the rum soaked fist: internal martial arts forum

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EybxFWtLlAw



Remember all those 'lizard brain' obsessed martial arts teachers?

She describes it more fully at about 20 minutes into this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NbdRIVCBqNI

Have always thought martial arts and the lizard brain is complete BS (didn't mean to address any specific martial artist, Australian or not). Will watch it later thanks.

Thanks for posting this. I'd come across her stuff a few years ago and haven't gotten back to it. She's got a lot of interesting stuff in addition to this. In particular, her work on emotions is, I think, relevant to the self defense and self cultivation worlds (maybe less so sport martial art). I'm sure her work on the crossover between interoception and exteroception will cause a lot of chi boners among the IMA set.

As for the triune brain, I think the segment on the Lex Fridman podcast transitioning into the next segment cover things pretty well, but I don't fully share their conclusions. A couple of points:
-As stated, the triune brain was mostly discredited 40 years ago, so there's nothing new here.
-Any MA instructor worth their salt who uses the model knows that.
-It can still be relevant as a functional model that people can apply to orient themselves and regulate their behavior under stress.
-I agree that people can, and do, take it way too far.
-The nature of any model is that it is inaccurate. The model is good inasmuch as the inaccuracies are such that they are actually more useful than the reality. Maps and territories, etc.
-The very next segment starts to talk about how important context is. I would argue that the triune brain model is useful in stressful situations where quick decisions are necessary. That is not the context she is approaching from.
-Her comments on the triune brain as a moralistic model were interesting, as I had always viewed thing from a purely functional perspective. I think her approach is 100% valid, just not at all in my wheelhouse. Maybe that view is more supportive of CMA as primarily cultural artifacts, with the actual fighty stuff being secondary?

She definitely has her own agenda and models she wants to push forward, which is probably a good thing. But, as with anything, it's good to remember that science is limited by it's nature, scientists are humans, and the observer can never be truly separate from that which is observed.

I always thought it was scared man’s way of thinking he had some magical power he could call on

Yes, of course, lizard brain is well debunked. Does this mean that sayings like 'Lazy dragon opens one eye' or 'Red dragon fiercely protects the fire pearl' are now useless?

They are no more irrelevant than the old saying "Man who comes to discussion forum but uses his own jargon likes sound of own voice too much."

Kelley Graham wrote:Yes, of course, lizard brain is well debunked. Does this mean that sayings like 'Lazy dragon opens one eye' or 'Red dragon fiercely protects the fire pearl' are now useless?

Where is the saying 'Red dragon fiercely protects the fire pearl' from? Is it the name of a movement within a form?

i believe that name is from your mom's face's snatch-em-up poetry style smile

just saw this. didn't want to leave the question hanging. not a form or posture ime, although similar to some baguaquan movements. i teach it as a reference to value and rarity of internal accomplishment. here's an example in imperial textile. this fire pearl artwork is consistent across media and centuries.

"...The flaming pearl in the centre of the roundel indicates knowledge and enlightenment. In the majority of examples the dragon is chasing the pearl but occasionally the Emperor would allow the dragon to be portrayed having caught the pearl. This would normally be a reward for exceptional intellectual services to the court."

image and quote source https://durhamweaver64.blogspot.com/2015/12/dragon-imagery-in-chinese-imperial.html

Kelley Graham wrote:just saw this. didn't want to leave the question hanging. not a form or posture ime, although similar to some baguaquan movements. i teach it as a reference to value and rarity of internal accomplishment. here's an example in imperial textile. this fire pearl artwork is consistent across media and centuries.

"...The flaming pearl in the centre of the roundel indicates knowledge and enlightenment. In the majority of examples the dragon is chasing the pearl but occasionally the Emperor would allow the dragon to be portrayed having caught the pearl. This would normally be a reward for exceptional intellectual services to the court."

image and quote source https://durhamweaver64.blogspot.com/2015/12/dragon-imagery-in-chinese-imperial.html

Seems to me to also hint at meditative practices...

this is interesting... thanks for posting.

Fun to watch on 1.75x speed