Seeking the Wisdom of the I Ching

What one needs to do is determine first which hexagram is pertinent to the "question or inquiry" of the person seeking its advice. It could be the same person but in most instances it is someone who is seeking the wisdom of the I Ching through another who has experience in this area.

The following is just a general outline of a process, one of many, that one "MIGHT" use to find answers. The most common and easiest is the use of three coins. Some choose the Chinese coins but I would use three nickels. The number five has significance so using a set of nickels, five cents, is appropriate.

The following pictorial provides you with minimal information when throwing the coins and obtaining the lines or Yao for the primary hexagram, which is composed of a upper trigram and a lower trigram. When tossing the coins the result is to start with the first or no. 1 Yao and then you do five more throws while adding the successive lines on top of the first or no. 1 Yao.

While you toss the coins both the diviner and the participant must mediate continually on the issue the participant seeks advice/wisdom on so appropriate actions can be taken. There will be unchanging lines and changing lines, etc. so look closely at the pictorial/chart provided.

Coins: Thrown six times and document the values as follows:
Heads = Yang = 3
Tails = Yin = 2
Total the throws and put them into a chart that is similar to the pictorial/graphic shown to get the lines, etc.



Note: It should be understood that the distance you travel with the I Ching is determined by the person seeking its wisdom. The diviner can go as far as deemed necessary and in some instances my suggest a stopping point to the seeker, etc. The first step is reading the primary hexagram.

When you view the completed six lines of the coin throw you can then find the hexagram in the I Ching by dividing it into two trigram, i.e. the upper and lower. Upper is line 4, 5. & 6 while the lower is line 1, 2, and 3. Using these separate trigrams and the key chart to the hexagrams you find the books entry for that image.

How far you go would/could look like this:

Primary hexagram commentary, trigram interpretations, individual line interpretation, the heaven, mankind, earth line pair interpretation [1 & 3, 2 &4, 5&6] and/or [1 & 2, 3 & 4, 5 & 6], etc. Sometimes the divination depending on its complexity of the question will determine how fare is necessary, etc. The point here is that there are no hard and fast rules one must adhere to in reaching a conclusion as to actions the seeker must consider.

You have the full hexagram. You have identified the moving/changing lines. You have determined the location of the image within the book of changes, i.e. #2 K'UN, etc. Now it is time to go there and read the commentary.

As you read please understand that the I Ching largely reflects a synchronistic view and therefore implies that there is no one single answer to any question sought by the seeker for the particular type of problem. Two persons asking the same question can lead to two different answers. The words can be identical but the internal, to the seeker, and external environments are not.

Approach each question, each situation or instance of the question/situation according to its own reality which means the inner reality of the seeker and the reality of their environment, etc.

Quote, "The I Ching tends to lead questioners to examine problems from a perspective that is unfamiliar, yet that is at least as valid as our usual one. This new perspective may help us find a new insight into our problems. Even when we fail to find (or understand) an answer that fits what we can assimilate, we may be heaped to find a new way to see our problems and the reality behind them. The I Ching is a book of wisdom; we are exposed to that wisdom whoever we try to use it."

The book of changes does not actually provide a concrete answer to problems but provides answers that will provide "insight" into the seekers real problem. The problem they ask of my be something that is palatable to them when in reality there would be a true but underlying/subconscious problem instead. The book may seem to miss the mark but upon contemplation the seeker may find that the truth lies underneath and this would assist in seeing it for what it is.

The I Ching provides information that will allow the seeker to take full responsibility for the problem be it the question or something just underneath that question, what is real. In the end it will teach us to take responsibility for one's self and provide guidance in seeing that self and finding the true answers from Tao.

Note: The most productive divination is one that seeks wisdom for a problem that is occurring in the present moment. It then provides for a search for understanding and responsibility. One who seeks a direct answer, i.e. will I die, may be disappointed for the I Ching is not a fortune teller.

If you are seeking to expand your responsibility in regard to your question then you will find adequate response to assume it. One must acknowledge the past, learn from it, and by doing so create a sight that sees the present moment(s) with a clarity because of past experiences. Sometimes the I Ching merely displays the past as if looking into a mirror of the self/soul. It turns on the light and exposes the inner self so the self can work in the outer environment.

If additional divination is sought then we go past the commentary of the primary hexagram/image. There are several ways this is approached. One is the King Wen where the commentary comes first and then each individual line has commentaries. Another way is the creation of a secondary hexagram where the presence of changing/moving lines is played. Another way is to create another hexagram by the use of nuclear trigrams.

If there are changing lines then the second hexagram is created by changing those lines. Remember that when you tossed the coins you also marked them as either moving or not using an "X." Simply create the new hexagram by changing those lines and look it up much the same in the table using the upper and lower formed nuclear trigrams.

The second way to create a secondary hexagram is to take lines 2, 3. &4 to form a new lower trigram while using the 3rd, 4th, and 5th lines to form a new upper nuclear trigram. These two new trigrams will form the secondary hexagram.

One step further would be the division of the hexagrams into categories that relate to Heaven, Mankind, and Earth. There are two ways the lines are paired that provide different views. The two lines that are paired depending on their location will give answers or guidance in regard to either Heaven, Mankind, or Earth as explained by the book. This warrants further research beyond what can possibly be provided in a blog posting.

With this fundamental primer to the I Ching you can seek out its advice and it is recommended you find a source with proficiency in using the book of changes.

Don't feel it a daunting task to find a copy of the I Ching for your own studies. As you can see in this posting the tradition is to allow for today's interpretations and environment so no matter which copy you obtain all of them, much like all the bottles quote, are good as they all server purpose.

Choose one or several that fit you personal feelings, the ones that talk to you and continue your studies. Develop your "ling" which is a Chinese word for the ability to use the I Ching.

Bibliography:
Pease, Marshall. The Aquarian I Ching. Brotherhood of Life, inc. Albuquerque, NM. 1993.

I Ching continued … bottles … good … serve …

Discovery leaves one feeling fulfilled for that particular moment in time and that is good. I am finding many discoveries through the I Ching and one that connects well with my current practice is the knowledge that in Chinese tradition they allow for new interpretations and commentaries.

This tells me that even more important that this book of changes is such a changing tome of wisdom that its original intent allows the original text to be valid no matter what era seeks its advice. We or anyone at any time regardless should understand that the study of the I Ching is done in a frame of reference that is relevant to modern life.

I see this as another connection to Bushi Tatsuo Sensei though the Kenpo Gokui with emphasis in his lesson where he states that all bottles are good and they all serve a purpose. I can now see that this statement was directly influenced by his studies of the Chinese classics.

If we believe the intent of the book then no matter who reads and interprets its wisdom; no matter the era, place, person and time that unique interpretation and understanding is like the many bottles the Bushi Tatsuo Sensei used in his example, all interpretations are good as they all server a purpose.

It is said that if the I Ching is used you should develop your own viewpoint and interpretation - or interpretations. Where we choose a particular bottle that fits our view and interpretation as to which is the best we find that regardless all are good and all serve the particular individual in the views and understanding.

The I Ching provides a self-consistent and powerful framework that allows us to classify our interactions and allows us to examine some of the implications of a particular kind of interaction. We choose bottle we wish to use and suits us out of all the available bottles. I chose the bottle Isshinryu for my FA/MA practice while others chose Goju, Shorin, etc. All are good and all serve a purpose regardless of the choice we make as to which bottle is best.

The Chinese say the when we consult the book we first see the images and those images require adaptation to the user's society and background, and to the particular situation. How much more unique can it get, choosing the bottle provided by the book to give you knowledge and understanding so you may "choose" correctly, for you.

We must not use the book as a strict book where there is no leeway and we must not try to interpret the words, commentaries, images, lines, trigrams, and nuclear trigrams as if we were consulting the ancients older wisdom. That wisdom was for that time, place, and person(s) while we today are actually meant to "augment" the older wisdom.

Take a look deep into your self and then the book for guidance and then find your own way. In other words find the knowledge provided from the book and then choose the bottle best for your needs at this time and place for all of them are good and all of them server the purposes needed in that moment.

Determine Your Hexagram:

I am providing a snap shot of how to determine your personal/natal hexagram. To see the complete way to do this plus additional resources go to this site:

http://www.psychicsophia.com/taoofbirthdays/natalhex.htm

Since this is a small view just click on the graphic to see the larger version then right click it to download your own copy.

:-)

andropause

I thought this subject was something worth a post even if it does not directly relate to the fighting arts. This term is used by the Mayo Clinic and it came about because of the various symptoms that I have experienced these last few years and also some symptomatic discussions I have heard at our Peets Coffee House round table, i.e. a group of us from the neighborhood sit, drink coffee, and discuss a lot of stuff.

