Martial Arts Functions Because of a Balance of Forces

The ken-po goku-i provides us hints of this principle, under triangulation point principle, in the first two references to the relationship of humans to nature or the Universe's influences which are a balance of energies, i.e. Yin-n-Yang.

We also see references in the manner of our actions being hard and soft as required; the balance of the body in changing direction where this reference to a balance of forces alludes to the shifting of legs with the body weight balanced and transitioned as the legs move into and out of stances along with applicaiton of hand/arm techniques establishing and removing a "third leg balance point" in motion.

A variety of forces are at play and can be referenced into the ken-po goku-i. I have an extended post I am constructing where I will reference each of the principles to the appropriate ken-po goku-i line, i.e. Heaven and Earth, Balance, Eyes, etc.

Since all martial arts function in direct relation to a reference to the "balance of forces" I wanted to stress the first two lines of the ken-po goku-i where the higher plane of references connects us to all that nature or the Universe governs under the rule of opposites and its varying degrees called "yin-n-yang."

Think of a "balance of forces" as a transitional effort that is fluid or constant. The more proficient you as a MA the greater you control those balances where the length of your line in relation to an opponent is that ability to govern you balance of forces vs. your opponents ability to govern those same forces.

Principle of Heaviness

This principle as explained in the Book of Martial Power by Steven J. Pearlman can be connected to the ken-po goku-i tenants, i.e. with specificity to, "A person's unbalance is the same as a weight."

Our inability to properly make use of our bodies anatomical structure in nature means we misuse our weight and cannot apply our weight to our techniques. It means that we are ineffective in martial applications which can be a loss of heaviness properly applied resulting in our unbalanced body and weight. To achieve balance in our body regarding the bodies mass and weight we cannot apply momentum to techniques and we lose things like proper structure and posture where the triangles become skewed resulting in an imbalance of weight or heaviness and this results in our attacker, if his line is longer, having the ability to apply his heaviness to unbalance ours and we lose the battle.

Our bodies must maintain the principles so that our angles, i.e. Alignments, structures, axis's both major and minor, vertical and horizontal axis control, centerline, triangle guard, posture, proper breathing, etc. all reduce our bodies heaviness for apply technique which allows us to be defeated.

If our heaviness is reduced in this manner the reactions of our applications are turned inward so that those same applications against our attacker are lessened allowing the attackers heaviness to overcome the technique and turn it back inward resulting in heaviness unbalancing our bodies and so forth.

I quote, "Heaviness typically refers to sudden manifestations of weight that manifest our heaviness faster than the opponent can compensate.' It must be remembered that our weight never changes but how heaviness is applied does change accordingly to how it is maintained regarding heaviness balance.

As indicated in the ken-po goku-i inference to yin-n-yang or changing opposites to balance and back all the martial principles work in either a yin or yang form with mixtures that result in efficient and effective martial power.

Caveat Alert - Danger, Danger, Danger Will Robinson

I quote a lot of folks; I allude to their writings; I am wanting to ensure that readers know that the opinions and theories and stuff I post is my opinion, theory, idea's, beliefs, and interpretations of said sources and MUST NOT BE MISCONSTRUED as coming from them or that they are validating/advocating anything I say here on this and other blogs.

I use them as sources of posts where I tend to slide off into my own world, my soapbox monkey brain. I am meandering through this wonderful world of ours, the martial arts, and want everyone to KNOW that this is my stuff and subject to being incorrect; to omissions; to errors of all kinds.

Take it all with a huge dose of skepticism. Nothing is as it would seem yet if has value in your "PURSUIT" of truth and knowledge if only as a stepping stone to greater knowledge.

If you find I am in error; if I am just wrong; if I have omitted; if I have misinterpreted then comment! I can take it! Go ahead and let me know for it means I still can learn and grow and prosper from the wisdom of all who stop by and read my mindless meanderings of martial arts and life.

Mindfulness of Hard-n-Soft

The manner of drinking and spitting (inhaling and exhaling) is either soft or hard. Do you actually remain mindful of your body during your practice? Do you feel and acknowledge when you are remaining soft, i.e. tension is reduced to absolute minimum to ensure energy is not lost within the body yet available for transference to the target, and when it needs to be hard, i.e. that instant tightening of the structure to take momentum and speed, etc. and transfer that energy and force into the target.

The ken-po goku-i on hard-n-soft also applies to our ability to breathe properly. Breathing properly is dependent on many factors such as stance, structure, alignment, pose, and all the various techniques as applied and dependent on applications, etc. Do you remain mindful of not only tension/positive relaxed, i.e. hard-n-soft, as well as how your body alignment, posture and structure are to optimize breathing and reap all its benefits both martial and healthful?

Look at the ken-po goku-i as a short "reminder" list whose purpose, martially, is to remind us daily of all the fundamental principles we should be aware and mindful of at those times of training/practice/application. It is there to remind us that when we practice we should be sensing, feeling, and focused on such things as, "does this particular technique, pose, stance, etc. need to be hard, soft, exhaling, or inhaling to maximize its purpose and effectiveness?

Ken-po Goku-i, to remind and to teach, a door to more in martial systems!

Blogging on Ken-po Goku-i ...

I am asking the question, "Why am I the ONLY person blogging on the ken-po goku-i?" I have searched out on the internet any source that comments on this document yet no one does other than to list the eight cryptic tomes  but me, why?

My understanding is that there is "one" person who actually knows about this document but remains silent for what ever reason; is this doing the system and its practitioner's any service/benefit?

Comments?

Ken-po Goku-i Reorder - ROUGH DRAFT

The Eyes must see all sides while the ears must listen in all directions.
A person's unbalance is the same as a weight and the body must have the ability to change direction at any time.
The manner of inhaling and exhaling is either soft or hard.
Strike when the opportunity presents itself, timing critical.
A person's heart is the same as heaven and earth so the energy within circulates similar to the sun and moon.

Reorder/Reformed to fit the six lines of the hexagram in relation to the I Ching:

The Eyes must see all sides while the ears must listen in all directions.
The manner of inhaling and exhaling is either soft or hard.
A person's unbalance is the same as a weight.
The body should be able to change direction at any time.
The time to strike is when the opportunity presents itself.
A person's heart is the same as heaven and earth so the energy within circulates similar to the sun and moon.

I tend to wonder about things. I wondered why the ken-po goku-i were numbered and placed in that order only to realize that it comes from its interpretation to English so those who studied the kanji version as to its order of characters then "assumed" that it should be in that order and like most military types gave them the numbers.

After all, there are no numbers or numbering associated with the Chinese characters. Then you need to think about that order of characters. Does anyone have access to the originals to see if they are ordered then there is how they are written and ordered depending on the time frame of history as well as the customs, courtesies, etc. of the person and people who wrote it, just like the study of the I Ching which is thousands of years old.

I decided that the order then may provide some insight if you connected it, for this discussion, as if it were actually meant to connect us to the ancient classic of the I Ching, debatable and contestable, which uses the hexagram. The hexagram has six lines and the first line is at the bottom which is the opposite of how we laid it out and numbered it. I have provided a re-order/re-write as I perceive it "might" be in relation to the six lines of the hexagram:

Line 6: A person's heart is the same as heaven and earth so the energy within circulates similar to the sun and moon.

[wholehearted practice; spirit-mind-body; energy flow and maximizing through tension control; ]

Line 5: The time to strike is when the opportunity presents itself.

[positive relaxation; power; speed; posture; balance; alignment; momentum; timing of centerline primary gate; vital area's; peripheral tells; ]

Line 4: The body should be able to change direction at any time.

[posture; stance; transitions; triangle mechanics; body reciprocity; ]

Line 3: A person's unbalance is the same as a weight.

[centerline; vertical to horizontal axis; triangular body mechanics; ]

Line 2: The manner of inhaling and exhaling is either soft or hard.

[hard-to-soft:soft-do-hard maxim; inhaling and exhaling deeply and diaphragmatically; ]

Line 1: The Eyes must see all sides while the ears must listen in all directions.

[see what violence is before it becomes violence; see the opportunity to avoid violence; see the other's intent and see how to deescalate; see the attackers gate and see how to take advantage; see the "tells" in our peripheral vision; visualize the imagery to practice reality based scenarios; ability to see the need to change; ]

In today's general belief of the ken-po goku-i line six, which is combined of the first two lines of today's English translation, are the first two lines which are given, in English, the higher place since it is believed to allude to some spiritual aspect of our practice. This may or may not be true so it is open for debate and/or discussion.

