Tag: martial arts

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It’s A Matter Of Perspective

Steve Rowe

In Zen they say ‘enter a small door and penetrate deeply’. When you do this on any subject, martial arts, religion or politics for example, you gain an insight and perspective way beyond most other people. You shed the dogma, tribalism and narrow vision that we tend to be indoctrinated with and see with more truth and clarity. At the heart of all these subjects tends to be a simplicity that is so clear that when the dogma and tribalism is removed we wonder how we missed it. At the heart of all religions is empathy, compassion and kindness, the … Continue reading It’s A Matter Of Perspective

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The Key To Success

Steve Rowe

Society trains you to fail. That’s how the rich get get richer and the poor get poorer. If you don’t train your mind, body and emotions together, you will fail. If you don’t understand that permanent change takes resolve, effort and time, you will fail. Every day my FB feed is full of 7 day wonders and people thinking that all the ‘miracle’ training methods, diets, and buzz word systems will change their life with a miracle in a short period of time and then they can go back to their shit lifestyle and all will be good. The ‘miracle’ … Continue reading The Key To Success

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I Have No Pedestal

Steve Rowe

I’m not spiritual.I’m not evolved or advanced.I’m not a guru.You can judge me more by what I’m not, rather than what I am.I’ve spent most of my life getting rid of things rather than acquiring them.I never really wanted to ‘become’ anything.And I still haven’t got rid of enough.My ‘rough’ South London/ council estate upbringing and culture is still in my body, my avatar, but at least I can see it for what it is.I still have many faults but hopefully I can catch them as they arise.I am still a work in progress, still shedding.All the time we have … Continue reading I Have No Pedestal

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Dealing With Lockdown Anxiety

Steve Rowe

Dealing with lockdown anxiety. Find a quiet place.Sit straight and gradually breathe deeper with spaces between the breaths.Never force or stress your breathing.Smile gently.Close your eyes, seal your senses and turn your mind inwards.Use that awareness to go through the body and release any excessive tension.You don’t have to be good at this, just do it.The more you do it, the better you get at it.Enjoy. Continue reading Dealing With Lockdown Anxiety

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The Right Perspective

Steve Rowe

When you have the ability to separate yourself from human dogma and view life from heaven’s perspective you see that every person has their own challenges and they measure up very differently to the human cultural approach. If you look at it from a martial arts perspective, who achieves most, the natural athlete who easily gets to black belt or the disabled student who struggles their way to green belt? You can look at life in the same way, it’s not about looking at others and what they have, can do or have achieved, reality is focusing on where you … Continue reading The Right Perspective

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I Am Not My Name

Steve Rowe

I’m not my name;My parents gave that to me. I’m not my body;It beats its own heart,Breathes itself,Grows it’s own hair and nails. I’m not my thoughts or emotions,They are the software of the body,Arising from it’s need to survive and move. Who am I?I am my consciousness,If I can be thought, that’s not it,If I can be described, that’s not it. It has to be wordless,Unconditioned,Unborn,Unformed,Immortal. And awake. Continue reading I Am Not My Name

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Why Am I Suffering?

Steve Rowe

Why are we suffering? What did we do to deserve this? If you think like this you are trying to apply human justice to a much broader perspective and it clearly doesn’t work. Suffering exists in all forms and our body will experience it affecting our emotions and thoughts, but we are not our body, we are not our emotions and we are not our thoughts, we are more than them. We don’t need to ‘believe’ this, we need to directly experience it. This is the point of our Shi Kon neigong or ‘inner work’ deep breathing calms the body, … Continue reading Why Am I Suffering?

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Engage The Core & Spine

Steve Rowe

Anyone that studies with me knows that I use the word ‘engage’ a lot to do with the spine and core. This is because it takes a lot of study to learn how to use them for internal power, we have to forge really strong intimate connections to the ‘feel’ of every part of the core and spine and how to utilise them in technique. From the way we press and pulse the feet to the floor up through the legs to open and close the hips to manipulate the pelvic floor and bow and pulse the lower back, kidneys … Continue reading Engage The Core & Spine

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How To Learn

Steve Rowe

When I learned my martial arts in the 70’s and 80’s I went to lessons, took a notebook and took notes in my own way. When I went home the notebook went up on the mantelpiece and I worked from there, it was very personal and taught me how to learn. When I went back for my next lesson my instructor expected me to have practised and learned what we did last time. IMO it’s still the best way to progress. Nowadays we produce the notes for the students and videos that can be used on any device, the problem … Continue reading How To Learn

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Shedding Skins

Steve Rowe

Shedding skins As you train, meditate and grow, it’s inevitable that you will leave some family and friends behind. When you don’t fulfil their expectations and they don’t get what they want from you, they can become bitter, disappointed and accuse you of changing, if they aren’t big enough to accommodate the ‘new you’ a parting of the ways is inevitable. You will reach a point that the relationship becomes toxic for both of you and no reasonable compromise can be reached, don’t be afraid to let go because it’s best for all concerned, sometimes we have to shed our … Continue reading Shedding Skins