Some of the comments were, "I sleep like sh&^!," or "I seem to be getting a bit more fat and I am losing a bit of muscle and strength cause I got to work harder to stay up to this level," and "Motivation, I have none so I don't get chores done like I use to."

Some appear to be a bit depressed or sad about this stuff but you know guys we don't admit to anything someone else might misconstrue as weakness…we gotta stay up with those young pups don't ya know. My favorite is not remembering things or losing a bit of concentration that was a hallmark of my professionalism at one time.

Yea, the Mayo says these are all part of the aging process. It can be underlying effects of medication, etc. or even alcohol use cause we all either have a drink or a few beers now and then.

Well, the Mayo also says this can be what they call, "andropause," which you are going to flip when I tell you that it is a male version of the ladies menopause.

We as martial artist/fighting artists should know about these types of things in order to say yes that is what I am dealing with or no it is something else. The important thing is this, don't hesitate to see your doctor and talk about it.

We males also go through aging related hormone changes but they are very, very different from those in women. I quote:

"The term "male menopause" is sometimes used to describe decreasing testosterone levels related to aging. In men, hormone production declines more gradually. The effects — such as changes in sexual function, energy level or mood — tend to be subtle and may go unnoticed for years.

So what's the best way to refer to so-called male menopause? Many doctors use the term "andropause" to describe aging-related hormone changes in men. Other terms for so-called male menopause include testosterone deficiency, androgen deficiency of the aging male and late-onset hypogonadism."

All this can begin and it is gradual, very gradual, from age 30 and goes beyond the seventies. If you are suffering from the various symptoms then talk to a doctor.

Let me just say this, has there ever been a time of late where you think to yourself, "Hey, why am I reacting this way? When I was 25 I would have ignored it and kicked some butt!" or something like this, well, it may be that your system is changing and causing changes in those chemicals that make our bodies and minds do things we would have never imagined as younger guys.
Recently I have experienced some unusual behavior and reactions have been also unusual.

Example: one person make a comment about me on a yahoo group posting that normally would have resulted in my laughing a bit and ignoring the post but this time I was suddenly very angry and suddenly my fingers were dancing across the keyboard and this went on for several postings until I got a hold of myself and said hey, stop this shi%!

I don't normally get ruffled but lately I can feel the steam rising. Yes, it just may be some other factor but one day not long ago the thought suddenly appeared in my mind, which I tend to listen to, and I said wait a minute, male menopause! You have got to be shitting me.

So, my last comment to bring it to the FA/MA practice not to forget self defense is this, if you find yourself in a situation where you feel like exploding on someone but really don't know why cause before you would have laughed it off, stop, think of this posting, ask yourself, and then make a good decision.

Article from Mayo

The Corner Stone

The "primer or cornerstone" of the I Ching can be elusive. I am not saying I have found that key to the code of the I Ching as only those who have studied it far more than I may not find it either. The code key is that which one who creates such things uses to open the code so it can be interpreted.

The book, "I Ching: The Illustrated Primer," provides another step in the process for this particular book explains the process in a bit more understandable form that may or may not lead to the key or primer or cornerstone to the book of changes and by proxy ourselves.

The graphic added to this post is provided to assist in understanding the process of using the I Ching. Click it for the larger version. Right click it and save to get a copy.

The Great Tai Chi

If we view the last posting of the symbol for the great tai chi we note the meaning behind it form. To expand on this the following quote is provided, "The total positive resides at one end, while the total negative resides at the other, and varying intensities exist in between. Neither force can be represented as better or worse than the other, as they are bothy equally required for the balance required by nature.

CH'IEN: Creative power, yang. Symbolized by a solid bar and represent the male of the species. Attributes of Heaven, Light, and Positive. communes with its opposite K'UN.

K'UN: Natural strength, yin. Symbolized by a broken bar and represents the female of the species. Attributes of Earth, dark, and negative. Combines with its opposite, CH'IEN.

CH'IEN and K'UN (yang and yin) join and originate the I Ching as complimenting to each other.

Serves as lessons illustrating how one may achieve the superior life of the superior person.

When the two primal forces are represented as being combined together, CH'IEN-K'UN, the meaning is interpreted as 'Universe,' and represents all the extremes, Heaven-Earth; Light-Dark; Positive-Negative; Male-Female, and all intensities which can be found existing between them."

Bibliography:
Trosper, Barry R. I Ching: The Illustrated Primer. KGI Publications, San Jose. 1986.

Sun, Moon, & Earth Series ...

The monthly ratio between the heights of spring and neap tides is 8:3.

[three ;-)]

Each month the Moon more or less copies the entire annual ranges of rises and falls undertaken by the Sun in a year.

[just another example of the connectivity of all myriad things as conveyed in the ken-po goku-i, the I Ching and Mysteries. Lets not forget that the Moon is visible at night only because of its reflection of the suns light from the other or opposite side in relation to the Earth.]

The full moon is brightest and highest at midwinter, copying the motion of the midsummer Sun. Thus the full moon mirrors the Sun at the opposite point in the calendar, and like a true mirror it fully reflects the Sun's light.

[how many references do we hear of when studying the way that relate a mind set that is as a mirror reflects only what it is shown and a mind of no mind … ]

This reciprocation mysteriously extends into the numbers, for 1 divided by Sun = Moon, and 1 divided by Moon = Sun! 1 divided by 365.242 = 0.0027379, which in days is "3" minutes and 56 seconds.

The orbit of the Moon is tilted with respect to that of the Earth by an angle of 5.14 degrees.

To the ancients the nodes were thought of as the head and tail of a huge celestial dragon that swallowed the Moon or Sun during an eclipse. The nodal period is still known as the Draconic year.

346.62 = 18.618 x 18.618? When the eclipse year of 346.62 days is defined and completed by the Sun's meeting the node every 173.3 days ( an eclipse season) we get this formula which opens more questions as to the connectivity of the Sun, Moon, and Earth.

Bibliography:
Heath, Robin. Sun, Moon, & Earth. Wooden Books, Ltd. Ontario Canada. 1999.

Sun, Moon, & Earth Series ...

Only when full does the Moon "escape" the sun. The waning cycle than progressively delivers the Moon back into the daytime skies as it leads the sun.

[timing is everything down to the last molecule.]

The Moon then disappears for about "three" days, lost in the light of the Sun at the new moon.

[melding of the sun and moon; melding of the man and woman; results in life and can not enter existence with out this connection.]

The Moon, whose invisible claws draw the tides up and down the beach twice a day. The Earth's atmosphere above our heads and even its crust beneath our feet rise and fall to this lunar rhythm.

[have you ever taken notice of one who is proficient in the way; they exude a rhythm that seems extraordinary when it reality it is just the connection to the rhythms of the Universe; the planet; all those living and breathing entities that make up the myriad things.]

The tides are synchronized to the lunar day and therefore to the Moon's position in the sky.

[it appears that the moon has a greater significance than you would imagine since it also has effect on land and sky. Truly shows the string connectivity of all things in the Universe.]

In isolation tanks, human bodily rhythms eventually transfer from the solar to the lunar day.

[does this equate to the changes from day to night and back? Many of the old masters have mentioned times of the day, seasons, etc. to perform/practice certain kata/techniques, etc. to benefit the physical such as our sight, hearing, and tactile touch, etc.]

The Earth and Moon form a huge dumbbell in space, with their center of rotation located about 1,000 miles beneath the Earth's surface.

[I can not yet begin to see the significance of the line intersecting the Earth 1,000 miles below the surface. It also means that depending on the rotation of the Earth this line changes. I wonder if the change of location has significance on that particular area directly above its location as either positive or negative in nature…?]

Sun, Moon, & Earth Series ...

"The fluctuating monthly rhythm of reflected light, the twice daily ebb and flow of the tides, and many natural cycles are all essentially locked into the lunar phases as, uniquely, is the reproductive cycle of humankind. The Moon is associated with women and the number 13 which could reflect the fact that the Moon moves 13 degrees a day and orbits the Earth 13 times in one year."

[rhythms and patterns; the core of the natural Universe; reflected in the world around us and in plain sight for those who truly "look" and "see" them. Amazing!]

"The Moon's radius is 1,080 miles compared with that of the Earth at 3,960 miles, a ratio of 3:11."

[notice "3" again; not to mention both figures are divisible by "3" as well, coincidence?]