The reason I feel Line 1 has the "eyes and ears" as the beginning is because humans rely on a combination of the two to achieve knowledge, understanding, and mindful awareness. All three of these are required at a most fundamental level to achieve proficiency in life be it the application of martial technique or a spiritual application to ourselves and human kind.

Line 2 deals with not spitting or drinking but to me as inhaling and exhaling. One might say, how can inhaling and exhaling be yin and yang or soft and hard? Well, when we breathe in we take in energy which is yang and when we breathe out we expel bodily impurities which can be soft or yin. The body expands, yang, then contracts, yin. Also you can look at it in application of technique for to take in air, inhale, provides a point where the body releases its overall tension but when you exhale your body will then at one point, that point of impact, tighten to transfer all energy and power to the target, etc. A simplistic explanation but one that will convey the idea behind this step.

Line 3 and 4 are those positions of balance or equilibrium and the two lines tend to explain simplistically that balance of the body to a point of positive relaxation so it can move quickly and efficiently, i.e. if we remain as tension free as possible with out just turning to jelly on the floor the less tension the less energy is used thus when the tension comes in that one instant the maximum of energy from the entire body is triggered and transferred, if correctly applied, to the target.

I put the reference to striking below that of the spiritual part because one and the other are required for anyone to apply martial technique with character and the moral correctness/conformity  necessary to wield any power responsibly.

We can actually use a bit of leeway to achieve dual meaning for both the intent of the author and our own perspective/intent. The order now according to the lines can be bottom to top as expected by translation of Chinese thought, as much as can be understood by us as neophytes, and then the order from top to bottom which, mostly, forms to the original/numbered English translation.

I have come to believe that it is such a fluid and dynamic tome that when used with such as the I Ching that it can be connected to our modern thinking once we achieve some level of the author's intent so it will blend nicely with our modern martial practice. One reason I am becoming aware and outspoken as to some of the dogmatic doctrines that govern some systems.

I also firmly believe that removing the numbers and allowing it to flow in order and manner of the individual is best. I started to study it in its original English/Military driven form until I began to feel its form was limited/limiting and now have re-ordered it to a fluid style that can change at will to correctly fit/apply to practice which I also feel must be fluid enough to allow efficiency and practice to remain steady to the martial principles that govern all martial systems.

p.s. Yes, I know this also "numbers" the lines but it does associate them to the hexagram and outside this comparison the lines should be one paragraph and in any order that will support learning the system and its principles. All the martial principles can be explained and connected by this short terse keystone to the ancient classics of change/life.

An exercise in the possibilities:

1. A persons spirit is born of the mind and heart.
2. Ki circulates much like the cycles of the sun and moon.
3. Hard and Soft is a matter of inhaling or exhaling.
4. Adaptation is a matter of sensing intent.
5. Mobility is a matter of balance.
6. Strike quickly when intent is determined.
7. Awareness depends on actively seeing.
8. Awareness depends on actively listening.

It suddenly occurred to me why the ken-po goku-i is such a short and terse tome relating to the changes as provided by the I Ching. As I attempt to gather and understand; as I attempt to extrapolate all that is possible inference to my system of practice I find that it is so far reaching, so simplistically complex that it defies at every turn to achieve some definition or explanation of its meaning other than it works individually and separately from any other one individual it reaches heights that any attempt to put into some box lessens the lessons. Therefore these attempts are more a learning process to achieve a whole or wholehearted approach to the practice of my system and thus life itself.

Wholehearted, the one feature of the system of Isshinryu, the ken-po goku-i, and the other ancient classic called the "book of changes."

Line 1: This line is represented by a dragon flying low.
Line 2: The second line is symbolized by a dragon arising in the field.
Line 4: The fourth line symbolizes a dragon getting ready to leap out of the abyss and fly into the sky.
Line 5: This line says the dragon is already fling - a man of great virtue is ready to be a leader.
Line 6: This line says the haughty dragon reaches its limit.
Line 7: This line says that the ancient Chinese believed that, although dragons were the strongest and most powerful creatures, they never fought for leadership.

The rhythm of life energy is influenced by the rhythm of Heaven and Earth while those of human beings are influenced by the sun and moon.

Why are the explanations of the ken-po goku-i seemingly incomplete or non-existent?

I have visited many sites that host the ken-po goku-i to include the Isshinkai web site where few if any actually provide any type of explanation as to its use, purpose, and intent in regards to the practice of karate/karate-do/Isshinryu. This puzzles me a good deal when I have witnessed threads discussing its importance to Tatsuo Sensei and the Isshinryu system.

What does this mean regarding the terse tome of Chinese boxing, etc.?

Even the one book published on the title did not convey anything of value other than the expressing of a person's personal views of karate with little or no reference to the content of the ken-po goku-i.

I even had an opportunity to have a very astute and professional karate-ka stationed on Okinawa seek an answer yet could not find anyone who could elucidate. It would appear that it is up to those who wish to research and theorize but the crux of the matter is whether it works for that person or not.

Regardless, have fun and remain open minded. "All bottles are good, they all serve a purpose." - Shimabuku Tatsuo Sensei Okinawan Isshinryu Karate-do.

Ken-po Goku-i - a very important document in the development of Isshinryu

Click for Large View!

Reading a statement on the web concerning the value of the ken-po goku-i or the "Secrets of the Fist Way," taken from the Bubishi, is reportedly what is stated, a very important document to Tatsuo Sensei's efforts to create his own system of Okinawan karate-do. Is this true?

Now, as to the source of this statement I have to say that there is no reason I can fathom to refute this statement yet in my efforts to learn and understand I can not say emphatically that this statement is true/truth. Why?

In all the efforts to research the matter there has been absolutely nothing said, written, documented, passed down, passed along to anyone, American or Okinawan, that states its purpose and value to karate-do. We can infer a lot from our studies yet nothing to verify, validate, or explain it or its purpose other than this one statement.

Andy Sloane Sensei who is stationed on Okinawa and active in Isshinryu had this to say about my question: "This is not anything I've been able to come across in my research, and there are precious few senior Okinawan 1st-gen students left who even MIGHT be able to answer this.  It appears, though I could be wrong, that Tatsuo Sensei did not give out silk diplomas until after the Agena dojo opened in late 1957.  I would just have to guess that Tatsuo Sensei felt it was important enough to give it to them so much so that he had an English-language translation drafted by someone to assist in their understanding of the deeper meanings of their training. ... and ... he also stated as to the English-language translation ... y the way, you do know that the kanji for the precept 'The body should be able to change directions at any time' does not actually say that, right? Likewise, the kanji does not say 'The time to strike is when the opportunity presents itself.'"

Sloane Sensei has dedicated a lot of energy and effort to clarify various teachings of the Isshinryu system so I do consider him and expert in Isshinryu History, customs, and courtesies.

Personally, I find the ken-po goku-i, in its original/exact English form with Kanji, a valuable document in many things not just karate-do. I find its connections to the I Ching and other Ancient Chinese Books, etc. of even greater value. If nothing else it has taught me to seek out things way outside the box for both martial practice and other aspects of living this life of human being.

Now directly answering the original question, no one can say that it was or was not a very important document in the development of Isshinryu. We can theorize all we want yet Tatsuo Sensei is gone and since he cannot answer the question and his son, Kichero, cannot answer the question either then there is NO ONE who can validate the statement.

I can say if I wish, "The Ken-po Goku-i was directly responsible for influencing Tatsuo Sensei in his development and practice of Isshinryu!" I can also say, "The Ken-po Goku-i was NOT directly responsible for influencing Tatsuo Sensei in any way, form, fashion, etc., in his development and practice of Isshinryu!" Either way, can't prove the statement as either true or false, period!

Evaluate the Ken-po Goku-i

Line 6: A person's heart is the same as heaven and earth so the energy within circulates similar to the sun and moon.
Line 5: The time to strike is when the opportunity presents itself.
Line 4: The body should be able to change direction at any time.
Line 3: A person's unbalance is the same as a weight.
Line 2: The manner of inhaling and exhaling is either soft or hard.
Line 1: The Eyes must see all sides while the ears must listen in all directions.

