Breathing And Life
After having spent more than 35 years training in the Martial Arts you would think I could easily define what quality training is all about. Unfortunately that is not the case! As with most Martial Artists, after the first decade of training we tend to go on automatic and only do the types of training we enjoy, or do
whatever is necessary to please our instructors. What a waste! Automatic is our worst enemy. We stop thinking about our art and our training. We go through the motions, literally, and wonder why we don’t seem to be learning anything. As we get older and hopefully wiser, our training needs and requirements change. We are no longer able to do some of the things we did when we were eighteen. Fortunately we no longer need to do some of the things we did when we were eighteen! Hopefully by this time we are smarter. Attempting to train in the same manner we did when we were young will be unrewarding on several levels. Although physical training is necessary and enjoyable, intense physical training may injure us and can be boring. If this is the only thing you have to look forward to, you will not continue to learn. It’s no coincidence that the physical portion of Martial Arts is the first thing taught. It’s the easy part! Learning to look beyond the physical aspects is difficult. Learning to actually practice the non-physical techniques is very difficult. I guess that’s why they call it the magic part!
Training in the Martial Arts is not about self-defense. Training in the Martial Arts is not about belt ranks. Training in the Martial Arts is about life! The physical and mental techniques that are part of all traditional Martial Arts styles are intended to be a conduit for the enhancement of KI.
Why?
Why have complicated, systematic, systems of self-defense evolved in almost every culture? Why spend all this time learning to do complex physical motions and meditative disciplines? The answer is KI. Our bodies are powered by both physical and metaphysical energies. We cannot exist without either one! We cannot be healthy without a balance between the two. Martial Arts training is a mechanism to develop both systems, proper training allows the free flow of energy between the two systems.
Breathing is the KI generator.
The physical techniques allow the KI pathways to remain open.
The combination of these two disciplines encourages balance and maximum power.
All traditional systems of Martial Arts include breathing techniques and meditation. Not all styles teach these techniques to beginning students. What a
shame! Breathing is the primary technique. Without learning to breathe properly we are unable to develop proper technique. We conquer the physical but not the mental.
BREATH!! Every day……..
Pyung Kwahn Jahng Nim Jon Simonds
whatever is necessary to please our instructors. What a waste! Automatic is our worst enemy. We stop thinking about our art and our training. We go through the motions, literally, and wonder why we don’t seem to be learning anything. As we get older and hopefully wiser, our training needs and requirements change. We are no longer able to do some of the things we did when we were eighteen. Fortunately we no longer need to do some of the things we did when we were eighteen! Hopefully by this time we are smarter. Attempting to train in the same manner we did when we were young will be unrewarding on several levels. Although physical training is necessary and enjoyable, intense physical training may injure us and can be boring. If this is the only thing you have to look forward to, you will not continue to learn. It’s no coincidence that the physical portion of Martial Arts is the first thing taught. It’s the easy part! Learning to look beyond the physical aspects is difficult. Learning to actually practice the non-physical techniques is very difficult. I guess that’s why they call it the magic part!
Training in the Martial Arts is not about self-defense. Training in the Martial Arts is not about belt ranks. Training in the Martial Arts is about life! The physical and mental techniques that are part of all traditional Martial Arts styles are intended to be a conduit for the enhancement of KI.
Why?
Why have complicated, systematic, systems of self-defense evolved in almost every culture? Why spend all this time learning to do complex physical motions and meditative disciplines? The answer is KI. Our bodies are powered by both physical and metaphysical energies. We cannot exist without either one! We cannot be healthy without a balance between the two. Martial Arts training is a mechanism to develop both systems, proper training allows the free flow of energy between the two systems.
Breathing is the KI generator.
The physical techniques allow the KI pathways to remain open.
The combination of these two disciplines encourages balance and maximum power.
All traditional systems of Martial Arts include breathing techniques and meditation. Not all styles teach these techniques to beginning students. What a
shame! Breathing is the primary technique. Without learning to breathe properly we are unable to develop proper technique. We conquer the physical but not the mental.
BREATH!! Every day……..
Pyung Kwahn Jahng Nim Jon Simonds