Friday 23 May 2014

The Mind Is In Charge Of The Body; Internal Martial Arts

By Marci Glover


Taoists believe that there is a way the body can be strengthened through yogic and psychological practices. This is what is referred to as internal martial arts. The nervous and the energy manufacturing systems are controlled from within the body resulting in a strong human being, both within and without the body. It is common to find people practicing these skills in California. They are trying very hard to preserve this culture.

The founders of this field of art practiced, mastered the skills and later described the underlying principles; balancing the body, effortless power and internal energy. These same people codified the main principles that still guide the field even today. The main principles as described by the founders are; physical mechanism, linking the body and mind, and striving to attain advanced skills.

The soft/hard support and the full empty are the main contents of the body mechanism ideology. Accordingly, the hard tissues, which are mainly bones, give the most support to the body. Their locking and twisting reduces the workload for soft tissues like muscles, ligaments and tendons. The hard and soft tissues, however work together in a complementary manner to facilitate provision of strength for the body.

The originators of these ideas went further to say that the interlocking of bones forms pivots that turn in the same manner as levers. The artist applies less effort to produce a greater force whose impact is felt on the opponent. For efficiency, one needs to position himself/herself in certain angles. This is because a greater output is only produced if the effort is in a certain position in relation to the load.

The empty full ideology entails minimizing wastage of body strength through possession of the ability to distinguish between what is empty and one that is full. This ability helps one move his/her steps more briskly and steadily. It also helps one remain balanced even when an opponent pulls him/her. In a fight, a fighter is supposed to identify the full and empty parts of the body of the opponent. He/she should then attack the full.

The men who founded this branch of art also insisted that the mind drives the human body. According to them, this discovery can help one not to feel pain. This is basically through directing the mind away from the pain. This realization, therefore, rubbishes physical abilities that do not engage the mind.

The difference between internal martial arts and other exercises is the therapeutic action known as sung. This is the springiness or suspension involved in yoga, Tai Chi and many other genres of this field. The artist takes his/her mind through a relaxation session, and does not pay attention to anything happening outside his/her thoughts for a long time. Sung creates meridian avenues, balances the muscles and eliminates dysfunction that results from poor posture. It is the most important element that leads to mastery of internal secrets of Tai Chi.

Therefore, this genre is all about minimizing the energy spent in a fight. It uses principles that ensure use of minimal energy in achieving greater ends. This is achieved through engaging the mind more that physical strength. The City of California has greatly borrowed this Chinese culture. The Three Treasures Internal Arts has even started classes to teach the people of California about this culture.




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