Why I Write a Blog

Yes, this is an addendum to my previous posts on why I write a blog. What has inspired me to write this addendum is a quote from the book on MA Instruction by Lawrence Kane, "Knowledge capture, the mere process of writing things down facilitates internalization and understanding of the knowledge that is written."

This quote/statement puts it in perfect perspective for me and I wanted to convey that to those who read the blog. I use the blog as a way to accomplish this plus I wanted to cement the knowledge and understanding by the type of feedback/comments/critiques readers provide. If I am able to inspire a reader to pursue more because of a post all the better, that makes me very happy.

A process and if you view my type description you would understand why this works for me. I get a lot from writing as well as doing. I see myself falling into the kinesthetic, visual, and auditory. I am not sure where the writer part fits yet but when I read my type along with fuller explanations I tend to say, Oh yea, that is me alright! Very Interesting... [question does come up, am I being open or am I just telling myself the story I want to hear; a part of self-analysis, yea]

The blog

The Meaning of Tao - XV

Vacancy, stillness, placidity, tastelessness, quietude, silence, and non-action; - this is the Level of Heaven and Earth, and the perfection of the Tao and its characteristics. ... Vacancy, stillness, placidity, tastelessness, quietude, silence, and doing-nothing are the root for all things.

[Another connection to the vast view of what heaven and earth meant to the ancients and the texts they wrote on life.]

The Meaning of Tao - XIV

Chinese heaven is not the same as what we understand when we hear the word. Heaven, as we perceive it as stars, planets, sun, moon, etc. is actually the "space (void)" in between all the myriad things we "see" as the heavens above us, i.e. humans and earth  or on Earth. Tao is heaven, Heaven is the void theta the myriad things of heaven exist...But by "heaven" there is not intended "the blue sky" above us, nor any personal Power above it, but the Tao embodied in our constitution, the Heavenly element in our nature.

[Another meaning to enhance the reference to Heaven and Earth in the ken-po goku-i. By the practice we achieve in conjunction with understanding of the goku-i we achieve a greater "heavenly" element to our very nature. This is the true heart of a person, where wholehearted practice is achieved. This is true personal power above and beyond that which is physical.]

Not Everything ...

On the blog I express my personal view as to the practice of karate and the plethora of "martial" or "budo" systems as I understand them. What I am going to express in this post is this, what I write may "seem" correct but for those who are "novice practitioners" you should always run things by your teacher/sensei/instructor, always.

Every thing you see, hear, read, experience should be qualified and verified from those sources you deem reliable and trustworthy, regardless. I have been wrong in the past and expect to be wrong as I go forward; the human condition and you should take all I post with a grain of salt.

Heart, One Heart, ... Isshin ...

It is becoming apparent to "me" that Tatsuo was very astute (the intellectual ability to penetrate deeply into ideas) in his creation of the name and symbol for his eclectic (selecting what seems best of various styles or ideas) system of karate-do.

Recently I found a new site that gives you Japanese romanization to Kanji, etc. where I discovered a variety of characters that made up a variety of words where one of those characters was the character used for the name of the system, i.e. "shin" or "heart." It may have been dump luck that all this "seems" to be a deliberate connection especially when you learn that Tatsuo studied the ancient classics and used the terse version of the I Ching called the Ken-po Goku-i as a "key" provided to serious practitioners.

One English word, center, uses the heart character which the system of belief for Tatsuo believes that the center of humans resides in the heart. The center of the body being two to three inches below the naval, i.e. hara, and so on ...

Click for Larger View.

Ken-po Goku-i - Chinese Classics - Indian Yoga

If we believe the history of the fighting/martial art called karate we would then understand that it all began with India. India's Bodhidharma came to China and gave his teachings to the Shaolin monastery. The Okinawans much later connected with China in trade where the indigenous form of "toudi" was enhanced by the learning of Chinese boxing.

If true then we can hypothesize that the ken-po goku-i, which connects to the Chinese classics, then connects to the teachings of India which in part is the teaching and practice of "Yoga."