"The Moon moves fast at about an hour to cover the distance of its own diameter. There are 'three' principles of rotations called "the day (Sun-Earth); the sidereal month (Moon-earth-stars); the year (Sun-Earth-stars). There are lunation cycles, the time between full moons, which is truly Sun, Moon, and Earth. The lunation cycle is the prime lunar rhythm."

[three; principles; fundamentals of the Universe; Fundamentals of Earth, Moon, Sun; Fundamentals of human beings; fundamentals of the body, mind, spirit; notice the collections of "three?"]

"The Moon begins her monthly phases acting as consort to the Sun, appearing as a sliver of silver to his left. The new moon shaped like a reversed C. Each successive day finds the Moon belonging more and more to the night sky as the waxing phases increase the crescent to a quarter, gibbous, and then full moon."

[One can not exist and function with out the other; in our lives and practice there are those that can not function or exist with out the other much like our practice where the fundamentals are necessary for the kata which are necessary for the kumite; fundamentals (kihon-teki), kata, kumite; three!]

Bibliography:
Heath, Robin. Sun, Moon, & Earth. Wooden Books, Ltd. Ontario Canada. 1999.

Sun, Moon, & Earth Series [Five]

"The Earth orbits the Sun at the incredible speed of 66,666 miles per hour and at a diastase of 108 solar diameters."

[notice both are divisible by "3"; as you read more do you see the connection to numbers with some more prominent than others such as "three," "six," and "nine?"]

Bibliography:
Heath, Robin. Sun, Moon, & Earth. Wooden Books, Ltd. Ontario Canada. 1999.

Sun, Moon, & Earth Series [Four]

"Each day is a cycle that repeats perpetually; it is the diurnal rhythm. Those cycles repeat each day until we reach the 365 days to equal one year then we see the rhythm of a year."

[when the obvious is revealed we still wonder at why humans refuse to see and embrace the cycles of repetitive practice. Is this why we lose the connection to the fundamentals which are the keystones of great structures that can be built on those solid foundations?]

Bibliography:
Heath, Robin. Sun, Moon, & Earth. Wooden Books, Ltd. Ontario Canada. 1999.

Doing It Wrong

How do you feel when you find out you have been doing something you believe was "right and correct" only to discover it is "wrong?" How you handle such an event will speak to you, or not.

Sometimes I find I am doing something wrong and it speaks to me then sometimes it does not and it can become a matter of my inability to accept that it disrupts my story so I resist.

I can truthfully say that although I might resist eventually I come around to the correct thinking. Example: I was dating this young woman and when the topic of marriage came up I said, "I will never ever get married again." She simply asked, "why?"

This stopped me in my tracks and I just looked like a dumb ass cause I could not answer. I took that thought with me for a while and realized I had no decent answer other than I had a bad marriage before and the divorce was a real bummer. I gave it more thought and now have been married for fourteen years.

I am finding some extensive flaws in my FA/MA practice. Nothing that changes what I practice but changes the perspective I take in that practice. I no longer say that I teach self defense. I will say that I have recommendations and then point them to where they can get some knowledge and then tell them they can then find someone who can fill the bill, maybe. After all there are very few out there who can teach real self defense and not this bogus stuff I use to teach long ago.

This is just an example and there is more I am realizing. I just thank the powers to be that I am at least acknowledging my short comings in this life and hope that I can continue to admit that my story may be in need of adjustment.

Life does throw some cures don't ya think? Hey, I am thinking of not calling what I practice a FA/MA except that the source it comes from fills that bill. Do I teach how to fight, nope. Do I teach a fighting/martial way, maybe but with a lot of caveats. Maybe I am making it way to complicated!

Sun, Moon, & Earth Series [Three]

"The great pyramid (2480 B.C.), its base and height fit the 'squared circle' of Earth and Moon. The Sun, Moon, and Earth system! "

[as you read the quotes in this posting you will see connections, patterns, rhythms that effect one another much like we humans in our societies, cities groups, township relationships, community connections, and family wholeness. The ken-po goku-i helps us to "see" and "hear" the opening of the door to more connectivity to the Universe as the I Ching tells us about the great Tai Chi and Chi as it increases by the balance attained in the opposites of life, yin-yang.]

Bibliography:
Heath, Robin. Sun, Moon, & Earth. Wooden Books, Ltd. Ontario Canada. 1999.

Behind the Naming of Isshinryu

Why did Bushi Tatsuo Sensei pick January 15, 1956 as the date to announce the starting of a new style? Bushi Tatsuo Sensei was a Sumuchi [also referred to as a Sanjinso, which means three social trends meaning past, present and future, and as such would be asked by his community, etc., to choose specific dates for important events such as this naming.

When performing sumuchi the diviner would base it on the client's birth date and other factors. He also used the I Ching, almanac and other books of divination.

As a sumuchi Bushi Tatsuo knew the importance of choosing a most prosperous day/date. As a sumuchi/sanjinso he consulted the ancient oracles and decided that "Oshogatsu" (Okinawa dialect) or "Koshogatsu" (Japanese dialect), meaning "Small New Year," relies on the "Lunar Calander. (Moon!)" The Oshogatsu begins on the "first full moon" of the New Year. The time falls generally on dates somewhere around the fifteenth of January. A widely observer time in the rural areas of both Okinawa and Japan.

It was fitting that Bushi Tatsuo Sensei would announce the new name for his karate on Soguwachiguwa (Small New Year) which in modern times falls on January 15th. He would have used the I Ching to pick this date as was customary for Okinawa Sumuchi's. What better date than small new your to plant a new seed to bear new crops, the seed of Isshinryu for the crop of karate-do or "Ti."

As is tradition on the island of Okinawa Small New Year's follows the lunar calendar and is celebrated on the first full moon of the year, January 15th. Although not planting a agricultural seed, he planted a new style with new idea's and named it "Isshin-ryu!" As a sumuchi, who read the ancient classics, he understood that "All things begin with one," and on January 15th in the year 1956 Bushi Tatsuo Sensei planted "one seed."

Bibliography:
Advincula, A. J. The Naming of Isshin-ryu: In the beginning there was the one. Isshnikai:The Official Website of Sensei Arcenio J. Advincula. http://www.isshinkai.net/history03-birthofisshinryu.html. 2009

Sun, Moon, & Earth Series [Two]

" ... cosmic patterns are reflected in earthly life ... "

[we see it daily only if we look in the present moment and it is reflected in may aspects of our training and practice for which knowledge leads to enlightenment.]

Bibliography:
Heath, Robin. Sun, Moon, & Earth. Wooden Books, Ltd. Ontario Canada. 1999.

Sun, Moon, & Earth Series [Beginning]

This is a bit of information of interest that I gleamed from a tiny book published by Wooden Books. The bibliography at the end will get you to it so you can read the entire book.

It just goes to show that one never really knows what they will find if they remain open to the possibilities. This is true in the practice of a FA/MA such as Isshinryu provided the practitioner, deshi, embraces the entire system which includes the study of the ken-po goku-i and by extension those ancient classics that influenced the creation of Okinawa Isshinryu Karate-do.

I plan on quoting parts of the book and then in [brackets] provide my thoughts on the quote. The comments are mine and subject to critique since I am a deshi in regards to the ken-po goku-i so don't hesitate to provide your views and comments.

"The subtle connecting strands of meaning woven into the web of life." - Sun, Moon, & Earth by Robin Heath.

[string theory does seem apropos when you consider all the connections you find not only in the Heavens themselves but in symbology, numerology, etc. along with patterns and rhythms. When you view it all you find that even in the "one" practice of Isshinryu and the study of the ken-po gku-i the value of its knowledge in understanding the breadth and depth to which Bushi Tatsuo Sensei took in the many years used to develop this singular form that will and does connect us back to the cosmos.]

Bibliography:
Heath, Robin. Sun, Moon, & Earth. Wooden Books, Ltd. Ontario Canada. 1999.

Vitruvian Man and Ken-po Goku-i

Granted, this is my research and you may find that DeVinci's explanation does not agree yet when you look at the symbolism and numerology (sacred geometry) the connections are there.

In my research on the ken-po goku-i, the I Ching and its relationship to the practice of Isshinryu karate-do not to forget the symbolism Bushi Tatsuo Sensei incorporated in his style there must be meaning that connects everything much like the Universe is made up of connections or strings, i.e. string theory, etc.

The first two precepts of the ken-po goku-i are directly connected to all this and the other six precepts indirectly. If no other reason it is an interesting journey when you start to "see" connections especially in actual practice.

Kanpai Bushi Tatsuo Sensei!

p.s. Click image to see larger version which may make the text easier to read.

The Great Tai Chi (a single point and a line...)

