Martial Arts and Magick.

[Audiolog Edu]

When i was a kid I practiced Japanese martial arts with the use of meditation and so did my neighbores, so I grew up with a mentality about meditation and spiritualism, few years back I found a dojo with Bujinkan and I went to train few months, I kept investigating after that, to find good books in english about the meditation techniques of Ninjas. How they developed their super human skills is incredible to read, is a very well kept secret this Bujinkan method. Recently Ive been practicing Chi Qong and learning a bit on Taoist and Chinese Buddhism, I even heard of Mark Rasmus and I am enjoying his free content on Youtube, Mark Rasmus is teacher in Chinese martial arts and he also practiced Hermeticism, I think he goes for the Franz Bardon method wich I started investigating and studying a bit on him. I even heard of Poke Runyon from The Order of Temple of Astarte he was in the military and also practiced if im not mistaken some sort of Ninja school.

 

[Anziel_Merkaba]

Hermeticism does have a lot in common with some of the ideas behind Buddhism and Taoism, at least in regards to how the world works.

 

[HoldAll]

Never ever think that meditation and any kind of energy work alone can be a substitute for sweat, cramps, bruises and overall hard graft in 'hard' Japanese martial arts like ninjutsu or karate. Ok, you can call yourself a 'spiritual warrior' and do all kinds of spectular mental exercises in your head in the comfort of your home and that's fine but they won't help you at all in a dojo. They just get in the way when you practice your basic stances, punches, blocks and kicks because they just slow you down. Once you have the rough outline of your techniques down pat after training several years, concentrating too hard would simply tense you up - that's for raw beginners. Zen is the only way to go here: maintaining maximum mental emptiness, not-thinking (because even thinking is too much of an effort if you're exhaused, after all), reacting instinctively without thinking, and the easiest way to achieve such a state of mind are (deliberately) mindless repetitions so beloved of traditional Japanese martial arts masters. Shuffling in excruciatingly low stances one dojo-length after the other until your legs scream for mercy, and you'd have to be a master of inner Chinese martial arts to visualize all kinds of channels or chi points to relieve your muscle fatigua. Even your blissfully empty Zen mind will go straight out of the window in free sparring when some screaming guy comes at you hammer and tongs as if trying to tear you a new one; in fact, that's the weakness of ultra-orthodox martial arts - no free sparring, only scripted exercises where two partners cooperate (and afterwards feel invincible, poor deluded bastards)(and aikido is for pussys btw, I unashamedly admit that I'm prejudiced there ).

The typical low ninjutsu back stance (even lower that Shotokan's kokutsu-dachi) will give you thighs like treetrunks after two or three years but mere meditation won't. If you're serious about ninjutsu, you'll also practice climbing, and it will take years of consistent practice to become good at it (and btw, aren't you way too heavy for that right now?). In practical martial arts, brawn will win out over brain any time. A taiji master against a guy who is just one year into his muay thai training? No contest. If you've ever been on the receiving end of those devastating low kicks and had a hard time climbing stairs for weeks, you'd know what I'm talking about.

If you want to immerse yourself in Shingon Buddhism, practise your mudras or other mystical ninja methods, be my guest. I'm convinced such an approach is a valid spiritual path but don't ever think you're ready for a physical confrontation - the archetypical concept of being a warrior can be useful metaphors but whenever somebody threatens you with violence, run away as fast as you can. If you want to learn self-defence, take up Krav Maga, for example, but meditation & energy work alone can never prepare you for such potentially lethal real-life situation. Never ever.

And now for some light relief (althoug the depiction of dojo life is painfully realistic):

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[Anziel_Merkaba]

the archetypical concept of being a warrior can be useful metaphors but whenever somebody threatens you with violence, run away as fast as you can. If you want to learn self-defence, take up Krav Maga, for example, but meditation & energy work alone can never prepare you for such potentially lethal real-life situation. Never ever.

Something that stuck with me is this: The only thing you need to know about Karate is that guns beat Karate every time. - Stan Smith, American Dad

They do say that God made man and Samuel Colt made them equal for a reason after all.

In any case there are spiritual benefits to martial arts, and they do have plenty of advantages for keeping yourself fit and flexible, but if you ever have to use them in self defense you're already cooked, especially in a world where things like knives, baseball bats, hammers, and guns exist.

 

[Shade]

Something that stuck with me is this: The only thing you need to know about Karate is that guns beat Karate every time. - Stan Smith, American Dad

They do say that God made man and Samuel Colt made them equal for a reason after all.

