Chi Sao of Joseph Campbell

Joseph Campbell is well known as a theologian and writer...and most noteably known for his saying, "Follow your Bliss." I am paraphrasing now, but he also spoke that when you follow your bliss, where you once saw walls, doors will open. He desired for us all to find our bliss and follow it with courage and faith. It will lead us on wonderful adventures and a life full of, well, bliss.

In a lot of ways this pertains to the martial arts and sticky hands practice...or Chi Sao. Chi Sao is a mainstay of many martial art systems and great for developing close quarter combat skills. In a nutshell, Chi Sao is about sticking with your partner's movement and getting a feel for movement's ebb and flow. It can look like a big dance from the outside.

While practicing and following your opponent's movement where you once felt a "wall" will eventually open up into a "door" of opportunity to enter. In terms of self-defense this is a great way to locate your opponent's weakness and capitalize upon it. By following your opponent's movement you can easily defend yourself.

It terms of living and life...it can teach us how to follow our partner, 'bliss'. Learn how to achieve it...get sticky with it...then follow its ebb and flow. Where you once saw doors slam in your face, doors of opportunity will open. You just need to stick to your bliss.

How to find bliss in your life can be achieved in many ways...such as meditation, hypnosis, qigong practices, etc. Their are many ways to bring up feelings of bliss...however you interpret bliss to be. Practice bringing yourself into a blissful state on a daily basis and it will grow...then learn to follow it, like you would your Chi Sao partner.

As you follow your Bliss your life will unfold in many wonderful ways. Joseph Campbell is right. Learn how to practice Chi Sao with your Bliss. Try it for a day or so and just watch and feel. Just like in Chi Sao, suspend judgement and pre-thought. Just follow and flow.

Hands palm to palm,
Shinzen