Martial Arts as a metaphor of Personal Behavior?

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9 years 5 months ago #166079 by Proteus
In a previous thread about elitism, somebody asked, "what would it look like for someone to be both humble AND confident"... When I read the question, a certain person (or character) came to mind: Yip Man (or Ip Man), who was Bruce Lee's trainer, and who also had a series of movies about him made (Ip Man). In the movie, Donnie Yen plays as Ip Man, and portrays a very well composed, calm and collected individual with a very defensive but very effective fighting style Wing Chun.

While I watched these movies and thought about martial arts in general, I remembered hearing people saying that martial arts is not just about fighting (and I feel this is very obviously true). I do not have any martial arts skills, but I do feel there are things to learn from watching it as a metaphor for the way things behave, and for the way we can behave, and the way we can approach obstacles in our lives. Do you feel this to be true?

Is there a certain style of martial art that, when you perform it or watch it, has taught you things in other areas of life such as your social life, school life, job, etc? I'd really love to hear your thoughts about it.

:)

“For it is easy to criticize and break down the spirit of others, but to know yourself takes a lifetime.”
― Bruce Lee

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9 years 5 months ago #166083 by
I think that Ip Man is an example well suited for this discussion. The part in the first movie where he and that other master have a private fight in his living room is exactly what being humble and confident at the same time looks like. He suggests a private a duel so as to not embarrass the other master but also because, win or lose, it doesn't really matter to him because he's confident enough in his abilities that he doesn't need prestige.

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  • Jestor
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9 years 5 months ago #166085 by Jestor
Martial art lesson for real life?

"Don't fight the flow, accept what is, and adapt..."

And, "Practice, Practice, Practice"....

So many, i could write a book...;)

On walk-about...

Sith ain't Evil...
Jedi ain't Saints....


"Bake or bake not. There is no fry" - Sean Ching


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9 years 5 months ago #166086 by
I have been studying martial arts for about 20 years now and the one that has taught me the most about living my life has been Aikibujutsu (an older form of the modern art aikido).

It's all about energy, yours and your opponents. Rather than ramming into each other head on aikibujutsu teaches you to redirect their energy, maybe add some of your own, and end the conflict quickly and effectively.

It also taught me a lot about having options. My father (who is my instructor) loves to talk about the time he used one particular move on someone who attacked him with a straight razor and then several years later used a variation of the same move on my little sister when she was trying to tickle him. He used the same move but varied it based on the circumstance. We also would would frequently practice getting into multiple techniques from the same initial move.

Life is all about options.

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  • Brenna
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9 years 5 months ago #166088 by Brenna
What Jestor said!

Adapt and survive.
Be flexible.
Use whatever abilities you have to their fullest.
Stay focused.
Youre going to get the snot kicked out of you at some point. So be ready and get up again as fast as you can.



Walking, stumbling on these shadowfeet

Part of the seduction of most religions is the idea that if you just say the right things and believe really hard, your salvation will be at hand.

With Jediism. No one is coming to save you. You have to get off your ass and do it yourself - Me
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9 years 5 months ago #166091 by
IP man is a fantastic story and resource.

I have studied 13 styles, and picked up pieces of numerous others, and made them my own. I took the parts of the styles I liked, meshed it all together and made the style that worked best for me.

I can not say any one style made a difference, but as a young kid watching Bruce Lee with fascination. But his philosophy is what changed my personal behaviour. Here are some of his sayings that changed my Personal Behavior

“Adapt what is useful, reject what is useless, and add what is specifically your own.”

“A wise man can learn more from a foolish question than a fool can learn from a wise answer.”

“I’m not in this world to live up to your expectations and you’re not in this world to live up to mine.”

“Always be yourself, express yourself, have faith in yourself, do not go out and look for a successful personality and duplicate it.”

“A quick temper will make a fool of you soon enough.”

“Empty your cup so that it may be filled; become devoid to gain totality.”

“If there is a God, he is within. You don't ask God to give you things, you depend on God for your inner theme.”

“A good teacher protects his pupils from his own influence. ”

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9 years 5 months ago #166105 by
Greetings Each Bows

In my practice and study of Traditional Japanese Martial arts, I made a conscious decision when awarded my Shodan that I would carry this burden both in the dojo and outside of it. I gave my self a high standard of ethics and conduct in which to live by. Similar to that of Bushido, with that came reward in finding Ki and passing the knowledge gained on to others.

I read a book The Life Giving Sword in this book it says there the some who practice the arts but are ignorant of 'The Way' or who choose not to follow it. Yet there are some , probably like yourself Proteus San that are very much, In the Way and have not had any formal martial arts training. I think and again only my opinion that the Jediism training here gives you that guidance to the Way.

This from the Art of Peace. The Art of Peace begins with you. Work on yourself and your appointed task in the Art of Peace. Everyone has a spirit that can be refined, a body that can be trained in some manner, a suitable path to follow. You are here for no other purpose than to realize your inner divinity and manifest your innate enlightenment. Foster peace in your own life and then apply the Art to all that you encounter.

Everything has to start within yourself

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9 years 5 months ago - 9 years 5 months ago #166107 by steamboat28
I've learned a lot of things from martial arts, and I'm still such a novice.

The obvious points for a discussion like this are Bruce Lee's "Be water, my friend..." when discussing adaptability and taking what works for Jeet Kun Do (which can also be applied to the theology here, most of the time). There's also the maxim that one should never kill when you can maim, or maim when you can injure, or injure when you can threaten, or threaten when you can warn, or warn when you can walk away--the measure of force to be used should meet the threat, but not exceed it. We should use as much energy as necessary on a certain thing, and no more, because that's where trouble comes from.

But I also tend to remember a lot of things that may not fit in with the squeaky-clean philosophy most here at the Temple would prefer. Martial arts have taught me that in order to protect myself, I need to be very aware of my surroundings, that the best recourse to action is swift and efficient (as well as brutal, where necessary), and that there will never truly be peace as long as you need any of this knowledge. Oh, and also, "hit them in the squishy parts."
Last edit: 9 years 5 months ago by steamboat28.
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9 years 5 months ago #166118 by
Movies show ideals of character.

In point of fact, Ip Man was not so much like he was in the movie, and in real life was an opium addict.

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9 years 5 months ago - 9 years 5 months ago #166125 by Proteus
So, I think a lot of the responses here are on overall, overarching philosophies that come from the essence of an art (if I am correct?). Now, what about on the level of actual, individual movements and techniques in any given style?

For example, in Wing Chun (or other styles that use soft techniques), one might use the opponents momentum and force against them, probably in circular, or otherwise linear motions, which let them redirect an oncoming force to where they need it to go. The actual motions of this movement or technique might be a symbolic representation of something else that an individual is experiencing in their life, so when learning or watching this technique, the movement may be showing you that, in a non-combat life situation, if you are aware of yourself and your obstacle enough, then you will not have to go against what is happening, but instead, let it "come at you", and redirect the situation with its own momentum.

So, in essence, when one is learning a style, they are not just learning the moves physically, they are actually studying the nature of the way things are in their everyday life through the metaphor of movement, and, through that movement, learning how to tend to those things. (I'm just talking about on an actual "movement by movement" level of comparison here, as opposed to an over-arching philosophy of a whole art). I hope this makes sense?

Is this what is commonly observed when learning a martial art physically? What are some kinds of actual movements in a martial art that has (or can) teach us (by doing or by watching) how to interact with conflicting circumstances in life, in an efficient way like this?

“For it is easy to criticize and break down the spirit of others, but to know yourself takes a lifetime.”
― Bruce Lee

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Last edit: 9 years 5 months ago by Proteus.
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