The Intelligent Warrior by Steve Jones

Author:Steve Jones
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Published: 2015-11-02T05:00:00+00:00

Shaping the Body of Attention

As mentioned earlier, Chi Kung forms a bridge between Meditation and technique (Martial Science) so when looking at the self-defence benefits of practising it we could divide it into those categories. In the process of Meditation our first movement was to centre our bodies and then gradually move outwards through the skeleton, muscles and skin until we were relating, via the senses, to the world outside us, while still keeping an inner connection to the centre. We now move one more step away from the centre by starting to physically move the body; this makes the connection with the centre and other areas of Meditation even more difficult. However, if we can slowly build a connection between the breath and the movements then our presence will become more fluid and our body, mind and spirit will be able to perform daily tasks and self-defence techniques with more integration. Each of the three Chi Kung exercises strengthens movement in one of the three spatial dimensions: the first moves the hands from left to right; the second, forwards and back; and the third, up and down. Every movement you make is made up of these three directions and it is in this way that we strengthen not only the physical movements themselves but also the impulse (neural) from the body of attention to execute the physical movement.

In the Definition of the Body chapter in the Meditation section we brought the body of attention into the physical body so that it took on the same shape as the physical body. Now we begin to change the shape of the body of attention, which in turn allows us to move the physical body into that shape. This is significant because we are beginning to feel the movements before physically manifesting them, and this sensing from the inside strengthens our ability to move when under pressure. Additionally, we are harmonizing these movements in the three spatial dimensions with an exact pattern of breath. This connection means that if we make a movement physically it will remind the breath to ‘kick in’ and start the correct breath technique; conversely, if in times of conflict we remember to breathe correctly, our movements become free. One of the effects of the energy travelling upwards (as discussed earlier) in the body when we are afraid is the ‘freezing’ or paralyzing of the breath, which usually follows a sharp intake. This tends to freeze our movements or at best makes them very stiff causing the execution of a technique or gesture, no matter how well practised, to become severely debilitated.

The practice of Chi Kung builds the underlying structure of all movement, but especially self-defence techniques. The harmonization that occurs in their repeated patterns teaches the body which movements are Yang (expanding) and which are Yin (contracting), bringing a much deeper understanding of self-defence techniques. Every movement you make works on this Yin/Yang pattern; for instance, a Yang movement might be your hand moving away from the

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