dwai

Do you feel anything specifically that is out of balance? I’m asking these questions because it helps to figure out in one’s own mind/intellect what they’re looking for. If you want to develop yourself energetically, what do you find deficient or unclear in yourself that you’re trying to refine/develop? Is it ‘capabilities’ (powers)? is it clarity and understanding as to what has been happening to you? Or is it an instinctive desire to fulfill something that seems missing, but are unable to articulate clearly?

Lots of great advice from @ilumairen, @liminal_luke and others. Do you feel as if something is "off" with you? Sounds like you have a pretty good grasp on your situation and no "blockages" or "solidity" to me, simply based on what you wrote. You came here open to learning and shared your background freely. I think that is a great sign of "not being blocked". It also sounds like you are more a contemplation-oriented person than energy-oriented. Have you ever tried to take up a meditation practice?

Kushti (aka pehalwani) has a very glorious history in India. It is a limited form of a more comprehensive art called vajra mushti (don’t look for videos of this on YouTube, you’ll get some brass knuckle stuff which is not the real thing). BTW, it has been clear for a while now, that you’ve come to “discuss” something with an obvious chip on your shoulder. For those of us who can see through your bluster it is clear that you don’t really know much in practical terms, but certainly have a lot of strong opinions. The purpose of this thread was to share a resource for Kalaripayattu and Indian martial arts for those who might be interested, not to present a “this vs that” scenario. Now I think you’ve overstayed your welcome on this thread. If you want to discuss the efficacy of one martial art over another, start another thread and duke it out with whoever is interested over there.

Turned out real good

trying out air fryer French fries for the first time.

Hi E, Welcome. Looks like you’ve had a intense ride so far. May I ask what you did that might have triggered said awakening? And seems like you’ve adjusted to this new state of being and now are seeking to refine and integrate it into your life. What specifically are you seeking with this integration/refinement? Best, dwai

Is it always scary? Nature is also beautiful and transcendent

My friend, who is an amazing visual artist, and I often chat about the nature of art and its association with spirituality. On the surface, it seems like Art is very easy to define, but really, what is it? Is art the outcome of the creative expression of an individual (or group)? Is it a symbolic representation of an idea/concept/emotion/feeling? How would you describe Art? Some people have very strict guidelines for what constitutes art, such as, "A painting of can of tomato soup is not art", while a painting of a landscape is, and so on. But, I find that they are usually ascribing a qualitative value to the said entity (work of art) -- meaning, in their mind, a painting of a can of tomato soup does not qualify as "good" art, while a painting of a landscape does. The artist painting that can of soup, could have been as inspired to paint it as the one who painted the landscape. There might have been a motivation beyond just transferring a visual presentation of that can of tomato soup on canvas on part of the former. But it seems to me that 'art' is not necessarily rooted in the human mind, so much as interpreted by the mind on to the medium of expression (martial. music, canvas, photography, poetry, literature, etc). And while artists might lay claim to what was produced as "my art", it really is an expression of an energetic/spiritual transmission (if I can use that word) that lies outside the realm of the mind. Art evokes feelings/emotions, but beneath that evocation, there is a deeper truth that can be exposed, if one stays with their experience (of a work of art) long enough. Someone might have a profoundly "spiritual" experience with it. This is something my teachers often used to tell me -- when "doing" the taiji form, we should 'get out of our own way' and let the power/spirit perform the form. Let it be transformed from mental activity to the movement of energy. We can sometimes see that when a really advanced taijiquan practitioner goes through his/her form -- even on video. The sum of the process is greater than the individual parts that go into it. A great sense of tranquility is evoked in the viewer, as well as the practitioner. Abhinavagupta, a great scholar, aesthete, and spiritual master of the Kashmir Shaivism tradition wrote at length about this topic. The full article is here -- https://www.ikashmir.net/abhinavagupta/article4.html

That’s as beautiful a description as any I’ve seen.

Is it? Why?

Sincere Prayers are very powerful.

Hi Nash, Welcome. Do you know if you have a preference for movement oriented or a more contemplative side of things?

This is actually common sense. I first came across it reading Bruce Lee's Tao of Jeet Kune Do. Aikidoka do it too....the concept of tenkan and irimi can be applied very effectively, not just in aikido but in life as well. My biggest takeaway from Aikido days -- "When pushed, turn. When pulled, enter". Enjoy training

For me, spirituality starts when we start looking back inward, towards our Self. The natural tendency of the mind is to follow the senses and keep flowing outward. A returning of the senses and the mind back into the 'inner space' and awareness is spirituality to me. Religion and religious trappings, not so much. Because in places like India and Tibet, at least until the mid-20th century, the way of life was not tarnished by the materialism of the West. Indeed, in the medieval period, Europe had lot more religious people than today. How many of them were spiritual in the way i outlined above is questionable though. If you said that there were more spiritual people in the pre-christian societies (Celts, Druids, etc), I'd be more inclined to agree. if you visit the Himalayas you will understand It is not just the massive size/scale/grandeur of the mountains --- the very space there can put you into deep silence and stillness. But of course there are other such places in other parts of the world -- Machu Pichu, etc etc. A Zen monastery develops a specific vibrational frequency -- its like a tuning fork that draws anyone who steps into one into a deep falling 'inward'. Not saying that churches don't, but likely they don't because there haven't been hundreds of thousands of people over long periods of time that have meditated there.

