Kumite Tips #1/Kumite Tips #2/Kumite Tips #3/Kumite Tips #4/Kumite Tips #5/Kumite Tips #6/Kumite Tips #7/Kumite Tips #8/Kumite Tips #9
"It will take your entire life to learn Karate"...
I think everyone agrees that it takes a life time to learn anything of importance not just Karate.
Rosalyn S. Yalow was quoted as saying that..."The excitement of learning separates youth from old age. As long as you're learning you're not old".
Everyone who takes up Karate wants to be a Black Belt...
...and it's true that there are Black Belts and then there are "Black Belts".
Newton D. Baker said, "The man who graduates today and stops learning tomorrow is uneducated the day after".
I will leave you with 2 of my favorite quotes on life long learning...
"There are some things which cannot be learned quickly, and time, which is all we have, must be paid heavily for their acquiring. They are simple things, and because it takes a man's life to know them, the little new that each man gets from life is very costly and the only heritage he has to leave".--Ernest Hemingway (Death in the Afternoon)
"The Universe is one great kindergarten for man. Everything that exists has brought with it its own peculiar lesson. The mountain teaches stability and grandeur; the ocean immensity and change. Forests, lakes, and rivers, clouds and winds, stars and flowers, stupendous glaciers and crystal snowflakes, - every form of animate or inanimate existence, leaves its impress upon the soul of man. Even the bee and ant have brought their little lessons of industry and economy".--Orison Swett Marden
Sunday, April 30, 2006
Friday, April 28, 2006
Funakoshi's 8 th principle of Karate..."Do not think that you can learn Karate only in the Dojo"
Kumite Tips #1/Kumite Tips #2/Kumite Tips #3/Kumite Tips #4/Kumite Tips #5/Kumite Tips #6/Kumite Tips #7/Kumite Tips #8/Kumite Tips #9
"Do not think that you can learn Karate only in the Dojo"
Here's some famous quotes similar to Funakoshi's idea of Karate education...
Lord Chesterfield
"The knowledge of the world is only to be acquired in the world, and not in a closet".
Ralph Waldo Emerson
"We are shut up in schools and college recitation rooms for ten or fifteen years, and come out at last with a bellyfull of words and do not know a thing. The things taught in schools and colleges are not an education, but the means of education".
Robert F. Goheen
"If you have both feet planted on level ground, then the university has failed you".
Sir William Haley
"Education would be much more effective if its purpose was to ensure that by the time they leave school every boy and girl should know how much they do not know, and be imbued with a lifelong desire to know it".
Aristotle
"Those who educate children well are more to be honored than parents, for these only gave life, those the art of living well".
You see, Karate is not just kicking and punching, it's a way of life, and it's built upon fundamental principles.
What is taught and what is learned in the Dojo is directly applicable to one's life outside the Dojo.
Everything from respect, concentration, timing, kime, awareness and adaptability can be utilized in business transactions or when dealing with people on any front.
Your decisiveness, goals and actions, coupled with the knowledge that there is no power on this earth that can guarantee your life won't be snuffed out in a flash...
...gives the Karate-ka a distinct advantage over his fellow man and makes his/her actions that much more powerful.
I believe Funakoshi was trying to say, take what you learn in the Dojo and apply it in your life...
...that's where the real battles are fought, not in the Dojo.
RJF
"Do not think that you can learn Karate only in the Dojo"
Here's some famous quotes similar to Funakoshi's idea of Karate education...
Lord Chesterfield
"The knowledge of the world is only to be acquired in the world, and not in a closet".
Ralph Waldo Emerson
"We are shut up in schools and college recitation rooms for ten or fifteen years, and come out at last with a bellyfull of words and do not know a thing. The things taught in schools and colleges are not an education, but the means of education".
Robert F. Goheen
"If you have both feet planted on level ground, then the university has failed you".
Sir William Haley
"Education would be much more effective if its purpose was to ensure that by the time they leave school every boy and girl should know how much they do not know, and be imbued with a lifelong desire to know it".
