Study Judo

Hi foxtse,

I did martial arts for around 8 years, the last couple when I began Gnosis.

In martial arts, there certainly seems to be a spiritual element, which has perhaps degenerated from times long ago...

Although I really liked martial arts, I came to realize that it wasn't really helping my spiritual development (although that's perhaps partly why I did martial arts); the benefits were more physical fitness or entertainment as you mentioned.

My instructors, despite how much they preached about a good life had also done things that shocked me and made me question if martial arts really helped people to lead a better life.

There were also certain violent tendencies/thoughts that I could see within myself when I practiced often. Martial arts seemed to be making them stronger in subtle ways.

I think that having taken martial arts or not, one is perfectly able to gain self-knowledge and live in the present moment. Every instant of our lives gives us the opportunity to learn and develop... martial arts just provides us with a certain set of circumstances in which we can learn, just like public speaking, grocery shopping, driving or golfing.

That's my perspective.

Happy training!

Mike

What you get from it depends on the teacher/instructor too. At first, especially when I was young, I had tendencies toward a more violent personality but after exploring martial arts/sciences I had evolved towards being alot more peaceful.
It also depends on the discipline studied too.

!

I studied a self-defence course for a while once, which interestingly enough, brought up all these latent, violent tendencies within me.
I recall that I went around school beating up all the boys and using elbow locks on them.

I think martial arts are interesting, they can be very beneficial for the body and can help train with discipline, but conversely, they can also bring out a lot of violent egos.
That said, I dont think hiding from egos and avoiding activities that bring them out is ever a good idea.

You dont need martial arts to learn to be aware and gain self knowledge or do the work, it may help, or it may hinder, what it does depends on what you are studying and the sort of person you are!!
As always, you need to find what's right for you.
Good luck!
a.

Hi foxtse & all.

I agree with what everyone else here has said. It depends on you, the style of martial art, the instructor and your fellow students.
I don't know how your classes are organised, but with my taekwondo classes, once you join you can choose which evenings you can train on and which instructors you choose to train with. If it's similar for you, I suggest that you sus out which instructors and classes are aligned with your own values and goals.
As others have said, martial arts can tend to attract A-type personalities, so watch out for those who participate just for the sake of showing off their power and skills.
Having said that, a good class is really worth participating in. Not only is being aware while doing the movements a great form of meditation, but the stretching and movement is good at helping relax the body.

I hope all goes well for you.

blue orb

Hi Foxtse,

If I will put myself on your place, perhaps I will try to to do the retrospections of my martial art classes, and also of my way back home, so I can see what is really going on internally; as well as to retrospect the cicrumstances of my life, leading to my decision to do martial arts in the first place, and then, to join that particular school.

All the best!

Vadim

"The students of advanced Zen are used to the practice of Judo, but their psychological Judo has not been comprehended by the tourists who arrive in Japan. To see, for example, the monks practicing Judo, struggling with one another, it would appear to be a mere physical exercise, but it is not. When they are practicing Judo, they are really hardly noticing the physical body; their struggle is really directed at dominating their own mind. The Judo in which they are engaged, is against each of their own minds. Therefore, the psychological Judo has as objective, to subdue the mind, to treat it scientifically, technically, with the object of
subduing it.
Unfortunately, Westerners see the shell of Judo. Of course, as always, superficial and foolish, they took Judo as a personal defense and forgot the principles of Zen and Ch’an, and that has been truly lamentable."

- Samael Aun Weor

I did Karate for a number of years.
Echoing an earlier post I was surprised to find that
all our Black Belts were door- men in night clubs etc
They loved to recount their tales of letting someone have it.

I certainly never felt that they had any interest in spirituality at all.
I think it tends to feed the ego. ( the western view )

Yeah, I guess, "letting someone have it" is one of the favourite tales in many martial arts schools openly or subtly conditioning violent behavior.

Talks about peaceful martial art, from another hand, can easily be hypocrisy or self-deceit covering non-martial methodology of training.

Would be interesting to learn more about that "Judo", (probably he meant ju-jitsu), which was described by Samael Aun Weor!
I just wonder how to create a method of martial arts training with effective and efficient realistic preparation for almost an eternity of unpredictable real life scenarios, method available for everyone, not abusive for health, and constantly cultivating spiritual side during training...ultimately it's spiritual which is the real strength and priority.

Vadim

There will always be vagabonds who partake in various activities. As well as happy people, Kind people etc. I guess all knowledge is power, some people like to misuse this.

Back when I took Goshin Budo I had a teacher that actually seemed to be a really nice guy, the atmosphere in the dojo was peaceful, and everything felt all-around positive. But was it spiritual? Nope, not in the least.

Self-control is great, and building up higher levels of it through discipline is feasable, but it still doesn't eliminate the root of the problem. No matter how close to spirtuality something may seem, without practising all three keys it'll ultimately just prove pointless. All changes will be temperary at best and will leave an individual to be fundamentally the same person they were before.