The great tai chi is representative of the one that begat all myriad things in the Universe, or so says the Chinese Oracle. We can look at this as a single point that has no dimension, it is void, and does not reside in space. There is no inner nor outer to this point and yet it is the source of all the myriad things that make up our Universe.

This is why the Tao is represented by the circle which is also manifest as a small circular dot. When the myriad things came into being a line emerged from the small dot which brought into being two principles, active (yang) and passive (yin) which are also referred to as strong and yielding. Thus came the great Tai Chi.

The single point chose somewhere outside of itself, a direction to travel. Much like it is believed that the Universe exploded outward from that one single point with no dimension and no space. The line has no thickness and no end.

The line brings into being simplicity or "three" ways to become apparent.

The line has a stationary point and a moving point. This is referred to as a stationary point and a fee point (passive/active). The free point can be rotated to form a circle which in Chinese belief forms the Universe. We can say that when the Universe came into being the myriad things filled the expanding circle formed by the single point and the free point (which continues to travel away from the single point while forming a circle, etc.).

The active/free point can also move to a third (three) equidistant point from the other two points equally forming a equilateral triangle.

The active line can also produce another form by its movement away until distances are equal to form a square. representing the Earth as described in Chinese belief and referred to in the ken-po goku-i and I Ching.

We now have at the most basic or fundamental form "three forms," i.e. circle, triangle and square. All rich in meaning and found in almost all things living and created. We now have Heaven, Earth and Man.

If we go a bit further by rotating the circle a sphere is formed. If we move the triangle, a vertex, we form a pyramid or tetrahedron. And finally if we transition the square we form a cube. The possibilities are endless. We open our eyes and "see" the myriad things which in turn open our minds to many more possibilities in life and in practice.

The sphere is a symbol of the cosmos and the totality of manifest creation. Very large/small things in nature lean toward a spherical shape. Einstein hypothesized that all the stars and planets, etc. are inside a "event-horizon sphere."

With circles you can produce perfect triangles and hexagons. Thus you can see why the circle and sphere are representative of the Universe for all the myriad things are produced by the single point and line creating a circle and thus by it emergence create squares and triangles representative of Earth and Humans.

If you take circles to form many other forms such as triangles, dodecagons and more by using the circles and the line to connect points, etc. When done many myriad things are created and are represented by the drawings created using a ruler, compass, and pencil. The pencil creates the single point while the compass forms the circle(s) and the ruler helps to connect the points created by intersecting circles, etc. with lines. A combination of the many myriad lines form many things. This occurs in all the kingdoms of Animal, Man and Nature.

Take a look at the graphic in this post and you will notice that this ancient drawing has all the symbolic drawings representative of Heaven, Earth and Man the read the first precept of the ken-po goku-i which leads to the I Ching and then review the references to the number three in the Isshinryu system which is referenced in other posts here and on my karate blog site.

Bibliography:
Lundy, Miranda. Sacred Geometry. New York. Walker Publishing Company. 2007

ANSWER TO GRAPHIC POST

If you look at the center graphic, then the yin-yang symbol, and finally the tomoe symbol you will see the patterns in the center geometric drawing which I might add comes from a design for a Church Window.

Of course the most obvious are the circles, triangles, etc. in the drawing but it is a combination of all those that make up the final design. Notice the sets of "three."

CLICK GRAPHIC FOR LARGER VIEW!

This one pretty much answers the second graphic as well.

Three, 3, Tri and Unity

If you take a look at the symbols of geometry you will find numbers are prevalent and one of those is the number three. Three or trinity or Tri-unity deals with a triangle which enables opposites to balance and transcend to new wholeness that could not be achieved any other way. Are you beginning to see?

Think of it, a third leg makes a good tripod and it becomes stable and you can not braid hair with out the third stand(s) of hair. Sensei can be the third point creating a balance between sempai and kohai in the dojo.

Take a look at the various "three's" in the world and you will be amazed and maybe see the connections of three in our practice. Didn't Bushi Tatsuo Sensei develop Isshinryu from three different styles? Maybe that is why Isshinryu is so stable and continues with out Sensei so well. Isn't there three stars in the sky of the me-gami?

An example that will help explain the importance of three in the Universe, "If you draw a line and then use "phi" to divide the line so that the ration of the lessor part to the greater part is the same as the ratio of the greater part to the whole. No other proportion behaves so elegantly around unity. "

When you practice kata do we have groups of three in each section? If you understand and know of Bushi Tatsuo Sensei you know he was religious or spiritual and studied the classics not to forget his fortune telling capabilities then seeing a number three in his system will be logical.

When you study the I Ching you will find the number 6 and 9 have significance and guess what? Six and Nine are divisible by "3!"

Other aspect to consider:

"The diameters of the Earth and Moon (7920 miles and 2160 miles) are in the ratio of 11 to 3."

"Nine or the horizon: In traditional worldwide number lore, nine, or thrice three, was referred to as “the horizon” symbolizing the ultimate, the maximum, “the whole nine yards”."

LAST:

Take a look at one of the leading practitioners of Isshinryu in the United States and his teachings. He uses the number three, i.e. The 3P's, 3R's, 3K's,3L's and the 3-8's. [practice-practice-practice;repetition-repetition-repetition; kihonteki-kata-kumite;look-listen-learn; and 8 codes of the kenpo gokui; the 8 empty hand kata; and the 8 kobudo kata]. Lets not forget the "A,B,C's" or Attitude, Basics, Confidence!

Oh yea, the square root of "3" is found in the animal, vegetable, and mineral kingdoms! Lets not forget that one of the forms of divination in I Ching is the use of "three" coins.


Bibliography:
Lundy, Miranda. Sacred Geometry. Walter Publishing Company New York. 2007
Schneider, Michael. Constructing the Universe. http://www.constructingtheuniverse.com/. 2010.
Advincula, A.J. Isshinkai Yahoo Group. http://sports.groups.yahoo.com/group/isshinkaiKarate/. 2010

Updated version of the symbol, click for the larger version.

Moon (The blood circulating is similar to the sun and moon.)

Many aspects as they come to light show the connectivity that Bushi Tatsuo Sensei used when he developed his style of Isshinryu karate-do. The more I find the more I am amazed with what he achieved but am disappointed that in our eagerness to become physical that most of us have glossed over or completely missed his true goal for teaching and practicing the fighting art he created.

In the second precept of the ken-po goku-i the I Ching provides more on the reference to the "moon."

K'an in the I Ching represents water, rain, danger, abysmal, pig-ear, and hand. Its element is water and it deals with spiritual cleansing. In man's world it represents the "heart," the soul locked up within the body, the principle of light enclosed in the dark - that is, "reason."

It also represents the recent past and the present when interpreted for divination purposes. It tells us to act with persistence, to successfully overcome difficulties and hardships. It refers to a persistent individual who overcomes; has high ideals; is a benefit to all things; to teach others; to increase their own knowledge.

The moon as seen within the symbol and character representing K'an when followed leads to calm; leads to a peaceful place.

Harry Frankfurt wrote, "Becoming wholehearted, a state not unlike stoic resoluteness." It is to eliminate conflicts in which one physical process interferes with others and undermines equilibrium in which health consists." - The Stoic Warrior author.

Wholehearted is to seek to overcome or to supersede a condition of inner division and make the self into an integrated whole. Fight it as an enemy, banish it, resist all alliances with it. Build gates to keep from entering.

MOON!

The depth and breadth Bushi Tatsuo Sensei went to achieve this level of enlightenment is astonishing or if you are of this mind then maybe he was just lucky and these connections are just the stories we tell ourselves to make what sometimes is a mundane practice into something much more much like those who "see" secrets in practice.

Look within, see the truth, stop the stories and allow Tao to provide for us. Seek knowledge, true and accurate knowledge, or only the facts.

Symbols-2

Take a close look at this graphic. Can you see the symbol I can see here? Is there more than one symbol?

Symbols

Take a close look at this graphic. Can you see the symbol I can see here? Is there more than one symbol?

Fist+Law+Extreme+Meaning

The ken-po Goku-i or the law of the fist where the eight precepts are those extreme meanings of that law which equates, to me, to the connection with the ancient texts.

Bushi Tatsuo Sensei and other masters of Okinawa Fighting Arts pulled these precepts from the complexities of the ancient texts from China. Okinawa was under China's influences most of their history and the history of Okinawa Ti is derived from that melding to local practices to the practices locals acquired from the study of Chinese boxing and the classics.

Extreme meaning alludes to the way they condensed many aspects of the I Ching and other mysteries of the past-present-future to provide a set of "keys" to open many doors to much more.

