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

By Marci Glover


It is hard to believe that what the body feels is totally an issue of the sublime. The Chinese who founded internal martial arts held that it is practicable to dictate the nervous system together with the respiratory system using internal mechanisms to create a human being who is strong; both inside and outside. The originators of this genre wanted it to spread to all parts in the world. Currently, it is practiced in California just like it was in China. They codified their ideologies and passed them on for future generations.

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.

According to the founders of these principles, the human body works like lever machines. It has fulcrums; turning points that turn, and in the process, reduce the workload. So, just like the fulcrum in a lever system, an artist must find a suitable posture to multiply the effort applied in order to destroy his/her target.

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.

According to the founders of internal martial arts, pain can be avoided through involving the mind whenever the body is hit by anything that can cause pain. If the mind tells the body that there is no pain, then no pain will be felt. This is because the mind coordinates every activity in the body; including sensing stimuli. So, for physical strength to have any value, the mind must be involved.

On top of being a good way of exercising, this type of practice serves as therapy for both the physical body and the mind. Usually, a person performing it stops thinking about things around him/her and puts his/her mind in a state of relaxation. This is called sung in Chinese. Sometimes, poor posture can lead to dysfunction; sung gets rid of this dysfunction. It is one of the most mandatory skills in this practice.

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.




About the Author:



No comments:

Post a Comment

Nourishing Your Three- to Five-Year-Old: A Guide to Healthy Eating

Introduction As your child enters the preschool years, their nutritional needs continue to evolve. Providing them with a healthy and balance...

Top Articles for You