Not Yet Nirvana

This brings us to the end of the ten week series of articles attempting to apply martial art principles and mental attitudes to non-martial situations in everyday life. And it's appropriate that the series ends with the beginner's mind set. Soshin , refers to what is called, “the beginner’s mind”. This is the act of maintaining an open, inquisitive and eager mind when learning martial arts even at an advanced level. The concept is to approach each subject as a beginner with no pre-conceptions.  Personally, I have found this to be the hardest task to attempt. Ego always gets in the way. In training in three different disciplines, Shotokan karatedo, the hard techniques of Soke Morris’s JJI syllabus, and the efficient techniques of Hakkoryu, which shares the same root art, Daito-ryu, with Aikido and Hapkido, I had some difficulties emptying my mind.  I would want to throw uke in karate class, kick uke in aikijujutsu class and finesse uke in JJI class; I was very mixed u...

Zanshin, is considered to be the stillness after the technique has been executed.  It is in martial arts circles, considered as controlling the attacker after the attack. A cinematic example and favourite of mine is a sequence in the movie; The Last Samurai.  Tom Cruise has sided with a samurai clan and a political battle ensues eventually resulting in the hiring of assassins by the Meiji inspired politician. Their target is Cruise who leaves his hotel room and walks into the night unarmed. He is immediately surrounded by katana wielding attackers. A fight sequence (one of the better scenes I have yet seen filmed in which traditional martial arts are used) ensues ending with Cruise the lone survivor and in the state of Zanshin.  The scene continues and you watch as the fight is replayed in slow motion and black and white. Suddenly a “dead” guy moves and Cruise finishes him because he was able to react due to the state of stillness and mental clarity he mainta...

Mushin , for the martial artist, refers to the reaction time or process used to react to any situation. The word is translated as “ no-mindedness ." The instantaneous reaction to a deadly situation by a professional soldier would qualify as mushin .  This is the result of cultivating a mental preparedness by “ triggering ” the so-called “ reptilian brain ”. Considered the most primordial region of the brain, the reptilian brain or R-Complex is part of the triune model of the brain as proposed by Paul D. MacLean.  The other two parts that make up the triune model of the brain are the Limbic System that controls emotions including remorse, compassion and empathy along with fear, love, hate and aggression.  The Limbic System developed around the existing R-Complex. The Neo-cortex developed around the Limbic System and is responsible for what we call the higher brain functions including the ability for future context and planning.  The R- Complex cont...

Seishin , the second mental attitude refers to transferring energy or our focus into the technique to make it more effective.  The word Seishin , I am told, can have several meanings. It can mean “ honesty ” as in giving a task an honest effort, the proverbial “ old college try .” Another interpretation of the word can mean “ heart ” and/or “ mind ” referring to applying oneself to a task with passion, putting your “ all ” into it.  Non-martial artists can think of Seishin as directing their mental focus. For example, you have a huge presentation to prepare and present to important clients. You need to focus and calm your mind in order to prepare for the work that lies ahead.  Seishin would be the marshalling of that focus and bringing it to bear on a specific item in your presentation. It is the directing of the intense focus you have already invoked.  This is Seishin as applied to a non-martial situation, the essence of directing your concentrat...

The Five Principles of Seishindo deal with the physical techniques of sex protection. I thought the Five Concepts, strategies that are used in all martial arts, and clearly defined in Seishindo, could also be applied in a non-martial sense and thereby be helpful in everyday, non-martial circumstances. These next five posts are based on the Five Mental Attitudes, also employed in martial arts and defined in Seishindo. I think these "mental attitudes" can also be helpful in non-martial circumstances during everyday life. The first is KIME. Kime , the first mental attitude is the focusing of your energy into the thing, the action, the specific technique being employed. ( Nothing esoteric here just simple mental and physical acuity increased by training and consciously brought to bear on the activity at hand. ) This concept of focus and concentration is antithetical to the multi-tasking, plugged-in, fragmented, sensory bombarded and frenetic paced lifestyles to which most ...

Mr. Thomas Makiyama of Keijutsukai Aikido has a particular interpretation of the concept of Kokyu-ho as: “ the way of compatibility .” This is an explanation that resonates with me.  During my Hakkoryu Jujutsu training the same concept was referred to as “ yielding ,"  the avoidance of pitting force against force.  “ Surrender to win ” is a phrase used in recovery programs to define a strategy of surrendering to a Higher Power rather than futilely banging one’s head on the wall of addiction. (I am stretching to the point of breaking in order to make a point, but I like the phrase).  I am not suggesting a religious meaning or implying anything outside of the human purview, but I think the phrase applies well to the concept of kokyu-ho.  Life presents many tough challenges. Despite our fervent wishes and hopes we can never “force” something to happen in life.  Acceptance, the ability to see reality as being accurate and real, is a sound strategy....