I believe that these keys were created in this fashion to provide the doorway to enlightenment but also to confuse the minds of those who were not serious about their training which I find evident in many of today's practitioners. A serious view of learning and practice means that we find equilibrium which in turn means study of both the Yang and the Yin of karate-do or the way of the empty hand.

After all, if they didn't want us to dig deeper then why call it the ken-po goku-i? If it were meant to teach us about the physical aspects of the way then they could have called it simply "ken-po" or "law of the fist."

When we take a look at the meanings behind the character we find that "goku" means "extreme" but also means utmost or exceedingly great, ultimate, ultra-, and hyper-. When you take a look at the character "i" we find both "MIND and MEANING" along with heart, thoughts, feelings, opinion and take something to heart. I am sure if you are a Isshinryu practitioner who has been exposed to the ken-po goku-i and its deeper meaning then all those adjectives will connect your thoughts to the many direct words in the eight precepts and more so in such books as the I Ching.

As an aside to this posting I can tell you finding the characters that represent the aspects of our karate tell us a deeper and more meaningful story. Why I devote a section in my web site to the meanings of the kanji characters (see picture on right side of this page).

Present Moment Breathing

Total concentration on the ever-changing breathe brings us squarely into the present moment. [we strive to achieve this level of present-moment consciousness upon entering the training hall. We first change into our uniform and by that process if we bring our mindfulness directly to the process of changing and bring in to that same mindfulness our breathing we pull ourselves out of the daily thoughts so we may fully focus on training and practice.]

Coordinate the activity in which you are involved with your breathing. This lends a flowing rhythm to your movement, and smooth's out many of the abrupt transitions. [our goal in practice is just this, to achieve this mindfulness that brings our entire being into what we are doing at that exact moment, the present-moment. This keeps the past and future away. Ever wonder when observing a long time practitioner with a level of proficiency where you observer a rhythm in their practice? If you are "seeing" them completely you will see that this natural rhythm comes from their patterns of both the physical movement and breathing along with some other more esoteric practice that seems in rhythm with nature. Watch, observe, and "see."]

Activity becomes easier to focus on ... mindfulness is increased. Mind is not burdened with pre-occupations or bound by worries. [karate-do provides so many benefits and one very important one is meditation through the motions of practice. Motions of practice go beyond just body movement but the mindfulness present-moment training that is found in many of the Eastern meditative practices.]

Mindfulness results in change to the nervous system fostering insight. It enhances your intuition. The breath is not merely inhalations and exhalations but... Breath ceases to be just breath. It becomes a living, changing process, something alive. It is no longer something that takes places in time; it is perceived as the present moment itself. [Mushin and Zanshin or what the Chinese call, "wu wei." Not an empty mind but a mind with a concentration and focus that keeps it and you in present-moment mindfulness which allows you to tap into the instinctive benefit of the Tao. You want this in self protection and even in combat.]

It is grounded in a living flow of the present and marked by a sense of reality. [Remaining present-moment mindfulness is a path to inner understanding where you will open up all the doors over time to "see" and "feel" who and what you are taking you past all the "stories" you have or are telling yourself to cope with the trials and tribulations of life. This is the path to enlightenment.]

The Universe as a flowing river of experience.

Bibliography:
Gunaratana, Bhante. Mindfulness in Plain English. Wisdom Publications; 2nd edition. September 2002.

Kenpo Gokui and Complexity?

It occurred to me that there is a possibility that the depth I am giving to my interpretation of the kenpo gokui may be more than it actually is. There is a possibility that Bushi Tatsuo Sensei meant it to be specific to the practice of Isshinryu where the focus is on form, body dynamics, applications.

Maybe because he never truly provided the guidance in that no one really understands and must then go with their own as to its meaning. In the end maybe that is what he wanted, i.e. to make us think. Then again maybe I am jumping into more than what really exists.

You can make connections between almost anything and it can make sense. Look at the books, fiction, that use symbolism/symbols to sell, i.e. Dan Brown's books "Lost Symbols" and " and "The DaVinci Code." You could almost believe that all he spoke of in his books was real simply because he made those same connections.

If he actually wanted us to think then maybe he wanted it to be unique and real for each of us. After all if he had laid it out word for word in a document then most would take that as the bible of its interpretation and then neglect the possibilities or not think outside that box.

How many today take it as gospel that the kata and such are to be kept "exactly" as Bushi Tatsuo Sensei taught with out deviation. Now I agree with this in part only in that we must teach new practitioners the core but we must then allow practitioners to go beyond the fundamentals.

This also appears in the so called "secret" techniques supposedly "hidden" in the techniques/kata. Really, after all my understanding of Okinawa Karate taught by the Masters, i.e. Miyagi Sensei, etc. is they taught everything they knew and the practitioner had to stay the distance to learn it all while those who quit early missed out. Maybe this secret thing is just a sales gimmick or maybe it is something to use to make the "group" or "band" feel special.

One statement I do believe Bushi Tatsuo Sensei said and has been verified from a variety of sources on Okinawa is that he wanted us all to learn about one another and understand the cultures, etc. so we could all live in peace and harmony. Well, isn't this secret stuff along with "only my special students" can learn these aspects of Isshinryu so if you are not one of "us" then you are one of "them" and can not "see" my secrets. So special now aren't we?

Did he actually want us to learn that only a select group or band can learn all that he meant all of us to learn so you got to be special to learn it? I can only say that in my research and studies I have found nothing that says life is a secret, living life is a secret, or we are meant to be in special us type groups with all else in a them type group. Think Segregation, is this what is meant in the ancient classics?

It has been proven/verified that Bushi Tatsuo Sensei was a spiritual person who studied the classics and that he practiced sumuchi or fortune telling. If he believe in buddhist doctrine, the I Ching, the Bubushi, etc. then would he teach us to create a special group within his system and then exclude those who do not meet "our" requirements/standards, etc.?

Questions, questions, questions…maybe that is what Bushi Tatsuo Sensei was trying to convey to his practitioners who stayed the distance, ask yourself questions and then find the answers but be truthful to yourself and correct those errors and omissions to get it "right!"

Generally Speaking

Buddhism recognizes that body and mind are tightly linked. Emptying the mind is not as important as being mindful of what the mind is doing.

[Often FA/MA practitioners as well as those who practice "koryu" which is classic styles of the Japanese martial systems that emptying the mind is a requirement to achieve a level of expertise in those forms of combat when in reality this is slightly off the center. What is actually achieved is present moment mindfulness where nothing from the past or future intrudes for those moments of combat.

We can not achieve this type of mental concentration every moment of the day and we should avoid trying to do this as it is counter productive. We need to train to achieve this exacting present moment mindfulness when that moment deems it necessary. This could be combat, self defense, achieving goals, etc. or just that meditative time to still the mind and achieve positive results for you health.

We FA/MA practitioners get caught up in the thrill of the stories that cause us to look at things a bit askew vs. realistically. We all want to be the hero and yet we are influenced into that false belief that it is as depicted in movies, books, etc. when it ain't.

Present moment mindfulness is also a vehicle to dig into ourselves to see the real you vs. what you tell yourself, i.e. your story, which can be more fictional than real. This particular quote can be a reminder that we have to see beyond the story and be truthful with ourselves to achieve enlightenment. Then again, if that ain't your bag then it doesn't matter.]

Deep breaths; the mind is wild, agitated, or distracted, reestablish mindfulness with a few deep breaths. Pull air in strongly and let it out the same way. Make a strong act of will and apply some force to your attention. Reestablish mindfulness, strengthen concentration.

[There is good reason why so many forms of self improvement, i.e. FA/MA practice, meditation, etc., use breathing techniques as a focal point in practice. Breathe controls and affects many parts of the spirit, mind, brain, and body which are all connected. Breathing gives life not only to the body but through the many systems within the body and mind. ]

Generally Speaking

Buddhism recognizes that body and mind are tightly linked. Emptying the mind is not as important as being mindful of what the mind is doing.


[Often FA/MA practitioners as well as those who practice "koryu" which is classic styles of the Japanese martial systems that emptying the mind is a requirement to achieve a level of expertise in those forms of combat when in reality this is slightly off the center. What is actually achieved is present moment mindfulness where nothing from the past or future intrudes for those moments of combat.

We can not achieve this type of mental concentration every moment of the day and we should avoid trying to do this as it is counter productive. We need to train to achieve this exacting present moment mindfulness when that moment deems it necessary. This could be combat, self defense, achieving goals, etc. or just that meditative time to still the mind and achieve positive results for you health.