Aristotle
"Those who educate children well are more to be honored than parents, for these only gave life, those the art of living well".
You see, Karate is not just kicking and punching, it's a way of life, and it's built upon fundamental principles.
What is taught and what is learned in the Dojo is directly applicable to one's life outside the Dojo.
Everything from respect, concentration, timing, kime, awareness and adaptability can be utilized in business transactions or when dealing with people on any front.
Your decisiveness, goals and actions, coupled with the knowledge that there is no power on this earth that can guarantee your life won't be snuffed out in a flash...
...gives the Karate-ka a distinct advantage over his fellow man and makes his/her actions that much more powerful.
I believe Funakoshi was trying to say, take what you learn in the Dojo and apply it in your life...
...that's where the real battles are fought, not in the Dojo.
RJF
Thursday, April 27, 2006
Accidents come out of idleness...the number 7 principle by Fuanakoshi...
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Accidents come out of idleness...the number 7 principle by Funakoshi...
What exactly does Funakoshi mean about idleness...?
...here's some famous quotes that might help.
"We do not lack strength so much as the will to use it; and very often our imagining that things are impossible is nothing but an excuse of our own contriving, to reconcile ourselves to our own idleness". - François, Duc De La Rochefoucauld
"Purity of mind and idleness are incompatible".
Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948) Preeminent leader of Indian nationalism.
"Prolonged idleness paralyzes initiative".
Unknown Source
"Idleness is emptiness; the tree in which the sap is stagnant, remains fruitless".
- Hosea Ballou, Manuscript--Sermons
"Inactivity and deprivation of all accustomed stimulus is not rest; it is a preparation for the tomb".
- Robertson Davies
What I think Funakoshi was getting at here, was the fact that if a Karate-ka moves about lazily with no real prupose in mind, he or she will end up realizing some very negative consequences.
In Kumite the Karate-ka should always have some kind of goal or idea of what they want to accomplish...
...I could go on, but I think you get the idea...basically, never be lazy...
RJF
Accidents come out of idleness...the number 7 principle by Funakoshi...
What exactly does Funakoshi mean about idleness...?
...here's some famous quotes that might help.
"We do not lack strength so much as the will to use it; and very often our imagining that things are impossible is nothing but an excuse of our own contriving, to reconcile ourselves to our own idleness". - François, Duc De La Rochefoucauld
"Purity of mind and idleness are incompatible".
Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948) Preeminent leader of Indian nationalism.
"Prolonged idleness paralyzes initiative".
Unknown Source
"Idleness is emptiness; the tree in which the sap is stagnant, remains fruitless".
- Hosea Ballou, Manuscript--Sermons
"Inactivity and deprivation of all accustomed stimulus is not rest; it is a preparation for the tomb".
- Robertson Davies
What I think Funakoshi was getting at here, was the fact that if a Karate-ka moves about lazily with no real prupose in mind, he or she will end up realizing some very negative consequences.
In Kumite the Karate-ka should always have some kind of goal or idea of what they want to accomplish...
...I could go on, but I think you get the idea...basically, never be lazy...
RJF
Wednesday, April 26, 2006
Be ready to release your mind...Funakoshi's 6th principle of Karate...
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Be ready to release your mind...Funakoshi's 6th principle of Karate...
Here's some quotes on what Funakoshi was getting at...
Rene Descartes said...
"It is not good enough to have a good mind; the main thing is to use it well".
Margot Asquith (on Stafford Cripps) said...
"He has a brilliant mind until he makes it up".
Arnold Bennett said...
"Your own mind is a sacred enclosure into which nothing harmful can enter except by your permission".
Frank Zappa said...
'A mind is like a parachute. It doesn't work if it's not open".
Plutarch said...
"The mind is not a vessel to be filled but a fire to be kindled".
Desiderius Erasmus said...
"ManÂ’s mind is so formed that it is far more susceptible to falsehood than to truth".
To me, the mind is not what most people think it is...
