A theory: P=Q2 / R Power equals Energy (Qi) divided by Resistance. A mathematic representation for the Paradox of power: To increase our power, we must simultaneously increase our energy (and the ‘mind’ focus to direct it) while decreasing our resistance to deliver this power. No matter how focused our minds are, if we are …
Category: Martial Arts Philosophy
A page to discuss the classic and modern Martial Arts Philosophies and philosophers.
Feb 16
East vs. West – from another point of view.
TEDTalks Although this isn’t specifically related to Martial Arts, but it is directly related to subjectivity and objectivity, and is also a topic that is extremely close to my heart – that of intercultural understanding and tolerance. http://www.ted.com/talks/devdutt_pattanaik.html Martial Arts practitioners are guilty of this, at least conceptually. Too often the subjective “My style” becomes …
Dec 28
Zen as a Loaf of Bread
One of the easier concepts that “westerners” have with Zen is mindfulness – that action-less action of being present in the moment and experiencing everything about it. Conceptually, this seems to make sense to most people, likely because it truly is an easily understood idea – When you’re doing something, pay attention to what you’re …
Dec 08
KFEB #19 – When you do a favour, do not expect a reward; should you expect a reward, it is not a favour.
19) When you do a favour, do not expect a reward; should you expect a reward, it is not a favour. I have not found where this one comes from and, honestly, I don’t even want to hazard a guess. Frankly, this one makes a lot of sense – if you do something with the …
Jul 11
KFEB #16 -The Superior man always observes the issues in order to know the origin; scrutinizes the past in order to know the future. Such is the Principle whereby he attains foreknowledge.
16) The Superior man always observes the issues in order to know the origin; scrutinizes the past in order to know the future. Such is the Principle whereby he attains foreknowledge. YAY! We’ve come to a non-Confucian KFEB entry! This one is from Taoism, specifically from Lieh Tzŭ from the 5th century BCE. Again, you …
May 17
Form versus Formless
With the introduction of Oriental Martial Arts into the Occidental mindset came a re-envisioning of what people could do with their bodies, as well as re-interpretation of how physical combat was played out. Of course this was only after people of the “West” began to accept the people of the ”East” as more than comedic …
May 12
Martial Art VS Fighting Style
It’s a semantic debate, but I feel it requires some elaboration and definition: What is the difference between a fighting style and a martial art, and what constitutes what? This work is, of course, my opinion of the difference and is meant to inspire debate over the meanings of these apparent synonyms – to help …
May 12
Paradoxical Platitudes
Have you ever had someone say “Everything happens for a reason”? Have these same people said that you have a choice in whatever you do? Have you ever wondered about these concepts yourself? The interesting point regarding these concepts is that they are mutually exclusive – one cannot have the ability to choose if everything …
Apr 29
Kung Fu Exercise Book #11
11) The door of Heaven is Non-Existence. All things come from non-existence. The first existences could but bring themselves into existence. And not existing is just the same as Non-existence. Herein lies the secret of the Sages. I remember being a teenager and thinking “um, what?” when I read this. For years I had tried …
Apr 03
Kung Fu Exercise Book #10
10) The great man does not lose his child’s heart. Out of all of these proverbs and statements, this is one of my favourites. When read out loud, there are two meanings that immediately pop into my head – That a great man does not lose the love of his children, but also that they …
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