Zen and Fighting

Discussion in 'General Martial Arts Discussion' started by Flashing Dagger, Dec 3, 2003.

  1. Flashing Dagger

    Flashing Dagger Valued Member

    When you read books like "Book of 5 Rings" or "Unfettered Mind", and the rest of the japanese classics on martial arts you come across the ideal state of the "fist punching by itself". I'm guessing that is a state of mind and body in which your martial arts techniques have been automated or internalized by repitition that you can act and react from a deeper and more direct mindset (subconcious?). Sounds like a good idea and I hope that i am capable of this someday.

    However, this ideal is sort of at odds with the reality of fighting as I have seen it and experienced it. Self-defense and fighting seem to be messy, confusing, bloody and stressful situations. They usually last only a few seconds until someone lands the 1st good strike. I remember my 1st fight felt like an automobile accident.


    Anyway, I was wondering what everyone thought about this ideal of 'zen' fighting. I have heard it called 'mushin' before. Is it just a romantic pipe-dream? Is it actually something that can help us in self-defense? What do you think?

    Salute to all,
    Flashing Dagger
     
  2. Jointlock

    Jointlock Valued Member

    In more layman terms it is known as muscle memory. You probably already do many things that you don't need to think about the steps to anymore. Like tying your shoes, I'm sure when you were a wee lad that tying your shoes was quite difficult and you needed to think I make this loop here and spin this string around etc. Now hopefully you just grab your laces and magically it's done. You don't have to think about the mechanics anymore it just happens. There is a certain memory space in your brain that is devoted specifically to tying your shoes.

    That is what we are trying to do in the martial arts, make the mind and body work together as one. So instead of thinking: for a side kick I make a chamber like this really high, my foot needs to be turned this way, I lean back and drive my heal into the target and make a sharp breath, then I pull it back to the chamber and set it down. After doing this enough times you just think side kick and you do it, or better yet you don't even need to think side kick, and you see an opening and it just happens. And the better the connections are between the mind and body the faster you can react. And the faster you can react the easier it will be to see through "the fog of war" so to speak.

    I believe whole heartedly in this, and I have made it my ultimate goal when I practice martial arts. I'm sure you have heard of professional athletes talk about being in the "zone." Well that is what it feels like; you think it, and it happens.
     
  3. RubyMoon

    RubyMoon New Member

    I concur wholeheartedly with Jointlock that mushin is something real and worth striving for.

    It is a state of "empty mindedness" where conscious thought is released so the body and mind act as one. Conscious thinking can be thought of as a middle-man, a translator between body and mind. When the body and mind are trained to communicate directly, without the need for a translator, action flows swiftly and effortlessly.

    This is a good example of how meditation can play an important role in any martial art, since it can help achieve this state of "no-mind". Physical training is important, as this develops the "muscle memory" that Jointlock mentioned. This is only half of the circle, however. Mental training is equally important. You must learn to let go of conscious thought and allow the body to move without effort.

    It can be a little scary letting go when confronted with an opponent, either in training or otherwise. What it takes is faith. If you have trained well, trust your training to work for you. Once you let go of your conscious mind, you remove yourself from your training. The better your training, the more effective this will be.

    It is not hard to try this yourself. Next time you are sparring, focus your vision at the center of your opponent and simply let go of all conscious thoughts. Calm your mind and shut off that little voice in your head, the constant commentary on the world around you. If you find this difficult, try simply listening. When you are truly listening, your mind has nothing to say.

    You will know you are successful when it happens. It may not happen every time all the time, but if you practice it will come more and more easily.
     
  4. 47Ronin

    47Ronin New Member

    It is quite attainable. But then again I wouldn't know...
     
  5. Freeform

    Freeform Fully operational War-Pig Supporter

    I think in Musashi's work he's more describing an instinctive 'cutting someone down', which while muscle memory is required to do that spontaneously, its more conditioning yourself mentally to a 'hit first ask questions later' response.

    This was all fine and well in his era, but is a little bit more tricky these days.

    Col
     
  6. CKava

    CKava Just one more thing... Supporter

    Personally I would take that statement to be not really anything to do with muscle memory or any specific physically conditioned act, it sounds just simply like Zen philosophy... When you become detached actions are performed through you but not by you, as in not performed with any egotistical desire, you simply act (in whatever is the most 'enlightened' way). And if in this context it doesnt sound like a very compassionate/enlightened way to act, throwing someone out of the way of a bus is a pretty violent act but it can still be compassionate, even if you accidentally killed the person in the process.

    However, I think the whole martial art/Zen thing developed by the samurai's (or whoever) was basically a bit of a pervesion of certain elements of Buddhism adopted to suit a certain way of life. But then Im probably wrong!
     

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