Looking Back Down Our Eyes..

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..

Magpies and Monkeys

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

The Aliens have Landed!

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!

Life’s Not Fair…

Life’s Not Fair… Life’s not fair, It never was, It’s your life, Deal with it. God won’t save you, Neither will karma, There is no lifeline, You either swim or sink. Life is a battle, Your mind must be focused, And always ready, If it gets distracted, You die. When the warrior goes into battle, If he thinks of home, he dies, If he worries for the future, he dies, He can only focus on the task in hand. If he worries, he’s killing himself. If he’s scared, he’s killing himself. If he blames others, he’s killing himself. Why would … Continue reading Life’s Not Fair…

Martial Arts Are Defensive

Martial Arts Are Defensive ‘Budo’ and ‘Wu Shu’ mean ‘to stop the spear’. In Iaido we have a reluctance to draw the sword. ‘Satsu katsu’ means ‘life giving and life taking’, When forced to draw we kill. ‘Karate Ni Sentenashi’ means ‘there is no first attack in karate’. When forced to defend, we move decisively. The Martial Arts are defensive, But that does not make them weak. Martial artists train every day, Along with courage, resolve and determination, We foster patience, kindness and compassion, Martial arts training make us good people. If the Martial Arts were aggressive, That would make … Continue reading Martial Arts Are Defensive

The Yin Factor

Men fight to protect their ego, Women to protect their family, Men beat their chests and shout, Women prepare to be deadly. Men move from the heart, Women from the womb, Men use their chest and shoulders, Women their legs and middle. Men use strength and power, Women weapons and fluidity. Men drink with their opponents after battle, Women leave them dead. Martial arts are more yin than yang, They are quiet and deadly, They use skill rather than force, And are more defensive than offensive. Martial arts rely on internal connection, Their strength comes from the legs and core. … Continue reading The Yin Factor

Bullying….

Bullying is not always obvious, Sometimes it’s physical abuse, Sometimes it’s verbal and persuasive, And sometimes it’s on the screen you use. The punching and kicking is obvious, The name calling, taunting and rumour, Destroying someone’s reputation can be more hidden, Done by nasty gossip and humour. Recruiting others makes it seem legitimate, Peer pressure makes it seem right, When many agree to make one suffer, Surely that makes it alright? Bullies often have high social standing, This empowers them with the crowd, They are quick to be aggressive, And the majority are scared to speak out. The victim will … Continue reading Bullying….

Blood On Wood…

Thump, thump, thump… He’s out there again, Hitting that bloody piece of wood in the garden, One of those Kung Fu nutters. Every bloody day it’s the same, Well I ain’t gonna tell him, He’ll probably tie me up like a pretzel, And post me back through our letterbox. Thump, thump, thump, Each time strike with seiken, Shuto, tettsui and teisho, Haito, koken and nukite. Feet press directionally to the floor, Spiraling through the legs, Connecting through the core, And powering out through the hands. Thump, thump, thump, The makiwara bends and is momentarily held, The return force is repulsed, … Continue reading Blood On Wood…

Blind Assumptions…

Do you know what blind assumptions are? They are the views and opinions that we grew up with, They were always around us, our culture, And we never knew they were there. They came from our family, They came from or friends, They came from our schooling, They came from our environment, They were just always there. We took them on board without knowing, We naturally voice them as opinions, We blindly accept them as a part of us, Even though they never came from us. They act as a barrier to the outside world, We seek out like minded … Continue reading Blind Assumptions…

Inside Out…

Are your techniques YouTube friendly? Do they follow the ‘fashion’ of the day? Do you ‘train’ or do you ‘study? Do you pay lip service to meditation? Or do you assiduously study it? Are you the person that everyone thinks you are? Are you your grade and qualifications? Are you your career and car? Are you how attractive you appear to others? Are you the ‘good guy’ everyone says? Are flattered by others? Do you go with the ‘zeitgeist’ of opinion? Do you work to ‘fit in’ and be popular? Do you culture yourself to be accepted and praised? Are … Continue reading Inside Out…