Tag: philosophy

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Dojo Visitor

Steve Rowe

There are times when you’re talking to someone and you suddenly realise that they aren’t listening to a word you’re saying.  They are only waiting for an opportunity to speak. The guy had come in for a free ‘guest’ training session and actually worked quite hard.  The only problem was that he hadn’t heard a word of the instruction given to him.   The words ‘using a sledgehammer to crush a grape’ sprang to mind – everything he did was simply full of effort with surprisingly poor results He had cruised over to sensei after the session and started to discuss … Continue reading Dojo Visitor

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Why Questions Are Important

Steve Rowe

“Any questions?” A sea of blank faces look back. “Did you understand the principles taught?” Did I almost see a nod from one person? The Martial Arts is a funny old game.  We are told that it is traditionally taught by blind acceptance/faith.  The Instructor stands out the front of the class and barks orders occasionally moving an arm or leg of the student and if anyone DARES to ask a question he is immediately used as the demonstration model as to how the technique works and is left in no doubt as to what the consequences of asking questions … Continue reading Why Questions Are Important

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10 Stress Busters

Steve Rowe

Do you get that niggling ‘worry’ pain in the tummy? It seems that life is getting to you with one thing after another, maybe relationship troubles, annoyed at what people are saying about you, the never ending cascade of bills and never having enough money? You could be suffering from stress. You end up feeling angry, worried and picked on – life seems to be working against you and in the end your health begins to suffer. You feel that everything is getting you down and it doesn’t matter what you do it seems to make matters worse….. Well cheer … Continue reading 10 Stress Busters

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How To Be Happy

Steve Rowe

Happiness is a decision and a habit. It has doesn’t necessarily have to do with where you are, what you are doing or who you are with. It’s possible to be a happy person by deciding to be happy and by setting up a few habits that help you to remember that you are a happy person and why. How do we find that elusive state of being whatever is going on in our life and maintain it? Make the decision. Decide that you are a happy person and that wherever you are, whoever you are with and whatever you … Continue reading How To Be Happy

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The Chakras

Steve Rowe

I’m not going to give you collected information on the Chakras, no wiki information from the internet, no aura colours or gemstones – all that ‘academic’ information can be gathered via the internet and in my opinion can be untrustworthy. What I will give you is my direct experience from 50 years of martial arts training and healing in a way that I hope that you can directly relate to and experience for yourselves. I’ll also map out the alchemy and healing of a human being through the practice of the Martial Arts and how it reflects through the Chakras. … Continue reading The Chakras

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Death Is A Warm Blanket…

Steve Rowe

Death Is A Warm Blanket… You don’t even know you’re born, Well actually, that’s true, Because no-one can remember it, We become self conscious at a few years old. So why can’t we remember? Because we are still fully connected, And are pure universal energy, Until someone gives us a name. Drifting into sleep, is our name slipping away, We commune with our unconscious, While our name disappears, And we can regenerate. Meditation brings us back, Back to where we were as a child, The uncarved block, Energy without a name. The illusion of ‘self’, That which is named, Disappears … Continue reading Death Is A Warm Blanket…

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The Simple Guide To Meditation

Steve Rowe

“I can’t make my mind a blank…” Is a common complaint and ‘monkey mind’ (the mischievous wandering mind) seems to be the biggest problem for anyone ‘sitting’ without proper direction. Trying to make your mind ‘blank’ is a thought in itself – and therefore self defeating. The Japanese word ‘Mushin’ or ‘no mind’ means no thinking mind, the only way you can create this spontaneous mental state is to gradually reduce the activity of the thinking mind until it ‘flatlines’ and allows the aware, non thinking, ‘wisdom mind’ to come to the foreground. The best route to achieving this is … Continue reading The Simple Guide To Meditation

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Cultural Stories In Tai Chi Postures

Steve Rowe

“Okay lets do the form” said Sifu after we had completed the neigong and qigong exercises… We were about to practice the ‘Yang Chen Fu 108’ form, probably the most popular Taiji form in the world today. 108 because it’s a magic number to the Chinese, there are really about 335 moves but then – who’s counting! Taiji has names for techniques that are sometimes self-explanatory, like ‘Lift Hands’ or ‘Brush Knee’ but also have names that explain how the technique is done, often with cultural stories. Techniques are also often grouped by a name like ‘Grasp Sparrows Tail’ which … Continue reading Cultural Stories In Tai Chi Postures

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I Have A Dream…

Steve Rowe

That one day Martial Arts will not be thought of as ‘separate’ Martial Arts, that the politics of structures like Karate, Ju Jitsu,  Kung Fu, Taekwondo and Aikido are consigned to history – that Martial Arts will retain it’s diversity without the politics and have just one Governing Body dealing only with club structure, safety and the various types of competition…. That there will be no politics of styles, no Wado, no Shotokan, no Hun Gar, no GKR, no Tomiki, that everyone will be working to be the best they can and eventually transcending the ‘style’ of their teachers with … Continue reading I Have A Dream…

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Eating Bitter..

Steve Rowe

Eating Bitter The Martial Arts are full of certificates and awards, Photographs with Masters, Everyone holding a fist up, What’s it supposed to mean? A certificate is a piece of paper, A belt holds up your trousers, A photo means you met that person, The value is what it means to you. A grade defines the relationship, Between student and the Instructor, It determines what classes are attended, And what the student is taught. It can also define status, The managerial structure, Instead of foreman, manager and director, We have sempei, sensei and renshi. If the instructor puts too much … Continue reading Eating Bitter..