How to build from the ground up?

[Songtsan]

Obviously who said this has no clue whatsoever.

 

some useful points, some not....abstracting good from dross is eating the fresh vegetables out of the salad of mixed bag greens.

Edited July 21, 2014 by Reversed

[goldisheavy]

 

For example, if you want to be a good fighter, maybe drop the standing pole meditation, and take up Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu or kickboxing instead.

 

Obviously who said this has no clue whatsoever.

 

The point is that by the time standing pole benefits you more than the other forms of martial training is far in the future for most people. And this is why I said "maybe." I didn't say just drop it. I said, consider dropping it.

 

If someone is new to fighting, they'll benefit far more from standard boxing and wrestling regimens than they will benefit from standing pole meditation. If you're near the top of your art, then going esoteric will put some edge on it.

 

However, if you want to completely transcend normal reality, then learning how to fight is a waste of time entirely and perhaps standing pole meditation should be your first port of call.

Edited July 22, 2014 by goldisheavy

[Songtsan]

 

 

However, if you want to completely transcend normal reality, then learning how to fight is a waste of time entirely and perhaps standing pole meditation should be your first port of call.

 

Fighting is back burner to self cultivation in my world. Fighting is for fun. The rest is serious.

[z00se]

hah yes, i think if you practice standing pole 8 hrs a day for a year, and i practice bjj 8 hrs a day for a year, then we battle, i think i feel safe that i will win. Especially since your muscles would have half wasted away from inactivity

 

If you can apply yourself to something physical, martial arts are particularly good, then your self cultivation, what you consider 'serious' will come on it's own accord. I know it is debatable, but in my experience you need to apply yourself in the physical to something you really fancy doing to reach the highest levels of spiritual. That is why the shoulin monks began kung fu, they found it benefitial in their spiritual pursuits. Even if it was just to protect themselves so that the monastery couldn't be attacked so that they could keep meditating, but i'm sure they also found some direct benefits too.

 

You can spend time on just meditating, some times on the physical, and the real meat of it should be keeping your attention on yourself during something physical that you are actually doing. This is the goal thats found in spiritual balance after all.

 

... And totally transcending normal reality... well that is just a recipe for disaster. Balance lasts, revolving balance is the result of proper cultivation. Any attempt to try to totally transcend normal reality will see you rebound and find yourself in over your head in reality, the reality that you have a body and you need to desprately fight to keep it alive after prolonged neglect.

 

If there is one thing i hope you would know is that this is not a short term path. It can be in the beginning but once you get past the beginner stage it becomes a part of you, you are always walking the path, you can avoid, but you can't escape the truth once you have seen it. And most likely that is what you wish too, and so therefore build cultivation into your every day activities. Cultivation and life are not seperate, life is the strongest all emcompassing cultivation. Sitting on your bean bag in a state of meditative bliss can't last long if the big bad wolf is outside trying to blow your house down. You need bliss to be outside too, balance in your life so that at every turn it pervades you. Prune the weeds so the flowers can shine.

[Songtsan]

8 hrs a day! hell no! try like 1 maybe 1.5 hours. I am studying Capoeira, African Dance, Preying Mantis gongfu, some spontaneous qigong, yoga, and bodyweight exercises..it's just real shoddy right now. doing swimming in the winter, and maybe some weight training...Trail jogging, and high incline speed walking.

 

I was just wondering on a progression to gain internal power vs. external. I want to be able to mobilize my chi and stuff through internal expression vs. external means

[Songtsan]

Good call Reversed.

Cultivation has to be done in order for it to be effective.

Whichever cultivation suits you aim to cultivate it at the same time each day every day.

Anything above that is a bonus but that core of disciplined daily cultivation is what sets the firm foundation for development.

The reason why the majority of people don't succeed is that they become bored or flit to some other interest and neglect the cultivation.

Ten minutes at the same time every day beats ten hours every now and again when the fancy takes.

Once disciplined cultivation is ingrained, at that point - but not before; one can work on increasing the time.

Baduanjin ( 8 Piece Brocade) QiGong can be worked in ten minutes for a slow steady set.

That's easy enough to learn and great mental training to memorise the mnemonic for the moves.

You can use it as a 'mantra' until it becomes part of you.

There's a Baduanjin moves photo- set via my ( Chinese Health QiGong Association) sig link or you can find sets on youtube.

Don't be phased by slight variations between what you see. That's down to history and lineage, they all work equally well so just pick the one that speaks to you and stick with it.

I'd strongly advise starting out with a standing set, there's less to think about with that so you've more space to appreciate the developing effects.

Warmest best wishes to you for every success.

Keep at it and you'll succeed.

 

 

Yeah, I think a big part of me getting disciplined is me settling down into one place, and not being so gypsy footed....I have way too many passions. I could be good at so many, yet I have to choose. I am choosing based on long term goals/results. I can tell that internal martial arts is a serious and worthy path. As much as I wanted to excel in dance, musicianship, and being a writer/teacher, I am finding that I am naturally veering towards spending a great deal of time cultivating using eastern techniques, and less on being 'known,' 'successful,' or 'innovative.'

 

Structure! It's what's for dinner.

[Songtsan]

hah yes, i think if you practice standing pole 8 hrs a day for a year, and i practice bjj 8 hrs a day for a year, then we battle, i think i feel safe that i will win. Especially since your muscles would have half wasted away from inactivity

 

If you can apply yourself to something physical, martial arts are particularly good, then your self cultivation, what you consider 'serious' will come on it's own accord. I know it is debatable, but in my experience you need to apply yourself in the physical to something you really fancy doing to reach the highest levels of spiritual. That is why the shoulin monks began kung fu, they found it benefitial in their spiritual pursuits. Even if it was just to protect themselves so that the monastery couldn't be attacked so that they could keep meditating, but i'm sure they also found some direct benefits too.

 

You can spend time on just meditating, some times on the physical, and the real meat of it should be keeping your attention on yourself during something physical that you are actually doing. This is the goal thats found in spiritual balance after all.

 

... And totally transcending normal reality... well that is just a recipe for disaster. Balance lasts, revolving balance is the result of proper cultivation. Any attempt to try to totally transcend normal reality will see you rebound and find yourself in over your head in reality, the reality that you have a body and you need to desprately fight to keep it alive after prolonged neglect.

 

If there is one thing i hope you would know is that this is not a short term path. It can be in the beginning but once you get past the beginner stage it becomes a part of you, you are always walking the path, you can avoid, but you can't escape the truth once you have seen it. And most likely that is what you wish too, and so therefore build cultivation into your every day activities. Cultivation and life are not seperate, life is the strongest all emcompassing cultivation. Sitting on your bean bag in a state of meditative bliss can't last long if the big bad wolf is outside trying to blow your house down. You need bliss to be outside too, balance in your life so that at every turn it pervades you. Prune the weeds so the flowers can shine.

 

I find standing post effective because it is my nature to move swiftly and constantly. I aim to train weak points, which is sticking with something and not deviating. My interests were always in the 'cool stuff' - weapons training, MMA, sparring, and things of 'heightened activity.' Chaos is my mother's milk. I feel most alive when in the heat of something chaotic - the maelstrom...

 

I always believed in training the weak points in the chain as priority. Being still is that for me - whether standing, sitting, or whatever.

 

I move fast like a snake, but my endurance for maintaining strong stances is limited due to my long levers - i.e. long bones (6'5" - most of that in legs)...

 

I usually went into practices that depended on moving in fast and getting out fast, like Silat, etc. I do it well and have high accuracy, but if I am in a situation where I don't have that space to be snaky, I will get the shit beat out of me...