It occurred to me that even if we remove the numbers and let the terse tomes of the ken-po goku-i free float that if we arrange then in another way that they would actually fit the defining lines of the I Ching's hexagram's.

We can look at it another way as well. The first two lines of the originally numbered tome were of Heaven and Earth in relation to a person's heart while the sun and moon reflect the persons circulation of energy as referenced by blood circulating in the body. Those two stand alone and can be represented by the two line of the four, that comprise the eight trigrams, and that make up all the hexagrams. 

I began at the bottom as does the hexagram of the I Ching when divining and interpreting meaning. The reason I began with eyes and ears will be explained further in a later post or reordering of the tomes. I moved to breathing which is of higher importance since that feeds both the body and the mind. Then about the body. Then the line five and six equates to the mental training necessary to properly apply martial arts in life.

Just another interesting view of the ken-po goku-i.

Don't Hide Behind Dogmatic Doctrine

Dogmatic: A principle or set of principles laid down by an authority as incontrovertibly true [a doctrine or code of beliefs accepted as authoritative]. Doctrine: A belief or set of beliefs held and taught by a church, political party, or other group [a doctrine or code of beliefs accepted as authoritative].

Isshinryu as followed in modern times seems to be caught up in this dogmatic doctrine that one must remain exact, true, and unwavering in the way the system is taught as thought derived from those original exacting instructions from Tatsuo Sensei. So much is barricaded from progress due to some nature to put the system so far up on a pedestal that in the end it results in stagnation.

Stagnation for both the practitioner and the system when the ken-po goku-i's teachings provide insight into the need to reach beyond the bare bones or fundamental teachings of a novice and allow for practitioners to reach up into the realm of expert and maybe even master.

This post will fly straight into the face of those who are stuck in the doctrine that had the best of intentions yet ended into a doctrine that is dogmatic, stifling, stagnating, and limiting. My personal search has led me to believe that for this system grow beyond the seed that remains requires a strong individual who will break away and find truth and understanding.

All the keys are in the ken-po goku-i and many, many other writings and teachings if one will just look over the wall erected by unintentional misunderstanding to "see" and "hear" all that is there for the taking.

Seeking Self-Awareness: Mindfulness of Awareness of Self

We as practitioners who wish to become more must first look within to achieve complete and open knowledge of ourselves, to see all the good and all the bad, in order to achieve what one might call, "enlightenment or an enlightened state." In thinking of this aspect of training and practice I came across a quote in a book that describes the process well:

"In order to understand the larger truths, you must first accept the smaller truths about yourself. This requires sacrifice. We live our lives hiding from the things that displease and discomfort us. We reinvent ourselves and our history, constantly placing things in a light most favorable to us. It is the nature of mankind to do this. Mostly, our deceptions are small ones. But they gather weight through numbers, and having them revealed all at once can be crushing. As well, there are larger truths that, exposed, seem more than we can bear, and so we hide them most carefully.

Truth will assault you as surely as an ordinary metal blade. It will have impact and cutting edges. Knowledge and acceptance of what is coming are your best defense. You can do what you need to do to protect yourself and adapt."

I feel that this is true. I feel that we all tell ourselves stories and as we experience and/or retrieve memories our minds instinctively perceive those that may cause us pain and suffering so the mind "adjusts" our memories accordingly. My research into this tells me one thing, "This is normal human nature." It is not to be perceived as something "wrong" but should be accepted so we can grow and become more ... by acceptance and discovery we can meet these head on and by this remove them from affecting our intent and actions.

Scanning

To scan is to apply both conscious and unconscious awareness to the environment your body resides in at any one moment in time to achieve EWS capabilities which contribute immensely to our ability to perceive and determine when to "avoid" things that might put us into harms way.

Karate/karate-do + Ken-po Goku-i (yang + yin of martial systems) teaches us to use our body-mind to achieve something unique in our practice and life. A core teaching of both is the use of both "eyes and ears" to see and hear many things both literal and figurative as our minds interpret what is seen in scanning so we may act accordingly with out resorting to a somewhat ineffective, for our time, instinctive reaction to stimuli, etc.

Click for larger view.

Take a look at the associated graphic. I use it to help "see" how both "eyes and ears" are used in scanning. These are useless if one has not attained adequate knowledge of what to encode in the brain so the mind can evaluate its perceptions and translate them to useful data to act on. As can be seen, the eyes have both direct and peripheral vision while the ears have a much larger area to hear sounds that would trigger the eyes and head to rotate in the right direction for gathering more pertinent data to evaluate. All this when trained properly; when educated properly provide almost instantaneous responses/reactions/actions necessary to "avoid; deescalate; remain aware."

Using your imagination and training to rotate the head to the left and right provide your eyes, both direct and peripheral + hearing, a full three hundred eighty degree area coverage. If something is detected to the absolute rear by hearing an peripheral vision the body can turn ninety degrees either way to verify data before acting, if time permits.

Give this some serious consideration. After all, in my view, this scanning is actually the first physical training fundamental that provides the art of avoidance its best chance of success.

Control

I just posted a short on control at my karate-do blog site but realized that it relates to the ken-po goku-i as well. If you read it as follows:

A person's heart is the same as Heaven and Earth while the blood circulating is similar to the Sun and Moon yet the manner of drinking and spitting is either soft or hard while a person's unbalance is the same as a weight and the body should be able to change direction at any time as the time to strike is when the opportunity presents itself and both the eyes must see all sides as the ears must listen in all directions.

You will find that many actually require a person to find self control within themselves in order to control the outside influences we encounter be they difficulties at work or conflict with some poor soul who flips you off and they cut you off on the road to work. There is the connections within alluded to in both the first and second references of Heaven-Earth: Sun-Moon.

As you continue it is control that allows you to choose between either hard and soft, to learn and maintain balance of mind-body-spirit, the ability to control the directions your body moves in relation to specific stimuli from an opponent/attacker, the control one needs to apply martial techniques such as strikes or blows or kicks and to learn and maintain an awareness using the senses with specificity to both eyes and ears. This is a literal reference to martial systems such as Isshinryu.

It seems that in order to participate in an acceptable and moral fashion in society it requires a person to learn control of the self so they can know and act accordingly. To do otherwise creates "friction" and friction causes heat and heat tends to be volatile in human interactions.

Isshinryu's Megami after all represents many facets of the system where the two hands denote a modicum of "control" a practitioner of karate/karate-do MUST find to apply it judiciously in self protection. Considering all the variables of fighting and society this becomes more important.

Yes? No? Maybe? Your thoughts and Idea's?

True "Seeing" for Martial Purposes

In the ken-po goku-i it is said, "One must SEE all sides." In my recent reading of the book of martial power by Steven J. Pearlman I have realized that this also means utilizing "peripheral vision" in combat or just about any endeavor. Pearlman Sensei provides this principal/fundamental in a light not realized by me before that moment.

He provided me with the knowledge that peripheral vs. direct vision in bypassing the thinking mind and accessing directly my training to achieve quicker action should I be attacked. All provided my training included as real a fighting drill/simulations as possible coupled with any and all actual hands-on experiences.

A principal that says peripheral vision is to "Look far to see near, look near to see far." It tells us it increase our reactions. This practice might enlighten all of us to the old stories of martial artists who could end a fight by their kamae with a stare that conveyed strong ability, etc. The blank stare of pheripheral vision utility can be interpreted by an opponent as total non-concern conveying a complete lack of thought toward anything but that opponents total destruction with no opening for him, etc. [total lack of true conveyance of what I mean but hopefully you will still get what I am trying to say]

After all, seeing all sides can mean not only the direct vision being placed no-mind/no-where so that the peripheral vision that stretches at least 180 degrees along with movement to achieve 360 degree views does make sense. Using this can and does allow a martial artist to "see all sides."

TEST: Take a cardboard tube and place it gently over one eye, close the other eye, and this will give you the experience of what it might be like with out your peripheral vision. Take the tube away and then back and then away then what is perceived outside of direct vision becomes more apparent.

Bibliography:
Perlman, Steven J. "The Book of Martial Power: The Universal Guide to the Combative Arts." New York. The Overlook Press. 2006.

