Gnothi seauton

[riku]

Know yourself, that's classic demand, ideal and method, both western and Oriental philosophy - and strategy, I suppose. Now, taking at this is named 'Budo and Martial Arts Philosophy', I'd like to hear how MA practise has helped you to know yourself. Have you learnt something new, foundyour mental or physical limits, understood some abilities? Or has training brought some attributes or definitions that you now use to describe yourself? Or something else? Or, perhaps there is no such an effect seen - is MA another hobby among others, no deeper meaning, no deeper learning of self or surrounding world?

With respect,
Riku Ylönen

[TonyU]

It has taught me several things about myself and helped with my emotions.
I has made me into a calmer person. I'd rather avoid a confrontation now. When I was younger I'd get into fights just because someone would look at me a certain way.
When I was teenager I punched another kid just because he smirked at me. Something I'm not proud of. Most people would probaly attribute my calmness to getting older, but I felt a calmness and control of my emotions after about a year of training. I still have a short fuse, but while I don't want to fight any more I just rant and rave. Now my bark is worse than my bite.
It has also taught me my limitations my weaknesses.

[riku]

So, did you learn to be calm, or did you learn about yourself that you can be calm? I was short-fused, too and calming down was something I was seeking from MAs.. well, to be honest, I think I still am short-fused, steam-headed, but nowadays I try not to show it so often..

With respect,
Riku Ylönen

[TonyU]

So, did you learn to be calm, or did you learn about yourself that you can be calm? I was short-fused, too and calming down was something I was seeking from MAs.. well, to be honest, I think I still am short-fused, steam-headed, but nowadays I try not to show it so often..

With respect,
Riku Ylönen
A little bit of both I think. Mainly it allowed me an outlet for my frustrations. Also training taught me that with the knowledge I was gaining, responsibility came along with it also.

[Jay Bell]

Good topic, Riku.

Growing up, and into my early to mid-20's, I had a pretty hot temper. As a teenager, weekly fights back home were pretty common. I trained throughout these periods of time, running into 2 arts that helped me tremendously, especially the one I'm involved in now.

I realized that after 27 years of life (at the time) that I was vunerable...and that reality probably never would have come as it did without martial arts. My temper all but fell away that day...and it's been a blissful life ever since. It took me an enormous amount of time to understand that that bit of info was keeping my ego high and my anger floating around.

Nowdays, life's a lot different. Systema helped me a great deal in my life...to the point where training took 3rd place in the importance ladder of my life...ironic eh? My perceptions and how I approach and deal with things in life have completely changed.

Thanks, Vlad and all ;)

[redqueen290]

MA changed my life. It brought meaning to my life. For a long time nothing mattered, i could not care less weather or not i lived to see the next day. Wich as you can imagine led me to very dangerouse actions. I was a big fan of "sub-suicide" for awhile. I was alwayse convinced that if i died, it wouldnt make a diffrence in the world. I would just become one of "those lost teenagers". Soon to be forgotten. MA changed everything, to be actually good at something was a tough pill to swallow for some one who had alwase been a failure. It was the most amazing feeling to actually excel in something. And i think that for me, MA isnt a way of life, it is a life.

[riku]

[QUOTE=redqueen290-- And i think that for me, MA isnt a way of life, it is a life.[/QUOTE]
That's impressive way to put it :D

For me, there have been some big things learnt - and hard to express in words - on other hand, and on other some smaller, but still somehow interesting.. I learned how I do remember things; I came to realize that I'm not all so clumpy (I don't mean that Jackie Chan would be seriously threatened by me, but.. let's say that picture of me that I gained from school's gym classes is not all correct); I'm starting to understand how my motivation to do things is constructed - perhaps after while I can start to effect to it in some better way (nowadays, I still easily get over-enthusiasistic, then over-train, and hence turn enthusiasism as obstacle for actual learning :( ); some things about pain, tolerance, endurance, power have came across, too - still not sure do I understand those aspects well.. I think there's lot to learn still..


With respect,
Riku Ylönen

[lightninrod]

I've learned that having a prosthetic leg isn't near as limiting as I once thought it was. It has forced me to learn that timing, sensitivity, relaxation, flow, and awareness are much more important and reliable than strength and speed. I'm not anywhere near as fast as I used to be, and my left leg is very weak compared to my right, so I have had to learn an entirely different way of getting things done. Interestingly, this all applies just as well to life in general. The same qualties that I have had to develop to regain MA effectiveness (I'm actually much better than I used to be, fake leg and all) have spread into the rest of my life, and likewise improved my skills of living and learning.

