"The Author, it must be remembered, writes from his own standpoint!"
My personal "Interpretive" Lens!

"One thing has always been true: That book ... or ... that person who can give me an idea or a new slant on an old idea is my friend." - Louis L'Amour


"Providing a first step on a path to self-reflection." - C. E. James

"Read not to contradict and confute; nor to believe and take for granted; nor to find talk and discourse; but to weigh and consider..." - Francis Bacon

"What is true today may be reevaluated as false not long after. Judgements are frequently based upon a set of "temporary" circumstances surrounding them. Conflicting ideologies can exist simultaneously. Antagonistic dualities are complementary aspects of a unified whole: are seen as mutually dependent mirror images of each other." - Nahum Stiskin

Warning, Caveat and Note: The postings on this blog are my interpretation of readings, studies and experiences therefore errors and omissions are mine and mine alone. The content surrounding the extracts of books, see bibliography on this blog site, are also mine and mine alone therefore errors and omissions are also mine and mine alone and therefore why I highly recommended one read, study, research and fact find the material for clarity. My effort here is self-clarity toward a fuller understanding of the subject matter. See the bibliography for information on the books.


Note: I will endevor to provide a bibliography and italicize any direct quotes from the materials I use for this blog. If there are mistakes, errors, and/or omissions, I take full responsibility for them as they are mine and mine alone. If you find any mistakes, errors, and/or omissions please comment and let me know along with the correct information and/or sources.

Kenpo Gokui

The lines of the ken-po goku-i are set from an atomistic aspect simply because it is the manner in which the brain learns. Its nature is completely holistic and like the I Ching must be in a form that promotes learning and understanding so a person can see, hear and grasp the nature of a holistic system. The gokui is a method to teach us how to be holistic. Its terseness is the best that can be done to convey its holistic meaning.

A person's heart is the same as Heaven and Earth while the blood circulating is similar to the Sun and Moon yet the manner of drinking and spitting is either soft or hard while a person's unbalance is the same as a weight and the body should be able to change direction at any time as the time to strike is when the opportunity presents itself and both the eyes must see all sides as the ears must listen in all directions while the mind must grasp all the tactile, olfactory and gustation data not seen on all sides and not heard in any direction


Master Zeng said, "Am I preaching what I have not practiced myself?"

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All Bottles are Truly Good

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The Way (Dao) and Wu-Wei


The way is wu-wei is the way or the Dao. An enigmatic way of thinking that came from ancient Chinese way of thinking. My recent studies has emboldened my thoughts on wu-wei and the way as we may speak of it in the practice of martial systems. In my attempts to further my understanding of the cultural belief systems that caused such martial disciplined practices it has come to my mind that our perceptions of the "Way" may be misaligned much like many factions of ancient Chinese thought conflicted in their beliefs and understandings to the Way and wu-wei. 

I quote, "A model of skill-mastery in any form provides one access to a type of realism that differs significantly from - and lacks some of the weaknesses of - the sort of realism found in Cartesian representational theories of knowledge. The realism that governs the skill of martial systems, for instanced, is thus reflected in the fact that techniques (tactics and strategies) can be applied well or poorly, and the difference between these two types of techniques is observable in the material realm. When a technique cannot fulfill its intended use because its fundamentals do not apply properly or because it fails to fulfill its purpose when used can be said to have been applied by a bad martial artist. One's embodied mind becoming adequate in martial fundamentals to apply technique with fundamental principles is thought to be evinced by an apparent ease of action (wu-wei) and the possession of a sort of spiritual power with observable effects."

This quote as a stand alone does not adequately convey the connections of wu-wei with the way/dao and with martial systems, i.e. a physical discipline used to provide access to a type of realism that connects through patterns, rhythms, and realism with nature and its patterns, rhythms and realism that is called Heaven (another term that is perceived to mean nature itself).

In martial systems we strive to reach an ideal level of mastery and by this we can achieve wu-wei but the Way and wu-wei encompass more than mere physical master for it requires a spiritual master as well that speaks to nature's human virtue. If the proper cultural belief system is not understood and applied then the martial system in question is often practiced by one who may not be of moral spirit. This context is taught by the Way and wu-wei so that the entire martial system or any discipline can be a representation of the perfection that already resides in nature, or heaven, thus through perfection of skill you become a fully realized human being who embodies the way in all the actions and deeds done in living as a human connected to nature or Heaven. 

Nature (Heaven), the Way, Wu-wei, and virtue are intimately linked with one another to form the way of wu-wei or the wu-wei of the way. This is a complex context that warrants further study so that one can achieve the full spectrum of wu-wei, the way and master of a physical discipline. The order of which is irrelevant since it is the holistic wholehearted one that teaches us wu-wei-the-way-the-dao. 

I continue my studies to further my understanding. 

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