So, it that is correct then you can understand that my current studies involving "Pranayama or art of breathing" will show by its teaching the connectivity to our karate practice. As I study the book on Pranayama I am experiencing the connectivity academically since the terms as defined in the book make reference to the universe, heaven sun, moon, blood, body, eyes, ears, etc. which can give us a whole new experimental view of our practice today.

We can say that we have an indirect connection to it all in our practice and by understanding these classics we can experience that historical connection which can provide us with a more "spiritual" experience to today, yesterday, Okinawa, China and India. This also brings to mind a string theory of mine that all things of this Earth have a connection, an underlying connectivity which has not regard for time and/or distance.

Interesting, don't you think?

My Viewpoint

I am opinionated [which does not mean that it cannot change]. I make assumptions and state things from my viewpoint, those experiences and studies that teach me but my viewpoint is not written in stone. A lesson that took many years to learn and I find that I have to remind myself of this from time to time so as to not get caught up in ego.

I provide my viewpoint as a learning tool. How does this work for me? I write and talk about things I know of at any one given point of time, usually the present moment in a specific time. When that moment and time pass then I work to remain open so that if a response or anthers viewpoint comes to my attention I know that is has the potential to teach me, to make me change my viewpoint. It is this that allows me to attain knowledge which teaches the mind and the mind teaches the body and when the spirit, mind and body unite in this effort it allows me a chance to reach an enlightened state; a state of knowledge at the very least.

My viewpoint is my perspective as influenced by what I see, hear, feel, taste, read and my comprehension allows my mind to sort through and arrive at its own conclusions. Only in this way can I move forward.

It is and always will be my hope that those who  happen to stop by and see, hear, and read my views can comment back with their thoughts, feelings, and impressions from their viewpoint so that we may have a mutually beneficial communication where we both end up with a greater understanding.

Anyway, this is my goal and I appreciate all the interactions I encounter in this manner. It is all part of my "Way!"

Blood Circulates Sun Moon

In my journey to understand all the underlying aspects of the physical through the practice of the singular called "karate-do" I have studied the ken-po goku-i which states in general, "The blood circulating is similar to the sun and moon. In the journey I have discovered many links, connections, that took me to the academic study of the source, India Yoga.

In reference to the "Sun" It states that the sun radiates heat which evaporates water. The vapor becomes clouds from which rain falls to the "earth." Man tills the earth and produces food which, when consumed, creates the energy that maintains vigor. Vigor engenders discipline, which develops the faith that gives knowledge; knowledge bestows learning, which brings composure and creates calmness; calmness establishes equanimity, which develops memory that induces recognition; recognition brings judgment, which leads to the realization of the "Self".

If we remain open to connections that could possible bring more meaning to our practice and to our lives then such connections are positive and beneficial. In this quote I connect to the first and second line of the ken-po goku-i, i.e. "The person's heart is the same as Heaven and Earth" and "The blood circulating is similar to the Sun and Moon."

How does this apply to karate-do or any other endeavor that leads or guides us to openness and better life practices? In the physical practice of the body through  the actions of the mind we must endeavor to create a body that is complete and at its peak which requires us to feed the body the fuels necessary to accomplish this goal. Food or fuel comes from "the breathe," "food," and "knowledge" which promotes health which is physical fitness which also influences the mind through the many systems of the body connected to the bodily functioning and vice versa.

The body follows the mind and the mind is influenced by the actions of the body. You decide in your mind what and how you will care and maintain your body and your body reciprocates accordingly in its influences to the mind.

Something to think about, yes?

Note: Sun provide energy by the light spectrum it sense us on Earth. The sun also provides heat which as the quote says influences the myriad things of the Earth where it provides sustenance to all life. Changes occur due to this relationship in water becomes gaseous/vapor rising into the heavens called "sky" creating by the changes in atmospheric pressures and temperatures clouds that rain on the Earth enriching the soils so that we may produce the foods necessary to create energy that fuels the very cells of our bodies and so on ...

Note: The body needs food containing the right balance, water helps digest and assimilate the food, food then nourishes by its assimilation into the various forms through out the body. One must find out by trial and experience which food is suitable to him/her.

