Is meditation "natural"?
our answer an0006

When I am inside the dojo I have no trouble closing my eyes while in meditation, but when I am on the beach or in the forest I am distracted and I can't keep them closed. What can I do?
our answer an0005

Does kung fu bring a perfect harmony with nature?
our answer an0004

When I started aikido classes, I was concerned because I had to reduce my weekly time dedicated to my ceramics. Surprisingly, others commented that my artwork actually improved. Did others go through the same kind of experience?
our answer an0003

I find that training with music at home makes my workout more "easy". Am I "breaking" any formal rules involved in the martial arts?
our answer an0002

What does martial art have in common with calligraphy and the tea ceremony?
our answer an0001

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an0001
What does martial art have in common with calligraphy and the tea ceremony?

... Other Japanese arts that employ smaller implements, such as calligraphy, brush painting, and the tea ceremony, are taught as extensions of the mind and breath in the same manner that martial art technique is expressed. These arts, as formalized schools, also share the same system of ranking, or levels of learning, as well as the transmission of knowledge from a sensei to a student.
... Zazen, can be present in all of them to provide an introspective view of our existence. Its form of breathing is used to prepare the mind and reflexes and then every movement in the practice arises and flows from the exhalation of the breath. The stroke of the brush on paper or the whisking of the brush in tea is the same as the slice of the blade of the samurai sword; it is the single breath of the artist.

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an0002
I find that training with music at home makes my workout more "easy". Am I "breaking" any formal rules involved in the martial arts?

... We think that it is a good tool to facilitate your training if it motivates you, (as long that your neighbors don't mind!). It's your space, so enjoy it!
... Many martial arts have traditionally incorporated elements of dance or theater in order to camouflage their training during times of oppression. Martial art is an Art and music is perfectly applied to it and viseversa. It has its own rhythm, cadence, melody, tone, etc., which can be vibrant and beautiful. Many folklore dances around the world tell stories about warriors and their encounters as well as love and life, with body movements that you will find in many martial arts. Some of them were extracted directly from them.
... Many years ago Claudio had the great opportunity to see the National Folklore Dance Troupe of Okinawa when they visited Argentina. One of their dances was a beautiful unison heian kata in tribute to the cultural contribution of the martial arts. Another example is Capoeira; a Brazilian martial arts form with roots in African slave communities. Its vital music makes the experience unique. Filipino arts also use percussion that lead and complement their atmosphere, and the list keeps going.
... Be yourself, and when you are training without music, follow your inner rhythm, express your own frequency, be in tune with your partner and let your breathing sing to life.

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an0003
When I started aikido classes, I was concerned because I had to reduce my weekly time dedicated to my ceramics. Surprisingly, others commented that my artwork actually improved. Did others go through the same kind of experience?

... Undoubtedly. The eternal duet between quality and quantity once again finds their balance by themselves. Aikido provides that, and being an art as well, you continue "molding your clay" on the tatami. You are an artist even when you are not in your ceramic studio. Many artists enjoy and rediscover their arts while training. They find renewed focus and discipline while also learning to free their movement and spirit. Others use it as a lab of experiences that reveals essential aspects of their character. Many also learn to appreciate more the art in life, and (why not?) the life in art. We are happy that you can enjoy them both.

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an0004
Does kung fu bring a perfect harmony with nature?

... Those who really train kung fu, (as well as any other martial art,) must clearly understand and accept that perfection is a thing of dreams, and it may well be that we attain it only in passing. We glimpse it in moments in nature; and as beings in nature, we therefore must have it within ourselves as well. A flower, we believe, is unaware of its beauty. It knows success of a sort if it propagates and continues. Its purpose is to take its place in nature and just be, alive and well and struggling with the whims of its environment. It is doubtful that human existence is much more than that in the great scheme of things, although many religions and philosophies would have man at the center of nature.
... The scars on the planet that we have collectively left in our passing do not prove our importance, rather they are evidence of our inability to wield the tools of intelligence, choice, invention, and organization that we have developed or been granted by some higher power through evolution. It is our belief that mastering the martial arts is of little use if we do not improve and fortify our connection with the environment. The purpose of modern martial arts should be to further the progression away from things warlike and destructive, and to channel these powerful energies into areas that produce and restore natural balance. It is a life commitment and a never ending process . . . but what a fulfilling one when it is consciously done.

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an0005
When I am inside the dojo I have no trouble closing my eyes while in meditation, but when I am on the beach or in the forest I am distracted and I can't keep them closed. What can I do?

... They are not distractions, instead they are "direct calls" to open yourself and be receptive in the reality of nature. It is your time to practice letting go. Without forcing anything just breathe, relax and smile. . .
... There are many lessons we can take from nature. It is not coincidence that those who are interested in Zen or meditation find themselves drawn to natural surroundings and seek peace and quiet in the wilderness. It is not only because they wish to eliminate distractions. For some, it is because they find that when they are immersed in nature, there is almost no need to meditate! It might be better said that the contemplation of nature and the breathing of fresh air allows the meditation to become more full, alive, and aware. In a city, or a situation that has tension, anxiety, or danger, the need to meditate formally (in the conventional sense of closed eyes and quite sitting) is more immediate and essential as a balance to external forces. Imagining a calm place in nature helps the practitioner return to relaxed clarity more readily.

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an0006
Is meditation "natural"?

... It is important that students not use meditation to block the senses or the quality of human experience. As being with a place in nature, it is vital that we embrace the natural environment wholly and respect its cycles and interdependencies. We are blind to essential reality if we fight this truth, and on a practical level, we are damaging our own nests.
... Our human organism is a product of natural processes. We would be remiss if we were to ignore the conditioning and instincts that are simple responses to stimuli. Although some of our responses are dictated by genetics and environment, we, like many organisms, also have the ability to make choices. The fact that humans by and large haven't made very good choices is probably the reason we need martial arts at all. They evolved out of our inability to make equitable arrangements to share resources and territory, and our need to defend our means of survival from others. It may be a sorry beginning for a system that has progressed into something more useful and beautiful, yet as the arts continue to evolve, they can become more practical for a peaceful existence. Perhaps self-defense of the individual will give way to defense of the species and the planet.
... Understanding our physical organism and exploring the mental energies that keep it going can help us improve the quality of our existence. The mind is curious by nature, yet we easily become conditioned by constant external stimuli. It takes more effort to stop the controlling effects of conditioning than to change our responses. By doing this through meditation, we gain access to tools that can break dependency and help us achieve inner freedom. Not unlike hypnotism, meditation can be used to remold patterns of behavior, emotions and feelings. Meditation can open channels to transform personality structures and expression, but it can also be easily sabotaged because it is subject to manipulation. Meditation is not an escape from reality, it is full awareness and enjoyment of the present and your presence within it.

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