We FA/MA practitioners get caught up in the thrill of the stories that cause us to look at things a bit askew vs. realistically. We all want to be the hero and yet we are influenced into that false belief that it is as depicted in movies, books, etc. when it ain't.

Present moment mindfulness is also a vehicle to dig into ourselves to see the real you vs. what you tell yourself, i.e. your story, which can be more fictional than real. This particular quote can be a reminder that we have to see beyond the story and be truthful with ourselves to achieve enlightenment. Then again, if that ain't your bag then it doesn't matter.]

Deep breaths; the mind is wild, agitated, or distracted, reestablish mindfulness with a few deep breaths. Pull air in strongly and let it out the same way. Make a strong act of will and apply some force to your attention. Reestablish mindfulness, strengthen concentration.

[There is good reason why so many forms of self improvement, i.e. FA/MA practice, meditation, etc., use breathing techniques as a focal point in practice. Breathe controls and affects many parts of the spirit, mind, brain, and body which are all connected. Breathing gives life not only to the body but through the many systems within the body and mind. ]

Part Eleven: Training the Mind/Brain (series: Final Call)

[Notice: The series are a personal effort in understanding the brain/mind and how it will apply to my life and practice of the fighting/marital arts. Any errors or omissions are mine alone and do not reflect on the sources from which I draw my thoughts and understanding. If you find any please allow me the human condition of making errors and provide me the information I need to learn, grow, and prosper.]

You may have noticed the bibliography by now and that is the subject of this final call. How all this can work for you in life and in training/practice is more than can be conveyed here in this series so I would say, "Final Call: Get this book and read it!" There is clarification on what I have presented and a good deal more for you to read and understand.

The ramifications to your life and training/practice are enormous so it is worth the expenditure.

Bibliography:
Hanson, Rick and Mendius, Richard. The Practical Neuroscience of Buddha's Brain: Happiness, Love & Wisdom. Oakland: New Harbinger Publications, Inc. 2009.

Please click the image to get full size if reading is a bit hard to read.

[Bet you didn't know that the original depiction of the "Tai Chi Symbol" the color was "RED" and not "WHITE." Apparently the common dye of that period was red so the Yang was represented by red, not white!]

Part Ten: Training the Mind/Brain (series: The Way of Mind/Brain Trainings; example)

[Notice: The series are a personal effort in understanding the brain/mind and how it will apply to my life and practice of the fighting/marital arts. Any errors or omissions are mine alone and do not reflect on the sources from which I draw my thoughts and understanding. If you find any please allow me the human condition of making errors and provide me the information I need to learn, grow, and prosper.]

In most of this series we have discussed many aspects of mind/brain training for life and also within our training/practice of the FA/MA. This section is going to allude to some things you can do in actual training of the mind/brain BUT I implore you to go/wait to the last post of this series or check the bibliography to read the source material for details on this process. I am no expert and remember my postings are simply a way for me to learn and grow and hopefully get the reader to explore MORE.

This involves breathing and visualization with the inclusion of both particular thoughts and verbalizations to achieve change within the brain resulting in a change within the mind or if you wish a change in the mind that will be cause for change in the brain. Note: a little like which came first the chicken or the egg but here the mind or the brain…doah.

Take a breathe [this is in everything you do], "feel" what it is you want, say strength or speed, in your mind. Make it clear and everlasting, your capacity to do this thing. Recall a time when this particular things felt strong and effective. Bring the mind into a sense of this thing along with all the feelings of some past thing that is the same or similar. Feel that thing within your body and mind as you breathe, let it infuse you arms, legs, etc. Bring into you mind a person who has either experienced this with you or on their own in the past and feel their support especially that they believe in you and your ability/capability to do this thing, say have strength. Notice how good it feels and how it makes your body and mind feel. Turn your full attention to that sense of this thing you are working on.

Now, bring an awareness of a challenging situation where this thing you are working on, say strength, is required. Feel solid and confident in your abilities for this particular thing. Allow this challenging situation to be what it is while you continue to feel this thing. Pay attention to all the feelings and thoughts of what you are trying to accomplish.

As you can see I attempted to paraphrase the process described in the book to give you an idea of a process to achieve changes in your brain thus the mind and finally in the body so you can program improved behavioral patterns in life and in FA/MA practice (which means in applying it in life as well.).

Bibliography:
Hanson, Rick and Mendius, Richard. The Practical Neuroscience of Buddha's Brain: Happiness, Love & Wisdom. Oakland: New Harbinger Publications, Inc. 2009.

Karate is Meditative

Why would I say this? Karate practice is a form of practice that directs your mind into a type of focus called zanshin or mindfulness. This is a singleness of mind. This is brining your spirit, mind, and body into one whole which is a type of awareness.

This body awareness is meditative in which all the experiences of practice and training come together as a whole and attentiveness is very steady, very focused.

Usually one who achieves this level of mindfulness or equanimity has achieved a type of present moment awareness that stimulates and programs the brain system which is reflected in the mind.

If training and practice are correct and complete then it becomes meditative in nature and that meditative practice is what you use in practice and training to achieve that spirit, mind, body connection to achieve a level of proficiency unachievable in other aspects of life.

This is mind/brain training, this is mokuso, this is present moment, and this is attentive mindfulness.

The kenpo gokui alludes to the meditative practice by inferences to the use of your eyes, ears, body, balance, yin-yang, the body systems to the moon and sun, and the heart to heaven and earth. It is an overall inference to achieving balance within thus equilibrium with the whole world. This is also a goal of meditative practice.

Part Nine: Training the Mind/Brain (series: Action/Intent)

[Notice: The series are a personal effort in understanding the brain/mind and how it will apply to my life and practice of the fighting/marital arts. Any errors or omissions are mine alone and do not reflect on the sources from which I draw my thoughts and understanding. If you find any please allow me the human condition of making errors and provide me the information I need to learn, grow, and prosper.]

This is our next to last entry on this series of training the mind/brain. We desire to have peace and tranquility in life yet we also know that the nature of life is a constant rhythm or flow that is both yin and yang or to be more descriptive up and down, front and back, in and out and other such mundane descriptions which tells us that natures rhythm puts us in a constant state of flux.

This flux is something that can be trained so we can keep the wave as steady as possible. We can reduce the drastic highs and lows to little blips on the line of equilibrium so they rise and fall slightly. This is the goal of this section, to provide you a bit of guidance in finding more on this subject so you can expand, learn and become improved in life.

This is also how we practice the FA/MA. You will notice in the following suggestions that they can be related directly to forms of practice and training in this singular, not exclusive, form of training and practice.

The SNS or sympathetic nervous system and the stress related hormonal system gets your internal protective systems up and running full blast to assist us in our endeavors be they personal opportunities and especially important in avoid threats (remember in other postings on self defense that I push "avoidance" as a primary form of defense, etc.).

In order to reduce stress, etc. you need to enhance your mind-body connection [karate-do I am thinking along with mind/brain training, yes!] and when using that tool you can start by learning to activate the various nervous systems starting with the PNS. The start point or that system that activates the PNS is the ANS. It is considered the optimal entry point into all our systems, i.e. using the antinomic nervous system.

How do we jump start and possible control the systems? This is the question and what I provide here is not the end all of what to do but simply "notes" on what I perceive as the direction to go, i.e. continue research into how it all works. Remember, I am not a brain or mind expert but someone who is trying to learn so I provide this to stimulate your mind/brain into finding more.

Mental activity! Your mental activity has the greatest influence over your ANS system. It is more influential than any other bodily system you have and if you remember I do advocate "visualization" which are those "mini-movies" we run all the time in our mind/brain and this is something you have a lot of control over so it is "one" point of entry into mind/brain training.

There are other forms or techniques of training to control your systems thus controlling how they affect you and your ability to overcome them to some extent improving your life and in the FA/MA improving your abilities to defend yourself. Defense is not just protecting your physical being but a means of defending your spirit-mind-body against many things to include stress which equates disease, etc. Think outside the box on this one cause it means a lot more than you may initially think.

We can take control by instituting mindfulness in our thoughts and visualizations. How we talk to ourselves and the do such actions as "relaxation," "Diaphragm Breathing (really a primary important technique)," "progressive relaxation," "big exhalation (this goes along with diaphragm breathing but still a separate technique necessary especially in highly volatile situations such as street defense, etc.)," "touching the lips (bet you were not expecting this one)," "mindfulness of the body," "imagery," and so on. You are getting the picture by now how important this really is so wait for the next and last installment in this posting series for my recommendation as to a start point.

