WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF TRUE MARTIAL ARTS TRAINING?
1. Awareness - of yourself, your surroundings & your body’s life force(energy & breathing)
2. Self-Defense - real life strategies and techniques for defending yourself & loved ones from
attack
3. Self-Discipline - transforming your psychology from procrastination to enpowerment
4. Self-Confidence - exchanging fear and doubt for boldness, courage & belief
5. Physical Fitness - developing maximum strength, power, flexibility & excellent vitality
6. Health/Longevity – by using Oriental wisdom for breathing, eating, and stress management
7. Mutual Respect - teachers are equal with students & the cooperation of a partner is crucial
8. Spiritual Growth - the first 7 benefits will create a spiritual environment for faith, knowledge
and peace to grow through humbly pursuing excellence in these areas
WHY DON’T MORE PEOPLE BENEFIT FROM MARTIAL ARTS? Make no mistake about it, Martial Arts training
and knowledge can help your every-day life but typically you have to do MANY years of training to extract just a FEW of these
gems of truth for your ‘real-life’ benefit. Clearly the tradition of the arts (and unfortunately, at times, the
egos of the instructors) causes the teaching to be slow, tedious, and often shrouded in mystery. This in theory will keep
the insincere student from gaining too much knowledge and power. Also in the last 50 years the arts have become so commercialized
that many purests accuse instructors of being more interested in profits than integrity and even advertising the opportunity
to become a black belt in half the time of their competitors.
But usually the sheer time it takes to get to the ‘good stuff’ is simply too much for most people.
There are also others that will never venture into a dojo(practice hall/school) because they are intimidated or just
self-conscious. Also, often one equates preparing for a potential attack as accepting it as a possible reality and they want
to avoid all reality. The bottom line is : Martial Arts training could save your life or at least change it. You simply need
knowledge that you can put into action NOW!
WHAT CAN WE LEARN FROM THE MASTERS?
In order to understand and apply many of the lessons the Martial Arts have to teach us, it is helpful to look
back and observe how some of the world’s greatest masters used the ancient arts to change peoples lives- not just defeat
opponents. One of the great Asian humanitarians of the 20th century was a martial arts master named So Do Shin. He
had an incredible past as martial artist that was used by the Japanese government as an undercover spy. He spent many years
undercover in the 1940’s in China until he ultimately became more interested in the techniques and secrets of the Shaolin
monks than his original political agenda. So he went from temple to temple posing as a Chinese student that desired to join
this elite group of martial artists. In North China he would learn certain secret techniques that the monks in South China
didn’t know and vice versa. His biggest surprise came as he found himself more intrigued with healing with his secret
knowledge than fighting with it. The secrets of Qi Gong, Tai Qi, Acupuncture, herbology and meditation had empowered
him as a healer and he quickly became famous for his proficiency in the healing arts. Also noticing the powerful mental and
spiritual abilities of the monks he diligently applied himself to the Buddhist faith and attained incredible spiritual growth
and enlightenment.
Meanwhile back in his home country of Japan they were about to suffer their worst (and only) military defeat
in their country’s history. That’s right! The American destroyed not only Japan’s military hopes, but also
their moral and pride. When So Do Shin returned home after WWII he hardly recognized his homeland. They were demoralized,
unhealthy and ready to give up.
So Do Shin quickly assessed his country’s problem and decided they needed a system or discipline
that could transform their minds, bodies and spirits. He named the system Shorinji(Japanese for Shaolin) Kempo(Kem=fist,
Po=way) and also called it Kongo(moving) Zen. The hand to hand techniques were one of the most efficient compilations
of martial arts ever. Shaolin Kung-Fu secrets were combined with the best of Japanese karate, jui-jitsu, judo
and grappling to compile an almost unbeatable system. But what made Shorinji Kempo unique was that it was developed
to empower true students to help others lives by teaching them the secrets of Kongo Zen , Oriental healing and the
power of cooperation and mutual respect.
Master So was able to greatly impact his country through sharing Shorinji Kempo and later was
able to share it with millions of people all over the world. Today it is taught to nearly 2 million students world-wide by
dedicated teachers who have sworn an oath never to use it for their profit, reputation/ego, or competition. Like this wonderful
story, there are countless life lessons to learn from past teachers.
