THE ALLURE OF MARTIAL ARTS

Once one is over the fascination and glamour of the martial arts, whatever they are, one can then begin real work and study of them. Clearing the mind of fantastic notions, theories,ideas, and attempts to accomplish marvelous,extraordinary and stupendous feats abandoned, one can perhaps learn and perceive what martial arts are really all about. The commercial trappings that seem to surround these ancient and modern martial arts,wherever found, distract many from the true and real path but cannot always be avoided but have to be recognized CONSCIOUSLY for what they are in any case.

SEEING & OBSERVING

Many people have seen various martial arts feats,performances, tournaments, demonstrations, exhibitions, or lessons and classes involving martial arts, BUT HAVE THEY EVER OBSERVED SUCH? oBSERVATION IS NOT SIMPLY SEEING SUCH. True observation requires you be there, that you OBSERVE and are AWARE,not passively letting things flow in front of you. Yes, people have seen much,especially via media and confuse that with actuality/reality and believe they 'know all about' whatever it is being presented,etc. This is why when all the people watching such things, as martial arts, leqave the scene, they cannot do anything they have witnessed! This is because they have not observed, at least to the degree necessary to take away certain impressions and influences based on a truly conscious presence. FOR THOSE WHO ARE AWAKE, this is why the old masters never allowed people to merely attend or witness or 'observe' their methods and practices except on rare exceptions, like when defending themselves or others. In today's electronic universe, everything is hanging out, ready like hanging grapes to pick off U-TUBE and elsewhere or DVD's books,etc. which is good if you can grab things that way and really make them your own. Whenever I go anywhere I try to come away with something that others will leave behind, because,as has been said, 'their cups are full when they arrive'! Whatever masters, instructors, experts,etc. I have been fortunate to meet, to know, to befriend, I have always been privileged to obtain something from them,whether tangible or intangible, and without OBLIGATING MYSELF as much as possible,that is, owing them great debts of gratitude,etc. If they want to show me personally something, I do not refuse,let alone attempt to do what so many others do(show them my ways,unless they really insist and ask). In this way, I had many valuable lessons and am still learning,not teaching. If you understand this, then perhaps you will b egin to really observe while others merely see and watch and applaud,etc.

THE MANNER OF DYING

HOW you die is as important as when you die or where you die, if not more so. That everyone and everything dies is a truism everyone seems to accept. The goal of many is to live a long life and to die peacefully, but few really achieve this, and many end up in a drugged stupor surrounded by strangers and not family or friends. Their machine(s) are kept alive as long as possible by 'scientific' apparatus and other methodologies. Eventually all the systems shut down and someone tries to determine the time of actual death,etc. Then the body is given some procedures to either bury or burn it and then comes various rites and rituals, ceremonies and so forth for either remembrance(s), accolades and tribute and testimonies, or to whisk the 'soul' onits way to Heaven or Hell, Paradise, or Eternal Slumber and so forth. This happens only in countries where such can take place,but the truth is that many people simply die in the streets or wilds and GREAT NATURE consumes them. In fact, GREAT NATURE and THE GREAT UNIVERSE absorb all the released energies of life which GREAT NATURE & THE GREAT UNIVERSE utilize in many ways, mostly hidden, obscure, etc. to us! What has any of this to do with MARTIAL ARTS? Martial arts in their esoteric aspects are designed to prepare us for death as well as to assist GREAT NATURE in absorbing energies released when we kill or destroy,as martial artists,who lhave great responsibilties in this regard.

MORE ON LETHALITY AND MUCH THE SAME!

Although all martial arts practice invoke risk of injury as well as death, it is my observation that nearlyall of them as shown on Dvd,U-tube,MMA,and at tournaments,etc. with perhaps some rare exceptions, all lack what can be termed 'lethality'. It is obvious that most demos and bouts,though sometimes multiples are involved, which usually involve two persons facing each other, that no one is going to really killed or severely crippled,injured,etc. as a result. If you know this then you are really only going to evaluate it as such on the basis of certain factors(to be considered another time) and you cannot really state if they are truly 'lethal' tactics,deadly, or capable of killing. Do we need to prove such lethality? Laws and regulations,etc. are against such proofs and on today's battlefileds hand-to-hand,traditional, classical methods are seldom employed because of high-tech weaponry and the like. More to be said on this war/combat aspect another time. The point is that nearly all those taking up martial arts ahve not and probably won't ever kill anyone with their bare hands,unarmed,though some may kill with knives, sticks,etc. either accidentally or on purpose.

