Underground Zen Combat

1977 Shodan

Shortly after I was awarded my Shodan in 1977, Sensei Dean told me to now go and 'steal' from everybody and anybody all the martial knowledge I could. I was 21 years old at the time and he knew I was going to be transient. He was right. 

From there I went and studied and stole from other forms of Karate, Tai Chi, Aikido, Kung Fu, Kempo.....anybody I could learn from I was there. I also began developing my own vision and ideas about Budo as I also explored traditional Soto Zen Buddhism.

So, here I am. An older Karateka (42 years of experience now) with a firm base in traditional Karate, but also full of my own ideas, insights and visions. I am not so much interested in starting another 'style' but simply putting out there, as a friend once told me, my unorthodox ways of understanding budo.

I have decided to document some of my ideas and concepts in "Underground Zen Combat." Maybe you as a reader might be interested. Maybe not. Either way, that's what I will do. Underground Zen Combat are my understandings and may or many not line up with tradition in Budo or Zen or Qigong or TCM...they are just how I see things and more importantly feel things. I am planning on turning this into an e-book as well. (It's almost done)

There is an energy (ki, chi, prana) that courses through us and that I have been able to tap into. I credit one Kata for this. Sanchin. My one steady companion throughout Karate has been Sanchin Kata. It has 'taught' me so much and my ways of seeing and doing self-defense, especially close quarters combat, comes from Sanchin. Sanchin is not only full of insights, but practical hardcore self-defense...Sanchin is about savagery on many levels.

So, here is one of my first Underground Zen teachings via the Broken Bokken Blog....

Sanchin literally means "Three Battles"...many practitioners speak of the battle of Mind, Body, Spirit (breath) and you can find three battles in turning energy in qigong as well. But for me, you have to look Underground and 'see' that the number 3 represents more than 2...this implies Infinity. Three is a number that gives way to unlimited numbers and unlimited potential...like the Kara of Karate that I have posted on before (another one of my Underground teachings)

Sanchin means Unlimited Battles. It is a Universal Kata that teaches you how to move and handle everything! It is rich with symbolism that points the way...and does more as well...it provides unique insight into handling battle itself, with others and yourself. Karate is not so much about kicking somebody elses' ass as it is about kicking your own.

Hands palm to palm,

Shinzen

Apart from Mind There is No Art of Combat!

Bankei was a Zen Master in the early 1600's. As a son of Ronin, he was also fiercely independent and challenged the overly ceremonial Zen of his time. Bankei was well known for simply telling people to trust in their innate Unborn Buddha Mind.

Today's post I am going to put in a response to a letter he received from a Martial Artist regarding the art of combat. Some of this will make total sense to you...other stuff you might be scratching your head and wondering what he is really saying. This is the stuff you are to explore, meditate upon and hopefully realize in your practice of the arts...and of life.

Here's Bankei:

"In performing a movement, if you act with no-mind, the action will spring forth of itself. When your ki changes your physical form changes along with it. When you are carried away by force, that is relying on "self." To have ulterior thoughts is not in accordance with the natural.

When you act upon deliberation, you are tied to thought. The opponent can then tell the direction of your ki. If you try to steady yourself by deliberate effort, you ki becomes diffuse, and you may grow careless. When you act deliberately, your intuitive response is blocked; and if your intuitive response is blocked, how can the mirror mind appear?

When without thinking and without acting deliberately, you manifest the Unborn (my insert: Unborn can mean Emptiness) you won't have any fixed form. When you are without fixed form, no opponent will exist for you in the whole land. Not holding on to anything, there is no "you" and no "enemy." Whatever comes, you just respond, with no traces left behind.

Heaven and earth are vast, but outside mind there is nothing to seek. Become deluded, however, and instead this mind becomes your opponent. Apart from mind, there is no art of combat."

Hands palm to palm,
Shinzen



translation from 'Bankei Zen' by Peter Haskell