Justin Mears

[Peter Rehse]

Just to be a contrary *** I wonder how many of these stories (here and elsewhere) are due to the influence of martial arts or the increase in maturity of the person in question.

Aggressive 20 year olds, teenagers questioning their existance, etc.

I think martial arts are great. They can provide something to focus on when that's missing and a nice refuge from the stress of life but so can a lot of things.

I see martial arts as life enhancing not life changing. Of course that's my experience - others may differ and in the cases where it does I'm glad.

:D

[riku]

Something occur to me.. there might be some question that wether this kind of pondering brings anything usefull or not.. personally I think that one aspect of MA is control; control of enviroment and control of opponent(obviously, if opponent can't hit/kick/throw you in the way s/he might want, you control him/her). And to first step to control enviroment - IMHO - is controlling self. And to control self, understanding self may be essential.

But I also understand Peter's point.. it would be interesting see how many similar 'surviving stories' we could find if asking let's say musicians, or actors, or car mechanics for the meaning and growing process they have faced.

With respect,
Riku Ylönen

[corsarius]

The process of maturing and the accompanying change in worldviews does, I suspect, account for some of the situations described, but perhaps this strengthens the role of martial arts as a way of learning "self" rather than weakens it.

Personal growth is seldom arbitrary - it is guided by environment, belief systems, and inner desires. Martial arts, then, may have provided a means of guiding people on this road of personal growth. Where other people have taken a different and less focused path, martial artists may, through their training, have accelerated this maturing process and shortened the path to self-knowledge.

Of course, there are significant self-knowledge benefits to be gained from any focused artform, be it painting, dance, woodcarving, even practicing the tea ceremony! Martial arts, however, does seem to have some tangible benefits. Brett Denison in his article "Perception", presents evidence from Psychology Today (May, 1995), and makes the observation that:

"People who continue to practice the martial arts for prolonged periods are different from the general populace in the following ways:

- They have a lower level o fanxiety;
- An increased sense of responsibility;
- They are less likely to be radical;
- They have an increased level of self-esteem;
- And are more socially intelligent."

Once again this is not to say that martial arts have an exclusive claim to these benefits, but it does seem to indicate that martial arts provide a valuable guide for people on their journey through life.

I, like many others here, have long battled my own inner issues and problems, but I have found that the practice and study of martial arts has provided clarity of mind and purpose, and I believe it has been, and continues to be, an essential means for me to better know my self, and hence become a better person.

[jamesomaxwell]

:bow:

Props to Riku for this thread, another really good topic.

Martial arts for me helped me to maintain my sanity and unexpectedly helped bring me to a higher level of maturity and understanding that I could not have reached without Martial Arts.

As an avid backpacking and outdoorsman I was faced with removal from the things that I loved when I started college. I had school and work during the week, I worked every weekend, It was all school and work, and I literally started to loose grip on everything around me. It was grace that I was given the oppertunity to become involved with Martial Arts. Until that point I was not aware that being in the outdoors and getting away from the city was essentially my "meditation", but when I started college and I was not able to go backpacking, I felt a emptiness and a longing for some measure of peace. Martial arts gave me that peace back and then showed me more peace than I could have every believed.

The physical aspect of martial arts is very important and I enjoy it very much. But the mental and philisophical aspects are what helped me the most. I started using meditation and breathing exercised to help calm myself down, to help me see things for what they really are, to limit my reliance and use of emotions, and to focus and concentrate. After reading some texts pertaining to the Samurai and their way of living and dying, I was able to face the enevitability of death and embrace life. It is amazing how enjoyable every moment of my life started to be to me once I realized and embraced the fact that I could die at any moment. I now can truely say that I really live for the moment.

Martial arts helped me by showing me a level within myself that I don't think I could have reached without Martial Arts. Being an Eagle Scout pushed me to a great level, being a Rowdy pushed me to a very great level, and then being a Martialist opened a level and showed me the door.

For me, martial arts helped me face and overcome my fears, it showed me how to live, and it has made me a much much better Christian.