...that being some great store house of our waking and dreaming reality, and proxied with the control of our feelings, emotions and consequently our actions or reactions to external stimuli.
For example, when something happens in our lives that frustrates us, and we let the mind run with the emotion, it quickly ratchets up into anger and if we let it continue, it ultimately manifests into physical violence.
Now most people can control their anger before it manifests into physical violence, while most children having undeveloped awareness and perceptions, cannot...
I believe, it is this awareness of the mind and its thoughts, that allows anyone, but in particular Karate-ka, to use the mind as a tool rather than letting the mind use the person to perpetuate it's own emotional musings...
When Fuankoshi stated that a person has to release the mind, I believe he meant to dissassociate themselves from the thoughts of the mind...
...once that is accomplished, the person is completely free to take the appropriate action no matter what the circumstance he/she finds themselves in...
Hope that makes some sense...
RJF
Be ready to release your mind...Funakoshi's 6th principle of Karate...
Here's some quotes on what Funakoshi was getting at...
Rene Descartes said...
"It is not good enough to have a good mind; the main thing is to use it well".
Margot Asquith (on Stafford Cripps) said...
"He has a brilliant mind until he makes it up".
Arnold Bennett said...
"Your own mind is a sacred enclosure into which nothing harmful can enter except by your permission".
Frank Zappa said...
'A mind is like a parachute. It doesn't work if it's not open".
Plutarch said...
"The mind is not a vessel to be filled but a fire to be kindled".
Desiderius Erasmus said...
"ManÂ’s mind is so formed that it is far more susceptible to falsehood than to truth".
To me, the mind is not what most people think it is...
...that being some great store house of our waking and dreaming reality, and proxied with the control of our feelings, emotions and consequently our actions or reactions to external stimuli.
For example, when something happens in our lives that frustrates us, and we let the mind run with the emotion, it quickly ratchets up into anger and if we let it continue, it ultimately manifests into physical violence.
Now most people can control their anger before it manifests into physical violence, while most children having undeveloped awareness and perceptions, cannot...
I believe, it is this awareness of the mind and its thoughts, that allows anyone, but in particular Karate-ka, to use the mind as a tool rather than letting the mind use the person to perpetuate it's own emotional musings...
When Fuankoshi stated that a person has to release the mind, I believe he meant to dissassociate themselves from the thoughts of the mind...
...once that is accomplished, the person is completely free to take the appropriate action no matter what the circumstance he/she finds themselves in...
Hope that makes some sense...
RJF
Tuesday, April 25, 2006
Spirit first: techniques second...the 5th principle by Funakoshi
Kumite Tips #1/Kumite Tips #2/Kumite Tips #3/Kumite Tips #4/Kumite Tips #5/Kumite Tips #6/Kumite Tips #7/Kumite Tips #8/Kumite Tips #9
Check out these famous quotes on the Spirit...
"There are only two forces in the world, the sword and the spirit. In the long run the sword will always be conquered by the spirit".
Napoleon I (1769-1821) Napoleon Bonaparte. French general, First Consul
"When you examine the lives of the most influential people who have ever walked among us, you discover one thread that winds through them all. They have been aligned first with their spiritual nature and only then with their physical selves".
Albert Einstein (1879-1955) German-Swiss-U.S. scientist.
"The foundations of a person are not in matter but in spirit".
Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882) U.S. poet, essayist and lecturer.
I believe it's just as important to develop ones Spirit in Karate, as well as ones techniques...
...my Sensei says that in a fight techniques will get the upper hand, but in the end the one with the greatest spirit will prevail.
One of the ways to build concentration to strengthen a Karate-ka's spirit, is through Zen and meditation...
...and just like the practice needed to perfect Karate techniques, practice is what strengthens the spirit.
RJF
Check out these famous quotes on the Spirit...
"There are only two forces in the world, the sword and the spirit. In the long run the sword will always be conquered by the spirit".
