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THE SELF AND BEYOND
Author: Sang Kyu Shim
In terms of self-realization, the self is a social entity in its relationships with others. Self-realization can only be achieved by the optimist who controls his own destiny and lives life in a rational, coherent and internally harmonious manner. His life plan reflects the moral values he places on those elements which comprise his plan. This plan is, then, the expression of his own selfconcept.
For the martial artist such a life plan reflects the inner core of self-confidence or the conviction that he does not have to prove anything to anyone. He is confident because he is disciplined to know what he can do, what he must do, what he wants to do. The martial artist is inspired with confidence about his own abilities, desires and wishes. His fulfillment comes through closely sticking to his own carefully-structured plan of life.
Once we achieve self-realization through an ordered and harmonious life plan, we transcend this aspect of our lives through self-perfection; we follow a certain moral doctrine. The martial artist lives a life which surpasses self-realization and focuses on the realization of his dreams and wishes.
Self-perfection consists partly of the coordination of the cognitive aspects of experience, the intellect, the will, and partially in the development of all the capacities of the soul.
Here the emphasis is on the cultivation and strengthening of our moral and spiritual values. Self-perfection is attained by the good and the virtuous; those who have fought to restrain and contain certain impulses.
Ultimately, the martial artist is identified with nature and the world in terms of self-determination and the various levels of harmony having been gained within the self and with others. This is the ultimate level of harmony, transcending both the self and society. It is success seen in these terms which is the primary goal of the martial artist. And the martial arts provide the framework and the vehicle for achieving this harmony.
The goal of humanity is the achievement of harmony, a harmony which is rooted in correct relationships within each individual, among all individuals, and lastly, with nature. Since the life of a human being includes his relationships with others, he must fulfill certain duties and obligations, the control and the exercise of certain animal impulses, sacrifice and intellectual struggle, as well as the pursuit of pleasure.
So, harmonious relationships in society begin with the knowledge of the uniqueness of each individual. As we acquire such knowledge, we are better able to formulate our own life plans and our means of completing them.
The goal of the martial artist and humanity, in general, is wholeness, totality. The whole man is the total man. Briefly, in martial arts terms, he is the master. In terms of corporate structure he is the consummate manager, the ideal leader.
By what qualities is the genuine master known?
He is certainly no "jack of all trades, expert in none," for such an individual lacks both knowledge and experience. The master thoroughly knows his art. This is shown more by what he does, quietly and unobtrusively, than by any extravagant claims he could make. If he is recognized, he will not fake false modesty, but will admit his strengths. If he is overlooked, he will be not be dejected, but will nonetheless follow the way of the master.
A master in the martial arts fully controls himself. He, more than anyone, is aware of his weaknesses and strengths. What is more, he constantly works on the elimination of the weaknesses and the advancement of the strengths. He places the basic principles of the martial arts before personal desires. He displays confidence in his success, and accepts failure as a mere temporary setback on the road to success. Finally, the master contributes to the welfare of all by helping others attain good citizenship.
While there may be exceptions, it is generally true that a "master" will not reach even the lowest rung of mastership before he has diligently practiced and taught the martial arts for twenty years or more. In addition to expert performance on the training floor, he has a prime obligation to contribute to the "state of the art" in the form of articles, essays, even books of quality that explain the cultural, philosophical and historical traditions of his particular art and its place within the total framework of the martial arts. While he is a master of a given traditional technique and
style, he also contributes to the arts through creative innovation, for mere imitation is not a master. He must, as in the ancient guild system, produce his masterpiece.
From the very beginning, a student in the martial arts eagerly awaits the day he reaches mastership; the bestowal of his ninth degree black belt. He knows that this is no small achievement and sets out resolutely on the way, never looking back. Naturally, the mastery of self must precede any other that may follow.
The true master has glimpsed the potential within himself, ancl perseveringly sets himself to developing it. He releases his spiritual and physical energies as an expert dancer like Vaslov Nijinsky does, as a natural form of expression. "I am God in a body. Everyone has this feeling, but no on uses it," he wrote in his diary. The master does not deny or neglect any natu-
ral gift; all his talents are needed to make him a master in the martial arts.
A master has those qualities which make him a good organizer and administrator. Such a position requires a special ability-some call it charisma-to deal with others. The leader must know how to keep the lines of communication between himself and others open. He can draw out the best from those he works with, mediate conflicts and tap the sources at his command.
The master plays to win, but winning is not his first priority. He persuades instead of forces others to right action. If he "loses," he is not unduly dejected but accepts the losses beyond his control. The greatest master the earth has ever known had a failure rate of one in twelve. On one occasion this Master took time to define the true relationship between disciple and master. A messenger had just interrupted the Lord's speech to the people by saying that his mother and brethren were waiting for him outside. "Who is my mother and who are my brethren?" the Master replied. "He who does the will of my father (i.e., those who follow the way I have shown), they are my mother and sister and brethren." Anyone who expects less is no master.
We can understand the mind in terms of intellect, emotion and will, each of these components having a positive and negative aspect. The positive aspects of the intellect-a keen imagination, a sharp perceptivity, and the ability to see things clearly are reflected in the high station of the master. In terms of his will, he is creative, decisive and a man of action.
He sees clearly to the heart of things, especially with regard to himself. The master knows what he wants to do. This self-knowledge is the source of his success, allowing him to do what he can do and avoid what he cannot do. His self-confidence, through which he can be assertive in both action and speech, and a serenely-poised attitude makes others feel that they are being led by an experienced authority.