WHAT DOES MEDICINE HAVE TO DO WITH MARTIAL ARTS?
Sensei(Japanese for teacher) Tanaka , 8th degree black belt of Shorinji Kempo, spent
his days at his Qi Gong, Shiatsu, and Acupuncture clinic and nights teaching martial arts at his dojo(practice
hall.) Often he was invited to give medical seminars at the local university. One particular night he was in a vast auditorium
explaining to a skeptical Western medical crowd that he could use the same acupuncture points to both knock-out an attacker
and heal a patient. A large 6’2" American stood up to challenge tiny Sensei Tanaka who nonchalantly struck the
235lb American. Seconds later a large group of shocked medical students gathered around the unconscious challenger as a smiling
Sensei Tanaka stimulated the same point he struck to revive the unharmed student. Cheers and astonishment came from
the crowd as the humbled student stood to his feet.(I can verify this story because I was there in Kyoto in the summer of
1995) He practiced a martial arts creed called Fusatsu Katsujin(defend without injury) and demonstrated how the same
Oriental Medicine wisdom can allow you to both heal and defend. It is believed by the ancient masters that it is a much higher
honor to heal the sick than to defeat the toughest opponent. The masters also taught that much attention must be given to
one’s own health because you can’t give something you don’t have. To give healing you must have health.
To share peace, you yourself must first be at peace. In order to express honor and respect, you must first possess it. TO
TRULY LOVE OTHERS……………..
WHY IS THE ANCIENT PHILOSOPHY IMPORTANT TODAY?
Riki Ai Funi teaches that strength and love must unite to have any real effect. Just as a parent must
not only have compassion for their children but also the courage to discipline them, a benevolent heart is only known when
that caring is followed by action. So we can see in today’s society how the Tao/Do/Po(the ‘WAY") of Martial
Arts is so relevant. If we were to live by the Bushido(Warriors Way) we could be unafraid of drugs, crime, addiction
and greed because all would be held totally accountable for their own actions. If we could learn Mushin(The Quiet Mind)
we would not need Psychotherapy, anger therapy, and stress medication. For only the PRESENT MOMENT contains the peace and
tranquility that all of humanity longs for. These are but a few examples of how in so many ways the ancient philosophy could
transform the way we face today’s challenges.
WHAT IS A PRACTICAL APPLICATION OF THE MARTIAL ARTS?
You can practice Zainshin (The Focused Mind) wherever you are RIGHT NOW! This is simply a state of
keen awareness of your breathing, your Qi(energy), and your surroundings. You could certainly avoid most need for self
defense by being totally AWARE each time you walk in public, use an ATM or enter your vehicle or home. No it’s not paranoia
– it is being in the NOW. While driving your car, try taking deep ‘belly’ breaths and observing how much
tension you use in your muscles to operate the vehicle and focus on using as little as possible. The Zen mind flows
like water and is still yet calm so use Happo Maku(The Art of Seeing Without Looking) so that you never become distracted
and fixated on an object that could cause you to get into an accident. Unquestionably one of the greatest applications of
practical Martial Arts is to learn about Hara(your body’s center of gravity and energy/Qi) and practice
doing everything including breathing, walking, and even projecting thoughts from that center point. If you feel the stress
of the job or parenting is too intense, try using Chosoku(The Calming Breath&Renewal) If someone attacks you verbally
use Uwa Uke and Gaeshi(Deflection and Redirection) instead of demeaning yourself by engaging in an argument.
There are simply too many PRACTICAL applications of the Martial Arts to mention them all.
HOW DO I PRACTICE DAILY?
Even if you don’t belong to a school you can practice Martial Arts anywhere, anytime. Try starting by
going to a quiet place and simply taking a seat and practicing Zazen(seated Zen breathing/meditation) Practice becoming
aware of your energy/Qi flow and LET your mind slow down and settle. Breath in through your nose as you expand your
belly(Hara) and breath out through your mouth as you gently contract your lower belly.(take one minute per breath -
20 sec in, hold 10, out 30) This will build your Qi, settle your mind, and as a farmer tills the soil, prepare for
the seeds of knowledge the Martial Arts has to plant in you. So NOW you are ready for the movements, physical techniques,
and philosophy of the arts..
