Martial Arts as a metaphor of Personal Behavior?

I think I learned a lot of things from my very short time in t'ai chi chuan--something I'd like to revisit very, very soon. Some of these things were simple, like posture, but others have had far-reaching effects on the way I view things, if that's more in line with the conversation you wanted to have.

For example, in my 0600 t'ai chi class in college (taught by the janitor that used to tidy up our fencing room), our instructor spent the first two lessons solely on how to move our feet. There was a trick to it; in order for the individual poses to be done correctly, you had to know exactly where the full weight of your body was resting at all times. If you were unaware of this (or miscalculated it) at the speed we were moving, you'd topple over. The reason for this is partly because when you move your feet in t'ai chi, your weight stays exactly where it started until the motion is over--you commit your foot and your body to the movement and complete it, before you actually shift your weight over. This means you can do fun stuff, like test the floor with your moving foot without actually putting any weight behind it--you can walk across a 4 year old's Lego-strewn room, try to find the only safe board in a rotting floor, or test the creaks in a hardwood floor before you make a sound.

This is really important, I think. It showed me I didn't have to make myself vulnerable to test things out. I could keep myself safe and steady while still probing new ideas and new concepts. Until I committed my weight to that front foot, I could put it anywhere I wanted to--my action wasn't final until I fully committed to it--but I had to be sure of the final destination before I actually shifted, or I'd be sorry. This helps me think about decision-making; I can scribble in pencil all I want, but when the time comes to make a choice, I have to write it in pen, so it sticks (to use a crappy metaphor). I can, through slow contemplation and rigorous testing of the possibilities, make the best possible decision before ever having to commit to it. I can put myself from one place of stability to another with no need for chaos in between.

I still have a problem internalizing a lot of these things, of course, but the lessons remain.

Proteus wrote: 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?

Absolutely! I'm of the same opinion as steamboat. Jeet Kune Do is a way of life. When it comes to philosophy, as in JKD, you can take what is useful to you, adapt what you can to fit you personally, and reject the rest. But always keep an open mind to new techniques (new ideas).

It also speaks of Zen. The quote "I do not hit, it hits all by itself" is very telling in that sense.

I'll save Shaolin philosophy for another thread.

Martial Arts wiped away misconceptions and delusions I had.

Shaolin is a very unforgiving art in that you don't get to stop until you have too. Reality comes crashing in very fast because of this.

What we are capable of, those wispy dreams born from fantastic stories, are gone the instant you realize you can only do 7 pushups. Gone are the fictitious flips as you struggle with a simple bear crawl. No more does one say to themselves "I would see it coming, know and do just the right thing" in a fight after one 2 minute round.

Training for me taught me humility. It is the first lesson and an important one. After a few years in martial arts, one does not WANT to have to fight. They have to much experience with their own body to want to put that harm on anyone, or suffer it themselves.

It is about being forced to see who you really are instead of what you think of yourself to be. One of the reasons I think everyone should be beat up at least once in their lives.