Napoleon I (1769-1821) Napoleon Bonaparte. French general, First Consul
"When you examine the lives of the most influential people who have ever walked among us, you discover one thread that winds through them all. They have been aligned first with their spiritual nature and only then with their physical selves".
Albert Einstein (1879-1955) German-Swiss-U.S. scientist.
"The foundations of a person are not in matter but in spirit".
Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882) U.S. poet, essayist and lecturer.
I believe it's just as important to develop ones Spirit in Karate, as well as ones techniques...
...my Sensei says that in a fight techniques will get the upper hand, but in the end the one with the greatest spirit will prevail.
One of the ways to build concentration to strengthen a Karate-ka's spirit, is through Zen and meditation...
...and just like the practice needed to perfect Karate techniques, practice is what strengthens the spirit.
RJF
Monday, April 24, 2006
Know yourself first and then others...the fourth karate principle by Funakoshi
Kumite Tips #1/Kumite Tips #2/Kumite Tips #3/Kumite Tips #4/Kumite Tips #5/Kumite Tips #6/Kumite Tips #7/Kumite Tips #8/Kumite Tips #9
"Know yourself first and then others..." said Funakoshi.
Barry Lopez stated,
"How is one to live a moral and compassionate existence when one is fully aware of the blood, the horror inherent in life, when one finds darkness not only in one's culture but within oneself? If there is a stage at which an individual life becomes truly adult, it must be when one grasps the irony in its unfolding and accepts responsibility for a life lived in the midst of such paradox. One must live in the middle of contradiction, because if all contradiction were eliminated at once life would collapse. There are simply no answers to some of the great pressing questions. You continue to live them out, making your life a worthy expression of leaning into the light".
"Self is the only prison that can ever bind the soul". ~Henry Van Dyke, The Prison and the Angel
"Man is never alone. Acknowledged or unacknowledged, that which dreams through him is always there to support him from within". ~Laurence van der Post
"And remember, no matter where you go, there you are". ~Confucius
"There are at least two kinds of cowards. One kind always lives with himself, afraid to face the world. The other kind lives with the world, afraid to face himself". ~Roscoe Snowden
"The outward man is the swinging door; the inner man is the still hinge". ~Eckhart
"Up to a point a man's life is shaped by environment, heredity, and movements and changes in the world about him. Then there comes a time when it lies within his grasp to shape the clay of his life into the sort of thing he wishes to be. Only the weak blame parents, their race, their times, lack of good fortune, or the quirks of fate. Everyone has it within his power to say, "This I am today; that I will be tomorrow." ~Louis L'Amour
It seems to me that the greatest knowledge a person can covet, is that of self-knowledge...books and school are all wonderful tools...but if they never teach a person to know themselves, what good are they?
Karate on the other hand, when fully actualized, brings the practictioner face to face with oneself...
...and once you've faced your true self...you will discover a whole new world to focus your eyes on.
RJF
"Know yourself first and then others..." said Funakoshi.
Barry Lopez stated,
"How is one to live a moral and compassionate existence when one is fully aware of the blood, the horror inherent in life, when one finds darkness not only in one's culture but within oneself? If there is a stage at which an individual life becomes truly adult, it must be when one grasps the irony in its unfolding and accepts responsibility for a life lived in the midst of such paradox. One must live in the middle of contradiction, because if all contradiction were eliminated at once life would collapse. There are simply no answers to some of the great pressing questions. You continue to live them out, making your life a worthy expression of leaning into the light".
"Self is the only prison that can ever bind the soul". ~Henry Van Dyke, The Prison and the Angel
"Man is never alone. Acknowledged or unacknowledged, that which dreams through him is always there to support him from within". ~Laurence van der Post
"And remember, no matter where you go, there you are". ~Confucius
"There are at least two kinds of cowards. One kind always lives with himself, afraid to face the world. The other kind lives with the world, afraid to face himself". ~Roscoe Snowden
"The outward man is the swinging door; the inner man is the still hinge". ~Eckhart
"Up to a point a man's life is shaped by environment, heredity, and movements and changes in the world about him. Then there comes a time when it lies within his grasp to shape the clay of his life into the sort of thing he wishes to be. Only the weak blame parents, their race, their times, lack of good fortune, or the quirks of fate. Everyone has it within his power to say, "This I am today; that I will be tomorrow." ~Louis L'Amour
It seems to me that the greatest knowledge a person can covet, is that of self-knowledge...books and school are all wonderful tools...but if they never teach a person to know themselves, what good are they?
