Ken-po Goku-i: April 2015

The Small and The Large

Caveat: This article is mine and mine alone. I the author of this article assure you, the reader, that any of the opinions expressed here are my own and are a result of the way in which my meandering mind interprets a particular situation and/or concept. The views expressed here are solely those of the author in his private capacity and do not in any way represent the views of other martial arts and/or conflict/violence professionals or authors of source materials. It should be quite obvious that the sources I used herein have not approved, endorsed, embraced, friended, liked, tweeted or authorized this article. (Everything I think and write is true, within the limits of my knowledge and understanding. Oh, and just because I wrote it and just because it sounds reasonable and just because it makes sense, does not mean it is true.)

Please make note that this article/post is my personal analysis of the subject and the information used was chosen or picked by me. It is not an analysis piece because it lacks complete and comprehensive research, it was not adequately and completely investigated and it is not balanced, i.e., it is my personal view without the views of others including subject experts, etc. Look at this as “Infotainment rather then expert research.” This is an opinion/editorial article/post meant to persuade the reader to think, decide and accept or reject my premise. It is an attempt to cause change or reinforce attitudes, beliefs and values as they apply to martial arts and/or self-defense. It is merely a commentary on the subject in the particular article presented.

“Know the smallest things and the biggest things, the shallowest things and the deepest things. As if it were a straight road mapped out on the ground, the first book is called the ground book.” - Miyamoto Musashi

The ground holds the foundation, the foundation those things that make for a complete structure capable of standing the test of time. Only in this way can one achieve master over any discipline. The discipline that is mastered leads to the understanding of many disciplines regardless of content. It allows us to see, feel and hear all the myriad things due to the inter-connectedness of Earh, the ground, the support of the foundation of all disciplines. All rely on how the foundation is laid, it must be laid by knowing, understanding and mastering the smallest of things, the biggest of things, the shallowest of things and the depth of things. All things are built on the foundation and the foundation is built on the ground, the Earth.

Heaven and Earth denote: Heaven signifies night and day, cold and head, times and seasons, hard and soft, waxing and waning and other phenomena. Earth comprises of distances (maai, etc), danger, security, open ground and narrow passes, the chance of life and death where man stands on the virtues of wisdom, sincerity, benevolence, courage and strictness.

Man is the fulcrum of Heave and Earth where heart relates to the ebb and flow of both. Man, humans, are a microcosm of Heaven and Earth, i.e., heart, blood, hardness and softness, balance and unbalance, directions, when and when not to take the opportunity, seeing all things, hearing all things and the ability to adjust and change accordingly.

Heave and Earth direct and drive all of nature as to balance and equilibrium and by symbiosis govern that of humans internally and externally according the the yin-yang that is the one wholehearted myriad things of the Universe that was born of the singularity called, “The One.” The One is the Way, the Way is the map of life as laid out in the singularity mono-path that is time, time being the straight road that maps out on the ground of time, the path that one follows that is both small and large.

Alls things are driven this way such as the method and discipline that governs martial prowess and mastery. It is in this “Way” that one achieves success, morality, contentment, peace and tranquility in all the myriad things that comprise life’s roads paved in conflict and violence as in nature from pleasant weather to that which lifts the waves of the ocean to such stature of tidal and tsunami proportions.

The smallest and largest of man: humanity or benevolence; uprightness of mind; self-respect; self-control; proper feelings; wisdom; sincerity or good faith.

Yin-Yang; Peace-War

It has been said as a means to introduce the Art of War by Sun Tzu, “He who relies solely on warlike measures shall be exterminated; he who relies solely on peaceful measures shall perish.” - Ts’ao Ts’ao

This, I believe, is a statement toward the human need to take one side or the other to extremes whereby those who do are doomed to eventual failure. I liken this statement is a simplistic form for the fighting humans experience on a small scale where one-on-one tend to dominate. We as humans tend to lean toward conflict and violence in every aspect of life, from the mundane and simple to the chaotic and complex. The complex being that which spurs on the need for physical violence of the socially driven status seeking ego building form up to the predatory process and resource extreme damage form.

The quote also speaks to the balance one must achieve to survive whether surviving the every day conflicts and violences of the work world to surviving the infrequent, modern times driven, conflict and violence that takes us all the way up to great bodily harm and even death - accident or deliberate.