LETHALITY

In nearly all martial arts and various practices related to martial arts, there is always the risk of danger, injury, as well as the possibility of death, it might seem, just as there is in nearlyevery human activity. Martial arts are assumed to be somewhat lethal and are to be used with caution and discretion, as most experts and masters tend to assert and insist. HOWEVER, I notice among all the various demos and matches and antics in and out of the ring,etc. a complete lack of LETHALITY. Few persons enter such with the exact notion of killing or crippling their opponents, all in the name of sport and competition, and we are all advised to save such for what are considered 'rare',life threatening, and dangerous situations, but clearly a 'kill or be killed' attitude and effort are lacking no matter how many injuries are sustained or how 'brutal,. such instances appear. A great fear of legal implications,even in wartime, hangs over the real warrior who usually these days uses guns and other weapons. This concept of LETHALITY is difficult to explain, let alone demonstrate, in any seminar or workshop or training program and is completely ignored for the most part for all kinds of reason. The Japanese during WWII had little hesitation in showing how sharp theair swords were on the necks of Chinese, Americans, British,Dutch, Filipinos, Indonesians,and other captives. There would be little doubt in the minds of those witnessing such that lethality exists and such weapons can and are lethal. NO THEORY THAT! The same also applied to ju-jutsu, arnis, karate,etc. because they can be very lethal when this concept is fully understood(and it never is for a number of reasons) and is not necessarily the same as 'cruelty',barbarism' 'torture' or the like when you have to call upon this LETHALITY to survive. There is always more to be said on such but I think we can safely say that most practitoners and students of martial arts as undergoing training today have not intentionally killed anyone using these martial arts. There are exceptions,no doubt.

ESOTERIC

The word 'esoteric' means 'inner' whereas the word 'occult' has come to mean 'hidden'. There are three forms of knowledge, that is, esoteric/occult. Which means also there are three forms of existence among humans who pursue these things: THE ESOTERIC;THE MESOTERIC; and THE EXOTERIC-but the outermost circle, if we conceive of humanity being divided or,rather, framed within circles of existence, is the OUTER CIRCLE OF HUMANITY to which most of humanity belongs in and in which they live. The Law Of Accident operates very strongly in the Outer Circle and GREAT NATURE tends to rule over things on the earth.

THE WAY OF THE YOGI

In recent years yoga has gained a great popularity in the world for many reasons. When I was younger and first learned about yoga and its existence, you could not find anything much on it except in books, magazines, and occasionally a movie or two. I learned about yoga around the age of 8,9,or 10 years and I shall relate some of that in later blogs or comments. Nowadays, yoiu can find a 'yoga studio' or session in even the smallest US towns and villages, along with other Eastern practices,such as Tai Chi or Qi Gong or Acupuncture,etc. as well as other similar things of a mystical/occult nature. Magazines and DVD's or videos as well as books and seminars, and yoga camps have all contributed to the spread and growth of yoga. All this may seem rather obvious to sophisticated and uptodate people, who follow all the trends, but at one time, the search for yoga was difficult and as mentioned previously in this section, The Way of The Yogi is not for everyone if it is truly followed. Most people are concentrated on the so-called basics of HATHA YOGA and are content to twist themselves up into pretzels and complicated, intricate poses and postures, of which they seldom, but occasionally, have any idea as to why these are done,save for supposed physical benefits,etc. I find a complete ignorance of the traditional Yoga Classics, and literature often existing,except if one has come under the sway or influence of specific groups and teachers or masters and swamis,etc. who tend to keep tabs on their devotees and followers for reasons of their own,usually. Of the three traditional ways: THE WAY OF THE YOGI tends in its higher forms to be MENTAL or even intellectual,involving the mind, the brain and the nervous system as well as logic and positive thinking, but not the kind most think of or about. Where systems of Yoga are heavily coated with the religious notions and speculations and rituals and rites of TRADITIONAL HINDUISM, one will encounter a number of obstacles and contradictions and problems on this path,especially without a true, real, initiated teacher or teachers. Entering ashrams and other yoga areas can prove interesting, disappointing,exciting, and laborious. To really understand yoga, and,indeed, any religion or martial arts or such similar area, I always say for others to visit the lands where these things originated if possible and not rely on just readings, second-hand observations and comments and teachers who have not trod the hot,dusty trails or the high perilous mountains,etc. in search of these things.

THE WAY OF THE MONK

The Way of the Monk includes the Priest, the Lama, the Hermit, the Wiseman, and a number of others who follow a religious orientation and system or practice, whether organized or not,but, like the Way of the Fakir or the Way of the Yogi, everything has to be accepted from the beginning and followed to the end, without knowing where you will actually end up: whether HEAVEN OR NIRVANA, HELL OR HADES, OR PARADISE OR THE NEW EDEN,etc.etc. You will have to embrace ritual and rite, kneeling in prayer and also allow devotional attitudes to emerge. Emotion and 'LOVE' and other things will be the focus. Then,in some cases, obedience, chastity, and poverty will be your burdens. The Way of the Sufi is sometimes along this path as is the way of the Fakir. They sometimes share certain aspects of their respective paths,but few of us will give up our present state and embrace these paths. It is most informative to read the biographies and autobiographies of Westerners who have gone to Indis, Tibet,Egypt, Thailand, China, Japan,etc. to embrace the religions and practices of these lands,especially Zen, Yoga, Vedanta,Sufism, etc. The caution is NOT TO LET YOUR IMAGINATION SWAY YOU INTO EMBRACING ALL THESE THINGS.