Isshinryu-no-Megami Hands - Ken-po Goku-i

Recently a great post was discussing the code of the Samurai, Bushido, and I commented on it where the blogger provided me a wonderful pdf document "Samurai Life in Medieval Japan" from the University of Colorado, i.e. www.colorado.edu, site.

A particular quote I cannot yet post, waiting for copyright permission, provided me some additional thoughts to both the ken-po goku-i as it relates to the pose the Isshinryu-no-Megami, i.e. hands and possible meaning.

The quote speaks of the practice of peace as an art form when referenced the left hand, and the study/practice of the art of war referencing the right hand.

I felt that this can also be related to the Isshinryu-no-Megami hand position, i.e. the left hand held down and open in a fashion to indicate peace/peaceful/or art of peace while the right hand in a fist to represent the combative aspects of the system or the practice and study of the arts of war.

What say ye all Isshinryu enthusiasts?

Seeing - Hearing

The eyes must see all sides; the ears must hear in all directions. I have covered a lot as to what I feel meets the meaning of the line on "eyes." I have kind of talked about hearing in all directions but thought it time to provide a bit on "hearing" in this post.

The first time someone reads the English translation of the ken-po goku-i they tend to think of it literally. Lets say this is a "basic" or introduction to the ken-po goku-i but would be limited if we accepted that as the only meaning of these statements. As an introduction it gets you started and hopefully "thinking."

Hearing to me also denotes hearing all facts, idea's, thoughts, discussions, theories, etc. from all points regardless. It does not matter who they are, what system they practice or if they are considered, from your perspective, right or wrong. Even comments and statements that appear on the surface as something we should immediately discount/discard there is always, "ALWAYS," something within that is or may be true or lead to truth. I call this data mining. You may dig and get dirt and rocks yet somewhere in all that debris is gold. Even a small bit of gold is worth the effort.

Hearing is actively listening to the environment, to people, to media, and to anything that will give up the gold. You may have to dig a lot but perseverance and diligence will get you plenty.

I titled this post seeing and hearing because an intricate component of actively listening is to use your eyes to see all sides. Sides that are not visually obvious. In active listening the eyes must see all sides of the body language and facial expressions to determine the sincerity of the speaker, etc. If you watch a DVD both hearing and seeing comprise discovery of those tidbits of gold that panning pull out from water and other stuff as it flows past on the pathway of discovery.

If you are participating in a budo dojo then your ability to see and hear, everything, from Sensei or any other senior is critical to learning. The brain needs constant reinforcement to encode correct data to memory and seeing/hearing is the only way coupled with questioning. Maybe this is why Tatsuo Sensei said little and passed along the ken-po goku-i, much like discussed in my post on the old masters instruction method it becomes a matter of self discovery.

Think of it this way, what will be retained longer? Your own discovery and acceptance OR because Sensei said it was so? Something to think about ...

Blog Adjustments

Just to let you know that all my blogs have been "moved" into one account. I had them set to particular email accounts that would differentiate each accordingly but for efficiency I transferred all four blogs to the one main account so you might see some of my profile stats different, i.e. now under isshin.do.karate@gmail.com mail account, etc.

Everything else remains intact as do the actual historical postings, etc.

Thanks,

Charles J.

The "EYES" Must See

I can be stubborn where once I learn something that really resonates with me with emphasis on my practice of karate-do I tend to resist any attempts to refute that premise even when it is incontrovertible truth. I have since found that this is a crippling trait that I now try to avoid at all costs. It assumes that my findings are the final answer when in reality all answers are subject to "change."

In this light the ken-po goku-i's reference in line seven also can mean to "see" truth; to "see" beyond our limited understanding of things; to "see" that all idea's and answers to all things are subject to the same laws that govern the Universe, i.e. constantly changing; fluid. We must "see" ourselves for what we truly are so that we don't color our view with preconceived notions and idea's that we tend to make intractable so we remain inflexible; a path to disaster and stunted growth both personal and in martial training.

Seeing all sides is to "see" all sides. Don't limit your interpretation and application of this to just what you literally see to all sides of your physical presence. Step outside the box, see all sides!

Extra Words Ken-po Goku-i

The first line of the gokui is "A person's heart is the same as Heaven and Earth." The kanji that goes along with it is depicted in the graphic you see to the left side of this post.

My question is, "Where did the other English translation words come from?" What I am saying is this, "is this really the translation of the characters and if it is how did they determine that person and heart would be the same, and how is it the same, as heaven and earth. There is nothing notable to indicate that the person who wrote these characters originally meant it to be some comparison.

That comparison even if correct is not apparent, is it? This makes me wonder what exactly the Ancients intended when they provided the ken-po goku-i. I suspect, as stories are told, that because a good part of it was conveyed verbally and taking in to consideration the level of education for those who wrote things like the bubishi and lets not forget the environment, customs, and beliefs of those in that particular time will have an effect as well.

Maybe this was the ultimate purpose so that it would remain fluid so as times and people changed the meaning would change accordingly. The only hiccup here for me is the need to know the intent and meaning of those at their time so that I can utilize it to convey meaning to my time and meaning.

Isshinryu-no-Megami Hands

One hand is open and one is closed into a fist. What is the symbolism of this? The right hand is closed to represent the hard aspects of our style. It also suggests that we have the ability to defend ourselves if required. The left hand is open to represent the softer aspects of our style. It represents peace and tells us that we have no weapons and we strive to avoid trouble.

In the book, "Japan: Strategy of the Unseen", by Michel Random the quote I am referring to is as follows: "The open palm of the Buddha’s represents the Extended, the Infinite. A closed fist represents only itself."

The open palm as stated above tells us that our training is not a goal but a life long endeavor that is never over or you could say infinite in its nature for training and practice takes us all the way to our transition to the Tao.

The closed fist represents only itself might suggest that lost path, the closed mind, the trap that our ego puts on our mind and thus into our bodies. If we close our minds to the possibilities of what life and practice have to offer then we close ourselves to the possibilities that are afforded to us in our journey to enlightenment.

The open hand and closed fist also represent the "in-yo" or dualism of nature that must become one or the Tao of life. All things begin and end with one.

We can also say that the open hand represents the state of mind we must all maintain in our practice as well as in our lives. To keep our minds open to all of life's possibilities and use the singular practice of the way of the empty hand as our guide in reaching out to the stars.

Lastly, I also feel it signifies the maxim of soft-to-hard:hard-to-soft applications. I believe this is symbolized because it provides a maxim that applies to all technique applications depending on the targeting. A punch involves the closed fist and punching with the fore-knuckles, i.e. karate punch, and a strike involves the open hand such as a slap to the head, an open handed back hand to the face, or the use of the open hand, the elbow, the forearm or both elbow and forearm. The soft-to-hard:hard-to-soft maxim means use a hard, fist, against soft targets; a soft, strike/slap, against hard targets.

Bibliography:
Sutrisno, Tristan, MacYoung, Marc and Gordon, Dianna. "Becoming a Complete Martial Artist: Error Detection in Self Defense and the Martial Arts." Lyons Press. Connecticut. 2005.

Why study the Chinese ancient classics?

We practice Okinawan Karate, yes? So, a good question is why would we want to study the ancient Chinese classics? In a nutshell to understand the customs of the Okinawans and especially the fighting arts of karate we would want to study the classics because Okinawan's are a product of the Chinese influences and they also studied the classics, the customs, the courtesies, etc. of the Chinese.

The Chinese as to historical data received the greatest influences from them and worked diligently to assume and practice them in a unique Okinawan fashion.

With out going into more depth I would express my answer here through my study of Isshinryu karate-do. Isshinryu is a fairly young Okinawan system but the creator, Tatsuo Shimabuku Sensei, did study the classics such as the Chinese I Ching and Bubushi, which is a tome on Chinese boxing.

He also presented early practitioners a copy of the ken-po goku-i on silk in kanji/English. The significance here is it is derived from his studies and influences from earlier masters of Okinawan karate who also derived these from the study of Chinese classics with an emphasis on the Chinese version of the bubishi.

Do you have to study them to practice/learn/instruct karate in any of its forms? No, you do not yet I firmly believe to achieve greater depth and breadth and understanding and applications you should study them. I firmly believe they are the Yin side of that coin, yang being the physical practice of karate. It will provide guidance and balance in your studies and practices where they will become most influential when you actually take up the instruction of karate-do.