Bibliography:
Hanson, Rick and Mendius, Richard. The Practical Neuroscience of Buddha's Brain: Happiness, Love & Wisdom. Oakland: New Harbinger Publications, Inc. 2009.

Dojo: Groups: Societal Band of Brothers/Sisters: Cliques: Factions: Clans

We hear the word clique and we understand that it is a specific group of like individuals who have banded together for a purpose. The band or group labels themselves "us" and all others as "them."

When you begin to really delve into the training of the mind/brain you will discover that our world of "humans" are instinctually programmed by nature to form groups. It is this protective instinct that causes us to band together as the group provides protection.

Even if we don't intentionally join a group, such as a style and/or dojo in the FA/MA, to find protection that instinct still influences us to join anyway. What we do is seek out a group or groupings that our intuitions say are comfortable, protective, to us and after an initial gathering to see if we and they fit into our ideologies we join.

Even if we join a group for a specific purpose, i.e. lean a FA/MA for defense/protection, etc., the intuition/instinct is still active and after a time we conform to that group and become a member. Now it is "us" and "them" where we see them as a threat on a very deep subconscious level even if on a conscious level we don't. This is natures gift to help us protect ourselves.

What happens in a style, even a fractured style or what I call "factions" we are still groups who see other groups as a possible threat or as I have said already, us vs. them.

When we see the fractured view of all our styles groups we are to understand that to change the way that particular group thinks and acts from the outside is impossible. Until we can change their view of those "outside" the group as now a member of that group, i.e. a them that becomes "us" member, you will be unable to influence change within that grouping.

In Isshinryu we have many factions or groups who have their own distinct beliefs and anyone who refutes those beliefs even if absolutely "factual and correct" will be unable to cause a change in that groups beliefs. This bond of the group is so strong that even when one member "sees" and/or "hears" the truth of it they will instinctually let it go from their mind and revert to the groups way.

The only way to bring about "universal change" in something like this is to achieve a change to all groups where they perceive everyone and every group as a member of a world group where we all see each and every human as a part of that family and thus change perceptions from an us vs. them to everyone and every group as an "Us!"

Part Eight: Training the Mind/Brain (series: PNS/SNS)

[Notice: The series are a personal effort in understanding the brain/mind and how it will apply to my life and practice of the fighting/marital arts. Any errors or omissions are mine alone and do not reflect on the sources from which I draw my thoughts and understanding. If you find any please allow me the human condition of making errors and provide me the information I need to learn, grow, and prosper.]

PNS or Parasympathetic Nervous System and the SNS or Sympathetic Nervous System are systems of the brain that keep us alive in lethal environments. We need them both and you will find in what follow that breathing keeps these two systems working in our favor.

Breathing, inhaling and exhaling fully, both energizes and relaxes. It first activates the SNS and then the PNS, back and forth, in a gentle rhythm. It gives you a feeling of centeredness and aliveness much like an athlete gets when they are in the zone. The SNS and PNS are the go and stop of the human mind/brain/body working in harmony.

PNS systems provide a baseline of ease and peacefulness while mild SNS activation causes us to experience enthusiasm, vitality, and wholesome passions. When the SNS system spikes it is to deal with demanding situations. This works in our favor when we run into situations that cause fear, etc. such as dangerous situations, etc.

When we perform mokuso with deep rhythmic breathing we create a peaceful mind and bring ourselves into a state of ease. This is how we can clear out our minds/brains of all the mess of he day and then allow for mindfulness and concentration toward our practice and training.

When danger comes at us and the brains systems start pumping the adrenaline and such into our systems then the ability to cause slowed, deep, rhythmic breathings can help us to remain in better control of our natural instinctive systems of protections allowing the training to take hold and "act!"

Bibliography:
Hanson, Rick and Mendius, Richard. The Practical Neuroscience of Buddha's Brain: Happiness, Love & Wisdom. Oakland: New Harbinger Publications, Inc. 2009.

Part Seven: Training the Mind/Brain (series: Consequences)

[Notice: The series are a personal effort in understanding the brain/mind and how it will apply to my life and practice of the fighting/marital arts. Any errors or omissions are mine alone and do not reflect on the sources from which I draw my thoughts and understanding. If you find any please allow me the human condition of making errors and provide me the information I need to learn, grow, and prosper.]

There are both physical and mental consequences to due diligence for self defense. What I am trying to say here in mind/brain training is the training itself must not carry over into moment by moment of daily life. There is a time to practice and a time to not practice.

Clarity, we can train and practice to achieve the knowledge and experience to achieve some semblance of control of such things as discussed in this series yet once we accumulate the knowledge and experience we NEED to let it go.

The human body will use its instinctual ability to use what you have learned and then provide you signals so you can become alert and mindful of some situation that needs your attention. To keep your self on high alert at all times when outdoors means you will suffer both physical and mental consequences.

To keep the types of stimulation going over long terms results in health problems such as those associated with the gastrointestinal, immune, cardiovascular and endocrine. Then there are the mental consequences such as anxiety and depression. The physical manifestations:

1. Gastro: ulcers, colitis, irritable bowel syndrome, diarrhea, and constipation.
2. Immune: colds and flus, slowed healing, and vulnerability to infections.
3. Cardio: hardening of the arteries and heart attacks.
4. Endocrine: diabetes, premenstrual syndrome, erectile disfunction, lowered libido.

Beware of the distance you take training and practice. Never lose site that in all you do there are opposites that must be brought into balance. To remain in one side or the other for extended periods results in many effects to health and well being not to mention over extending the training benefits.

If you go all out say in "shugyo" then also take the time after to release the effects. It is like drinking a cup of coffee daily. You drink one cup of coffee you have to balance that out with at least one cup of water, sometimes two to one to keep your level of hydration balanced.

Bibliography:
Hanson, Rick and Mendius, Richard. The Practical Neuroscience of Buddha's Brain: Happiness, Love & Wisdom. Oakland: New Harbinger Publications, Inc. 2009.

Isshinryu, Kanji, Kenpo Gokui: "The House That Tatsuo Build"

It "may be" prudent for a practitioner to relate the naming of Isshinryu by its founder, Bushi Tatsuo Shimabuku Sensei, to the Kenpo Gokui thus the ancient texts such as the I Ching and the Mysteries.

This is an exercise in knowledge for to conduct such experimental analysis may assist me, and maybe you the reader, with understanding not only the gokui as it applies to our style but to the founder and thus Okinawa, culture, etc., in general.

Symbols and symbolism is used a lot when dealing with the gokui, I Ching, and Mysteries and we can find relations in the Isshinryu system such as the gokui and the me-gami. Kanji are pictures or symbols that can have a variety of meaning depending on its usage. The kanji characters used in Japan and Okinawa come from the Chinese. Apparently the Chinese have had great influence with all things Asian and more so with Okinawa through out its colorful history.

Bushi Tatsuo Sensei expressed his desires that his students search out the meaning behind the gokui and mentioned many times to learn about others, others culture, and others beliefs, etc. This is one of my attempts to come to a better understanding of Isshinryu, the gokui, the classics and of Okinawa.

I believe through this endeavor we come to understand the importance of what Bushi Tatsuo Sensei taught and hope that we all can use this knowledge so we may come to understand our world, those who live in it, and thus become one world family where we all understand the meaning of "us" vs. "me and I" so we can care for our family and understand our family.

ICHI:

I pulled the character for "one" from the kanji used to name the style called Isshinryu. This is represented by our English characters of "Is" which I will take as a prefix for the entire word. Normally the character by itself represents the English characters of "Ichi" which is translated as "one" but is that the end of it, no.

This is why I stress in my writings that the use and understanding of the characters used to represent various things and aspects of the practice of Karate-do are so important to assist us, as Americans, in our understanding of what we practice and teach but also to understand those who created and passed on to us their ancient practices in the fighting/martial arts.

The dictionary of Kanji for Ichi or "Is:"

ICHI; ITSU; hito-; hito(tsu)
hi; hajime; osamu; makoto; susumu
ONE, unity, first
onetime, once
make one, unify, become one

Isshun: instant, moment

All in one, everything, the whole, one and only, sole, exclusive

Isshin ni: wholeheartedly, with one's whole heart.

If you have spent any time in the study of the kenpo gokui kanji and its English translation you will immediately see connections in just the words. I believe that Bushi Tatsuo Sensei though his years of practice and studies along with his devout belief in the ancient classics, etc. took that time to come to realize how we are all "one" in the Universe and with such deep understanding created a style with tons of symbols and symbolism within it that only those who devoted the time and effort would come to "see" within the words, kanji characters, practice and so on the deep meaning and connectivity he wanted us to discover, understand and pass on.

