The Importance of Meditation as a Fighting Tool

[Walk the Torque]

Hi Folks,

I had a long break due to a back injury. Starting up again, it took quite a while to find my feet. Training was a little like wading through syrup to start with. i suppose it always is after a break; but I felt a little lost in terms of head space and intention.

It wasn't until I started meditating again that things started getting better. i spent a portion of my practice time circle walking and in sitting meditation. after a few days it became apparent that everything felt so much easier. Solo practice, sparring and my general enjoyment of the art.

It's early days yet, as I have only been back in the game for around four weeks; but there has been a notable improvement in my practice. As a result I have come to the conclusion that (for me at least) meditation is a powerful tool (amongst other things ) for fighting practice. If only for the sense of happiness and comfortable feelings it brings. Concentration is of course a factor; but I think it is a more solid and foundational asset than mere focus.

Any thoughts?

[GrahamB]

I used to play this guy at Badminton every Saturday. He would always beat me. One week I mediated for 10 minutes every morning. That Saturday I played my best game ever I absolutely thrashed him!

Great I thought - I'll up this and meditate for 20 minutes each morning, that way I'll be invincible!

Next Saturday I lost.

I think there's a lesson in there somewhere....

[Franklin]

I used to play this guy at Badminton every Saturday. He would always beat me. One week I mediated for 10 minutes every morning. That Saturday I played my best game ever I absolutely thrashed him!

Great I thought - I'll up this and meditate for 20 minutes each morning, that way I'll be invincible!

Next Saturday I lost.

I think there's a lesson in there somewhere....

but with 30 min grasshopper
you would have realized the oneness of the situation
and that the perceived outcome - win / lose
was both the same.....


lol


i read an old shaolin text some years ago
and the basic training was meditation
said that without a calm mind which should be most fundamental you were already lost


also- when asked most of my teachers and senior brothers will respond that
if they could only practice one thing from everything that they learned
it would be meditation.....
but they also might be talking about more than just fighting

[Areios]

i'm not a big fan of meditating, but for some people it can be a mental traning for fighting. For me it's not for that.

[Haoran]

I used to play this guy at Badminton every Saturday. He would always beat me. One week I mediated for 10 minutes every morning. That Saturday I played my best game ever I absolutely thrashed him!

Great I thought - I'll up this and meditate for 20 minutes each morning, that way I'll be invincible!

Next Saturday I lost.

I think there's a lesson in there somewhere....

He probably was upset he lost and decided to meditate 1 hour every morning. That's why you lost.

[Darth Rock&Roll]

by calming the mind with frequency in practice, it makes it's way into your daily living.
when you enter into conflict with a calm mind, you are better able to recognize and deal with any attacks coming your way.

if you are not of a calm mind and you tend to panic when under the stress of physical conflict or you do not have the mindfulness to know how to approach, enter and attack your target, it will definitely be more of a crap shoot and if your adversary has any skills, it will be your undoing.

meditation is paramount to the mental needs of the martial artist in my opinion.

thorough and true practice will diminish many of the aspects that are detrimental to your ability to be of no mind and to move with fluidity during physical conflict.

2 pennies later...

[neijia_boxer]

I've used sitting Meditation and Tai Chi when I had back injuries and got back to health quite quickly.

I used meditation to calm my pre-fight jitters. I think the samari used to meditate before battle to clear consciousness.

Yes it is very useful in my opinion.

[Haoran]

Meditation useful to IMA? Heresy I say. Next thing you know Qigong would be considered useful to IMA. OMG

[jpaton]

I find wuji standing very beneficial both in day to day life but also in martial endeavors..."internal" or otherwise. I also enjoy doing it. One thing that i've found is that some people don't like or even hate meditation of any kind, to them it's like torture, which kinda defeats the purpose. I really doubt if you don't enjoy doing it you're going to get any benefit, you'd be better off shadow boxing, shaking a pole, sparring or something else.

So I guess for me it works but I wouldn't assume it's some sort of ima miracle that would work for the average fighter.

[MartialDev]

I find wuji standing very beneficial both in day to day life but also in martial endeavors..."internal" or otherwise. I also enjoy doing it. One thing that i've found is that some people don't like or even hate meditation of any kind, to them it's like torture, which kinda defeats the purpose. I really doubt if you don't enjoy doing it you're going to get any benefit, you'd be better off shadow boxing, shaking a pole, sparring or something else.

Some people, having grown to appreciate intense physical training, believe they loved it all along. Baloney.

Before you can start to enjoy it, you must first learn to bear it, and bear to learn it. Meditation training is no different in that respect.

[wiesiek]

Haoran__-
Meditation=static qigong /wuji/
movment /form/s = dynamicqigong

[Haoran]

Haoran__-
Meditation=static qigong /wuji/
movment /form/s = dynamicqigong

LOL

[jpaton]

Some people, having grown to appreciate intense physical training, believe they loved it all along. Baloney.

Before you can start to enjoy it, you must first learn to bear it, and bear to learn it. Meditation training is no different in that respect.

i don't disagree but before they start to enjoy it they quit taking class doing something they don't like, they are paying after all. generally speaking people who don't like meditation don't go to class with meditation and people who don't like "intense physical training" don't go to class with "intense physical training". ergo never benefiting from what they don't like to do.

i happen to like meditation and intense physical training...lucky me

[Alexander]

Is it important? Nope, but the benefits that derive from it are.

There's a lot of talk about the importance of meditation to be "calm" when you are in a confrontation, but the reality is that some people can naturally attain that state with or without meditation.

It's also quite easy to meditate for 30 years and never see a difference in your daily life -- you have to willingly remind yourself during periods of stress to retain a spirit of tranquility. You can easily train yourself to do that without meditation, but meditation would be a good reminder of what state to return to.

I personally began doing it as a kid only because I find early morning to be the most precious part of the day. I cherish those early hours of solitude before anything else is awake.

[Walk the Torque]

I see your point Alexander, but I feel that the practice of meditation totally flips my attitude around and makes for a far better day on so many levels.

The clarity and ease I experience post sitting is not even noticable, and then I catch myself doing things effortlessly.