Note: Our temperment is influenced by our diet because what we eat does affect the functioning of the mind. It is that state of mind that is important and proper diet will help to maintain clear and unwavering mind.

Note: The quantity and quality of food should be moderated. Respiration/proper-breathing provides the energy to promote digestion. Moderate and nourishing food is essential to maintain vigor, strength and alertness. Food is to be respected, not abused.

How does one achieve this in karate-do, by discipline. To achieve discipline the rigors of karate-do promote it and by it we can achieve discipline of the mind and spirit. This type of discipline promotes the kind that allows us to decide on our diet and then live that diet even when tempted by all the surrounds us such as advertisements, etc. This is how it starts and the singular practice of the mind and body in karate-do promotes this and the other disciplines necessary to change and promote living well, being healthy in both mind and body.

Bibliography:
Iyengar, B.K.S. Light on Pranayama: The Yogic Art of Breathing. Crossroad Publishing New York. 2010.

Blood Circulates Sun Moon

In my journey to understand all the underlying aspects of the physical through the practice of the singular called "karate-do" I have studied the ken-po goku-i which states in general, "The blood circulating is similar to the sun and moon. In the journey I have discovered many links, connections, that took me to the academic study of the source, India Yoga.

In reference to the "Sun" It states that the sun radiates heat which evaporates water. The vapor becomes clouds from which rain falls to the "earth." Man tills the earth and produces food which, when consumed, creates the energy that maintains vigor. Vigor engenders discipline, which develops the faith that gives knowledge; knowledge bestows learning, which brings composure and creates calmness; calmness establishes equanimity, which develops memory that induces recognition; recognition brings judgment, which leads to the realization of the "Self".

If we remain open to connections that could possible bring more meaning to our practice and to our lives then such connections are positive and beneficial. In this quote I connect to the first and second line of the ken-po goku-i, i.e. "The person's heart is the same as Heaven and Earth" and "The blood circulating is similar to the Sun and Moon."

How does this apply to karate-do or any other endeavor that leads or guides us to openness and better life practices? In the physical practice of the body through  the actions of the mind we must endeavor to create a body that is complete and at its peak which requires us to feed the body the fuels necessary to accomplish this goal. Food or fuel comes from "the breathe," "food," and "knowledge" which promotes health which is physical fitness which also influences the mind through the many systems of the body connected to the bodily functioning and vice versa.

The body follows the mind and the mind is influenced by the actions of the body. You decide in your mind what and how you will care and maintain your body and your body reciprocates accordingly in its influences to the mind.

Something to think about, yes?

Note: Sun provide energy by the light spectrum it sense us on Earth. The sun also provides heat which as the quote says influences the myriad things of the Earth where it provides sustenance to all life. Changes occur due to this relationship in water becomes gaseous/vapor rising into the heavens called "sky" creating by the changes in atmospheric pressures and temperatures clouds that rain on the Earth enriching the soils so that we may produce the foods necessary to create energy that fuels the very cells of our bodies and so on ...

Note: The body needs food containing the right balance, water helps digest and assimilate the food, food then nourishes by its assimilation into the various forms through out the body. One must find out by trial and experience which food is suitable to him/her.

Note: Our temperament is influenced by our diet because what we eat does affect the functioning of the mind. It is that state of mind that is important and proper diet will help to maintain clear and unwavering mind.

Note: The quantity and quality of food should be moderated. Respiration/proper-breathing provides the energy to promote digestion. Moderate and nourishing food is essential to maintain vigor, strength and alertness. Food is to be respected, not abused.

How does one achieve this in karate-do, by discipline. To achieve discipline the rigors of karate-do promote it and by it we can achieve discipline of the mind and spirit. This type of discipline promotes the kind that allows us to decide on our diet and then live that diet even when tempted by all the surrounds us such as advertisements, etc. This is how it starts and the singular practice of the mind and body in karate-do promotes this and the other disciplines necessary to change and promote living well, being healthy in both mind and body.