Something one who studies a martial system should consider. You might want to remember that even the Japanese studied the classics and then incorporated what the felt was pertinent into their customs, etc. Everything Japanese/Okinawan were influenced by Chinese connections.

Shaolin Ch'an Buddhism

"... a form of Buddhism that emphasized on self cultivation through seated meditation ... 'Dhyana' in Sanskrit or the investigation of one’s mind is called “Ch'an” in Chinese. The Japanese later pronounced it as “Zen”. ... a series of physical and breathing exercises. ... These movements—derived from Indian yogic practices of hatha and raja—were classified according to the 18 main animals in Indo-Chinese iconography, and evolve into Shaolin Gungfu. ... While the practice of Ch’an points directly to the mind, and emphasizes self-awareness and self-motivation, the practice requires self-discipline. ... To the the student of Shaolin Gungfu, it should be similarly emphasized that the introduction of movements and breathing exercises are entry points to develop self-discipline, and concentration that is required to begin the investigation of one's mind to seek wisdom ... " - Traits of Ch'an Buddhism

This post is one more step that provides me many more hours of thought and analysis as to my practice and what it may mean or could have meant to Tatsuo Sensei. As I continued to connect dots in my studies I came across a reference to the "Ch'an Buddhist" practice of the Shaolin monks where it is believed our roots to martial systems from Chinese influences originate.

As I continued to research the topic I read a few sources that described the practice of Ch'an Buddhism in many ways that I believe are relevant to my practice and the intent/spirit of Tatsuo's teachings via references us to the ken-po goku-i.

The fundamental thoughts of Ch'an Buddhism seem to follow my past studies in one area of the "Tao-te-ching." Many of the traits mentioned here seem to fall right into what many martial systems of Okinawa and Japan teach/instruct as to the opposite, esoteric, side of the coin - Martial Art, Budo!

Although it began with emphasis on seated meditation, think mokuso, it does go on to how a series of physical and breathing exercises, the lohan of Chinese boxing, to achieve a more enlightened state of living. It exemplifies the way to self-awareness, self-motivation, self-discipline, mindful awareness, and so on. All of these I have posted on in the past as a part of my practice.

It finishes up with a partial quote on how it all comes to the "one" or "wholehearted" delving into the mind to seek wisdom. To investigate the mind is to investigate it through the actions of the body which includes meditative practices with a greater emphasis on breathing. I have also posted with many references to the practice and use of breathing to achieve goals in karate-do which extend to our daily lives.

In addition they refer to Ch'an Buddhism as it was translated into the Japanese practice of "Zen." Apparently the word Zen is the Japanese pronouncement of Ch'an.

Yes? No? Maybe? Comments ... this begs the question for me, am I actually practicing a version of Ch'an Buddhism?

The Brain and All the Hoopla about Monkey and Lizard Stuff

Chiron Blog by Rory Miller provided a term I had not heard before, Triune Brain. In that light as I tend to do I did some searching on the subject that led me to a site I believe would be beneficial to all readers as it leads you to all the complexities of the brain functions that can either help or hinder our ability to apply karate or any system to self defense/protection, etc.

The site I found the most helpful in my continued understanding of how we work in society is: http://thebrain.mcgill.ca/flash/index_i.html 

It has layers much like Marc MacYoung's web site "No Nonsense Self Defense" so take your time and go through the main topics then click links to continue the journey to more knowledge.

One main point I have derived so far confirms what others with more experience than I tell us about self defense. In a nutshell it is best to enhance our instincts provided by mother nature to achieve a good solid defensive ability. If I have got it right that means "avoidance" is still the 90% rule. Taking those natural abilities that have worked so well for centuries and give it some enhancements that build on it will serve most folks better than simply learning a few techniques and then assuming they will work when needed. News flash folks, us normal folks will not apply these waza but simply fall back on the flight or fight response. Actually, freeze and face the threat then either totally freeze or run like hell or something like this, read the pages and come to your own conclusions.

What I found to be important to this site is it validated the teachings of what I have "seen and heard." It also provides some insights as to how you can enhance your training and practice so you can program how your brain constructs things and hopefully puts it into action when required.

What is the Ken-po Goku-i?

As to Isshinryu, which is the basis and reason for my study of this short terse tome on karate-do:

The "Kenpo Gokui"(Secrets of the Fist Way), taken from the Bubishi's "8 Poems of the Fist." Shimabuku Sensei reportedly received his Ken-po Goku-i from his Goju-ryu teacher, Miyagi Chojun. This document was very important in the development of Isshinryu. Shimabuku Tatsuo would give copies of the ken-po goku-i to his early students.

Advincula Sensei relates information on this as follows:

Isshinryu's Kenpo Gokui is from White Crane. The Kenpo Gokui is the yin while "Kihonteki, kata and kumite" (practiced until they become "one") is the yang of Isshinryu. Tatsuo used the I Ching which influenced his creation and practice of Isshinryu. We can see this in the Kenpo Gokui.

Kenpo gokui is a code which is often called the Pome of kenpo (Karate). The word kenpo is made from two kanji or Chinese characters; ken means "fist" and po means "law". Kenpo means "fist method" or "Law of the fist."

A code is a systematic statement of a body of law. A law is a system of principles or rules that also include a moral code. A moral code is a state of mind that dictates moral practices or teachings, modes of conduct, and ethics. Conduct is the act, manner, or process of carrying on in different situations be it mental or physical. A code is also a system of symbols letters or numbers used to represent assigned (and often secret) meaning(s).

The Kenpo gokui has eight precepts (as does article 13 of Bubishi). Precepts are principles intended as a general rule of action. Action is a function of the mind, body, and/or one of its parts, and can also be the manner or method of performing something. This can be brought about by altering or modifying each precept (much like the I-Ching) to suit a certain situation. Each situation can be dealt with by physical force or with (civility) reasoning. Reasoning means using the mind and drawing inferences or conclusions through the use of reason and or argument. Argument demands reasonable thinking and thought.

The Kenpo gokui is a micro I Ching (Book of changes/wisdom) in the form of a very terse, forty word pome (a pome of wisdom). The very reason it is called essential. The Kenpo goku puts the "Do" in karate for it is the very essence of karate.

The gokui are the "Essential principles of a system". To Tatsuo Sensei these precepts of the Kenpo Gokui were so important that he gave his students a copy written in kanji on silk.

The Kenpo gokui is rich in history and knowing it brings more value to Isshinryu as an art. Karate is not just punching, striking, and kicking; it is about life and harmony. Harmony of Mind, body, and spirit. Harmony of cultures.

This is a set of thoughts as taught in the Isshinkai, a group dedicated to the preservation of traditionally taught Isshinryu by Tatsuo Sensei.

You find many variations from system to system even in the splinter groups of the Isshinryu system. Not many actually have any understanding as to its purpose in karate but those who wish to go beyond the mere physical manifestations, to even find more of the physical, can discover many things by the research, investigation, study of the silk certificates.

A couple of notes one should consider when in receipt of the English translation. It was written by someone other than Tatsuo Sensei who provided the kanji versions. It should be understood that the English versions don't connect exactly to the characters for those are more subjective in relation to the times, customs, and beliefs of the person who wrote it, it was written long, long ago by Chinese who passed it down within the system of ken-po or way of the fist.

I found that it can and does provide more than just its minor connection to karate or any other martial system that has it in their teachings. I see that it has connections to the I Ching or book of changes, the tao-te-ching, and other older translated Chinese classics.

I see it as a key that can and does open many doorways revealing many paths with a variety of signposts that when followed lead to more answers and more questions that result in a never ending endeavor to learn, understand and practice both karate and all of life's encounters, etc.

I hope this short and vague answer inspires the reader to seek out, investigate, analyze and understand it and its implications for there is not right answer, only the unique answers for each individual.

I have a blog that posts on this and older, unpublished web pages, that expand on my studies from the beginning to today. Anyone who wishes to read what I have compiled can ask via email and I will try to create a pdf to send to you.

Think of the ken-po goku-i as a seed. You plant it, cultivate and feed it, you let it grow not knowing it it will be a beautiful flower or just another weed. Don't pull it until it presents its true self, you never know. Most gardens are filled with the beauty of nature in flowers, shrubs, and bushes while the weeds are few due to the gardeners constant tending of the garden of knowledge.