Karate on the other hand, when fully actualized, brings the practictioner face to face with oneself...
...and once you've faced your true self...you will discover a whole new world to focus your eyes on.
RJF
Sunday, April 23, 2006
Karate is a great assistance to justice...Funakoshi's 3rd principle
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Funakoshi said that "Karate is a great assistance to justice"...
Alexander Solzhenitsyn said,
"Justice is conscience, not a personal conscience but the conscience of the whole of humanity. Those who clearly recognize the voice of their own conscience usually recognize also the voice of justice."
Aristotle said,
"Moral excellence comes about as a result of habit. We become just by doing just acts, temperate by doing temperate acts, brave by doing brave acts."
Benjamin Jowett said,
"We cannot seek or attain health, wealth, learning, justice or kindness in general. Action is always specific, concrete, individualized, unique."
And this sign at the Holocaust Museum, Washington, DC reads,
"Thou shalt not be a victim. Thou shalt not be a perpetrator. Above all, thou shalt not be a bystander."
I kind of like that one...
...Karate teaches the practictioner how not to be a victim, the wisdom not to be a perpetrator and the strength and courage to defend the weak...
RJF
Funakoshi said that "Karate is a great assistance to justice"...
Alexander Solzhenitsyn said,
"Justice is conscience, not a personal conscience but the conscience of the whole of humanity. Those who clearly recognize the voice of their own conscience usually recognize also the voice of justice."
Aristotle said,
"Moral excellence comes about as a result of habit. We become just by doing just acts, temperate by doing temperate acts, brave by doing brave acts."
Benjamin Jowett said,
"We cannot seek or attain health, wealth, learning, justice or kindness in general. Action is always specific, concrete, individualized, unique."
And this sign at the Holocaust Museum, Washington, DC reads,
"Thou shalt not be a victim. Thou shalt not be a perpetrator. Above all, thou shalt not be a bystander."
I kind of like that one...
...Karate teaches the practictioner how not to be a victim, the wisdom not to be a perpetrator and the strength and courage to defend the weak...
RJF
Saturday, April 22, 2006
There is no first attack in Karate...
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What does that mean... that "There is no first attack in Karate"?
It's the second principle developed by Funakoshi...
I am reminded of a quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson...
"When a resolute young fellow steps up to the great bully, the world, and takes him boldly by the beard, he is often surprised to find it comes off in his hand, and that it was only tied on to scare away the timid adventurers".
Ralph Waldo Emerson US essayist & poet (1803 - 1882)
You see, to me, it means that a true Karate-ka does not impose himself on his fellow man or the world for that matter...
...but if he/she is attacked and has to defend themselves, they will do so, and with the correct response, be it words or fists.
Karate is a way, a way of dealing with threats, to oneself, ones family and the innocent.
Often, like Ralph says, all's that's really needed is the courage to take a stand...
...Karate teaches the practictioner to take that stand.
Once a person understands this reality, it is virtually impossible to be an aggressor towards another human being or the world.
That's the way I see it anyway...
RJF
What does that mean... that "There is no first attack in Karate"?
It's the second principle developed by Funakoshi...
I am reminded of a quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson...
"When a resolute young fellow steps up to the great bully, the world, and takes him boldly by the beard, he is often surprised to find it comes off in his hand, and that it was only tied on to scare away the timid adventurers".
Ralph Waldo Emerson US essayist & poet (1803 - 1882)
You see, to me, it means that a true Karate-ka does not impose himself on his fellow man or the world for that matter...