In any case there are spiritual benefits to martial arts, and they do have plenty of advantages for keeping yourself fit and flexible, but if you ever have to use them in self defense you're already cooked, especially in a world where things like knives, baseball bats, hammers, and guns exist.

Ehh… that’s why boxing beats out many martial arts, superior guard, with arms, forearms and elbows, maneuvering, no fluff you strike fast or you strike hard, you learn to drop the opponents guard to strike fast and hard ect, unless they are able to take you down then you’re screwed if you don’t have any training on the mat. Just my two cents,
(Unless the person as mentioned had a weapon and even then… it really depends, bats aren’t too bad if they don’t have momentum and the person only uses it as a bat, knives you’re screwed but some people actually prematurely pull out depending on the angle and situation and guns.. most people really can’t hit the broad side of a barn with a pistol (but you’re better off not to take the chance with any of them lol)

 

[Anziel_Merkaba]

Ehh… that’s why boxing beats out many martial arts, superior guard, with arms, forearms and elbows, maneuvering, no fluff you strike fast or you strike hard, you learn to drop the opponents guard to strike fast and hard ect, unless they are able to take you down then you’re screwed if you don’t have any training on the mat.

I mean yeah boxing is pretty practical for self defense in the sense that it is a standing art with decent defense and striking, but a more military focused art like Krav Maga, Combat Sambo, or Junshi Sanda will absolutely destroy someone who only practices boxing if they are trained to the same level of mastery. Although the moment a weapon gets involved all bets go out the window, as even someone who has trained in disarms only really has a 50/50 shot of winning the fight (against someone who isn't trained but has a weapon).

most people really can’t hit the broad side of a barn with a pistol

Factually untrue. The overwhelming majority of situations where a handgun is used is within 25 yards, which is well within range for point shooting (pointing the gun and shooting without using the sights), so unless the person with the pistol is holding it sideways like a hood-dweller, it's actually not that difficult to hit a man-sized target even if you're the worst shot in your postal code.

 

[Audiolog Edu]

Ehh… that’s why boxing beats out many martial arts

I mean yeah boxing is pretty practical for self defense in the sense that it is a standing art with decent defense and striking

My Muay Thai teacher used to teach us to do Greco Roman wrestling as well, because he said that most fights you wont finish standing up, I always tought it was a good combo, now I practice soft and hard chi qong like traditional shaolin kung fu and I still do Muay Thai but is so different now, my technique has improved by the chinese arts I practice. Also my breath connection with movement is way more deep.

 

[HoldAll]

To get back to the mental aspects of martial arts, I'd like to address the unfortunate phenomenon that most people will freeze and go all rigid when faced with an unforeseen threat, making them unable to pull their weapon or apply any self-defense techniques they've learnt. It's the "This can't really be happening to me!" sort of incredulity as well as panic that prevents them from responding adequately to a threat, and I wonder if it's possible to use purely mental methods such as meditation to learn how to stay calm in the face of danger and react instantaneously and efficiently… probably in the abstract only, as it were, you'd need actual physical practice to acquire that ability.

When practicing not-thinking while going for a walk, I sometimes entertain myself by imagining a ninja lurking with a drawn sword behind a tree and remaining utterly unfazed so I can react completely spontaneously and naturally (and totally ruthlessly, of course). The main point is the relaxed and empty state of mind here - NOT mentally prepared for anything, NOT paranoically suspicious and alert, NOT feeling like some great big invincible warrior, just staying relaxed, calm and collected like I would go routinely through my daily business, entirely serene and unafraid but somewhere in the back of my mind capable of almost casually wreaking total mayhem when attacked. It's a fascinating exercise.

 

[Shade]

o get back to the mental aspects of martial arts, I'd like to address the unfortunate phenomenon that most people will freeze and go all rigid when faced with an unforeseen threat, making them unable to pull their weapon or apply any self-defense techniques they've learnt. It's the "This can't really be happening to me!" sort of incredulity as well as panic that prevents them from responding adequately to a threat, and I wonder if it's possible to use purely mental methods such as meditation to learn how to stay calm in the face of danger and react instantaneously and efficiently… probably in the abstract only, as it were, you'd need actual physical practice to acquire that ability.