Ode to the Ken-po Goku-i

A person's heart likened to the glow of the heavens as they shine upon the earth.
Blood flows along the path lit by the glow of crescent moon seeking the illuminate of sun soon rising.

The manner of man living hard lives made easy from effort of self.
Maintaining the balance of nature same as earth's rocks on the plain solidly adhered to Earth.

Bodies watched from mindful awareness.
Finding time to achieve its internal best.

Eyes seeing all that is there, that is not.
Hearing the heart beat, feeling the flow of energy, expanding within to without.

Enlightened active awareness universally exposed to those seeking the path.
It merely waits for a seeker, a sage, a person of desire.

See-n-hear-n-heart-n-body

Awareness means one should first "see" within themselves and then once seeing must become attentive to what they find with clarity, honesty, and absolute openness for to "see" all that makes up our personalities and perceptions is the only way we can truly discover change and its benefits.

When seeing and being mindful in the present we can actively affect such things as emotional reactions, "heart" rate, blood (circulating) pressure, and cholesterol levels that affect pressure, blood flow/circulating, and the monkey brain.

We must tune in to what our bodies are telling us so we may "hear" how it is working, good, bad, or diseased or any myriad of things that are the effect of such a cause as anger, stress, fear, and more.

We hear our breathe, breathing and thus use our respiratory system to affect our body, mind, heart, and spirit. Breathing is a central control of all the body and mind either experience and/or do. Mindful breathing is one fundamental that allows us to change our genetic and environmental experiences thus shaping and reshaping our bodies, minds, and spirits throughout our entire lives.

The body, i.e. heart, blood, circulation, senses, etc., are often calmed and controlled by first achieving awareness and present moment mindfulness of it and its visualization of effect to the systems brain-body-mind connections promoting either health and clarity of thought or disease and fogginess of thought.

Through present moment mindful meditation of the body and mind one can achieve a level of concentration, focus, active awareness that transcends out of the personal universe to that of the entire universe. This is how one achieves the fundamentals and moves into the higher abilities inherent in all traditional martial artists.

Being mindful is developing investigative skills so one obtains true and clear knowledge of self by recognizing, labeling and observing the body-mind. It must be observation of self which is to be unbiased, not shaded by personal beliefs or attitudes; other words mind-no-mind.

It is this way one achieves behavioral changes that stick and are available in all types of conditions and stimuli such as conflict, etc. To achieve such change a person must develop and cultivate through the ingredients of change, i.e. begin with simple steps; seek out an supportive and motivational environment and then make it habit or instinctual by repetitive practice and training.

We are not fully aware of many habits so "seeing" them and then "hearing" about them in our "heart" and "mind" provide us the first step in being mindful of self.

This is another aspect of what they try to present to all practitioners through the ken-po goku-i.

Seeing

Another aspect that brings to mind the seventh sentence of the ken-po goju-i is the question I would ask practitioners, "Do you actively see in all directions?" Ok, this is a bit out of what you might think cause I have been talking of this outside the box labeled, "Literal." It deals again with awareness, active awareness.

When you are scanning your environment are you focused on what you see in that narrow blinder vision, i.e. what you see directly? Marc MacYoung calls this "one-point focusing." Take a moment in your next training or practice session, watch Sensei and then tell me what you see out on your peripheral?

Normally we pretty much ignore anything that leaves this narrow, say twenty degree spread span, but that peripheral area, over twenty and up to 180 degree spread.  Yet, I bet if you were actually fighting on the street that area might be a bit more important. Regardless of whether your fighting or not the ability to avoid relies on what you "see" and "hear" as you move through any area/environment, yes?

When the ken-po goku-i says in all directions don't limit that to what you see in the one-point focus but train yourself and then practice it diligently to perceive what is in your peripheral. If you do it right it will signal your brain if some dangerous issue comes up so you can adjust. It can be like walking to a car in a lot that is somewhat dark at night and your peripheral "sees" something hinkey so you turn and then proceed to avoid and escape to safety.

What Mr. MacYoung seems to be saying don't forget to train your ability to "see" and "be aware of" what crops up as to your entire vision span.

Now, about hearing, the same applies. You should be training yourself to actively "hear" in all directions as well and that would work well with seeing all sides cause if you hear it, don't see it in your peripheral then guess it is coming up fast from the rear.

Now, lets take it one step further. You are scanning but you are really aware so you know that this also means you have to turn your head from side to side so you can register all 360 degrees. Just like driving a car into an intersection. You scan left and right so your full vision and hearing can perceive any danger like that other nut on his cell looking down at his laptop screaming through a red light, oh gosh, maybe I should stop now ;-)

One more thing, if your opponent is closing your eyes are on his then your peripheral will pick up those movements on him that may tell you, Uh Oh, attack coming on, MOVE.

Bibliography:
MacYoung, Marc. "Violence, Blunders, and Fractured Jaws: Advanced Awareness Techniques and Street Etiquette." Paladin Press. Boulder, Colorado. 1992.

Body Movement

I wanted to touch base on the fifth line of the ken-po goku-i in that we train/practice to have our bodies change directions at any time. What may get stuck in some minds is the "sport driven" aspect of movement, i.e. forward and directly backward in a straight line. I am going to once again venture into that land I am not expert in and that is street conflicts.

We humans if not informed of other stuff tend to lock on to such things and it remains until a light comes on and says, "Oh yea, cool!" You know that "Oh shit moment." In many dojo sparring and fighting and self defense training remains in the dark ages of sport driven body movement.

When I say change direction at any time I mean all dimensions, i.e. forward, on angle forward, on angle backward, in a circular back or forth or both movement, etc. I like to spiral sometimes so when someone actually moves and enter my clear zone I move in a particular direction say right and then do a spiral move as I close in to attack (not self defense here ;-).

I know of several interpretations of the ken-po goku-i but then tend to stay within that locked up view of moving, sport-driven. Another point I would like you to consider is that the reason the goku-i was provided in such a short, terse, way was to promote self-analysis, perception and open the door to our minds ability to "create," or to "see." Ops, here I go again with "seeing."

So, add that to the possibilities of the ken-po goku-i, yea! There is always something to see, always something to learn. In line four  a person's unbalance being the same as a weight try the lack of knowledge and ability to make things work; to see outside the box is light a huge weight causing your balance to kilter out and drag your progress down to oblivion ... why people quit?

Focus In, then, Focus Out

"It is not what others think of me that matters; it is what I think of myself. If I allow myself to be shaped by other opinions, I would become what they wish me to become."

More of my studies and practice indicate, to me, that before we can truly participate in society or the Universe we must first "know" that Universe within us as each individual. To much of what we have within us influences how we interact with the Universe and if we are not sure of what we are within then we will not be beneficial and productive to those the stand outside of our personal Universe.

How can we instruct others in anything be it the physical, mental or spiritual as related to the ken-po goku-i, the ancient classics such as the I Ching and other tomes of knowledge like "Fully Present," "The Now," and "Becoming a Complete Martial Artist." These are but a few too!

It should be a primary goal of an instructor or anyone intent on being involved in life that they disentangle their thoughts from reality for we do influence our thoughts with our past experiences and such so we should take it all in and discover through our internal awareness as to what is correct. In the case of karate what is morally correct and societally acceptable behavior even in fighting, conflict, combat, etc.

Read the quote again, I personally do not want now or have never wanted to become what others thought I should become but rather what I feel I should become and I cannot or have not done otherwise in my life. I got caught up in external validation which is just a way to excuse myself from myself which if you think of it provides me the perfect excuse when what others decide goes wrong I can then blame them when in reality regardless it is and always will be my decision and my fault when it goes wrong. More importantly, keep this foremost in your mind, when things go right I can be satisfied that I did right, by me, myself, and I and that projects onto others who enter my sphere of influence. If both of us are alike in this concept then we are mutually influencing to our benefit.

As a fledgling novice regard internal focus as a personal fundamental. As a fledgling associate instructor also focus inward to find truth and knowledge then when you become an instructor you will have already discovered "most" of the things you will transmit to others and it will be right.

To Practice Mindfulness ...