...but if he/she is attacked and has to defend themselves, they will do so, and with the correct response, be it words or fists.
Karate is a way, a way of dealing with threats, to oneself, ones family and the innocent.
Often, like Ralph says, all's that's really needed is the courage to take a stand...
...Karate teaches the practictioner to take that stand.
Once a person understands this reality, it is virtually impossible to be an aggressor towards another human being or the world.
That's the way I see it anyway...
RJF
Tuesday, April 18, 2006
To begin ones journey a Karate-ka must have respect...
Kumite Tips #1/Kumite Tips #2/Kumite Tips #3/Kumite Tips #4/Kumite Tips #5/Kumite Tips #6/Kumite Tips #7/Kumite Tips #8/Kumite Tips #9
I wanted to talk about the 20 principles of Karate presented by Mr. Funakoshi...
...and in particular the first principle...the act of bowing.
"In Karate, start with a bow and finish with a bow."
The bow is really about respect...for oneself, others and the world at large.
Here follows some famous quotes about respect...
Eldridge Cleaver:
"Respect commands itself and it can neither be given nor withheld when it is due".
Laurence Sterne:
"Respect for ourselves guides our morals; respect for others guides our manners".
Baltasar Gracian:
"Respect yourself if you would have others respect you".
Andre Gide:
"There are admirable potentialities in every human being. Believe in your strength and your truth. Learn to repeat endlessly to yourself". "It all depends on me."
Henri Frederic Amiel:
"There is no respect for others without humility in one's self".
Thomas Jefferson:
"We confide in our strength, without boasting of it; we respect that of others, without fearing it".
Harry S. Truman:
"We must build a new world, a far better world - one in which the eternal dignity of man is respected".
How is it, that a simple act like bowing... has so much power and meaning?
I believe, it's the simplicity...
Don Juan use to say that "...acts have power"
...and he was right.
RJF
I wanted to talk about the 20 principles of Karate presented by Mr. Funakoshi...
...and in particular the first principle...the act of bowing.
"In Karate, start with a bow and finish with a bow."
The bow is really about respect...for oneself, others and the world at large.
Here follows some famous quotes about respect...
Eldridge Cleaver:
"Respect commands itself and it can neither be given nor withheld when it is due".
Laurence Sterne:
"Respect for ourselves guides our morals; respect for others guides our manners".
Baltasar Gracian:
"Respect yourself if you would have others respect you".
Andre Gide:
"There are admirable potentialities in every human being. Believe in your strength and your truth. Learn to repeat endlessly to yourself". "It all depends on me."
Henri Frederic Amiel:
"There is no respect for others without humility in one's self".
Thomas Jefferson:
"We confide in our strength, without boasting of it; we respect that of others, without fearing it".
Harry S. Truman:
"We must build a new world, a far better world - one in which the eternal dignity of man is respected".
How is it, that a simple act like bowing... has so much power and meaning?
I believe, it's the simplicity...
Don Juan use to say that "...acts have power"
...and he was right.
RJF
Sunday, April 16, 2006
2 greats ways to relieve stress in today's busy world....Karate and Meditation
Kumite Tips #1/Kumite Tips #2/Kumite Tips #3/Kumite Tips #4/Kumite Tips #5/Kumite Tips #6/Kumite Tips #7/Kumite Tips #8/Kumite Tips #9
Karate in itself is a great stress reliever...that is if you can make the time to practice it by getting out to the Dojo.
Meditation on the other hand, can be practiced just about anywhere, at anytime and is an excellent counterpart to the physical stress relief brought about through Karate...
Check out this article to see if meditation might be right for you...
ArticleCity.com
Use Meditation As A Form Of Stress Relief
by: Steve Hill
Do you feel that you are constantly under stress? Are you looking into ways of how you can reduce your stress levels? If you have answered yes to both of these questions, you are not alone. The world is seemingly becoming faster, more demanding and more pressurised. In this article I write about how meditation can help you to relax and become a happier person.
