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| Using the mind instead of force | ||
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The mind
It is common for students to believe that the mind has a minor role to play in
martial arts training.
This is absurd.
Everything we see, interpret, choose and do in life is led by the mind: the
mind
is the boss, the conductor, the leader.
The body
Most people's arms are extremely tense and they don't even realise it.
Why? Why are people's arms tense?
Your hand is the primary tool employed by the
mind for the exploration of
reality. You touch, you
hold, you press, you pull, you
manipulate most things using your hands.
Jacob Bronowski wrote "The hand is the cutting
edge of the mind." There's your answer. A tense arm is the
by-product of a mind that is not in any way
relaxed and at ease.
Speed
The faster your mind can move, the faster your hand/body can move.
Weak mind
A weak mind is no good in the
internal arts.
Internal martial arts practice is not the same as being at
work, hanging out
with your mates or playing football.
There is a very real need to be here and now.
Sharp
You must be quick-witted, alert, vibrant and nimble... not lazy, indolent and
sluggish.
The skilled martial artist is sharp and keen, enthusiastic and mobile.
Why did they make forms long
in the old days, like the tai chi forms?
Because the longer you can keep your intent awake and mind-body unified and
focus on your movements, the stronger your mind is, the better chance you have
of winning a fight.
(Tim Cartmell)
Clarity
Your mind perceives reality and then determines how, when or if to act.
The clearer your perception, the more appropriate the course of action you take.
Clarity does not emerge spontaneously.
Few people think clearly.
Cultivating clarity takes time, contemplation, study,
meditation and patience.
Awareness
Awareness is about being conscious of what is happening right now.
Noticing the immediate moment.
This is harder to accomplish than you may imagine.
Feeling your body, being aware of your thoughts,
emotions, what is taking place
around you, sounds, sights, smells, sensations...
Space out?
Most people 'space out' for much of their lives.
They are aided in this by TV, portable hi-fi devices, cellular phones, video
games, computers, caffeine, alcohol and drugs.
It is no easy task to be truly present.
We are checking our smartphones on
average 221 times a day. Recent research found that 80 percent of
millennials look at their phones upon waking; this addiction is a strong
one. As a result, our cognitive processing has become shallower and we have
become so distracted that we play directly into the hands of the autopilot.
Digital devices are the modern day equivalent of tranquillisers. They instil
a trance-like state almost immediately as they are anchors for our
subconscious to take over.
(Chris Barez-Brown)
Intention
People speak of expressing fa jing, but which jing do they have in mind? Every action you take is directed by intention.
Tai chi form expresses a wide variety of chin na and shuai jiao applications, along with very specific
jing.
You cannot train them whilst
chattering away in your own head.
Your mind must be on what you are doing.
Do not have a fixed application in mind for each movement.
Instead, feel the flow, the principles and
energy employed, and recognise how
these can be used constructively and effectively.
Sustained attention
Our culture has saturated consciousness with redundant information.
People are in an almost permanent state of distraction.
Concentration is limited.
The mind is trained to become weak, limited and easily led (misled?).
Instead of possessing strong mental health, people are merely facile consumers;
addicted to trivia, gossip, meaningless second-hand opinions and shopping.
Clarity
Tai chi forms require the individual to stay focussed and
present for a lengthy period of time.
The form is re-training your mind.
It would be true to say that every exercise, form and
drill in the syllabus also
requires sustained attention.
Flow
Everything you do comes from the mind; observation, awareness, choices,
decision, intention, movement, action.
Taoism trains the individual to find harmony by attuning to the events in which
they are participating.
Instead of forcing and struggling, you blend and flow.
The ability to adapt, change and improvise is crucial.
Mind, body, spirit
Are you familiar with the term: "mind, body, spirit?" Both mind and spirit require the individual to meditate, contemplate, study and
understand.
Only afterwards can you apply...
You need mental clarity and emotional awareness. You will not get this by simply
doing the form.