THE WAY OF THE FAKIR

This traditional Path is one of the most misunderstood of the three classic paths. The other paths, that of the monk and the yogi, sometimes employ a few of the methods and techniques from this path. Essentially, the path is physical, intensely so, and the more familiar examples of the practitioners can be found in RIPLEY'S BELIEVE IT OR NOT, in either photos or drawings,etc. FAKIRISM does not mean faking though some Fakirs are 'tricksters',con-men, and utilize various techniques. They can also be soothsayers, magicians(the street variety) and even astologers, but various schools exist. More needs to be said on this aspect of THE WAY OF THE FAKIR, but you can see some examples in 'body-builders', Hatha yogis, and side-show performers,etc. Mastery of the body is the key to being a Fakir. Often this involves intense pain and suffering to achieve a goal few would care to try and reach in the modern, indulgent world. Some of the practices tend to masochism and even sadism, torture and physical extremism. However, the notion of 'INTENTIONAL SUFFERING' is a much higher format to follow than most realize. Aspects of this can be found in BUDDHISM and CHRISTIANITY, of course. For most religions, life itself is suffering and all life suffers. People in the West tend to try to evade and escape from pain at all costs, especially through drugs,etc. and do not really try to understand certain forms of pain or to control such,etc. The Way of the Fakir is one way to do this and perhaps to achieve liberation and enlightenment but you have to accept everything from the beginning without knowing where you will end up!

SENSING

Although most of us look at sensing as being the same as the 'senses' it is not really the case as anyone who undertakes the process and activity of 'sensing' will soon discover. Several systems of sensing exist and many of them have merit for particular persons and more especially for specific body types. If you look at the nerve patterns and pathways in the body as well as the meridians and channels, and other types of a similar nature, you will see that much is involved. However, you have to also learn some things about relaxation and tension, which are not 'sensing' per se but they can also assist in your understanding and possible mastery of this process. The better way to learn what sensing is about is to have an actual teacher guide you.

RECOLLECTION & REMEMBRANCE

Remembrance is a periodic process whereby one remembers or recalls certain images, events,circumstances,happenings,experiences, people, relatives and other things from the past, that are essentially one's own.! Ponder this a bit. It is an important aspect of life to remember and to remember one's self most of all. There is a certain duty, an almost ceremonia laspectto all fothis and perhaps that is why on certain days of the year certain memories are best recalled and remembered.

FALSE KNOWLEDGE

There is avast body of FALSE KNOWLEDGE that plagues the modern world and it has a great allurement,seducing the minds of both young and old, while it masquerades as 'DIVINE' OR 'SCIENTIFIC' or'HEALTHY'! Advocates of these systems ofFALSE KNOWLEDGE arise daily and establish trends that appeal enough to form an addiction to their various stimuli. The DANGERS of FALSE KNOWLDEGE are not to be ignored or denied as any excursions taken along THE PATH OF FALSE KNOWLEDGE will prove.

CONCEALMENT

Ask any sniper or hunter and you will find that the concept of CONCEALMENT is very important. Concealment can be called a blending in with your environment or surroundings so that you appear to be part of the landscape but at a much higher level, INVISIBLE, not present on any level. Playing the idiot,the fool, the clown, can also do this in certain places and certain times. What this means is that your intentions are concealed, not read in any 'body language' terms or gestures or subconcious movements discernible by astute observers of mannerisms and the like. On a mental level it means not betraying or revealing your mindset, your beliefs and thoughts,etc. On an emotional level it means not showing pain or joy or other emotions even though you may well feel them. This includes signs of thirst, pain, anger,etc. All this, as you might well know, is what is necessary to survive,should you be subjugated to them, the modern methods of interrogation and torture, as well as others, should you, as a warrior,be captured! There is much more to this as you might well imagine and for now this is perhaps too much for you to swallow.

THE SENSES

The usual list of THE FIVE SENSES: seeing,hearing, feeling, tasting and smelling are supposedly well-known to everyone who has them,though some people are deprived of one or two or more of them by nature and other circumstances,of course. Then there is the notion of a 'SIXTH SENSE' sometimes equated with ESP! Anyone know who first came up with this notion of Extra-sensory Perception? Will give you the answer sometime later after you wade through these posts of mine. Technically, there are more senses than the traditional five. One is the kinesthetic sense which is important for martial artists and yogis, and occultists. It also involves the principle of leverage when it comes to performing 'tricks',stunts''feats' and 'miracles'. There is a difference, however, between the senses and 'SENSING' which few persons know how to do and this will be a first focus for those who seek to know more about such intangibles as "KI','CHI','QI' or 'GHI' and even that elusive KUNDALINI.

