Category: Poems

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Like A Never Ending Circle…

Steve Rowe

Like A Never Ending Circle… The universe is a spiral, It’s what creates time, The energy inside is always changing, Continually creating life. When energy touches the spiral, It creates the opposite force, In movement one creates the other, In a never ending cycle. When you look at the yin yang symbol, The oldest known to man, The symbol itself is spinning, In a three dimensional way. The outside circle is infinite, Because a circle never ends, The centre line is curved, Because of it’s spiraling motion. It is the ‘Way’, Representing the journey of life, From infinity to infinity, … Continue reading Like A Never Ending Circle…

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Is Kata A Waste Of Time?

Steve Rowe

Is Kata A Waste Of Time? Is there a point to doing kata? Or is it just a waste of time? Does it have an application? That is magical and sublime? By the time it came from China, To Okinawa and Japan, It had been changed so many times, In each and every land. The true meaning has been lost, And by the time it came to the West, Nobody could remember, As the value became less than less. Then along came competition, Where it just had to look good, Nice shapes, crisp and focused, But empty, loud and awkward. … Continue reading Is Kata A Waste Of Time?

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The Peng Balloon

Steve Rowe

The Peng Balloon The deep core of the body softens, Until the feet spread evenly to the floor, The arches fill with energy, As they take the weight of the head. The soften down creates the press up, Causing the body to rise, stretch and open, Up and out through the crown of the head, Until everything balances upon itself. As the spine opens upwards, The shoulders and arm joints open downwards, With a soft stretch to the fingertips, Bringing the neural system alive. The ankles, knees and hips unlock and soften, Opening the hips and allowing the tailbone to … Continue reading The Peng Balloon

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Bringing Zombies To Life

Steve Rowe

Bringing Zombies To Life Most people are zombies. Why is this? Because they are dead while they live, Their body lives whilst their mind doesn’t. They live in a dormant state, Texting while they walk, Earphones in while they run, Or just blank minded mouth breathers. How can they come to life? How can we bring that spark back? How can they become present in the moment? And actually live their life? The secret is in the Dojo, In the first commands you are given, “Stand tall, breathe deep and focus your mind,” The moment you do this you wake … Continue reading Bringing Zombies To Life

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Armed Or Unarmed?

Steve Rowe

Armed Or Unarmed? What came first, The chicken or the egg? Weapons training, or unarmed? In martial arts it is a quest. You would think unarmed led to weapons, But it was most likely the other way. Ever since man existed, He threw rocks and used pointy sticks. All fighting was weaponised, Why do anything else? The only time it became unarmed, Was when the weapon was lost. Village sport was wrestling, Children in the garden wrestle, Pups and cubs wrestle, This made sport and play. Why is this important? Because martial skill begins with weapons, Unarmed are adaptions of … Continue reading Armed Or Unarmed?

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You Can’t Stop Growing Old…

Steve Rowe

You Can’t Stop Growing Old… It begins when you’re shaving your Dad in the mirror, When your first steps in the morning are like the ‘dawn of man’ poster, When your designer stubble makes you look homeless, And your back goes out more than you do. Your karate belt gets shorter, To kick someone in the head, You have to kick them in groin first. When you look around the club, Everyone is younger than you. You’re now officially ‘the old boy’. Age can be a gift or a curse, You can either wear it with dignity, Or act disgracefully. … Continue reading You Can’t Stop Growing Old…

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Who Do You Train For?

Steve Rowe

Who do you train for? Is it yourself? Or your self? Do you train to please your Instructor? Are you good because he says you are? Do you ‘try’ to do your martial arts well? If you’re ‘trying’ to do something, You’re not really doing it, You’re admitting failure before you begin. If you separate yourself from doing your art, You’re doing the opposite to what you should. If you’re training to please a separate ‘self’ you’ll fail, If it’s to please any other person, you will always be vulnerable. If you stop ‘trying’, If you stop trying to please … Continue reading Who Do You Train For?

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Looking Back Down Our Eyes..

Steve Rowe

Looking Back Down Our Eyes.. We can’t look back down our own eyes, To see who’s looking out, Or listen down our ears, To find who’s listening. We can’t smell who’s smelling, Or taste who’s tasting. We can’t bite our own teeth, Or even beat our own heart. We can’t hold our breath until we die, Or stop our heart from beating, Our internal organs work by themselves, Until it’s time to die. We think we have control, And we may have a little, Not as much as we’d like, Or do we have any? Who or what is our … Continue reading Looking Back Down Our Eyes..

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Magpies and Monkeys

Steve Rowe

Ooohhh…… shiny object…. Damn.. I was supposed to be meditating, Then I started thinking about that argument, Then what I was having for dinner, And then… oh well it doesn’t matter. How can I think of nothing? Surely that’s a thought in itself? And if I don’t know when my mind wanders, How can I bring it back? I feel like have a monkey on my back, Always chattering in my ear, Finding things for me to think about, When I’m supposed to be concentrating on one thing. Single whip again in Tai Chi, damn! It occurs in the form … Continue reading Magpies and Monkeys

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The Aliens have Landed!

Steve Rowe

The Aliens have landed! The mysterious spaceship lands, The leaders of humanity arrive to greet it, At last, we get to know what’s out there… The crowds gather, Everyone waits expectantly, The doors ‘woosh’ open, And perfectly circular beings roll out.. The Prime Minister steps forward and extends a hand, The circle recoils, gathers itself and moves forwards; “Sorry, your appearance is terrifying…. And I was taken aback.” “You have tentacles – and tentacles on tentacles, Eyes that swivel and scary teeth when you smile. You look shaven with ugly bits of hair in strange places and move strangely; We … Continue reading The Aliens have Landed!