User:Average/Martial arts
Historically about fighting, in the modern era thanks to developments from Japan, China, and Korea, along with the rise of awareness in the West of Eastern philosophies, it now has been supplanted, or at least, merged, to become something more interesting: the best lessons on the use of force the world has produced. Most of the world obviously hasn't learned these lessons and are still in first grade with machine guns (12th grade in the case of Navy Seals), but, here, we can do better.
Everyone hsa a need to protect themselves, whether from accident or malice, the techniques of the martial arts teach the body how to be more aware, when to flow, when to resist, and how to strike. There are four main schools that stand out, plus one outlyer (Bruce Lee's Jeet Kune Do) that is a bit of an exemplar combining techniques of them all: Bushido, Ishinru karate, Shaolin Kung Fu, and Aikido.
- Bushido is the Samarai practice of swords. In its best form it combines metallurgy, alchemy, fighting, and honor.
- Ishinru Karate is the practice of fists and kicks, the concentration of power by the focus of the mind. It's best contribution was the concentration of chi.
- Shaolin Kung Fu is the art of flow, of merging with the flows presented and redirecting them to defend oneself. They may employ the use of a bo staff to present this. It is exemplified by the diversity of forms in which to accomplish this.
- Aikido the art of direction, of quietly directing the play of events via mastery of the human self, utilizing the force applied against one against themselves, minimizing your own effort.
No one school can give you everything you need in order to be an Enlightened Warrior because they are all by-products of such a journey and each journey is different. So a few foundations:
- stay aware
- learn as you go
- assemble and integrate your knowledge
- perfect your form towards mastery
The journey begins with exercise and ends with enlightenment.
See also:
