Balance

Discussion in 'General Martial Arts Discussion' started by Smitfire, Dec 13, 2011.

  1. Smitfire

    Smitfire Cactus Schlong

    This thread is an attempt to give form to a thought I've had for a few years now. bear with me...it may get a little poncey and new-age. :)

    We all know that the martial arts, at their very root, are about beating up other people.
    But...if we go on from that, into the related benefits that come with training to do that, I think "balance" really comes to the fore (or at least it should).
    Now...I don't mean standing on one leg or walking a tightrope.
    I mean balance in the sense of adding or taking something from one side of the equation in order to even out descrepencies.
    Applying that idea to humans, physically, mentally and emotionally.
    For me in martial arts this comes through group training. Or at least it should do if the gym/dojo/club is serious about the growth of its members (and the members just as serious).
    For example...a big strong guy has to tone that down when working with weaker people. He has to learn to apply that strength with skill and sensitivity. If he doesn't he won't progress much, will maybe injure people and come up short when he meets someone stronger than him.
    In the same way someone that is weaker will have to attempt to maximise their strength. Through the applicaition of skill and the physical training itself.
    Someone that is naturally aggressive will have to channel that aggression positively. Apply it where needed. Turn it off when not appropriate or counter productive.
    By contrast someone that is shy or lacking in confidence will have to gain some aggression in order to "compete" or keep up with the strong or aggressive people. They will have to learn to turn the aggression on.
    Each ends up in the same place but from different ends of the spectrum.
    So ideally you end up with a group of people where the differences help to "balance" each person. To make them better than they would be if they tried to go it alone.
    The weak become strong, the strong become sensitive, the aggressive become calm, the shy become aggressive.
    Everyone gains some "balance" and the differences less noticable or less important.
    That for me is where the real power of martial arts can be found.
    To the point where if I ran a club I'd specifically look for things to tackle in this may. I'd make the big dude roll with the little dude. Give the big dude specific instructions to try to use skill and finesse.
    Pair up aggression with shyness and tell the shy person to try to emulate the aggression.

    Or am I talking out of my nether regions?
    As I said...this is a not a fully formed thought but something that's knocked about in my head for a while.
     
  2. Mitch

    Mitch Lord Mitch of MAP Admin

    You'll be blathering on about chi next...

    Mitch ;)
     
  3. Llamageddon

    Llamageddon MAP's weird cousin Supporter

    You big bloody girl!























    I agree. Always have thought that actually
     
  4. 47MartialMan

    47MartialMan Valued Member

    or Yin/Yang.....;)
     
  5. Smitfire

    Smitfire Cactus Schlong

    Philistines one and all. That's the last time I try and inject a bit of culture round here.


    I very nearly had the words Yin and Yang in there! :)
     
  6. leftwingtaoist

    leftwingtaoist Valued Member

    PASmith what you are talking about is a very important thing, and is often overlooked. This is why you end up with one dimensional fighters and one dimensional people. This is why big strong people who only spar against other big strong people get killed by small fast agile people. Also this is why aggressive people get more aggressive and frightened people get even more frightened when they start practicing martial arts. This is because this balancing influence is not understood and not used by their teachers. And it is balancing the whole range of things not just your martial skills. It is balancing our energy, our emotions, our attitudes and thoughts. It is making us better healthier people.
    I like using my taeqwando experience to illustrate these kinds of “esoteric” things, because people don’t expect to find these kinds of teachings in something like taeqwando. But good teachers age good teachers no matter what they teach.
    My club used to get a lot young people from really bad areas. These were kids used to being bullied and bullying others, kids who thought that violence was normal and who thought that kicking was better than talking.
    My teachers very quickly, through exactly the methods that pasmith explained, made these kids realize that:
    1. Being tough is a lot more that they thought it was and that they were not as tough as they thought
    2. A little girl with glasses can kick your but because she has skill and that skill can only be learned through hard work and perseverance.
    3. That respecting others is important if you want them to respect you
    4. That you don’t need to fight to be able to settle your arguments, and that talking is actually easier and less painful that fighting
    5. That you get respect for hard work, studying, thinking, not just punching
    6. That you can coexist in the same room with people from different backgrounds, who look different, talk different, dress different, and that if they give these people a chance they can even become friends with them.
    7. That they can relax, and not be jumpy all the time expecting that everyone who passé by them will attack them, which believe or not the mental and emotional state that most of them lived in.
    8. And so on and so forth.
     
  7. Madao13

    Madao13 Valued Member

    I found this post great!:cool:
    This "balance" you are talking about is basically the reason I am practising martial arts..
     
  8. martialjorbin

    martialjorbin Valued Member

    As for me martial arts are not created to just beat other people. It was created to protect your self. If you study martial arts just to for beating people then you lose the essence of martial arts.

    To be able to have balance is to understand the virtue of martial arts. It is this virtue, is required of any human being in order for them to maintain a peaceful co-existence with the world.
     
  9. Oddsbodskins

    Oddsbodskins Troll hunter 2nd Class

    It's a study of different ways to hurt and restrain people. How the student/teacher/organistion chooses to apply that, or prioritise it, is up to them. There wasn't some super-secret council of masters who met on a mountain and created the MA's for a specific purpose. It just is, what you do with it is up to you.

    Having said that I in fact completely agree with PASmith, and would also add that I think it can be very humbling, it's bloody difficult to have an unrealistic ego when someone else thumps you back.
     

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