[Noisebridge-discuss] Self Defense

[Bruce Wolfe]

I for one will not participate in a violence-centered approach to sharing
self-defense. The primary principle of self-defense is learning how to avoid
violence or neutralize. Not actually being offensive. Defense in this
respect is more about being responsive.

As for weapons, that is a much higher level of learning and should be
introduced in a formal setting where experienced
teachers/guides/instructors/trainers can be sure there is a safe setting and
practice. Again, for the higher level experienced practitioners.

Considering the responses I've gotten from this group, there is a dearth of
experienced practitioners. I'm not saying there are none but more people who
are new to it that want to learn.

My interest in hacking martial arts is in the understanding of how to make
the internal energy (qi/ch'i/ki) manifest to make external energy
(jing/ching/ki) substantial. For everyone, the manifestation comes to them
in different ways but the end result is more or less the same.

Hacking of this is more about finding that internal process or feeling,
sharing it and working on optimizing or making better ways to realize or
manifest that process or feeling.

Anything else, I am not very interested in. After 40 years of martial arts,
rudimentary postures, techniques and repetitive practice is useless without
an understanding of the higher levels of subtle energy work that is actually
the beginning of practice for all traditional and classical martial arts
practice.

Ultimately, being very active and hard-workers you all are, wouldn't you be
more interested in keeping your mind and bodies functional and able to work
on your favorite tasks and projects?

As my great great grandmaster said:
Grandmaster Wang Xiang-Zhai
(1885-1963)<http://neigong.net/2008/05/29/grandmaster-wang-xiang-zhai-1885-1963/>

“All sorts of strengths originate in the void and nothingness, which can
only be felt gradually by the tiny edges and corners of the body”.

We must, first and foremost, avoid the use of clumsy force, in body and in
mind. Using this force makes the qi stagnant.  When the qi is stagnant, the
yi stops; when the yi stops, the spirit is broken.
A small movement is better than a big movement,
No movement is better than a small movement,
Stillness is the mother of all movements.
In quietude you are like a maiden
In motion you are like a dragon.
The mountains seem to fly when you apply your mind,
The seas overflow when you apply your power.

One should know that if one can take the time to practice martial arts, do
it without any method, freely and slowly perceiving by intuition, the
results will be great.

To sum up, what cannot lead to comfort, happiness, and gaining strength
does not deserve to be called martial art.

In movement, slow excels over quick, be relaxed rather than impatient, the
movement should be slight and the spirit full. When one wants to move one
will stop, when one wants to stop one will move, furthermore, when moving
one cannot help but stop, when stopped, one cannot help but move.

Why move? Why be still?
What are the results?
What is the phenomenon in the middle of the process?
Thus perceive by intuition, and you will be approaching the truth!
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