Galactic Thoughts: Martial Arts for the Mind

I’ve always appreciated martial arts as a tool for developing oneself. In fact, I don’t think any other physical activity comes close. In correctly taught and non-contaminated martial arts, you’ll find all spiritual principles embodied: unity, brotherhood, excellence, attention to detail, energy conservation, focus, the transfer of wisdom, allowance, the blending of active and passive, creativity, spontaneity, discipline, etc.

So I’m extremely irritated that my Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Kickboxing timelines seem to have been snuffed out. As if a higher power literally decided to strangle them so I would do other, higher activities. It’s pretty painful, as I can still feel the beatitude and satisfaction of a life built on martial arts. Grounded, centered, practical and fulfilling timelines/lifelines/lifetimes.

And so, I’ve had to defer to my Higher Self and commit to certain other practices, though it's ultimately likely to turn out better. The Martial Arts I will be undertaking and creating will be centered around the mind: Mental Martial Arts (‘MMA’).

A centerpiece of mental martial arts is that of staying in the center. You have to become peaceful around paradox. Two opposite positions can both be simultaneously true. This sounds like irrelevant New Age nonsense but it's going to make your life a lot more peaceful. All religions and systems of philosophy make sense within their own paradigm. Both the Paleo and the Vegan are ‘correct’. Which means there is no need for your ego to figure out the ‘truth’ and then argue against people on the other side of a dualistic pole.

You know the Yin/Yang symbol? Taking either side is a mistake. You want to be exactly in the center without a strong opinion either way. If you take a position, then you have a battle on your hands against the other side. No matter what physical martial art you have at your disposal, you’re eventually going to tire. Unless you stay outside the fray by becoming a Mental Jedi, a Buddha, a Christ Warrior.

This is a basic starting point for many more mental techniques and exciting things you can do with your mind, given that the whole universe is a product of mind. When you stop trying to convert your neighbor to your ideology (a giant waste of resources if there ever was one) you can then get to work on your own superpowers.

You’ll also need a technique to still the mind.

The bow needs to be held taut with tension (stillness) before it is unleashed to the mark (activity).