Do all of your teachers make you guys meditate in class. I personally don't see the point. I think it's a complete waist of training time. What do you guys think??
Well,I know it sounds like some dragonball z stuff, but it really helps to train in your mind( the green guy is able to do that ), kind of imagine yourself performing the throw, if this is at all considered as meditation. But if you are refering to mokuso done at the end of our class, we do that, depending on instructor. I think it is more a method of relaxation after hard train than "real" meditation, which, by the way, I try to do every day. jonsku
I thought i was the only one who meditates. But you do have a point, he probably does it at the end of class to releive the tension in our muscles and to relax.
Hello Jackie Li; We meditate the last five min. of every class to complete our warm down or settle down after an extra hard workout / testing. I'm not much for meditating but I,ve grown fond of ending classes that way.
heh when i meditate it makes me calm and able to think so while im sparring i can think clear and do moves.
What is meditation? Being relaxed?....Aware?...Aware of the world around us and our own psyche?...Aware of the people we are dealing with? No place for that in Martial Arts! :woo:
*loud applause* My TKD teacher used to make us sit down on the floor and 'visualise' techniques. This is one of the reasons I don't take that class any more :woo:
In my JJ clas we "meditate" fro a very short time at the begining and end of each class. I find it helps you focus at the begining and make you mjore relaxed at the end. :S
The only thing I've ever really done, and it wasn't in a Judo class, were breathing exersices at the end of a hard session, to drop your heart rate. Also the odd Mukso (sp?) in Karate. These things I reckon are ok, because they're about relaxing immediately after extertion and dropping your heart rate fast. Col
I find that when doing forms it is similar to meditation as it clears the mind. Forms to me is a kind of meditation in movement
I'm in a TKD class and a Gumdo class (Korean sword arts). Both include meditation in the opening exercises, but we're talking *maybe* all of 20 seconds. It's really more either "stop-what-you-were-doing-before-you-rushed-in-here-two-minutes-before-class-and-get-your-mind-on-what-you're-here-to-do-and-not-your-to-do-list-for-after-you-leave", or "this-is-part-of-the-cultural-history-of-gumdo-so-we'll-give-it-a-10-second-nod." Quite honestly, if it were any more than that, I don't think I'd feel comfortable participating.
There are many different ways and reasons to meditate. I like to meditate before class in order to bring the whole of my being--mind, body, and spirit--together and focused in the "here and now." This is a very easy, practical kind of meditation that only takes a few minutes. I encourage you to try it before your next training session. I prefer to kneel, but sitting cross-legged is okay if that is more comfortable for you. Allow your eyes to rest at some point in front of you without focusing on anything in particular. Allow yourself to "see" everything around you all at once without becoming attached to any one point. This is really much easier than it sounds and will only take a moment. Still your mind and simply listen. Instead of listening only with your ears, listen with your whole being. As with your vision, try not to focus on any one thing. Simply take everything in without judgement or attachment. Be like a mirror, calmly reflecting but never holding. As you do this you will feel the whole of your awareness focused in the present. Each of us has a little voice in our heads which provides a constant narrative of life around us, a never-ending commentary in our own native language. The voice is so much a part of us that most of us don't even think about its constant chatter. A common goal of meditation is to "turn off" that mental dialogue and still our minds. When we do this, we bring all of our senses into focus. With this kind of focus, every task will be easier and more productive. All of our potential energy will be instantly available to us and ready to be applied in whatever way we choose. The secret to accomplishing this is by listening. When we are truly listening, the voice has nothing to say. Mind, body, and spirit, together as one, united in purpose. That is a powerful thing, indeed. I hope you will try this simple meditation and enjoy the same success with it as I have.