Author: Steve Rowe

Martial artist, philosopher, author, writer,
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What’s Missing In Martial Arts?

Steve Rowe

With the advent of social media and mobile phones with quality cameras everyone and their dog can publicly post their martial arts, this is both a good and bad thing. From an observational point of view I often find myself thinking that many people look like they are moving reluctantly and with their ‘handbrake stuck on’ and what they are doing wouldn’t work – and asking myself why. These are my thoughts: Too much negative gym work and vanity training is isolating muscles instead of connecting them and is stiffening their body negating mobility and power. They never seem to … Continue reading What’s Missing In Martial Arts?

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Do You Hate Your Body?

Steve Rowe

Do you hate your body? When you train do you take pleasure from punishing it?Do you hurt it out of annoyance?When you look in the mirror do you hate what you see?Why? Your body is the only lifelong friend you’ll ever have.If you look after it, it’ll look after you.It has its own wordless language and is always communicating with you.Before going wrong, it whispers, then talks, then shouts warnings if you able to listen.It loves movement, loves good training, healthy nutrition and repays you good feelings and joy.Why would you let anyone else make you betray that friendship? You’re … Continue reading Do You Hate Your Body?

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Overweight Martial Artists..

Steve Rowe

We constantly see passive aggressive references on here about ‘fat’ martial arts instructors and martial artists. People put on weight for a number of reasons and it’s not always laziness. It can be caused by medication, hormone treatment, illness, injury, depression, addiction and other reasons beyond their control. Do you think anyone wants to be overweight? Anyone training to deal with it, particularly in such a judgemental environment should be admired and supported, not ridiculed. I’ve lost ‘friends’ for pulling them up over this, people saying that fat people are ‘lazy’ and should get their asses of the couch, train … Continue reading Overweight Martial Artists..

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Positive Tension In Tai Chi..

Steve Rowe

Positive Tension in Tai Chi.I was giving a lesson to Paul Pretty (pictured) this week who is a private student of over 30 years and an intelligent and dedicated martial artist. We were discussing the necessary tension required in Tai Chi at different levels. As beginners in ‘monk’ style we first have to get rid of all unnecessary tension to enable our body and energy to move freely with structural integrity. Many Tai Chi practitioners never get beyond this stage. Then at ‘warrior’ level we need to develop fajin – and to do that we have add in layers to … Continue reading Positive Tension In Tai Chi..

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Discipline

Steve Rowe

From my recent (not very controversial) it gives rise to this thought. We have to understand the difference between good and pad pain. We have to learn to discipline our needs and weaknesses without damaging ourselves. Discipline to make us physically, emotionally and mentally stronger is the reason we train. To permanently damage ourselves in any way is stupid. Those extra punches, kicks, push ups, minutes in stances etc push us safely beyond our limits, to go an hour without a drink will hardly damage us. I’m currently fasting for 18 hours a day, I feel hungry, it hurts, but … Continue reading Discipline

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Deeper Teaching

Steve Rowe

As a teacher you might wonder why what you’re teaching seems to go in one ear and straight out the other with students. You might keep repeating the same thing again and again, wondering why it’s not sinking in. Then occasionally a student might say “you’ve been telling me this for years, but I’ve only just realised what you’ve been trying to say.” You might be presenting it badly, and that’s certainly worth examining, but also a student can’t understand anything until they’re ready. How can we tell when a student is ‘ready’ to understand that deeper teaching? Firstly you … Continue reading Deeper Teaching

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The Elephant In The Room…

Steve Rowe

Sometimes I feel like the child who’s pointing out that emperor isn’t wearing any clothes (although I’m not sure where I’d find him 😂). The media and politicians spend all their time ‘othering’ people. It’s not their colour, ethnicity, culture or origins that should be of any interest, but the crime that’s been committed. Their way of keeping the public distracted from the REAL problems we have is to break people down into tribes and pitch them against each other. It literally brings the stupid out in people. It’s not people’s colour, ethnicity, culture or how they got into this … Continue reading The Elephant In The Room…

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I’m A Machine…

Steve Rowe

I’m a machineProgrammed with Martial ArtsWizened with TaoismNow old and rustySome bits lostOthers replaced with second rate partsThe machine might be on its last legCateracts on the camerasAudio down 50%Limited range of movementNearly time to scrapBut put me next to younger devicesI can Bluetooth knowledgeInsight and wisdomLearned by experienceIf their Bluetooth is set to receive. The survival programming is goneNo desire to function leftWaiting for GodNo needs leftIt gets harder to communicateContract with life expiredA burden to othersCollecting dust in a cornerConstantly having to be movedAlways in the wayWhen my machine finally failsAnd goes to the scrapyardWhat happens to my … Continue reading I’m A Machine…

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What’s Going On?

Steve Rowe

Violence begets violence. The Buddhist culture that imbues our traditional martial arts teaches that we are peacekeepers and negate violent actions and intentions. Our media and politicians encourage violence by constantly labelling people and groups, this stirs the stupid in people as whatever reasoning they gave simply causes more violence. It’s not the religion, culture or ‘tribe’ that matters, these are concoctions of those that want to distract us and turn us against each other it’s the heinous act itself that we should abhor and prevent. So while our police are busy arresting OAP’s, schoolteachers and people with disabilities, the … Continue reading What’s Going On?

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The Simple Truth

Steve Rowe

The Simple TruthMost truths are simpleBut simple is not easyIgnorance is to ignoreStudents cannot see the simple truthThey listen and move onThey didn’t digestThey didn’t internaliseThey didn’t let the truth ‘sit’ in their mindIt went in one earAnd out the otherForgotten in an instantDisregardedThey divert the conversationTo what they think is a problemNot realising the teacher had just given them the answerThey read complicated booksWatch videos of people selling mystiqueBuy their snake oilNot realising the simple truthWhat they’re looking for is already inside of themIt requires them to broaden their perspectiveTo be objective not subjectiveIf they change themselvesThey change their … Continue reading The Simple Truth