There is a story of a monk, idk if it’s apocryphal but I heard it told by Ram Das.
A war lord was going around killing all the monks but one refused to leave the temple, upon hearing this the warlord was outraged and through open the doors of the monastery, he walked up to the monk sword in hand and yelled at the monk “don’t you know who I am?!?? I will drive this sword through your belly without blinking an eye” the monk with a slight bow said calmly “and don’t you know who I am? I’m the one who would let you drive your sword through my belly without blinking an eye”.
This leads me to think that yes experience plays a role for most people but those truly at peace with death are less likely to freeze up when faced with danger. I think meditation has its validity if you are practicing the right type of meditation and don’t have many attachments. In the story all the monks rather were killed or fled to the mountains but that one monk seemed more at peace than others.

 

[HoldAll]

I was going to post a short scene from Akira Kurosawa's "Seven Samurai" where some guy with a stick was lurking behind a doorrway to test the samurais' presence of mind but youtube nixed it for reasons of copyright. Sheesh, such an old movie...

 

[Shade]

I was going to post a short scene from Akira Kurosawa's "Seven Samurai" where some guy with a stick was lurking behind a doorrway to test the samurais' presence of mind but youtube nixed it for reasons of copyright. Sheesh, such an old movie...

Upbringing and mindset may actually have more to do with it than meditation but meditation is a useful tool, I actually think Tai Chi helps the most. A lot of course is becoming numb in dangerous situations.
your scene reminds me what I did to my friend, I lived there but he had no idea I was home, I painted my face like a clown, used fake blood everything, as soon as he turned the corner I jumped out of a doorway right in front of him and he didn’t even flinch he just said “Hey Shade” (he used my nickname which wasn’t Shade). I was baffled.
idk how his mind was so zen and had such presence of mind but it was impressive. No fight or flight response just a calm “hey” and he knew it was me in that same moment when his house was like a revolving door. So it coulda been anyone.

 

[Audiolog Edu]

Is there a book you guys know about Chi Qong on how to feel the actual orb of energy? I practice Martial Chi Qong but Ive been searching for the energy channeling Chi Qong as well as Reiki and I cant find anything trustfull, just Mark Rasmus free stuff.

 

[HoldAll]

Is there a book you guys know about Chi Qong on how to feel the actual orb of energy? I practice Martial Chi Qong but Ive been searching for the energy channeling Chi Qong as well as Reiki and I cant find anything trustfull, just Mark Rasmus free stuff.

We have some books on Nei Gong, you might want to try these (I had to re-upload some of them, so look further down the threads if the links don't work); another idea would be to do a Library search using "Chinese" or "Daoist/Taoist" as a keyword.

https://wizardforums.com/search/61798/?q=gong&t=post&c[child_nodes]=1&c[nodes][0]=32&c[title_only]=1&o=date

 

[Shade]

as well as Reiki

Lathered a few different styles of Reiki… typically on all of them the first stage/symbol is learning the Cho Ku Rei meaning the universe inside you (in the art section it’s the symbol the rabbit I posted has on his chest) I use it quite often but I think there are 4 or 5 different styles and all of them go in stages.
Usui Shiki Ryoho is the main reiki practice and stage 2 is the “Hon Sha Ze Sho Nen” across past present and future through space and distance.
That’s Usui Shiki Ryoho style is what most people are familiar with, so that’s a good starting point.

 

[Audiolog Edu]

We have some books on Nei Gong, you might want to try these (I had to re-upload some of them, so look further down the threads if the links don't work); another idea would be to do a Library search using "Chinese" or "Daoist/Taoist" as a keyword.

https://wizardforums.com/search/61798/?q=gong&t=post&c[child_nodes]=1&c[nodes][0]=32&c[title_only]=1&o=date

Thanks, I did not know how to search or what to actual search because Ive only seen Sifu Rasmus and heard for example the Shen Gong practices and I have not actually seen it so I can practice it, it seems very occult to the public eye.

Lathered a few different styles of Reiki… typically on all of them the first stage/symbol is learning the Cho Ku Rei meaning the universe inside you (in the art section it’s the symbol the rabbit I posted has on his chest) I use it quite often but I think there are 4 or 5 different styles and all of them go in stages.
Usui Shiki Ryoho is the main reiki practice and stage 2 is the “Hon Sha Ze Sho Nen” across past present and future through space and distance.
That’s Usui Shiki Ryoho style is what most people are familiar with, so that’s a good starting point.

I just aquired my magickal ring and I have to consecrate it, can you tell me if Reiki help in this practice of consecration of magickal tool?