SILENCE

The concept of SILENCE is not merely being quiet but that is a start,especially in most forms of meditation,whether yogic or zenist,etc. Most people are far too talkative, verbose, and given to noise of all kinds. Their favorite subject is usually themselves and their doings and interests,etc. I am no exception as you will see, no doubt,but my goal in expounding things is to leave them for others to mull over and ponder as they see fit, rejecting or accepting, affirming or denying. In some cases this sort of silence means being rather unknown or anonymous but there is a deeper meaning which is expressed in this term: TAKIYAYAH OR TAQIYA which runs the risk of being misunderstood by those who are no versed in this. Many so-called MASTERS of various disciplines,whether martial arts or meditation or occult areas are both flamboyant and verbal and even literate, publishing volumes of things for a variety of reasons. The Silent Masters, difficult to locate, let alone understand, seldom come with the ordinary person's scrutiny or social sphere. The old saying, 'WHEN THE PUPIL IS READY, THE TEACHER WILL APPEAR' applies here,no doubt, but many who pin their hopes on this sort of passive approach, may end their lives with no teacher at all.

EVASION

Hand-in-hand with stealth is the concept of EVASION which means eluding your enemies or those 'hunting' or 'stalking' you and involves the other important concept, often discussed in martial arts, but seldom practiced or understood: NON CONFRONTATION or DIRECT ASSAULT. In future posts, I will try to discuss without compromising those who know of such, the principles and concepts and some applications for those interested in expanding their martial arts background

STEALTH

One of the most important and least understood of martial arts concepts and applicatons is that of STEALTH. Very few dojo-trained martial artists understand stealth and its applications for several reasons that will be discussed at another time. While military men, warriors, and hunters, and others may know about stealth needed to conduct certain operations, especially at night, which is another entire subject that needs elaborate and practical treatment, ordinary persons usually relegate the concept of stealth to 'walking on tip-toes' or 'sneaking about' much like a cat or a stalker(hunters and snipers are actually stalkers but by another name). It can also be described as 'walking through the world silently', leaving no trail or footprints(either literally or figuratively). If any trace of presence is left, the marks, nearly invisible and unnoticed, can only be read and discovered by those who know!

ORDINARY LIFE

Ordinary life is often seen as monotonous and with little way to accomplish things beyond the humdrum. We often ignore the ordinary and hope for the sensational as well as the complex. But the truth is that ordinary life is the best path to be on though it is the most difficult to follow! Yes, you can give everything in ordinary life, as so many have, to become a priest, a monk, a minister, a warrior, a yogi or a fakir,etc. but the overall characteristic of your life, will not be certain and actually be what you really should be. In future blogs if I am able to do so, I shall discuss why ordinary life offers more than all the other pathways put together. Let us first look at LIFE, which is all that we have at the moment. Never mind so-called 'immortal souls' or Heavens or Hells or Afterlife or any of this NON-SENSE(meaning, of course, not easily apprehended by the five or more senses we possess). Without LIFE where are you? Who are you? Why are you? How are you? These questions have always been asked and the answers vary from teacher to teacher and group to group. You have to find your own answers to such and this is why ordinary life is so difficult. Ordinary life does not offer you a quick and easy solution. Whereas all these other paths offer you ready-made, seemingly logical, emotional or physical answers to all of life's great questions only if you accept everything, right off, and follow that path. Life's ordinary demands are often enough for most of us but we don't realize it until our life is no longer and that is why life is so important, and,of course, right now.

THE THREE TRADITIONAL PATHS

There are three traditional paths: THE WAY OF THE FAKIR; THE WAY OF THE MONK; and THE WAY OF THE YOGI. The main problem of embarking on these path, which may be both occult and esoteric as well as involving other things too numerous to mention here now, is that you cannot be sure of reaching the goal or the aim that you may have in your life! If you decide to embrace any or all of these paths you will be unable to decide things for yourself because all is set up for you and you cannot know where you will actually end up. How many have embarked on these and found, nearly at the end of their lives, they had made a great mistake or else succumbed to the delusions that such has brought them great gains, either in happiness, prosperity, health, accomplishment, and even Paradise! Also, the members of these Paths usually attempt to persuade others to follow these paths and pursuits and that they are generally absolutely right and correct in their assumptions, beliefs and so forth,sometimes making it appear others are in error and delusion. This might well be the case, of course, but one has to live one's life, however, long or short.