Stress affects people in different ways. I personally feel very tired and lethargic during these periods and start to worry about things, like a future event. This can easily lead me into a period of depression, which in the past I have found it very difficult to come out of.
Other people suffer from panic attack attacks, become very shaky and nervous, feel sick in the stomach, become sad and can begin to think in a very negative way.
Most of the conditions I have described above are actually a mental and not so much of a physical problem. This is why I believe meditation to be an excellent form of stress relief or stress management.
Meditation helps us to control our emotions, to think in a more relaxed and positive way and certainly helps us to think more clearly.
Positive effects of meditation:
It reduces your heart rate
It relaxes your breathing and can even make it slower
It can lower blood pressure
It can increase your self-esteem by making you think in a more positive way
Helps you to think in a more logical and clear way
Helps you to reduce stress
Types of meditation:
Walking meditation
Mandala meditation
Yoga meditation
Sitting meditation
Prayer meditation
Visualisation meditation
I personally prefer the sitting meditation. I try to make time around three of four times a day when I will sit down to meditate. Originally I had a lack of belief about what I was doing and about if it would work. I found it difficult at this stage to get myself into the zone. With practice and realising that I needed this to work for me, I managed to get enough concentration and focus to see the full benefits.
A lot of the people in my circle of friends think that I am a bit mad. They can not believe that I actually just sit there and think. Meditation has had such a positive effect on my life and continues to do so, therefore my friends can mock as much as they like. I actually believe that some of them should try it themselves but they always laugh at the suggestion.
This is something I now do on a daily basis and it works. Give it a go with belief and I am sure it will benefit you to.
Steve Hill
About The Author
Stephen Hill helps to promote a number of websites including:
Have a problem stutter or stammer. The How to stop stuttering stammering centre can help
Alglas :: Main Page
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info@stammering-stuttering.co.uk
Karate in itself is a great stress reliever...that is if you can make the time to practice it by getting out to the Dojo.
Meditation on the other hand, can be practiced just about anywhere, at anytime and is an excellent counterpart to the physical stress relief brought about through Karate...
Check out this article to see if meditation might be right for you...
ArticleCity.com
Use Meditation As A Form Of Stress Relief
by: Steve Hill
Do you feel that you are constantly under stress? Are you looking into ways of how you can reduce your stress levels? If you have answered yes to both of these questions, you are not alone. The world is seemingly becoming faster, more demanding and more pressurised. In this article I write about how meditation can help you to relax and become a happier person.
Stress affects people in different ways. I personally feel very tired and lethargic during these periods and start to worry about things, like a future event. This can easily lead me into a period of depression, which in the past I have found it very difficult to come out of.
Other people suffer from panic attack attacks, become very shaky and nervous, feel sick in the stomach, become sad and can begin to think in a very negative way.
Most of the conditions I have described above are actually a mental and not so much of a physical problem. This is why I believe meditation to be an excellent form of stress relief or stress management.
Meditation helps us to control our emotions, to think in a more relaxed and positive way and certainly helps us to think more clearly.
Positive effects of meditation:
It reduces your heart rate
It relaxes your breathing and can even make it slower
It can lower blood pressure
It can increase your self-esteem by making you think in a more positive way
Helps you to think in a more logical and clear way
Helps you to reduce stress
Types of meditation:
Walking meditation
Mandala meditation
Yoga meditation
Sitting meditation
Prayer meditation
Visualisation meditation
I personally prefer the sitting meditation. I try to make time around three of four times a day when I will sit down to meditate. Originally I had a lack of belief about what I was doing and about if it would work. I found it difficult at this stage to get myself into the zone. With practice and realising that I needed this to work for me, I managed to get enough concentration and focus to see the full benefits.
A lot of the people in my circle of friends think that I am a bit mad. They can not believe that I actually just sit there and think. Meditation has had such a positive effect on my life and continues to do so, therefore my friends can mock as much as they like. I actually believe that some of them should try it themselves but they always laugh at the suggestion.
This is something I now do on a daily basis and it works. Give it a go with belief and I am sure it will benefit you to.