 

[Shade]

Thanks, I did not know how to search or what to actual search because Ive only seen Sifu Rasmus and heard for example the Shen Gong practices and I have not actually seen it so I can practice it, it seems very occult to the public eye.

I just aquired my magickal ring and I have to consecrate it, can you tell me if Reiki help in this practice of consecration of magickal tool?

I’m a chaos magician so my answer would be yes if done correctly, but reiki is more for healing rather than consecration or to bless any magical tools, but when I do acquire an item, I make a sigil specifically for the item, wash the item in salt water, put it on the sigil in the sun from dawn till noon, then I do the cho ku rei symbol with certain fingers (usually every finger except ring finger unless it’s meant for earthly benefits then I use the middle and ring finger and rather thumb or pinky depending on what’s appropriate.) however if you are a ritual magician, there are rituals for this purpose you can find.

 

[Audiolog Edu]

I’m a chaos magician so my answer would be yes if done correctly, but reiki is more for healing rather than consecration or to bless any magical tools, but when I do acquire an item, I make a sigil specifically for the item, wash the item in salt water, put it on the sigil in the sun from dawn till noon, then I do the cho ku rei symbol with certain fingers (usually every finger except ring finger unless it’s meant for earthly benefits then I use the middle and ring finger and rather thumb or pinky depending on what’s appropriate.) however if you are a ritual magician, there are rituals for this purpose you can find.

Thanx, in one of the AS books they explain that Reiki is helpfull for chaneling energy for healing pourposes but i never actually found the praxis, one of my ex girlfriends she did practice Reiki thats why I am interested in knowing the art. I actually dont know about Chaos Magick, Ive heard tho, I follow one american YT who has a very interesting chanel on High Magick and he is a Chaos magician.

 

[HoldAll]

Thanx, in one of the AS books they explain that Reiki is helpfull for chaneling energy for healing pourposes but i never actually found the praxis, one of my ex girlfriends she did practice Reiki thats why I am interested in knowing the art. I actually dont know about Chaos Magick, Ive heard tho, I follow one american YT who has a very interesting chanel on High Magick and he is a Chaos magician.

The beauty of chaos magic is that you can tailor your rituals to your own unique purpose without much regard to (or respect for) traditional correspondences and lore which is also its weakness as even some practitioners admit. For example, you can have pop-culture magic fun by conjuring Bruce Lee but e.g. Hercules or Mars would have the whole weight of classical history and poetry behind it so they might be more effective instead in your case, and Musashi would probably beat Chuck Norris for magical purposes.

 

[Audiolog Edu]

The beauty of chaos magic is that you can tailor your rituals to your own unique purpose without much regard to (or respect for) traditional correspondences and lore which is also its weakness as even some practitioners admit. For example, you can have pop-culture magic fun by conjuring Bruce Lee but e.g. Hercules or Mars would have the whole weight of classical history and poetry behind it so they might be more effective instead in your case, and Musashi would probably beat Chuck Norris for magical purposes.

Can we go back to the Martial Arts in meditation practices, like perhaps the chinese monks Ive seen put their heads and the oponent cant knock them out, like iron skull where the shaolin monk takes punches with mma gloves and doesnt fall down, instead he take momentum on when the oponent comits a mistake. Pain in this situation is something the monk doesnt feel as well, because of the development of iron skull technique he has probably experimented a lot of hits in training , like boxers who gets hit on the stomach so they can develope reflexes.

 

[HoldAll]

Can we go back to the Martial Arts in meditation practices, like perhaps the chinese monks Ive seen put their heads and the oponent cant knock them out, like iron skull where the shaolin monk takes punches with mma gloves and doesnt fall down, instead he take momentum on when the oponent comits a mistake. Pain in this situation is something the monk doesnt feel as well, because of the development of iron skull technique he has probably experimented a lot of hits in training , like boxers who gets hit on the stomach so they can develope reflexes.

The question always is whether these chinese monks will be able to use this ability spontaneously in a stressful situation like a real fight without having time to prepare. Conditioning the stomach against blows like a boxer does is relatively straightforward - in striking martial arts, you are taught to forcefully exhale (and thus automatically clench your abdominal muscles hard) whenever you practice a punch, and you test that ability not only in 'abstract' exercises but also in free sparring so it becomes an automated reflex. I once shared a changing room with some of these orange-clad Shaolin fighters who were invited as a 'supporting act' for a famous motivational speaker; they were all very short and looked kinda delicate .. I wouldn't give them much chance against a trained heavyweight boxer, supernatural abilities or no.