थे फिगुरे 'एइघ्त'(८) पत्तेर्ण इन मर्तिअल आर्ट्स

Martial Artists use many motions and patterns in their basics and in their forms, which are often grouped as 'kata' to use one Japanese word most familiar to practitioners now in vogue...and often described by the competitive minded as 'useless' or by those who demand 'practical self-defense' and street or military tactics....all well and good.....in some instances.....but on an esoteric level, THE FIGURE EIGHT or INFINITY SIGN(when on its side) is an example of a universal pattern found in GREAT NATURE & THE UNIVERSE and in several martial arts, such as ARNIS DI MANO,etc.... Many examples of this 'SACRED GEOMETRY' can be given and also demonstrated to some extent....The more effective blocks, parries, deflections, strikes,kicks,etc. tend to follow the more natural curves, motions, pathways,etc. which can be termed, 'FLOW'...... To discover and understand such, you have only to look at certain things to obtain an insight......many patterns and forms tend to repeat themselves, endlessly or make a particular direction.....which can be found in many esoteric symbols, which will not be discussed here beyond the 'figure-eight'... Here is an exercise that one can do and perhaps find out something, if only about themselves..... Go to a laundrymat or mart and watch the dryers spin around, especially if they are paired,up and down, ones across a wall and if nearly all of them are in motion.... what do you observe? Most of you will tend to find the motions very monotonous and repetitive and this is what GREAT NATURE often does: repeats endless patters and motions....on and on...etc.....unless something re-directs the 'force',the 'motion' etc....or the 'flow'... Endless chains of flow occur, called KADENA or CADENA...in some arnis systems..but this is not what I want bring up fully...instead....watch the clothes in these dryers spinning about and watch the patterns made by the various clothes, many colored, many white, many of all shades,etc...as they spin....CLOCKWISE....you will not find a 'machine' going counter clockwise, will you? So you can see how this 'wheel' applies to you and life in general...but you may, as you gaze intently at these dryers in motion, see patterns, and apparent variations in speeds, due to weight of the loads,etc..... Here, you can, if you know how, begin to see patterns of possible flow and use THE POWER OF IMAGINATION & THE POWER OF SUGGESTION for yourself ad you gaze...... Most persons ignore these spins for more 'practical' reasons: drying clothes or chit-chat and not for possible reference to martial arts or other phases of life...... More on this topic and the various figures that one might consider....another time.