"We think we know something one day only to discover that what we thought we knew was not quite right. We constantly wake up to knowledge, shifting from ignorance to awareness. What we are conscious of changes constantly."

Bibliography:
Smalley, Susan L. PhD. Winston, Diana. "Fully Present: The Science, Art, and Practice of Mindfulness." Da Capo Press. Philadelphia. 2010.

Mindfulness, a valuable tool ...

In ken-po goku-i the last two sentences mention both seeing and hearing. Another form of "seeing" in all directions is that of mindful seeing. Mindful seeing involves internalizing our practice of mindfulness, present moment, now/presence action to "seeing" our thoughts, feelings, and habitual patterns with more clarity. The knowledge we can obtain about ourselves when used with reflection can result in wisdom and compassion.

Once we achieve this level of self awareness we can then by our actions and interactions effect the minds, mindfulness, etc. with the Universe. We "see" now that the intent of the ken-po goku-i reflects more than seeing in all directions literally to a more metaphysical view of all the Universe. Take this like science fiction, or string theory if you will, the ability to see beyond the literal and into the multi-dimensional Universes there to "see" and "hear" if we are actively aware.

Simply, karate/karate-do can be a tool as well that helps us achieve the awareness and focus that mindfulness uses to see and hear all that we are and can be; karate and other difficult and rigorous activities thus provide all you can achieve and develop physically with note that we see and hear that the mind is following the body while the body follows the mind.

Is not one of the reasons we practice the way, to achieve enlightenment. Is enlightenment at least in part wisdom. Is wisdom also enlightenment of ourselves which will reflect in our actions and thoughts as we connect, strings, with other life in the Universe.

Mind:Ephemeral:Yin - Body:Physical:Yang

The mind or mental processes are ephemeral. The gray matter that makes up our brains are physical while the thoughts and emotions we experience that are from the brain/mind are short-lived. Ephemeral is Yin; Physical is Yang; one is fleeting from moment to moment while the other resides permanently in the present moment.

What is it that gets us humans, more males then females, into a lot of trouble, emotions, the monkey brain driving the train. If we are not aware of our emotions, how they affect us and our bodies, then they tend to control us once triggered. To become aware of emotions; to label the emotions; to stop stories from being attached to while remaining aware of how they feel is the beginnings of controlling our emotions - to an extent.

All our emotions have the potential to drive the bus causing us any number of issues, both positive and negative emotions. In karate we train to shackle the monkey so we can balance intuition with reason. Reason means access to the things we train and practice while intuition, unencumbered by emotional effects, etc., can allow a mindful use of proper tactics to avoid, deescalate, etc. in a conflict/altercation. When the mind is clouded by our emotional monkey driving the bus it cuts the circuit that connects reason and intuition, it freezes or slows to a crawl leaving you unresponsive in the altercation, verbal or otherwise.

Stories and emotions are attached to things, this gives fuel to the bus and tells the monkey to do its dance leaving us subject to its whims. When we train the body and leave the mind to its own resources we get chaos but if we are aware/mindful of our bodies and minds with all there luggage we can control how we respond, i.e. with the monkey in charge or with reason and intuition - your choice, always is; always has been. Ease of implementation - practice, practice, practice ...

I find that the ken-po goku-i touches in all eight tomes both the physical and mental. A person's heart is physical yet making a reference the Heaven and Earth as the ancient Chinese did it becomes mental or of a more spiritual nature which is not physical.

Blood is a physical yet circulating and it similarity once again is not physical but an analogy that means both physical and mental/spiritual.

The body is physical but the performance of changing its direction comes from the mind and the minds perception of stimuli in the physical world which causes us to choose, a mental activity, to change a direction which is a physical manifestation of the choice the mind made, mental.

Time is both physical and mental, it exists when referenced say on a watch yet is truly a mental perception in the mind like our ability to project into the past or contemplate the future but more importantly remaining in the present moment which really stops dealing with time for time has not relevance in present moment mindfulness.

The eyes see all sides where one type of "eyes" is the physical eye that sees stimuli and transmits those signals to the mind which then translates through the minds knowledge and experiences, both not of physical nature, into some thought where actions of the mind are mined and again non-physically transmitted to the part of the brain that will trigger the physical manifestations, i.e. what is instinctual and/or trained/practiced.

The ears may be physical yet all they do are non-physical. The more you allow the mind, Yin, to function and work the more you can transmit/translate that into actions which your body, Yang, take in life. It can be living every day or it can be the actions taken in a physical confrontation, physical:Yang, and finally the act of avoidance, Yin:a choice, into moving away from the danger zone, physical:Yang, to safety.

Duality, Yang-n-Yin, and the ken-po goku-i do teach us something if we are willing to "see" and "hear" more than what we may be comfortable with ... ?

Awareness

Another aspect to consider for our awareness training is that awareness we train to "feel" things. We feel how a stance when in its proper pose feels as to our feet connecting to the Earth. We feel the positioning of the lower leg over the feet, the knees aligning and connect to the thigh. If anything is amiss we should feel it when we are doing it. This is not just assuming a stance, rooting, and then remaining in it to feel it but to learn to feel it as we move into it and then out of it.

We feel our feet as they move and reach into the next stance  with proper positioning, alignment, posture, etc. Our awareness means our minds are trained to focus on this in training so our minds will instinctively "feel it" if something is not right. Lets say your fighting. You move into a specific stance so a particular technique can be executed to not get hit and stop the fight. Your body moves, you feel it move, you sense it going further than you wanted due to external circumstances so it will tell your mind to do one of two things, either not execute that technique and start moving into a new one with all its parts or try to adjust so you can get that technique executed, NOT the second part for sure. If you don't have all the ducks lined up for a particular technique you don't use it, it loses its effectiveness.

This is why awareness goes beyond the obvious and into the realm of feeling and sensing what your body is doing and where it is going at all times. It is one component that is critical to making all the components of power and force work as you would intend. Range and how you get to it; weight transfer into momentum for power, etc.; no wasted movement to include an patching or adjusting to make it work; timing and placement so it all comes together as one in the right direction and the right time; and finally adding in those acceleration techniques to boost power and force.

This is all geared to your awareness of all those concepts and components through awareness of   body movement and all it entails so you can "sense" or "see" with the minds eye and "feel" where your body is, was, is going, etc.

Let me extend this post to the ken-po goku-i, parts that reference the ability to '''see" and "hear" in all directions is more than just north, south, east, west, etc. but in all metaphysical/metaphorical/spiritual/conceptual directions and more. Its references to hard and soft, feel it and apply it appropriately, body changing directions is not only turning and such but changing the way your body moves and assumes poses/postures where awareness tells you to see and feel and sense these actions of the body.

The time to strike is not just applying a punch or kick but timing awareness so that all components of your system come into that "one" instant that applies what your goals, tactics, and strategies use to not get hit and stop the attack.

Another lesson to me on NOT assuming that what I see is all I can see for seeing goes beyond the obvious as well as hearing is more active than just having sound reach and ring the ear drum, it is an awareness of what is being heard beyond initial impressions and allowing our ability to see, hear, sense, go beyond the first layer.

Breathing Mindfulness

Breathing, much like in martial systems, is a central focus of mindfulness, meditation, and most mind-body (martial arts like karate-do) practices. Even the word "spiritual," which is often associated with mind-body practices, stems from the latin "spirituals," which means "of breathing."

Breath is an index of health and well-being. In Chinese medicine, Chi, is a measure of life force of the body, is assessed through examination of pulse (heart, blood, and circulation) and breathe.

The premise I propose is that connectivity is in all of the universe - nature. That to achieve a connection to all of the Universe it starts with breathing. A mindful breathing that results in present moment mind, no past and no future thoughts but simply present moment, now, mindfulness of the breathing process.

If we are able to practice this daily and in present moments through out the day we promote health and well being of the spirit-mind-body that translates to a greater ability to remain present moment focus and awareness that will serve us in all situations.

The mind-no-mind premise is actually a present moment mind. No allowed distractions with full focus and awareness in the now, this exact moment as it moves from moment to moment so that everything is seen and heard and felt as the moments move through the present. A moment does not become until it is present, the moment just in front of the present nor the moment just leaving the present is to be allowed space in that moment. Its shadow, its effect when in the present moment is the only thought that is like a shadow of the present yet it also instantly changes and leaves as each moment becomes present.