From a martial perspective, movement, tai sabaki , is crucial. As a boxer, you cannot simply be a good puncher and stand in the middle of the ring waiting your turn to throw a mean left hook. There is footwork to consider, yours and your opponents. The same can be said of every martial art, wrestling, karate, judo, aikido and so on.  Movement is life. Life all too often throws challenges and obstacles our way. Many of us have experienced, unemployment, divorce, injuries, financial problems, even the loss of loved ones, maybe even the destruction of our homes and the lives we once knew.  I am equally confident many of us have experienced joy.  It could be meeting the love of our life, the birth of a child, accomplishing something we had worked so hard for, an unexpected windfall of money, a promotion, accolades from our peers, or simply the mindset necessary to enjoy a magnificent rainbow, a sunset or sunrise, or a funny joke with a cherished friend.  L...

Martially speaking, kuzushi , the stealing of your opponent’s balance, is a very good strategy. It also serves to illustrate how important our own balance is in terms of our martial efficacy whether throwing a punch or kick or taking the opponent to the ground and neutralizing the threat.  Life sometimes unbalances us. We juggle many issues that can at any time threaten our serenity. This causes stress and undue stress can steal our balance.  Certainly there is nothing I know of in life, assuming one is participating fully, authentically and with volitional consciousness, which is absolutely stress free. Some stress is good; it can push us to greater heights and it can help us overcome hardships. That being said, too much stress whether in intensity or duration can cause health problems.  Stress can be linked to back pain, intestinal problems, headaches and insomnia all of which can adversely affect your immune system and make you susceptible to illness....

It is acceptable in martial arts to adopt any particular kamae, or “posture,” as an expression of one’s self in an artistic or stylistic manner provided it is a sound stratagem in and of itself or that the individual is so adept at the posture it makes her effective in a self-defence scenario.  In many cases, a particular kamae or posture signals the style of martial art the person has studied. The straight up posture, fists clenched, arms out and slightly bent, legs in a wide stance could indicate a karate practitioner. Arms up, away from the body, palms toward the opponent, might mean a Muay Thai fighter. The various forms of Kung Fu, indicating the Tiger, the Dragon or the Praying Mantis are distinguished by their exotic postures, and so on. How we present ourselves in daily life and in a non-martial context gives people hints about ourselves. Whatever way we present ourselves can be considered our kamae, our posture.  This begs the questions, just how does the w...

I have stated martial arts have more to offer than just self-protection techniques. But to what degree can the Five Concepts and the Five Mental Attitudes affect anyone’s life in a non-martial way? Can these concepts and attitudes be of use in the day-to- day life of a non-martial artist? Let us explore that possibility with the first of the Five Concepts.  Maai , is the distance between defender and an attacker. The distance that is involved changes based upon the strategy the defender employs. This is a fluid situation.  A safe distance is usually considered approximately six feet. This is considered the industry standard as far as self-defence training is concerned.  For a person to strike at you from that distance they would need to move toward you and that should give you warning regarding their intent allowing you to escape to a safe place.  If you respond to your attacker from that distance, your strikes will not have any power. And the same...

About seven years ago, I was teaching a class of black belts when I severely damaged my knee. All three ligaments were torn and I had to have the knee rebuilt. During my recuperation, I thought  I should write a follow-up book to my first book on the martial art syllabus I had developed over three decades called Seishindo . Roughly translated, " Seishindo " means " spiritual energy way ." The first book, which is no longer available, was called " Seishindo: A Modern Method of Self Defence. " It catalogued the techniques I was teaching and provided a philosophical basis for each ranking. It also provided a Use of Force Continuum spelling out the behaviour of an assailant and what under most laws would be considered the appropriate use of force to be used in defence of self. It was a unique aspect of my teachings. But I wondered, as I lay on the bed, my rebuilt knee wrapped tightly, ice water pumping through to reduce the swelling  from the s...

The pampered middle class suburbanite that I am, complaining of back pain as those of us who are of a certain age often do I dragged myself to work. I work the afternoon shift. I managed to stop at a convenience store to pick up a sandwich and coffee. I bought a lottery ticket. My wife and I are not poor we are middle class, barely. But with two years, four months until I retire at sixty-five, a lottery win would erase all anxiety about our retirement years. Are we not driven to wish a better life for our loved ones? Our spouses, our children, grandchildren, our parents, if they are still alive, these are the people we would first like to help with a windfall. That was my altruistic view when I paid for my food, drink and chance at being a hero. Laden down with my wares and my car keys, I exited the store. A dishevelled man of indeterminate age, dirty looking, with bad teeth, uncombed hair and beard asked me for change. Honestly, I had no change. I paid for my stuff with a c...