Among people who practice tai chi, it is quite common to hear the
statement, "that is entirely using the mind not force".
In practicing tai chi, the whole body is relaxed, and there is not an iota of
stiff or clumsy strength in the muscles or joints to hinder the movement of the
body.
People may ask, "how can you increase strength without exercising force?"
One should therefore use the mind instead of force, so that the
oxygen
will follow in wake of the mind or consciousness and circulate all over the
body.
Through persistent practice one will be able to have genuine internal force.
This is what tai chi expert call, "lithe in appearance, but powerful in
essence".
A master of tai chi has arms which are as strong as steel rods wrapped in
cotton, with immense power concealed therein.
Boxers of the outer school look powerful when they exert force, but when they
cease to do so, the power no longer exists, so it is merely a kind of
superficial force.
(Yang Cheng Fu)
2 concerns
We have two concerns regarding
strength:
The cultivation of whole-body strength
The appropriate use of strength
Both of these concerns are equally
important.
If you do not have strength, there is nothing to use. If you do not use it
skilfully, your strength is worthless.
Skilfulness entails appropriateness and appropriateness stems from the ability
accurately evaluate the situation.
Appropriateness
Appropriateness is about the when and the how.
Applying all your strength against a stable, rooted, prepared opponent is not
smart.
Force against force is not martial skill.
Sensitivity
You must learn to be subtle. To be sensitive. To listen. To feel. To
yield. To
trick your opponent's nervous system.
The application of
13 methods depends upon your ability to apply your strength
at the right moment.
If you get it right, 4 ounces of pressure will be all you require.
Wit
Combat requires you to be cunning.
Being brave is great but brave can also mean stupid and
running headlong into
danger is not smart at all.
Far better to keep a cool head and respond according to the requirements of the
situation.
A cunning person is cautious and wary.
They do not make rash decisions or take unnecessary risks.
Being smart will keep you out of danger in the first place.
Applying mind
In order to use mind rather than force, you need to stop using tension.
Having studied Taoism, physics and human biomechanics at length, it is pretty
obvious why brute force is not recommended.
If you have neglected your study, then your mind and body will be slow to
change...
Training countless
sensitivity drills in class will encourage you to stop
relying on tension, but progress will be slow if your mind remains entrenched in
old habits of body use.
Engaging your mind from the onset of training will speed things up considerably.
Read The Tai Chi Classics, contemplate their teachings and then apply them in class.
Difficulty?
Most beginners experience difficulty with the
internal use of strength.
They resist, look for shortcuts or simply continue to use brute force.
The answer lies with the mind.
You will be hampered by force as long as you perceive it to be of value to you.
Changing this belief will involve changing your mind.
Study
Studying Taoist, Zen and martial arts literature will open your mind to new
ideas, to possibilities you had not considered.
Authors such as Krishnamurti will significantly
challenge long-held opinions and
beliefs.
Serious contemplation will lead to a more resilient, flexible mind.
A mind capable of spontaneously changing as the circumstances require.
Change is not easy for most people; they cling to what was or to their narrow
perception of what could be.
Start small
Even a small amount of reading every day will subtly change your consciousness.
You will begin to have insights, make connections and recognise associations and
themes.
The expansion of consciousness will be notable over
time.
Besides, without a comprehensive grasp of the principles of Taoism, tai chi and martial skill, how are you ever going to make the
art work?
Use your mind
Charles Darwin said that it is not the fittest or the strongest who survive, but
the ones most able to adapt, change and improvise.
To do this you need a very flexible mind.
At first, some people are reluctant to undertake study.
They look at mainstream martial arts classes and believe that it is enough to
beat a man to the ground with your fists...
Study is not what they expected or are used to.
Advanced
The internal arts are not mainstream.
Tai chi embodies Taoist principles and insights. How can you
apply these if you do not know what they are? You want to make real progress? Do the study.
Page created
18 April 1995
Last updated
16 June 2023
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