Here's a video of my friend showing how Silat deals with knife-fighting

This is a friend of mine who has a very wide repertoire wrt. Indian Martial Arts along with Silat, some kungfu styles and Taijiquan as well.I'll try to see if I can interview him and share the video. Here's another indian martial art called Huyen Langlon (aka Thang-ta) from the North-eastern region of India - A reason why the Indian Martial Arts are often found in choreographed dance-like form is based on two things -- 1. The original martial art was codified in an indian classical scripture called Natya shastra. It is the basis Indian performance arts -- famous one being Bharata Natyam (the most ancient Indian classical dance form). 2. The British period, especially after the First war of Independence in 1857 (which the Brits call "Sepoy Mutiny"), all martial arts, weapons etc were banned and mass persecution of Martial artists (ranging from jailing to executions) was carried out by the British Army (and its native agents). As a result, these arts were hidden, often codified in dance-forms etc. In terms of list, there are many others -- Adimurai, Silambam, Vajramushti, etc.

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Yes he’s very good. I didn’t want to post his videos because he’s not doing “Kalaripayattu”.

I’ve always claimed that Buddhism and Advaita Vedanta say the same thing, but from different vantage points Ekam Sat Vipra Bahuda Vadanti. The Truth is One, the wise speak of it in different ways

That is only valid if objects indeed do exist. Take the case of an optical mirage — it seems as if the mirage is actually water. But upon closer inspection, it turns out that there never was any water at all, only an optical illusion. Does, by knowing this, the mirage disappear? Not so! So long as exist the conditions for the mirage to “manifest”, it appears to be. The wise go on with their lives knowing that a mirage is only an optical illusion. Similarly for the Self-realized sage

Good to know Ha! One of the best things about learning Kalaripayattu is that you will get a full week of kalari massage before you can begin training. 😁 I’ve not seen any videos of “combat” Kalaripayattu online. It doesn’t matter to me. It is a traditional art and has cultural and historic relevance. Also, I can see the “bunkai” when I see a form. So it doesn’t matter if I see in real-time action or not - that’s how I know what I know — the secrets reveal themselves to those who know how to see. I don’t consider a martial art as a set of methods/techniques , but more a philosophy of movement. The philosophy defines the strategy/approach to take in a combat (if the need rises). Of course the drills are needed to develop skills, but skills by themselves are means to an end. Solo drills, kicks, punches, movements, forms. Two person drills, and so on. Like learning to play scales and chords in a musical instrument. Practice some standards etc. Once you learn to play the scales and chords so well that you don’t need to think of them anymore, once you have the skill on the instrument, you can improvise musically. Similarly for the martial arts. Maybe it is an alien concept for many, but it seems to be more so for those who are besotted with amassing techniques and methods. This guy - Adam Chan is really good. Worth checking out some of what he says

So should I take it that you’re a video specialist? You can watch a video or two and know? That’s how you know Kalaripayattu is “useless”? Because you’ve not seen videos? I’ll take your word for it

https://www.taichitao.tv/categories/restore-your-life-energy https://www.taichitao.tv/programs/course-restoring-your-life-energy-beginner

What would be a valid example of that? Point fighting? Cage fighting? Street fight? In Kalaripayattu, empty hand is the thing of last resort, as I understand it. If swords don’t work, if staves or spears don’t work, if daggers don’t work, then the empty hands come into play. It used to be a battlefield martial art. Sort of like how jujitsu used to be battlefield thing for the samurai. Empty hands only come into play if weapons are out of question. As I understand it, that’s how FMA operates, or silat, or many kungfu styles. Having done some sparring against a friend who’s an FMA guy, against a knife (a wooden one), I know my approach towards how to deal with such a scenario changed dramatically as soon as the blade slashed my arms, etc.

Interesting points wrt hikite. Of course, it’s been more than 2 decades since I practiced karate, so have forgotten most of the jargon...but I see “hikite” being used in many TMA. In the taiji context, we would use it as a dispersal and simultaneously striking, for example, in the form “fan through the back”. The withdrawing hand is actually doing a “tsai” (pluck or roll-pull) while the hand that moves forward is doing a “lieh” (split). This is relevant in the case of close quarter fighting especially, with both arms in action. But it can also be used in mid-range and long range with kicks etc as well. The tsai can be used to either disperse the force of an incoming strike or actually to break the root of the opponent while simultaneously striking with split, or elbow or even shoulder. The two (forwarding and withdrawing) form the yang and yin, so to speak. In terms of power generation (if we are speaking in terms of nei Jin, the yin hand could be substantial, driving insubstantial power (empty force) to the yang hand. But I could be wrong behind the reason for it in karate (there could be more than one of course).