This quotes is to be seen like many other quotes as a Zen Koan like story or statement that one ponders and meditates on to achieve a greater understanding of life’s trials and tribulations. A means in seeking a level of enlightenment that evolves man and mans mind toward a more peaceful way where war, fighting and combatives remains available but is not used except in extremes of necessity.

In the warrior mind-state this also speaks to those who succumb to the mysteries and gratifications found in violent physical disciplines of action without tempering that with the more peaceful nonviolent counter weights of peaceful thoughts and actions. Relying on the strictly physical manifestation of violence toward “others” leads toward a sickness of the mind that will lead toward extermination. Relying on the strictly non-physical manifestations of non-violence toward “others” leads toward a sickness of the mind that leaves us open to extermination as well. No one way is the only way, all ways are comprised of a balance between its symbiotic parts that make it a whole, its hardness as it blends into softness, yin-yang.

When self-defense martial arts of our modern era are discussed they are thought of as merely sport. As such they leave out those principles necessary to make them a combative form of self-defense, i.e., they focus solely on the peaceful self-improvements toward enlightenment. This form discards human nature in conflict and violence necessary for survival even when not at war. It tries to hide that aspect so that we tend to assume and feel conflict and violence are to be removed like a cancer of the body leaving us to rely solely on peaceful measures for survival - that too results in extermination.

To achieve a true balance of human existence we must embrace our nature, our nature being violent with levels from mere disagreement to out right violence taking life. This requires a blending of both our natural inclination toward a war like acceptance, belief and proficiency of combatives from the lowest level of verbal to the highest of war like combat resulting in great bodily harm and death all the way to those peaceful like acceptance of our nature, belief in the counter weight of peaceful actions and our proficiency to hold peace dear and foremost in our hearts with the reserve of our warlike nature in extreme necessary circumstances and situations. This gives birth to those principles that create appropriate weights that balance out the scales of life such as the principle of “Theory.”

Theory, as an open minded way where our experiences, practices and training lead to ideas or systems of ideas that explain life’s experiences so that one can explain, understand and develop ways that make it productive and thereby justifies our actions toward a more socially acceptable way insuring survival.

This gives birth toward a principle called, “Physiokinetics.” The teaching, training and application of those physical needs regarding human survival. These are about human physical health, well-being (also a contributor toward balance between war and peace like actions and deeds) and fitness so when necessary our minds and bodies can act in survival.

The next principle that couples with the first two creates an ability that can both avoid and deal with (get-r-done) conflict and violence, “Techniques.” Often thought of as those particular physical manifestations of combat, fighting and defense. In truth they are a combination of both war and peaceful actions be they the awareness to detect potential obstacles and support models up to avoidance when conflict and violence are detected to the extreme of violent defense in the name of survival, peace and the social survivability of the tribe.

The final principle born of this is “Philosophy.” If we as humans fail to create a form knowledge, experience and reality toward the fundamental of our nature toward survival and existence then we fall prey to one side or the other, war over peace over war with no balance to stabilize such things.

Equilibrium, the balance that creates and sustains both life and the social tribal existence. All this to keep us within the means of survival, i.e., our natural warlike inclination for survival as well as our need for balance with our need for a peaceful resolution to life’s obstacles both natural and manmade required to survive, evolve and reach enlightenment.

The Way of the Empty Hand

The “Way.” The way is not easily defined simply because of the many perspectives and perceptions as to what the way is and what it means to a martial artist. It is still an important distinction when defining the practice and training of a martial system. If you fail to train and practice with a mind-set/mind-state as to the actual goals of that effort it could result in unpleasant repercussions, i.e., say you practice toward this more philosophical way while thinking that since karate is also considered a fighting and self-defense system that what you train and practice will actually work in a physical situation, it won’t.

Some look to ancient classics to determine what it is that makes a discipline such as karate as “A Way.” The Way, from my perspective and understanding, is about using this extremely physical discipline as a means to derive a philosophical moving meditative oriented effort toward combating personal and spiritual daily life struggles. It is taking a formally combative ancient model and using it to achieve more internal growth. This is where such studies as those applied to understanding the terse karate Zen-koan-like ken-po goku-i where it goes beyond the literal and into a more metaphysical understanding through the difficult and disciplined practice of things like basics, kata and types of kumite/drills.