Bibliography:
Iyengar, B.K.S. Light on Pranayama: The Yogic Art of Breathing. Crossroad Publishing New York. 2010.

The Self: Confrontation

One of the many topics I have posted on is the self, the ego, and the path of karate-do as it is used to help us see inside ourselves. The ability of see ourselves as we really are, removing all those self-imposed "stories" or thoughts, emotions, judgments, and motivations that make up our character. We must first come face-to-face with ourselves in order to "see" and "hear" truth especially when encountering conflict.

Yogi Iyengar states in his book, "He unravels himself from the external body to the self within. He proceeds from the body to the nerves, and from the nerves to the senses. From the senses he enters into the mind, which controls the emotions. From the mind he penetrates into the intellect, which guides reason. From the intellect, his path leads to the will and thence to consciousness. The last stage is from consciousness to his Self, his very being."

What is alluded to in this is the singular practice of yoga, much like karate, is the path whereby the training of the body provides unity of body, mind, spirit allowing us to "see" within ourselves fault. This teaches us how the body functions and leads to the mind and then the mind is trained to unify that body and the only way that is achieved is to see ourselves as we really are and remove all the illusions we put ourselves in to attain a comfort in living life.

Terri Brooks said it well in a fictional account of how evil is destroyed by taking that entity to its very essence, its true self, reality. This is a modified quote, redacted to achieve clarity to the practice of karate-do:

"In the vortex of emotion and basic self that comprises the center most region of our being, we come face-to-face with ourselves. There is a chaos of uncertain impressions: Pictures and impressions loomed up before us. Thrust suddenly before our eyes, the world that is our birthplace and life source, from past to present, lay open and revealed to us, stripped bare of our carefully nurtured illusions, and we see the reality of existence in all its starkness. No soft dreams colored our view of life, no wishful fantasies clothed the harshness of its self-shaped choices, no self-conceived visions of hope softened the rawness of its judgments.

Amid its sprawling vastness, we see ourselves displayed for the pitiful, insignificant spark of momentary life that we represent. We struggle wildly for our grasp of the vision of self that has always sustained us, for what had been our hold on sanity, fighting to shield ourselves from the awesome view of our inner nakedness and the weakness of the thing we are compelled to recognize as ourselves.

... the thoughts, emotions, judgments, and motivations that made up this character. ...

... we see another side of ourselves, aside we have never been able to recognize - or perhaps had simply refused to accept. It reveals itself in an endless line of events, all caricatures of the memories we had believed in so strongly. An accounting of every hurt we had caused to others, e4very petty jealousy we had felt, our deep-seated prejudices, our deliberate half-truths, our self-pity, our fears - all that was dark and hidden within ourselves.

We open our minds to be receptive to those images, expanding outward to embrace them, forcing ourselves to admit the reality of what we have been shown. We cannot sensibly deny these other sides of our characters; like the limited image of the person we had always believed ourselves to be, we have to accept it. It is the truth.

We have to be able to accept the weakness and frailty that are a part of our human nature, as it is a a part of all men."

Only by accepting reality, only by accepting our weaknesses and frailties, only then can we truly attain proficiency in practice and thus in life. Yogi Ivengar also states eloquently [redacted to show karate-do], "Through the stages of karate practice one develops understanding of his own self. He proceeds step by step from the known - his/her body - to the unknown. He proceeds from the outer envelop of the body to the mind. From the mind, he goes to the intellect, the will, discriminating consciousness, conscience and lastly the self."

As one studies the many academic writings we find an underlying connectivity that permeates all of life. Following this one can achieve unity of self to the universe but subverting the path leads to a detrimental outcome.

The Meaning of Tao - XIII

Injury should be recompensed with Kindness.

[True bu-do; karate-do is also a dual endeavor where one side of the coin is destructive and the other is healthy. We as practitioners should work to learn both sides of the coin. By learning how to heal the body and mind we find that this study provides us the insights into using the same for destructive  purposes, i.e. combat against predatory evil intent on doing us and our tribe harm and where no other avenue is still available to avoid conflict. This is the meaning behind the myriad things of the Tao-te-Ching, that of karate-do.]