song of life

[SEAN C]

At various times the analogy of music and dance has been applied to martial arts. I like this, because I am a musician! What happens if we look at mind, body and spirit as drums, bass and guitar? We have rythm, melody and harmony. We have Beethoven (structure) and we have Charlie Parker (improvisation). What matters in each is the balance between mind, body and spirit. We know about body and mind. Where is the spirit?

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sean

[Jackie Olsen]

Welcome, Sean,

A most appropriate analogy! Though I'm not a musician ... music has always been a huge part of my life's experience. I've often compared martial arts to music and dance as well.

For me the spirit is the soul of the music... the passion, the desire, the drive, the energy which fuels the movement or interpretation of kata. Depending on the kata, or the emotional mind/body I was in, I would express a different underlying beat or melody, which would be reflected energetically.

When my Sensei would like me to do a move quicker w/power, he would tell me to "hear" the rhythm of the move, not the count.

A Sanchin thrust sometimes is: Ba - dum - DA. Or, the Seisan rapid strikes (the name escapes me at this late hour) ... da-da-da-DA
(you'd have to hear me say this to appreciate it ... the words just don't convey the movement.

"It is the pause between the notes ... that is where the art resides."



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In Beauty,

Jackie

[SEAN C]

Thank you, Jackie, Desire is what I was looking for. What is the true desire of those who would call themselves martial artists? "A master of martial arts is the master of no man, but only desires to master himself" (Unknown) The enemy is within! (or is it without?) What is mastery, but freedom?

[david]

Sean,

>>What is the true desire of those who would call themselves martial artists?<<

I been thinking a bit on this one... Putting aside the self-defense considerations, what drives my practice is not "mastery." Certainly not mastery of others because one can always be beat/bettered at any given day by someone else. I doubt it's mastery of the self in the sense of skills because there are days I perform worse than the absolute beginner. Is it the mastery of emotions? Not even these because the trigger happens and I can be enmeshed in feelings that were not there a second ago...

I think the practice is to just face what is and not turn and run away. Just face and deal.

The body has its limitations. The emotions are reactive. The spirit stands at the edge, facing an endless expanse of the blue sky above and the darkness of the deep abyss below. The spirit is willing to step forward whether to fly or to fall.

david

[SEAN C]

David,

Beautiful statement! From reading some of your posts of personal experiences in the past, I have to say that I can only hope to some day have the courageous perseverance in the cause of righteousness that you posess!

Don't you feel though, that through practice, you are at a somewhat more advanced level on average in the areas of skill and emotional mastery than in the past?


the white belt from hell...

Sean

[This message has been edited by SEAN C (edited February 10, 2000).]

[david]

sean, my fellow student from HELL,

I would love to claim my practice has granted more emotional mastery. Alas, I tend to think it's a matter of age and mellowing out.

I am avid river fisherman and know the fish are not to be found -- usually -- in the middle of the fast, unbroken waters. They would expend too much energy and burn themselves out fighting the current. They recognize which morsel is worth a dart out into the current for before retreating to a place of rest behind a rock or in hole in the bottom.

Sometime, mother nature calls for a flood. All the usual lairs and much of the fish are washed away...

david

[mugaku]

david, a tied-down caddis for you