Tag: Buddhism

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Tribal Chief To Beggar

Steve Rowe

Tribal Chief To Beggar… I used to be the leader of the tribe.I was the protector, the strongest,And everyone followed my example.I wore my scars with pride and my powerful spirit carried my body with ease.I was intolerant of the weak, convinced that everyone could and should exceed their personal barriers.If I could, they should. Time bought me to my knees.I realised that some battles can’t be won,As my body deteriorated bit by bit,Accidents, sickness, wear and tear and cellular breakdown took their toll.Until I could no longer lead,My spirit became a prisoner in my body,I needed other people to … Continue reading Tribal Chief To Beggar

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Have Patience….

Steve Rowe

Social media is full of ‘up and ‘at ‘em’ ‘get off your ass’, ‘take action’ type statements, memes, reels and FB live vids, usually by young, healthy, trying to sell something, would be ’influencers’, but I’d like to add a counterpoint. Patience really is a virtue and timing is everything. Often you have to wait to heal and for the circumstances to be right. Instead of pushing forward (often to failure or to suit others) sit back and look for opportunities instead of rushing past them. Less can be more. Instead of blasting forwards, nudge the opportunity and allow it … Continue reading Have Patience….

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Podcast My 50 Years In Martial Arts

Steve Rowe

Key quotes and takeaways from the show: Never practice struggle! “The more you know, the more you know you don’t know.” – Aristotle. Balance!… Martial arts (and life) are holistic. Develop your mind, body and emotions. A good coach teaches on all of these levels. A good coach sees the kind of person their student is (type of learner, physical, mental and emotional state, etc.) and gives them what they need in that very moment. The same goes for a class. A good coach forgets about themselves and provides students what they need most at the time. Use meditation to … Continue reading Podcast My 50 Years In Martial Arts

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Truth Seer

Steve Rowe

The road to becoming a truth seer is a solitary one.Unencumbered by indoctrination and what everyone else wants you to see you cut through to the truth.Often they won’t like it, family, ‘friends’, politicians and work peers.They say that there is your truth and their truth, but there is only one truth.That one truth comes with different faces and colours but it’s quality is that it’s eternal.It always works, time and time again.The fundamental truth is that everything is one.The shape changes but not the form.This can be found in stillness, silence and mindfulness. Continue reading Truth Seer

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The Abyss Of Death

Steve Rowe

We never truly understand life until the abyss of death is staring back at us into our very soul. The veil that life throws over our head means that we forget we’re going to die and live as if we’re going to live forever and push it to the very back of our mind, occupying our headspace with trivia and human indoctrinated shit. Only the ancient tribes that lived close to and in harmony with nature saw life and death in the right harmonious balance. Warriors confronting death on a daily basis also had to feel comfortable staring into that … Continue reading The Abyss Of Death

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Neurodivergence And Martial Arts

Steve Rowe

In hindsight I realise that I’m neurodivergent. To anyone that knows me or learns from it’s probably quite obvious. I’m not on any recognised ‘spectrum’ but as a child I didn’t get on with my family, couldn’t get on at school, couldn’t learn in the way I was taught, failed all my exams was always unhappy and was generally thought of as ‘stupid’. I hate crowds, bright lights and loud noise. I feel sick in cars, with flashing lights and with a lot of different smells and foods. I’m highly empathic and sensitive. It was only when I encountered martial … Continue reading Neurodivergence And Martial Arts

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Insight

Steve Rowe

Insight is an important skill and can be trained. Most senior martial artists rely on it in many areas of their life and particularly in their martial art studies. Insight is the ability to pierce to the heart of any subject or problem without having to go through a laborious process. How do we gain this skill? The first step is to develop mindfulness, by calming the body, emotions and thoughts, without the mental and emotional clutter, clarity can arise. Mindfulness arises from a combination of posture and deep breathing until everything calms down and an appreciation that we are … Continue reading Insight

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Staring Into The Abyss

Steve Rowe

I hate bright light.I especially hate it when it flickers,Like when it flickers through trees when you drive.Life passing by is like that flickering light. I prefer the dark.The blacker the better.It wraps around you like a warm blanket.Sleep and death is like wrapping yourself in the dark to heal. Staring into the abyss is a compulsion.You can feel it looking back,Drawing you in.Inviting you to lose your individuality. Like standing on a ledge,You have a compulsion to fall.The illusion of life and time,Is like thinking the driver is the car,That the electricity is the computer. It’s not.You look into … Continue reading Staring Into The Abyss