I Ching, Trigrams and Martial Systems

The lines of the I Ching hexagrams do reference the marital systems we practice today. This is yet another symbolic connection one see's, hear's, and feel's toward what they do to find balance along the path. The six lines begin at the bottom when reading/interpreting. The first line relates to causes outside the individual and requires "sensing" to perceive with an open-mind.

The second line called the official line is the next level of the individuals responsibility for their life and to create the reality that is reality. This is the thinking stage. In martial systems we attempt to make all of the thinking be accomplished in the dojo and not in combat. Thinking slows the mental processes and delays actions necessary to circumvent or deal correctly with conflict.

Your motivation shows in line three where your feelings are determined and the totality of the three lines for the lower trigram of the hexagram are representative of your attitude toward your inner world, your self. Your open-minded ability speaks to your attitude and your attitude holds great sway on how your attitude is applied and displayed to the outer world where the upper trigram and lines four, five and six are relevant.

The third line when holistically and symbiotically applied with line one and two lead you to the fourth line. The line is the karma of the body, your direction which is not necessarily out of your control. There are aspects that are not and you hopefully dealt with them in the lower trigram. The body leads to the soul that is governed by the heart and your mind. This is a stage where your maturity resulting from the previous lines and your practices in martial arts comes into play for it should have permeated your very being, your soul, to achieve the proper and correct mastery to the level you reach at any given moment.

The final line, line six, is the line that speaks to the results of the hexagram. You entered into this divination with a specific question and solid result that you wish to implement, step by step in detail, that will be either confirmed or denied as appropriate from your spirit as the answer to the moment. Your spirit is the wholehearted commitment you give to your question and answer.

Your spirit must be totally and completely committed as that is the only way to succeed for to have any doubt no matter how much and how hard you practice and train would result in a freeze and a resulting defeat, damage and even death. The spirit and essence of the I Ching and the divination of the hexagram toward your questions and strategies/tactics means absolute commitment in spirit or the mind will balk at the crucial moment.

In this way you take total and absolute responsibility first within yourself for all aspects of your life in and out of the dojo then you, you alone, create the body, soul and spirit that is committed to the path you, only you, choose with the aid of the I Ching as our mentor, guide and confidant.

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