Game Sports Realm

Today I'm going to talk about a much neglected and often scoffed at aspect of martial arts; meditation. We've all seen it in the movies - some action hero super soldier fist of fury killing machine (insert expletive here) who is faced with some insurmountable task , lets say... a gigantic brick wall.

Ahhh , there it is -->

The protagonist in question closes his eyes, takes a deep breath and smashes through the brick wall with a single punch.   HYYYYAHHHHH!!!!

Myth? Movie magic?  Well the brick wall analogy may be a bit much. However, being able to unlock your Inner Warrior may not be all crapola.  In fact, for thousands of years average people have been moved to surpass obstacles purely by force of will alone.  How does the body accomplish seemingly super human feats?  The answer is simple: the body is a mere pseudopod that the mind extends to exert its will and interact with the world around us.  Granted the mind is bound by the laws of nature and the conditioning of the machinery that it has to work with (the body) but one would be surprised at how little of our actual potential is being implemented on a daily basis.

Take for example the little old lady that sees her grandchild trapped under the wheel of a pickup truck.  Now granny isn't an Olympic power lifter... but the mind reacts; dumping adrenaline into the body telling Granny where her center of gravity is, where to exert force; and just like that the little old lady lifted the truck.  How is this possible?

Because the body is just an extension of the mind.  The old lady wanted to free her grandchild. Her emotions manifested in that moment she saw the danger. In essence if you want it bad enough and tell your mind you want it... the mind runs with the idea and the body follows.  Adrenaline and other chemicals in the body only last a while. The mind has the power to maximize physiological potential. All it takes is a crisis.

And just like that --->

For years people have been talking about "Chi". It is the amorphous force that runs through the bodies of martial artists and gives them inner peace and strength. Volumes have already been written about the extraordinary feats accomplished by having ones Chi centered and focused. I have come to realize the ability to find your Chi and focusing it can be accomplished through the application of several easy to follow steps. Through this series of articles I will be discussing the exercises necessary to finding your inner strength and unlocking that "warrior within".

Lesson 1 - Visualization

Being able to visualize is key to releasing  your potential. You have all this energy inside  and none of  it is being channeled. Its running wild and unchecked.  Pretty cool to think of all that energy just waiting to be harnessed. The problem is that very few individuals ever do.  This is mainly because they don't know where to start.  Its easy to see how this task can be daunting.   The key to changing this is visualization.  Being able to visualize will greatly benefit your daily living and is essential for the practice of martial arts.

First and foremost is understanding that seeing really is believing. If our mind sees it then it exists.  Second is to realize that your mind is in fact yours.  If you tell your mind to believe something , then it will... plain and simple.  For example, simple brick  breaks but lets leave the matter of physics and punching technique for later.  Why is it that some people break a brick easily enough and some folks cannot? Even though their technique may be for all intents and purposes the same. When you ask these same people to concentrate and visualize their arm full of power and to visualize their fist passing 7 inches past the brick, they are able to complete the break with ease.  Often times a master will say feel your "Chi" flow into your hand. Martial artists over the years have said: "I can feel the "Chi" flowing into my leg/arm/abdomen, I can feel this heat and energy". What is "Chi"? So many people over the years swear up and down that Chi exists.  We now know that every living things gives off a magnetic field, could this be "Chi"? We may never know but for now we can harness this mysterious energy through the practice of meditation and the mind.

Chi and its application can be implemented via simple visualization skills.  Imagining that there is this untapped power flowing inside of your body and that you have the ability to channel it into a limb at will. This is true for people that utilize Chi because they believe it is real. They have visualized the act and have an increased focus on the objective.

Next, I'll discuss a simple exercise that will help you find your Chi. Practice this next time you meditate. If you are a martial artist and you do not meditate, this may be a good time to start.  You will see a drastic improvement in your performance in general.  Even if you are not a martial artist, these exercises will help you stay focused, so there's no harm in giving it a try.

Step 1.  Find a quiet place that make you feel at peace and calm. Lie down on your back hands at your sides.  Have the thumb and forefinger just touching.  Good, now we're ready.

Step 2. Take deep breaths.  In through you nose and out through your mouth. Deep deep breaths.  Imagine that with each breath you become more and more relaxed and that all the tension is flowing out of you. The increased oxygen supply to your lungs in rhythm is good for the system.

Step 3. Count down from 100 in your mind and with each breath you are becoming more and more relaxed. Concentrate on only the numbers and do not let your mind wander.  All you have to do is think of counting down. Relax all the muscles in the body as if you were asleep but keep your focus on your center.

Step 4.  When you reach zero, picture that an imaginary pen or wand is touching each part of your body starting from your toes up.  As that part of your body is touched, it becomes completely relaxed.

Step 5. After you have done this to all of your body, you should be fully relaxed; remember to keep taking deep controlled breaths.

Step 6. Now in your mind imagine that you are standing in a field and in your hand are a bunch of balloons.  Start with all the balloons being the same shape and color. Now let the balloons go one by one.  Watch each balloon float into the sky. Don't stop watching a balloon until its completely out of sight.  Do this for each balloon.

Step 7. After all the balloons are gone, lie down in the field.  Feel the grass underneath you and slowly count down from 100 again and feel yourself becoming more awake with each breath.  You feel the heaviness leave your body with each breath.

Step 8.  When you reach zero, open your eyes and take a deep breath.  You've just finished your first visualization exercise.

Step 9. Practice.  Do this visualization exercise as often as you can.  Later make the balloons different colors, add numbers, and make the balloons different shapes and sizes.  You may be wondering what this has to do with harnessing  your inner power, or how the hell is this going to make you a powerful warrior, but trust me... practice this exercise for now.  In Lesson 2 we'll talk about how this will directly apply to your strikes and blocks.

Being able to visualise is the first step to releasing the warrior within and harnessing your "Chi" or whatever you want to call it. Meditation will center you,  improving your strikes, allowing you to withstand devastating blows, and heightening  your senses... You will be more in tune to active threats around you and your self-awareness will reach new levels.  For now, practice until Lesson 2.  Do not be frustrated just be patient we'll have you smashing down brick walls in no time.