I love movies. I always have, so naturally, I took a course in film arts and though I’ve forgotten the intricacies, (the year was 1973); I still appreciate the art form. For instance, the mood or tone of a movie begins with the opening music and credits. That whole thing has been crafted to set what the director thinks the tone of the movie should convey. The goal of a film is to convince you, as the viewer, to willingly suspend your disbelief. The colour, texture, the music, camera angles and even the pace of the edit and scene changes, all conspire with the actors, the dialogue and the costumes, to make you lose your ascetic distance and become part of the experience. You, as the viewer, are persuaded to be part of the film and not apart from it. Movie viewing is intended as an inclusive experience. The part of the bargain, the quid pro quo , when you pay for a ticket or a rental fee, is that you will put aside your cynicism and critique and allow the film the opportunity to c...

The room is packed with people sitting in cheap white plastic chairs. The walls are painted an off white, a non-color, bland to the point of non-existence, and there’s an irritating yet unrecognizable music playing at low volume. The general murmur of other people is not as loud as it should be given the number of bodies present. They sit in the chairs mainly staring straight ahead, some wring their hands, and I can almost taste the adrenalin as their fear courses through their bodies. There are four desks partitioned one from the other off to the side and occasionally names are called and people walk up to these desks, sit, and answer questions. I cannot hear what the questions are. But it strikes me that while I have been here for more than forty-five minutes, and have seen a dozen or so people walk up to the desks, I haven’t seen anyone leave the room. When they are finished with the questioning, the people stand and are escorted further back behind the desks by white clad ass...

Of all the ridiculous accusations coming from this administration and conservatives in general is the idea that religion is under attack. No reasonably intelligent person can come to such a conclusion unless of course by attack they mean a mounted defense against the systemic discrimination of all who do not fit religion’s narrow definition of who should be included in this society. In fact, the very definition and composition of society may be what theists are trying to change with this absurd executive order being issued by Trump at the behest of his uber-religious vice-president, Pence. No one is suggesting that religious people cannot practice their religion, observe their holy days, or pray in public. What is being contested and protested is the discrimination of the LGBTQ community, atheists, agnostics, and any who do not subscribe to the faith of those theists who contemptuously and arrogantly want all people to subscribe to their religious tenets. With that said it is my ...

To recap: Since Trump was sworn in, we've had a Muslim ban that caused trauma to thousands of people and the legality of which was questionable at best as it is now tied up in the courts and extremely unlikely to reappear as law. Three high-ranking Trump supporters have had to step down or recuse themselves of their duties due specifically to ties to Russia and the Russian intelligence service. This was brought about by the public marching in the streets and calling their congressmen, proving protesting the status quo has an effect. An MI-5 agent has a dossier suggesting Trump has been compromised by the Russians. There are allegations that Trump gained the presidency due to Russian cyber activity. This is not confined to the USA, other countries have claimed Russian hacks including, Germany, France, Georgia, Estonia, Lithuania, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Norway and the Netherlands. Certainly, this should deserve a high level investigation if only to prove it false! Mexico is not...

When you reach a certain age, the activities of your youth, the folly of being young, the derring-do attitude of days gone-by that resulted in all manner of bumps, bruises and broken limbs, tend to haunt you. This is especially so upon waking. The last few weeks have taken a particularly tasking toll on me. The damp weather, the up and down temperatures; one day its winter, the next, a forty degree rise in temperature, and then two days later it’s fifteen degrees cooler and rainy. The intense political climate and the churned up existential angst accompanying it, is partly responsible as well, I am sure. Back issues, shoulder surgery, knee surgery, all my joints that ever experienced acute articulation from decades studying martial arts, make it impossible for me to spring out of bed and get stuck into the days activities. It has, I must admit, been sometime since I have sprung into anything, at anytime of day or night. Oh, there are medications. That too comes with being a certa...

These days, politics takes up a lot of our time, especially those of us on social media. We argue with those who disparage the political  party we support, scream at our computer screens and televisions when we see a member of the opposition spinning news events, and exhaust ourselves ferreting out real news from “fake” news. There is a division in American society, which has only two viable political parties, the left and the right, the quintessential either/or philosophical fallacy. Lines are drawn. Dogma becomes amour that facts cannot breach on either side. America, the land of the free and the home of the brave, seems to be slipping into the land of the freaks and the home of the knave. Presidential press conferences look more like episodes from Jerry Springer. And the gravitas, so hard won by America in decades past, appears to be diminishing. It is painful to witness. It should anger us, regardless of our politics, for this is an assault on the essence of that which...