Buddhism and Martial Arts

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  • paige
    replied
    Thanks for your insights guys!

    What really prompted me to ask about this, is that I've been taking Qi Gong and T'ai Chi classes at the Chinese monastery. Haven't gone lately because my epilepsy's been bashing me up pretty good.

    I was surprised how seriously these practices are taken there - most everyone at the temple is ethnic Chinese. I'd taken T'ai Chi before, but only in high school and university (my high school English teacher was a qualified instructor, and we talked him into starting an after-school club). Regardless, it wasn't treated as a spiritual practice at all.

    The classes at the monastery have piqued my interest, but the instructor doesn't speak English, so he didn't understand any of my questions.

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  • Bansho
    replied
    Hi,

    I used to practice Sim Do Kwon and Tae Kwon Do when I was a teenager (in the latter I ascended to the lofty heights of those endowed with the illustrious yellow belt, which is, ehm, the rank just above the white belt of the absolute beginner :roll: ). Unfortunately, there were no associations with Buddhism at all, which I suspect is probably the case in many (if not most) martial arts studios in the western world.

    Gassho
    Kenneth

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  • Jundo
    replied
    Hi Blind Ox,

    I did not get a chance to publicly welcome you (only privately).

    As a translator of Japanese, I could not help but check with Zen Master Wiki on the origin of "Ju-jitsu"

    Jujutsu, the current standard spelling, is derived using the Hepburn romanization system. Before the first half of the 20th century, however, jiu-jitsu and then jujitsu were preferred, even though the romanization of the second kanji as jitsu is unfaithful to the standard Japanese pronunciation. Since Japanese martial arts first became widely known of in the West in that time period, these earlier spellings are still common in many places. Ju-Jitsu is still the standard spelling in France, Canada and the United States. The martial art is known as Jiu-Jitsu in Germany and Brazil.
    Gassho [Also Hepburn romanization, I believe], Jundo [this too]

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  • Blind Ox
    replied
    What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet. ~ William Shakespeare :wink:

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  • Jun
    replied
    I've practiced Tae Kwon do, Escrima, Jujitsu (weeping style), and basic Wing Chun....
    Sorry to be pedantic, but that's jũjutsu 柔術 - there's no such thing as jujitsu.

    柔 - jũ = pliant; flexible; soft
    術 - jutsu = techniques; methods

    Phillipian? You mean Filipino. Ha ha, that was funny, I spat my breakfast over the table!

    Sorry to be so pedantic.

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  • Blind Ox
    replied
    Good Morning Paige,

    I've practiced Tae Kwon do, Escrima, Jujitsu (weeping style), and basic Wing Chun. Few of the my instructors conveyed any of the philosophy behind what we practiced. It leaves a hole in the whole effort when you get to a level of understanding. Ego is strong in many of the my Instructors therefore no matter how many stripes on their belt I know they too are still not far into their path. The most humble of Instructors, those who get up themselves everyday and practice practice, take the time to learn the native language of the art also convey philosophy behind what they do. This has been my experience.

    My favorite instructor was a 35 year old Phillipian who had studied with a Master Leo (Escrima) and Dan Insantos (Jeet Kune Do). He was the most humble, probably the most dangerous, and funniest person I've ever been around. He was so in the NOW, and no belts needed (what for hold pants up? My pants have elastic you should try elastic, works better than belt). He was conveying a philosophy without the need to expound upon it. I see that now that I have been reading various Zen books, and just sitting.

    Reflecting on it, I see all were conveying a philosophy but only a handful conveyed the philosophy the martial arts were built on.


    Now when I instruct I will have a time for just sitting

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  • Jun
    replied
    Vajramushti (Japanese: Kempõ, Chinese: Chuan Fa) is the unarmed combat system of the Indians that was practised in sequences called nata (Japanese: kata) and practised by Buddhist monks as methods of both self-defence and physical exercise.

    Vajramushti travelled together with Buddhism as methods of self-defence and exercise and was introduced into and combined with indigenous methods.

    Supposedly Bodaidaruma was moved to pity when he saw the terrible physical condition of the monks on long meditation retreats. He taught them several complete nata and two pratima (shorter defence sequences) of the Vajramushti school of Astadasajacan. He also taught Snavasjala nidana vijnapti (respiratory yoga).

    The influence of Vajramushti on martial methods is quite evident. Have a look at the mudras of semui-in and segan-in for example. These are the most basic postures of Kempõ and Chuan Fa. Both these mudra are found in the earliest statues representing the Buddha. These are the most fundamental positions for the circular defensive movements upon which all of Kempõ and Chuan Fa motion is based.

    In the Sanskrit text on Parivrttapala it states: "When the mudra (semui-in) is rotated in a circular motion in front of the body, all and every attack against one's body is harmlessly redirected away from it. These mudra represent the ultimate and an unselfish form of defence. The mudra (segan-in) then comes up from below (the peripheral) vison of the attacker to strike at the attacker."

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  • paige
    started a topic Buddhism and Martial Arts

    Buddhism and Martial Arts

    What's the connection? Is there one?

    Jundo mentioned a couple of times that his wife is an Aikido instructor, and I remember a few people in the Introductions thread saying that they were very into some martial art.

    Did studying martial arts get you interested in Asian culture and serve as a jumping off point for sitting zazen?

    I heard somewhere that Bodhidharma introduced martial arts to China from India. But I've also heard that his legs and arms atrophied and withered away during his years in the cave. Which leaves me with the mental image of Monty Python's Black Knight bellowing "Come back you yellow bastard, I'll bite your legs off!"

    Come on, does this look like a kung-fu master to you?
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