunity presents itself.
Walking with your head up, shoulders back and with a purposeful gait, signals a strong, positive image. This simple action can dissuade criminal opportunism.
Let me be clear; I am not blaming the victim and I am all for freedom of expression.
What I am saying is, act from the heart, live to the truth of your own being, be authentic, but be prepared to accept the consequences of your own honesty.
I would say walking with purposefulness is part of the martial tenets, but you don’t have to be a martial artist to use it.
Proper posture is good health both physically and mentally. And if the student has been diligent in her training the inherent increase of physical and mental acuity will be obvious, it will have become, as Aristotle would have said your “second nature,” the conscious cultivation of your own true virtue.
But the posture you adopt will also signal to the world that you are confident and definitely not a target.
The same kind of argument can apply to wearing appropriate attire for a job interview.
If it’s an important position and you really want the position, you are not going to show up in jeans and a torn tee shirt. You will most likely wear a dark blue “power suit” with a crisp white shirt accented with just the “right” tie if you are a man. As a woman you would most likely wear appropriate business attire that is stylish yet not garish.
The clothing you wear, the hair style you have, the style of speech you adopt and the persona you put on is how you will be judged until those who judge you get to know the real you.
Self-esteem says a lot, about how we present to the world. Posture can mask or reveal the degree of esteem you possess.
Self-esteem can be related to how you feel about yourself in terms of self worth, competence, and confidence. The more self-esteem you have the higher degree of these qualities you possess.
John Milton is roundly credited with coining the phrase in 1657. Around the 1890’s, the issue of self- esteem became part of mainstream American psychology. Many psychologists have authored papers, articles and books devoted to the subject.
A personal favorite of mine is Nathaniel Branden who in 1969 defined self-esteem as:
"...the experience of being competent to cope with the basic challenges of life and being worthy of happiness".
It is my opinion that martial art training enhances self-esteem. There are many other paths you can choose; I am speaking simply as a life-long advocate of modern budo.
In terms of posture in a non-martial context, being aware of your self and how others see you could shape your choices and improve your chances of not becoming a victim.
Improved posture that exudes confidence might be conducive to success in your personal life.
It is acceptable in martial arts to adopt any particular "kamae" or posture, as an expression of one’s self in an emotionally artistic or stylistic manner provided it is either a sound stratagem in and of itself or the individual is so adept at the posture that she can make it work.
Couldn’t the same be said of how we present ourselves in daily life in a non-martial context?
When I was teaching women’s self-protection, I taught participants how to not present themselves as an opportunity for targeting.
Statistically, women are more likely to be attacked by people who are known to them, while men are more likely to experience violence at the hands of a stranger.
Nevertheless, while it is not so likely that there is a “boogieman” waiting to jump out of the bushes at you, my nineteen years of experience as a correctional officer and learning martial arts from other law enforcement agents, there are criminals out there and like sharks, these criminals prey on those they think they can successfully attack.
That is why I always talked about how we present ourselves in public.
Walking with the head down, shoulders hunched forward, hands full and perhaps a phone in your ear, invites those already bent on criminal activity to act.
They may not personally seek you out but they will act if the opportunity presents itself.
Walking with your head up, shoulders back and with a purposeful gait, signals a strong, positive image. This simple action can dissuade criminal opportunism.
Let me be clear; I am not blaming the victim and I am all for freedom of expression.
What I am saying is, act from the heart, live to the truth of your own being, be authentic, but be prepared to accept the consequences of your own honesty.
I would say walking with purposefulness is part of the martial tenets, but you don’t have to be a martial artist to use it.
Proper posture is good health both physically and mentally. And if the student has been diligent in her training the inherent increase of physical and mental acuity will be obvious, it will have become, as Aristotle would have said your “second nature,” the conscious cultivation of your own true virtue.
But the posture you adopt will also signal to the world that you are confident and definitely not a target.
The same kind of argument can apply to wearing appropriate attire for a job interview.
If it’s an important position and you really want the position, you are not going to show up in jeans and a torn tee shirt. You will most likely wear a dark blue “power suit” with a crisp white shirt accented with just the “right” tie if you are a man. As a woman you would most likely wear appropriate business attire that is stylish yet not garish.
The clothing you wear, the hair style you have, the style of speech you adopt and the persona you put on is how you will be judged until those who judge you get to know the real you.
Self-esteem says a lot, about how we present to the world. Posture can mask or reveal the degree of esteem you possess.
Self-esteem can be related to how you feel about yourself in terms of self worth, competence, and confidence. The more self-esteem you have the higher degree of these qualities you possess.
John Milton is roundly credited with coining the phrase in 1657. Around the 1890’s, the issue of self- esteem became part of mainstream American psychology. Many psychologists have authored papers, articles and books devoted to the subject.
A personal favorite of mine is Nathaniel Branden who in 1969 defined self-esteem as:
"...the experience of being competent to cope with the basic challenges of life and being worthy of happiness".
It is my opinion that martial art training enhances self-esteem. There are many other paths you can choose; I am speaking simply as a life-long advocate of modern budo.
In terms of posture in a non-martial context, being aware of your self and how others see you could shape your choices and improve your chances of not becoming a victim.
Improved posture that exudes confidence might be conducive to success in your personal life.
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