Steve Hill
About The Author
Stephen Hill helps to promote a number of websites including:
Have a problem stutter or stammer. The How to stop stuttering stammering centre can help
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Saturday, April 15, 2006
ArticleCity.com - In the Ninja Warrior's Martial Art of Ninjutsu - Practice Makes Perfect
Kumite Tips #1/Kumite Tips #2/Kumite Tips #3/Kumite Tips #4/Kumite Tips #5/Kumite Tips #6/Kumite Tips #7/Kumite Tips #8/Kumite Tips #9
ArticleCity.com - In the Ninja Warrior's Martial Art of Ninjutsu - Practice Makes Perfect: "In the Ninja Warrior's Martial Art of Ninjutsu - Practice Makes Perfect
by: Jeffrey M. Miller
In the ninja's martial arts, just as with everything else in life, experience brings many benefits. The more a person does something, the greater the level of confidence, understanding, and proficiency they will have with that 'thing.' This is a truth but as with any medicine, is often hard to swallow.
If we are to become truly skilled at our martial art - able to use our skills in an actual confrontation should one ever arise - we must be able to do our techniques as easily as we tie our shoes or lift a fork to our mouths to eat. And, unfortunately, two classes a week will NOT bring about this mastery and skill.
True mastery comes from practice - the homework done when we're away from class to perfect our skill. Just as with any other schooling, homework is necessary to really get good at what it is that we're trying to learn. This is something we cannot get in the classroom where the learning takes place. Practice is the constant experience derived from having done the techniques repeatedly. It is the magnifying glass which spots the errors that must be fixed for the technique to work quickly, efficiently and correctly.
The basics - the bare essenti"
About The Author
Jeffrey M. Miller is the founder and master instructor of Warrior Concepts International. In addition to regular classes for local students, he is called upon by groups and organizations as a speaker, lecturer, and seminar leader on such topics as child-safety, leadership, self-defense, and the benefits of training in the martial art of ninjutsu He may be contacted for media interviews and seminar/speaking information at (570) 988-2228 or through his website at Warrior Concepts Int'l - Professional Martial Arts Programs, Seminars & Info
Read more articles like this by subscribing to the author's newsletter at: Subscribe to the WCI Online Newsletter and stay informed!
ArticleCity.com - In the Ninja Warrior's Martial Art of Ninjutsu - Practice Makes Perfect: "In the Ninja Warrior's Martial Art of Ninjutsu - Practice Makes Perfect
by: Jeffrey M. Miller
In the ninja's martial arts, just as with everything else in life, experience brings many benefits. The more a person does something, the greater the level of confidence, understanding, and proficiency they will have with that 'thing.' This is a truth but as with any medicine, is often hard to swallow.
If we are to become truly skilled at our martial art - able to use our skills in an actual confrontation should one ever arise - we must be able to do our techniques as easily as we tie our shoes or lift a fork to our mouths to eat. And, unfortunately, two classes a week will NOT bring about this mastery and skill.
True mastery comes from practice - the homework done when we're away from class to perfect our skill. Just as with any other schooling, homework is necessary to really get good at what it is that we're trying to learn. This is something we cannot get in the classroom where the learning takes place. Practice is the constant experience derived from having done the techniques repeatedly. It is the magnifying glass which spots the errors that must be fixed for the technique to work quickly, efficiently and correctly.
The basics - the bare essenti"
About The Author
Jeffrey M. Miller is the founder and master instructor of Warrior Concepts International. In addition to regular classes for local students, he is called upon by groups and organizations as a speaker, lecturer, and seminar leader on such topics as child-safety, leadership, self-defense, and the benefits of training in the martial art of ninjutsu He may be contacted for media interviews and seminar/speaking information at (570) 988-2228 or through his website at Warrior Concepts Int'l - Professional Martial Arts Programs, Seminars & Info
Read more articles like this by subscribing to the author's newsletter at: Subscribe to the WCI Online Newsletter and stay informed!
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