It is a combination of a diligent physical practice coupled with a Zen like Buddhist oriented contemplative meditative process where our thoughts toward life experiences create an atmosphere where one can “see, hear and touch” truths toward self-improvement, etc. This is how the gokui is to be supplemented by the spiritual-like study of such classics as the I Ching, the Tao Te Ching and the Analects, etc.

Through the physical leaning and manifestation of fundamental principles such as those listed as physiokinetic principles promote a physical balance, health and well-being allowing the mind to calm and create present moment type of mental processes where one learns to control the ego, the monkey brain emotional roller coaster ride brain, and reduce actions, thoughts and deeds from a pride stance to a morally, honest and humble perspective. It’s goals are to reach a state of living where one lets go of ego or vanity; becomes more open, balanced, peaceful, receptive.

The uniqueness of the way of the empty hand, as with other martial endeavors, the structure within a dojo where the teacher, student, leader, follower and other useful roles provide optimum learning and teaching processes. Acceptance of such roles inter-connects with the human need and instinct to gather into groups for survival. It allows the sharing of knowledge and creates a personal and group wisdom that also enhances the Way for the individual. It promotes mutual respect, honor and integrity that often becomes a part of those fundamental principles of martial systems should that system also be used toward defense in conflict and violence.

The Way works to allow the use of win-lose paradigms as a novice level training tool but the gaol is to reach a level where one achieves a win-win group dynamic where all parties leave with growth, maturity and enlightenment. It helps us achieve a way to penetrate the gossamer covers that allow us to see past those illusory barriers of life and to realize our potential as individual toward our potential in the group dynamic seeing opportunity and to have clear unimpeded vision in all the “myriad things of the Universe.”

The ability through such endeavors contributes in a mental, visual and tactile sense model a means to focus on the now, the present moment, while discarding or ignoring of the past of regret and the fear of the future. It teaches us to remain in the present moment, the now, so we can achieve actions and deeds that are not hindered by fear, anger, or paralysis (the freeze) regardless of whether it is in normal conflict or the battles of physical attacks.

The repetitive practice of things like kata promote a meditative state induced by the many repetitions of basic movements until they are encoded into what some call, “muscle memory,” or to be at the instinctual levels allowing our lizard brain access in states of need and emergency. Balance in motion promotes a mind-set where balance of mind and spirit contribute toward greater contributions to self, the group and society as a whole.

The suffix often attached to martial systems, i.e., as karate becomes karate-do, that suffix denotes a way of being, being human person who is in balance with others and the group or tribe. The building blocks used is such classical ways, i.e., kata, hojo undo, drills, etcsl are technical methods that open the path, the way, toward strategic and tactical goals to achieve artistic expressions and when properly applied also lead to combative expressions leading toward a more combative application such as civil self-defense (remember this requires distinctions in practice and training).

The way also through this first level of martial arts, i.e., traditional or classical forms, are the foundation, the blueprints, used to achieve a more personal style and creative ability that is applied to self or toward defense in conflict and violence.

The health and well-being that is a corner stone of a practice in the Way also achieve such things as flexibility, pliability, gentleness, and harmony necessary for mental health and well-being also necessary for group mental cohesive health and well-being.

The Way also, outside the actual physical applications toward self-defense, provides a direct physical model that creates an environment of struggle, opposition and challenges of positive stresses of the mind and body that provide positive growth and personal resiliency.

One through the Way of the Martial Arts when properly applied leads to a personal integrity and harmony that promotes personal growth, peace, and a philosophical basis for living a good and full life. It clears the mind for learning and insight, it creates a social learning contract that has mutual respect and integrity as its foundation. It is this focal spirit that allows the individual to break through life’s obstacles and our internally created barriers to create an open minded socially acceptable human being.

When one takes up the mantle of practicing toward a “Way” they are, in my personal view, trying to achieve what is described herein. The distinction between this and a combative Way or Warrior Way is the translation of these goals from a primary role to that of an inter-connected wholehearted Way as described in the principles that underly all martial combative fighting system, i.e., principle of theory, physiokinetic, technique and philosophy. When that distinction is consciously implemented in training and practice along with the complete realistic way of self-defense then you have that system.

This is the Way, the Way of the Empty Hand!