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The older I get, the more I realize gold nuggets of truth and wisdom are most often hidden under dross, or camouflaged. As the ancient sages of the East like Lao Tzu, Confucius, and Mencius hint at, (and as I echoed in last week’s article on Men’s Health), deep truths often come cloaked in paradox. How can training to kill another man lead one to peace and health?
Congratulations! You Have P.T.S.D.
I grew up in a home with violence, in a community rife with gang violence, and was frequently a victim of violence in my youth up until my late teens. My healing journey has been one of trying to literally heal from P.T.S.D. (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder), which I did not even consciously know I had until I took my “Crisis Psychology” college class in my late 20’s. There, I took some test that the Ph.D in Psychology teacher issued to us as an assignment. She later called me over and said, “Out of a scale 1 to 10, you scored a 9 on this test for P.T.S.D. Have you ever consulted with a mental health professional?” I laughed.
When I was 21, I had hit a point where I was committed to never being a victim of violence again. Having grown up in Los Angeles and having been beaten severely by individuals, gangs, having knives pulled on me, and a gun stuck in my face, etc., had screwed up my way of perceiving life. I was on a constant low-grade adrenaline drip (a.k.a. “Hyper-vigilance”), and in every face, every turn of a corner, car that went by slow, every group of men on the street, I subconsciously (and often consciously) got my “plan” together.
Walking the Path of Wounded Warriors
Years later, when I began working with youth from East L.A. and South Central Los Angeles, I realized my experience, unfortunately, was common. Some estimate the levels of P.T.S.D. among children in the community of Watts to be high as 80%. Having worked there two days a week for years, I would say that is a conservative figure. They are low balling it.
My emotional wounds turned into a passion for helping prevent this occurring to other young people. My personal quest for self-healing morphed into a vehicle to assist others on their path to healing. In particular, other young men. In my Los Angeles work with youth, specifically, I helped young men of color working as a violence prevention specialist and conflict resolution educator in low-income communities. I worked mainly with at-risk youth, gang members, and ex-gang members.
The Dojo Enlightenment; Healing for an Emotionally Wounded Man
My own journey to wholeness and healing began at age 21, when I stepped through a door. Not the door of a psychologist, or mental health professional (though I highly recommend that). I stepped through a door of a Japanese Jujitsu Dojo (a dojo is a Japanese word for “training hall”). I learned you bow at the door to honor the teachings, the Sensei (“teacher”), and your fellow students.
My whole life changed. Over time I became addicted to Martial Arts, not merely as a physical activity, or even primarily as a means to self-defense (though that was my motive for stepping into the dojo). I became a disciple, which literally means a “learner,” in these Paths of the Warrior, which in reality, are Paths of Peace.
The philosophy of many Martial Arts consistently point towards the final destination being the achievement of non-violence; of life affirmation, not life destruction. My Sensei’s teachings advocated that on a profound level, in his words and in his life. Through study I learned about the founder of Aikido, Morihei Ueshiba. “O Sensei” wrote a famous book called, “The Art of Peace.”
He believed (as I do) that for the world, training in Martial Arts was a pathway to enlightenment, specifically, the realization that violence is stupid, useless and will lead to the destruction of our human species. It is mastery of oneself that brings about true victory, on an individual and global level. The ultimate goal of Martial training is a world free from violence.
3 Reason’s to Learn to Kick Someone’s Ass
Below are 3 reasons why, (paradoxically) learning to kick someone’s ass in Martial Arts training is superior as a means of physical fitness, as well as a vehicle for “achieving world peace.” While this may sound a bit like hyperbole, in my mind at least, it really is not.
1. Gym Workouts Can Be Extremely Boring
It takes a lot of discipline to force yourself into the gym before or after work. You would rather go home, drink a couple of beers, and watch T.V. Exercising just for your health or your looks alone can be extremely boring. That means you probably will not be as consistent as you should be to actually see tangible results.
Meanwhile, your gym’s bank account gets fatter sucking up your annual and monthly fees, while you are still out of shape. Break that gym contract and get your exercise while doing something useful. Get your workout in and get in top shape learning to defend yourself and your loved ones.
2. You Achieve Functional Fitness Over Good Looks and Bulk
The types of movements you have to perform in order to execute the basic techniques of self-defense involve both gross and fine motor skills. Subtle angles of movement, rapidity of drills, the periodic bursts of energy in balance with steady disciplined movements (a.k.a. “H.I.I.T.,” or “High Intensity Interval Training”) is intrinsic to most Martial Arts training. The diversity of real and intense functional movements, in contrast to the mechanical repetition of most gym workouts, produces a “lean-mean” physique.
Think of celebrities you know who train in martial arts for their movie roles; Jason Stratham (“Crank”), Matt Damon (“The Bourne Series”), Jet Li (“Romeo Must Die”), and of course, super-cut Bruce Lee, are all known to have martial arts training as the core of their fitness programs. The results of marital arts training are clear when one trains seriously. You feel fit, you can move quickly, and of course, you can kick someone’s ass when you need to.
3. Your Concentration and Focus Will Grow Exponentially
Do your struggle with concentration when working on difficult projects at work, pursuing your higher education, or driving home after a tough day in the field or in the office? Learning a Martial Art radically enhances your ability to concentrate outside of the Dojo. The skill of concentration and focus bleeds over into our everyday life. Our business, our personal relations, and even our golf game improve.
Why is that? The reality is you will never concentrate harder than when you are trying to avoid getting your face knocked in, or your teeth knocked out. The avoidance of pain is wired into our nervous systems and DNA. You get 110% focused while training in marital arts (particularly when sparring) because it taps into that primitive reptilian part of our brain. No matter how tired you may feel, or burnt out your brain may be, nothing wakes you up like trying to keep your head attached to your shoulders.
A kick in the ribs, an uppercut to the jaw, or a “love tap” on the cup of your athletic supporter will dial you into the here and now real quick. Meditate to be mindful? That’s great, but fighting works much better to keep you razor sharp in being mindful and focused.
Martial Arts Training Disciplines the Body, Mind, and Soul
Training to fight is physical training in the art of self-control. Violence (generally) is indicative of a lack of self-control, as are the ailments that come from a lack of physical fitness and honoring one’s body. So, ironically, training to “kick someone’s ass” becomes training on how to avoid violent confrontations—via a cognitive “backdoor” into men’s stubborn heads, fears, and emotional guards.
From teaching Martial Arts, Tai Chi and Qigong to men, I discovered the easiest way to impart philosophical or theoretical truth is through the medium of their physical body. Our bodies can be taught principles of discipline, yielding when appropriate, and acting when appropriate, far easier than our minds.
In part two of this article, we will explore further how Martial Arts training can assist men physically, mentally, and spiritually. As Morihei Ueshiba, the founder of Aikido said, “To smash, injure, or destroy is the worst thing a human being can do. The real ‘Way of the Warrior’ is to prevent such slaughter; it is the Art of Peace, the power of love.”
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Photo Credit: Getty Images
I fully endorse all of this, and am inspired to resume my own training!
That is great to hear, Jackie Summers. I am trying to follow my own advice and besides training in Qigong and Chen Tai Chi, thinking of getting into a Wing Chun Kung Fu class here in the U.K. I miss the dojo!