Many individuals possess a positive mental attitude for years, yet never become success-
ful. They just cannot get ahead. What they have been doing is trying to follow someone else's footsteps. But, like the beginning student, everyone must master the fundamentals. And once this is accomplished, techniques improve, and as techniques improve, so does
self-confidence until one reaches a point of harmony.
The master through his own self-mastery can control his environment; exercising direct control over everyone and everything surrounding himself. Aware and in control of every stage of a project from its inception to its result, he is always master of himself and not a victim of circumstances. He is an active force and not merely a passive participant in life.
Mastership is expressed in many facets of society and nature. It is by no means exclusively limited to the martial arts. To the contrary, mental and spiritual skills received in "training" can be applied to everyday life. An interesting and non-Oriental parallel can be drawn between the martial arts and the American businessman, more specifically, the successful high-level corporate executive. The cover story of the February 3, 1986, issue of "Fortune" magazine was "America's most desirable (and sought after) corporate executives in the United States." The criteria and qualifications expressed by corporate "recruiters" for selection into this elite few can but only reflect upon the same standards for our own martial art "black belts" or even masters.
The distinguishing attributes which attracted the attention of executive recruiters covered a wide range of qualifications. Typically, these candidates all "have a healthy ego, a fondness for competition, and a lot of experience." In addition to experience, they are distinguished as having "impressive leadership skills."
In addition to experience, the prime characteristics which distinguish one executive fyom another can be attributed to what Gerard Roche, chairman of Heidrick & Stmggles, terms "golden nuggets" in action. As Roche emphatically states, "The prospective chief executives
have to be action-oriented. You find a lot of planners who cannot act."
The second identifying characteristic of the successful business elite is likened to a more contemporary version of the master-disciple loyalty. "Candidates must have the ability to build a sense of shared values. An outsider coming in as C.E.O. must still be able to motivate and generate loyalty," stresses Putney Westerfield, president of Boyden Associates. Like the master, they are able to motivate and to obtain the best out of the employees, to mediate their conflicts, and draw upon employee resources at command. The history of the martial arts reveals that once a student has chosen a master, he progresses most when he establishes a relationship with him that is even stronger than ties of kinship. The highest tribute to a master is that he can sustain the loyalty of his students, for without discipleship there can be no master; without learning, there is no teaching. The performance of the corporate elite is proportionally related to the business institution's essential and valuable "asset," its employee "discipleship."
The successful corporate executive is blessed with foresight. He can visualize the direction in which his company is moving. The master is, also, a man of vision. He can look ahead, gauge
his student's strengths and weaknesses, and guide him in the achievement of his goal. The epitome of mastership is that while giving to others, the master is finding himself. Never has one mastered an art as well as when successfully teaching it. While the student is aiming at mastery, the master sees himself as the perpetual student.
The successful corporate executive is confident and dedicated to his cause. He strives and persists to reach his goal as he may possess a personal or financial stake in his "company." Likewise, the master possesses the courage of his convictions. He succeeds despite adversity; sometimes because of it. The master believes he is in charge of his life and takes positive steps to achieve this.
He not only reaches his goal, but has the rewarding sense of accomplishment as he constructs his world. With determination and confidence the master continues even when he knows that his efforts may not bring immediate results. His depth of conviction buoys him up in time of trial. When the master meets a setback, he does not sit and brood over it. He knows that results may not come easily and he is willing to endure the rough times because of faith in himself.
The master has faith and pride in himself and what he does. Yes, in his security he also exercises great spiritual power in humility. Similarly, the ideal corporate executive is fiercely proud of what he achieves, yet humble.
The master is the ideal man who is the embodiment of heart, citizenship and genius. The martial arts seek to produce men and women who can serve as leaders in whatever sector of society they find themselves. In so doing it is rooted in the belief in an "aristocracy" of merit and the goal of developing attitudes of nobility and altruism. While it is based on the recognition of our personal limitations, it also seeks to inspire a sense of responsibility for and service to the highest ideals of humanity and civilization. The martial arts are concerned with the development of an individual based on excellence and its code of ethics seeks to inspire qualities of leadership, self-control, compassion and a sense of loyalty and patriotism.
The martial arts student benefits not only from a superior system of physical conditioning, but also from the full development of the highest qualities of the individual, a sense of honor, commitment to justice and greatness of spirit.
Since the heart is the core of our beings, an enthusiastic spirit or personalty is imperative. One must always be willing to take the initiative and assume a pioneering spirit and attitude. While the martial arts student should realize human limits, he should also realize that the human potential is unlimited. It is this unlimited potential which must be cultivated to the fullest.
In a certain sense, the martial arts are a religion whose ultimate being is the ideal self, whose salvation is achieved by emptying the mind, and in which the world and the individual merge into one and the same. The martial artist is self-relying, self-denying, and, most especially, single-minded as no attachments-emotional, intellectual, or material-must distract him from his role of fighting for a dedicated cause.
Modern mastership is also an organizational process. In its organization context, the master presents a complex face. But, one thing is clear. The master of the martial arts is neither a theoretic philosopher nor a physical magician. He represents a fusion of and balance between body and spirit, between thought and act, between the spiritual and the material. Therefore, the training hall is neither totally a classroom for theoretical arguments nor totally a physical training center for techniques. It is the place where one suits thought to action and action to thought. It is where disciplined action prevails and body and mind become one.
Mastership differs from t1-aditional or legal authority in that it is neither the right to rule nor an action o ...
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