Loneliness is the separation from your deeper self. Peace is found on your own, solitude in nature, hearing the language of trees, plants and animals and a deeper resonance with the people around you. So when you feel lonely, don’t blame others, look deeper within yourself. Continue reading Loneliness
There is the chair,He used to be there,Hair gone grey,Body wasting away,Cognitively impaired,But with humour shared. Strong when he was young,With punches that stung,A high standard of Kung Fu,With kicks that flew,But time took the skill,And made him sit still. He ended in the chair,And had to stay there,Until the part that cannot be destroyed,Finally returned to the void. Now his spirit is still there,As always willing to share,For those with respect,Are still able to connect. Continue reading The Empty Chair
Where your intention (yi) goes your energy (chi) follows. In Tai Chi we use an ‘eye’ form, whilst practising a hand form we look at certain parts of our own body (usually a hand or hands) with the intention of sending our chi energy there. This has the effect of moving our chi and sending it to where we need it. It helps us to learn how to raise our energy, colour it with the right intention, focus and discharge it. Vision can be focused and unfocused, activating and utilising both sides of the brain and using peripheral vision to … Continue reading The Eyes Have It
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
I’m constantly unsubscribing to martial art pages, people and groups that ridicule others. Often someone will post a video of karate ‘bunkai’ application to a kata from up to 40 years ago and then ridicule it. I was practising Karate (that’s me in the photo with Takimazawa Sensei) and working security in the 70’s and knew that the kata had to be studied and what was demonstrated was not practical and only a demonstration for shows. Pairs work was to drill practical skills safely and was not exactly how it would be applied in the street. We practised the ‘art’ … Continue reading Paper Tgers
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
I wish my martial arts study had started with this information. The ‘bodycore’ is the most important aspect of all training and study. It consists of: The Spine The Deep Front Line The Vagus Nerve The spine is the ‘main mast’ of the body and everything grows out from it. It will bow backwards, forwards, sideways and twist. The deep front line is the soft tissue core that runs connected from behind the ears to the arches of the feet and manipulates the spine in all the above movements. The vagus nerve runs from behind the ears to the stomach, … Continue reading Martial Arts Biggest Secret
Most of the time ‘spiritual’ people don’t like me.They make up so much shit to suit their flawed logic.They also tend to be very narcissistic.Somehow they’re always on a ‘higher plane’ than you.Can see your ‘spiritual guides’ and ‘aura’,And were often your ‘teacher’ in a former life.They can’t see that they’re like a computer chip trying to understand a computer, then the user and then the universe.Trying comprehend it with a thinking mind is crazy.Then the ego and easy money come into it when they realise how gullible others can be.You can’t define the infinite.But you can experience it.When you … Continue reading ‘Spiritual’ People Don’t Like Me
‘Suck Don’t Blow…’When your opponent gives you a body part they don’t get it back.‘Nei Jin’ means they when touching they can’t find your bones.There’s nothing to strike, lock or grasp.You stick, follow and redirect their energy.Until they become weak and their balance is broken.‘When a tiger comes to your village you don’t feed it.’Meaning that you ‘suck’ their energy and don’t feed it by collision or giving them your bones.A strategy for both combat and life.Steve Rowe Continue reading Suck Don’t Blow
How to cope…. When life is hard,We say, take it one day at a time… When it gets harder,Take it an hour at a time….. When it gets more difficult,Take it one minute at a time…. When it gets really difficult,Take it one second at a time….. And finally,Moment to moment….. Pure zen… Continue reading How To Cope…
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