BODYBUILDING NUTRITION BASICS

In the martial arts, the deadliest tool I know is also the one least used. The actual and effective use of space is what I am talking about here. If properly understood and utilized, space can win any fight.

Space is the absence of objects, is emptiness, is nothing. You will find, if you just ask any light beam, that space is the greatest conductor of visual perception. A very zen thing, space is not understood by most martial artists.

Space is the distance between you and your opponent. If you can control the space between you and your opponent, you can control the fight. This is the first strategy in any fight.

Space is the perception of your body. This is important if you realize that by relaxing you can perceive more, and thereby create more space. If you can create more space in this manner, you can create more potential for motion.

Space is utilized when hitting in a negative fashion. Simply, by taking energy out of your strike, and throwing the mass of the body, unaffected by energy and emotion (emotion contains, and can stop, a high degree of energy) you can strike ten times harder. Simply, consider your body an object and throw it at your opponent, and let it strike.

The space of the last paragraph is the space created by not having consideration for your opponent. I used to call this The Dead Strike. Not because it caused death, but because there was no consideration for life when I threw the object and mass of my body at somebody.

The space of your thoughts is the most important space. Concentrate your efforts not on moving by muscle, but on moving by thought, because thoughts don’t occupy space. You will be able to move far faster than you ever thought possible if you can reduce muscular effort and move by thought.

The real final frontier is thought. Thought is the source of all motion. Create space, relax, and have thought, and you will have the Ultimate Secret of the True Martial Arts.

Al Case Fitness aikido, exercise, Fitness, karate, karate dvds, karate instruction, karate lessons, kung fu, kung fu instruction, kung fu lessons, martial arts instruction, martial arts lessons, self defense

One of my favorite books is Zen and the Art of Archery, by Eugene Herrigel. In this book, Mr, Herrigel goes to Japan in search of zen enlightenment. He is guided into the practice of archery in this seeking.

The reason he is guided into archery is because, according to the people who teach zen, zen is too difficult for a westerner. Not being of the Japanese culture, it would be to difficult for him to understand the concepts. Through the practice of archery, however, he might be able to make some headway with zen concepts.

Mr. Herrigel practices archery diligently. He stands with a tall bow, calms himself, and experiences nothing but frustration. Heck, he can’t even hit the target, let alone find his own soul.

The sensei, understanding his frustration, takes pity, and invites him over to his house for some personal instruction. The teacher is a font of wisdom and zen, but Mr. Herrigel, is still ensconced in his frustration. The sensei, realizing drastic measures are called for, takes Mr. Herrigel out to his personal archery range.

They stand on a range that is about a hundred feet, and the teacher instructs Mr. Herrigel to light a candle between the firing line and the target. The candle lit, Mr. Herrigel is instructed to turn off the lights. In the deep darkness, with only a single candle glowing fifty feet away, the teacher fires an arrow and puts out the candle.

Mr. Herrigel, standing in darkness, is astonished. Never has he seen such a magnificent display of archery, to put out a candle at fifty feet! Good Lord!

The teacher merely says to turn on the lights, and then has Mr. Herrigel retrieve his arrow. Mr. Herrigel runs down to the end of the range to look for the arrow. He finds it…in the center of the target.

To put out a candle and hit a target, using only the light of the candle. To master a martial art and plumb the depths of soul. To find the brilliance of yourself on a darkened night, this is zen, and this is what is at the heart of the Martial Arts.

Al Case Fitness aikido, Fitness, goju ryu, ishin ryu, karate, kenpo, kung fu, ninja, self defense, shito ryu, shotokai, shotokan, uechi ryu, wado ryu