Everywhere though out my studies there are direct, indirect, and still more to be discovered connections to the "one" spoken in the character for "Is." Sensei, I believe, wanted us to discover that "one" that connected us to the Universe. The definitions above show that directly by "once," "make one," "unify," and "become one."

I believe to "isshin ni" or to give "one's whole heart," we must practice "wholeheartedly." The first precept tells us that each of us as individuals, i.e. person or man, must discover what it is and means to be the same as the heaven and earth. In order to discover and understand this we have to take on the acquisition of knowledge of the culture of both Okinawan's and the Chinese.

Everywhere in practice, training, the gokui and all its brothers, i.e. kata no gokui, etc. and the classics we see references to heaven, earth, and man. As stated by Advincula Sensei through a posting on the Isshinkai,

"(14483) AJA: All the codes apply to all the kata but certain codes apply to certain Philosophy or characteristics of each kata. As stated before, the kata Kusanku, the opening move is symbolic for Heaven and Earth. Heaven and Earth in Chinese Philosophy means The Universe or the Whole World. This symbolically means world peace to get along with others in the world (World Peace). As the move starts at the top (Heaven) and ends at the bottom (Earth) and chops forward (Man), it is the triad Heaven, Earth and Man or unity."

The triad of Heaven, Earth and Man" refers to "unity" which you can now see is also in the description/defining of the usage "Is" for our name, "Isshinryu." Also as stated in a commentary of the I Ching (stated by Advincula Sensei on Isshinkai Yahoo Group):

~ Confucianism. I Ching, Great Commentary 2.4.13
Based on Confucianism and the three powers, Heaven, Earth and Man, is all about social order. In the world of man (human beings) our structural patterns in society our based on education of what we are taught and learn. Confucianism is based on education. In Isshin-ryu we have the teachings of Shimabuku Tatsuo Sensei through the symbol of Isshin-ryu No Megami, The Kenpo Gokui, and Dojo kun.
Which I also include a relationship of the naming and name to the gokui and thus to the I Ching where through out talks about Heaven, Earth, and Man.

SHIN:

HEART
Shin; kokoro; -gokoro; mune
makoto; mi

Heart, mind, spirit, feelings, emotions, and thoughts.

Shinshin: mind and body.
Shinchu: heart, mind, true emotions.
Kushin: pains, efforts, hard work.
Koshin: filial devotion [affection]

HEART, center, core
HEART of a matter, vital point.

HEART, mind, spirit, should; thoughts, idea's.
attention, mind, interest.

When I started to seek out the connections of everything Isshinryu I was totally startled at the length and breadth of his knowledge and implementation of the style. No where else is this more evident than when you delve into the characters which turn into symbols/symbolisms of our system of karate-do. If we just settle for the English word, "Heart," we will miss plenty as can be seen on the surface when reviewing the above meanings of the character used for "Shin."

Just look at one word that falls under "shin," which is "kokoro." Kokoro means, loosely, "mind, heart, spirit." If we take a look at the gokui we see references to different aspects of the mind, heart, and spirit such as "eyes seeing," "ears listening," and "a person's heart." Take the literal view and then discover through study and practice the more esoteric connections.

Even in all the views of shin can we see where the direct and indirect meaning is to bring all of it into "one" such as the "unity" of mind, body and spirit. Our physical practice does this as well as our spiritual. The gokui alludes to that bringing together as one by its inferences to creating a balance or equilibrium which can be thought of as "one." This also brings to mind Bushi Tatsuo Sensei wishes for all of us to come together as "one" though the practice of Isshinryu where we learn about our fathers in the fighting/martial art of karate-do.

I can also derive from this that he also meant for us to go beyond his teachings. Every one of us that teaches and taught hope the most for our students to stretch beyond us and become more so we build a better family of Isshinryu'ests and a better family of the world. If we practice and teach wholeheartedly, with true spirit, mind and body, with thoughts of "us" to include Okinawans and the world, to find our center and connect it to others, to create a core of practitioners who can convey this to our brethren regardless of style, race, creed, cultures, etc. then we can truly say we practice the spirit of Bushi Tatsuo Sensei Isshinryu.

RYU:

FLOW: CURRENT: STYLE
RYU; RU; naga(reru); naga(re)
naga(su); -naga(su)
nagashi

STYLE, way, mode, manner, form, fashion.
school, style, system

ryuha: school
ryugi: school, style, system, method

Isshinryu no: in the style of Isshin.
Jikoryu: one's own style, one's way of doing things.

Here is another reason I find the language and especially the characters of Asia so descriptive and wide range in nature which I find superior in describing the intricacies of the Asian Fighting/Martial Arts. If we limit our understanding of it by the English translation we limit our capabilities. Using the language/characters to discover the possibilities opens many doors where we would have missed out if not for Bushi Tatsuo Sensei and his creation of Isshinryu.

To me and to my studies the word and character "ryu" leads to so much more such as describing our system as a way, mode, manner, form and fashion. It includes the direct and indirect meaning of each descriptive word and takes it beyond just being a school.

In English we limit our understanding by the word and our perception of that word. A school is somewhere you go to receive instruction in a particular subject which is regulated for groups by a syllabus and a limited form of grading and testing for knowledge and understanding. When you see that word "school" you relate it to "schools" as we attend learning such things as reading and writing, etc. Math and Geography and so on when to enter into an agreement to practice a far reaching form as karate-do is between two individuals where much more is required to achieve proficiency such as the tori-uke, sensei-deshi, etc. relationship which goes beyond merely attending a classroom where one lectures and one studies and then takes a written test, etc.

As you can see by this short writing of the title, "Isshinryu," as well as its many ways of understanding thus opening many doors to knowledge and understanding that we should look outside the box and discover many wonderful aspects of this Asian Okinawan Fighting/Martial Art we call Isshinryu.

It is my hope that everyone who reads this short post comes to realize the importance of what Bushi Tatsuo Sensei desired of his practitioners and that it encompasses so much more than mere rank, trophies, and power. I hope it opens the door to a desire to reach beyond the fundamentals of Isshinryu, the physical and takes you into a greater world, a greater Universe.

Part Six: Training the Mind/Brain (series: Alarms)

[Notice: The series are a personal effort in understanding the brain/mind and how it will apply to my life and practice of the fighting/marital arts. Any errors or omissions are mine alone and do not reflect on the sources from which I draw my thoughts and understanding. If you find any please allow me the human condition of making errors and provide me the information I need to learn, grow, and prosper.]

Something happens! It does not really matter which, i.e. emotional vs. physical, as both draw on a lot of the same neural stuff as the physical pain one might feel in a situation, i.e. getting hit or attacked, etc.

Here is how it works (kinda):

1. The source of your reaction starts:
2. The amygdala sounds the alarm where the brain does a few things.
a. The thalamus sends a "Go" signal to the brain stem which releases a stimulant through out the brain.
b. The SNS sends a signal to all your major organs and muscle groups making them ready for either flight or fight depending on the final analysis by the brain.
c. The hypothalamus which regulates the endocrine system tell the pituitary gland to signal the adrenal glands to release a bunch of stuff to include the adrenaline solutions that really get the body going.

3. Your brain is now on "total alert."
4. Stress harmonies are running rampant through out your entire body.
5. Your heart rate increases.
6. Your eyes dilate.
7. Blood is pumped directly to the larger muscle groups.
8. Lungs dilate for increased air exchange (You can now hit harder and faster).
9. Immune system is suppressed to reduce inflammation if wounded.
10. Stress reactions are pumped up to stimulate the amygdala more leading to more and it cycles.
11. Reproduction (sex) is dumped.
12. Digestion is dumped (mouth gets dry and you get constipated).
13. Emotions are intensified getting ready for action (you focus on the negativity and thus react intensely setting you up for fear and anger).
14. You are so pumped you lose control of actions (unless trained for it yet the control is at least reduced).
15. Your ability to appraise, your ability to provide proper intentions and your priorities go down significantly (your take on the situation is different than your assessment after ergo why some think they were defending themselves when in reality they were fighting).

So, in the end the goal is to train and practice so you overcome a lot of natures defense mechanisms or at least control them to some extent to act properly or as close as possible to defend in lieu of fighting. Where we get into trouble is ignoring these factors by ignoring training of the mind/brain in our fighting/martial/self-defense practice/training. This is a serious flaw to todays martial art world especially when they say they teach, "Self Defense!"

Bibliography:
Hanson, Rick and Mendius, Richard. The Practical Neuroscience of Buddha's Brain: Happiness, Love & Wisdom. Oakland: New Harbinger Publications, Inc. 2009.