The mind and thus the body and by mind-body the spirit is present, focused, and aware that has the intensity to create affects that respond. This is mind-no-mind which is present moment mindfulness which is like the Tao-te-ching that cannot be adequately described in words but must be achieved in present moment actions. Its understanding and belief comes from the individual who has practiced it diligently and with present moment mindfulness.

A most difficult concept, idea, belief, etc. that can be obtained in spirit yet not held or seen or heard or felt. It is a state of being, a state of spiritual awareness of awareness.

Note: If your photo-graphic please let me know, don't know where it came from but want to give credit.

Bullying

First, I was a bully in junior high school. No excuses and no reasons why to explain it away, I was and it was wrong. Today it seems as if this is becoming a national crises and prompted me to post on the subject.

Do we, as Sensei, have a responsibility to instruct young adults in this subject? I cannot say with any experience or certainty that it is something we should do in martial systems instruction but maybe we should be contemplating it as Sensei.

I would be considering it in the strongest terms if I had a dojo that instructed young adults, i.e. young persons in grade and/or junior high school. This is grade five up to 12.

What is it that we could do as Sensei? 

Should we do this? 

Is it something we should provide in our fundamentals of any martial system? 

Is this a step beyond our responsibility and should this be on the shoulders of the parents only? 

If you do or do not address this in instructing young adults would you be either liable or not liable if that person used what you taught to cause grave injury to another young person?

I am sure many school systems today are fighting with themselves over this subject. I would suggest, theory only with no data to back it up, that Sensei of all martial systems who instruct persons under the age of 18 (legal age in the state where you instruct) should be giving this a great deal of thought.

I personally do not know the answers. If a karate-ka actually applied a powerful punch or strike to another child's head and it resulted in unconsciousness and hospitalization I would be devastated. With power comes responsibility! Do young adults really have the experience and knowledge to assume that responsibility?

All questions we Sensei should ask ourselves. Have you asked yourself these and other related questions? Take a moment, do a search on youtube for bullying, view what you see and consider the question(s), please!

Awareness-Mindfulness-Now-Present Moment

Awareness is being mindful. Mindful is an inclination to be aware or having awareness. It is a certain vigilance in observing what one experiences. To have "Mindful Awareness" one is to be aware of awareness. This implies that one is aware of self and has a capacity to reflect.

This is our way of explaining the awareness one must use to remain in a state of "avoidance" in the martial system of karate. This also speaks of the "Way or Do" of bu-do, karate-do, etc.

To achieve a level of proficiency in karate-do one must have equilibrium in awareness. The one spoken of here of the self and then that of what you experience.  This experience is not limited to conflict of fighting yet it must be taught and practiced by individuals so they remain aware of all the present moment experiences that may or may not include any form of conflict.

Remain aware of the self to control our actions and reactions as we experience life and what it offers us at each and every unique moment, not past or future but the now of the moment as fleeting as it is or may be.

The practice of any budo promotes this type of mental training yet it seems as if that is focused solely on the fighting art or martial system being taught and practiced. It becomes clear as one progresses that it is merely a singular form of practice that can and does open the connections to all of what we are capable.

To parry a strike or punch in reality is no different than parrying a verbal assault. We do this parry by not allowing the verbal assault to reach our emotional monkey thus keeping it reined in or shackled so our logical side can act or react appropriately.

Once one opens the mind to all that is present and allow it to lead us and guide our travels we connect to the tribe, the group, society, our world, nature and the Universe and all the energies that propel us from this exact moment into the next and so on.

Ah, you say, what has this to do with the ken-po goku-i? Awareness, mindfulness, the self, etc. are all referenced within the goku-i.

Awareness of our bodies, the energies that circulate like the sun and moon. Our bodies weight for weight transfer to build energy and power in movement, i.e. body is like a weight where we use our bodies weight as it moves to build momentum which is the bases for power.

Seeing and Hearing is tantamount to both seeing and hearing our environment to perceive all things in the present moment both benign and not. Seeing and hearing within ourselves those weaknesses to build a better person.

To see or hear in all directions means in the environment as well as in ourselves, others, and society. Unlimited and when present and mindful you see and hear things most others take for granted.

The body changing direction not only to movement, another stone in the power chain, but movement within the self that promotes the way.

See, there are connections in all that we do, hear, see, say, feel and perceive: Awareness, mindful of awareness, aware of awareness for each present moment. The now of our existence for the now is always now.

Heaven and Earth as representative of all the Universe with all its present moments of life giving energy that we are able to perceive and tap into if we remain mindful; aware of awareness; awareness of the Universe's primordial energy that permeates all.

The Number Eight/Infinity - continued from 8 goku-i/trigrams

Click for Large View!

The Number Eight - continued from 8 goku-i/trigrams

Click for Larger View!

8 Ken-po Goku-i & 8 Trigrams

Is there a relationship or connection between the two? Did the ken-po goku-i, will call it gokui for brevity purposes only, actually come to be from the study of the trigrams and the I Ching, i.e. Hexagram's and so forth?

Lets see what is most obvious first. There is a reference to the Earth. There is a reference to the Sun. There is references to both the eyes and the heart. There is a reference to the moon and there is a reference to Heaven.

One trigram has hips and buttocks which relate to changing directions, balance, and both hard and soft depending on its use. Another trigram refers to the abdomen or the seat of power with our interpretation as the center of the body. This is the spot we tend to refer to as the starting point of movement or the central axis both vertical and horizontal that relates to a persons balance and weight.

Another trigram refers to hands, spine, and small bones. After all, isn't karate about the empty hands? Doesn't the spine connect the center axis to all parts of the body that when aligned properly provide power to the body and thus the application of techniques?

All eight trigrams make some reference to the elements, family relations, a body part  and a group that relates to nature, i.e. east, west, north, south, etc.

When we talk of our practice we talk about balance or equilibrium and for the trigrams the number eight represents perfect balance. So, eight goku-i and eight trigrams equals balance. The body references in trigrams depending on its line arrangement can indicate positive and negative issues of that body part or area so striving for balance promotes health and well being much like striving for balance in martial practice promotes ability and confidence, etc.

All the trigrams represent nature and the Universe while the goku-i also references the Universe with direct and indirect connections to the person, the body, the mind and the spirit. Person and body being one, the mind is the next and the spirit third for the trilogy of life, i.e. spirit, mind, and body with no particular order asked or required.

Also notice that the spirit-mind-body are the trilogy correspond to the three lines of all eight trigrams. The example I use is heaven-man-earth with heaven at the top; spirit-body-mind with spirit related to Heaven, body related to man and the mind related to Earth. Man receives the benefits of Heaven and Earth, i.e. that person's heart being the same, i.e. heart of the body, for a balanced or healthy body that comes from the spirit being in balance with Heaven and the mind being steady and strong as is the Earth resulting in a strong body.

Also when sorted in a particular order there is now a matrix of three x three resulting in the eight trigrams. The eight goku-i relate the same way and when put in the order of three by three form a matrix for the various martial systems and relate to all systems. All bottles are good, they all serve a purpose. All eight goku-i are good, they all serve a purpose. All eight trigrams are good, they all serve a purpose. Connections ...

The trigrams are further governed by the elements; wood, fire, earth, metal, water; and they lead to the twelve hexagrams, primary hexagrams, of the I Ching. How far the rabbit hole goes is up to the practitioner and how far they wish to take their studies. Like anything done in martial practice the extent, depth, and breadth is totally up to the person practicing the discipline, any discipline regardless of its being martial or something else.

Out attitudes of the mind must be governed much like the mechanics of the martial systems. Martial systems have specific natural fundamental requirements that must be taught, learned, practiced and followed for it to work much like the inferences from the I Ching, the Trigrams, and the Ken-po Goku-i that assist us in the practice of the physical so that we apply them in a positive and beneficial way to ourselves, our tribes and our society.

Tom Sanders, in the Isshinryu system, has provided a great deal of material on his studies as to connecting the art of the empty hand to the goku-i to the trigrams or Tai Chi, I Ching, etc. I can say that it applies to his studies and practice yet what he provides may influence other individuals in how they approach their practice and training.

Bibliography:
http://www.168fengshui.com/Articles/8_trigrams.htm
http://www.goldenelixir.com/taoism/table_bagua.html