Saturday 31 December 2011

Discipline and Defiance / Practical Karate (podcast) | Iain Abernethy

Here is an interesting Podcast by Iain Abernethy called Discipline and Defiance and Practical Karate. Two Podcasts into one so to speak.
Discipline and Defiance / Practical Karate (podcast) | Iain Abernethy

Wednesday 14 December 2011

Egotism: Our Own Worst Enemy


It is not uncommon in the Martial Arts world that many Martial Artists can have a big ego. No matter what age you are and what belt rank you are. Many of us are not able to control our ego. In my 7 years of training in the Martial Arts, I have met or heard about a few people that have egotism. When I received my black belt a year and a half ago, I vowed to be a humble person. My Sensei kept me in check and made sure that I won’t act like a big-headed big shot. Many Martial Artists who made it to black belt think that they are better than the kyu belts and know more than the kyu belts and the sad thing is that they brag about it, most likely teens act that way. In the Martial Arts world, egotism can be our own worst enemy. When I got my black belt I was offered some perks while I’m instructing and training. One of them is having a special change room for the black belt club. However, by my own personal decision, I turned down that offer and decided to still change with the kyu belts. The reason for making that personal decision is that I felt that I am acting superior to the kyu belts in a way, and I’m not like that. A big part of me says that I am more of a student to the art still, and that I’m still one of the kyu belts. I know more than them, I have more experience than them, but I’m not better than them, I keep learning things in my training and how I teach. Since teaching is not easy with all ages and with students with a range of learning style differences and types of autism, I am always willing to take advice from my seniors and my juniors. More importantly I have grown into a father figure or big brother-like figure. I have trained kids that don’t see their fathers often because their parents are either divorced or they never knew their father. It will benefit students more to learn discipline in that atmosphere order to avoid harbouring anger and hanging out with gangs engaging in negative activities. It is a privilege to pass on what I have learned.
      Kids who have a high kyu belt ranking in the Martial Art system tend to change and have an ego or have an ego from the start. They’re more worried about belt ranks instead of building character, and improving their skills. More or less it can stem from the teacher who cares more about the money and less about educating their students. Young and old alike must come to the understanding that coloured belts is just an indicator of progress, it’s not like “yeah I’m the man now.” The old saying goes “The belt is just a piece of material that holds up your pants.” When Karate was developing in the Ryukyu kingdom (Okinawa), the natives their only trained in loin cloth on warm days. Belt ranks never existed back then until Karate was introduced to Japan. Gichin Funakoshi decided to adopt a dan/kyu ranking system in the art. He borrowed that idea from Judo founder Jigoro Kano. The thing that gets me is when students set a goal to get to their 1st dan (Shodan) and end up reaching that rank with flying colours, they simply quit. I’m not saying they take a little bit of a hiatus or train at another dojo. They simply stop training altogether thinking that they have learned everything they needed to learn and that they are a master. Those that have done this simply don’t understand that Martial Arts training is a lifetime, when you get to Shodan; it is a new beginning of your training or just the beginning of your training. I can say if an individual cares only about obtaining coloured belts, you would know that if he or she reaches black belt they would retire completely from training.
In my personal opinion I think that kids shouldn’t be Black belts, or Jr. Black belts. This is a hot topic to discuss in the realm of Martial Arts. Many people would go against what I say, but through my own experiences, I say that kids under the age of 16 shouldn’t be black belts because it’s a big responsibility to set a positive example. And a majority of kids who are black belts are big-headed. Therefore they don’t have the mental maturity to carry the load of responsibility. The problem is that we lack an understanding in the History of our art. To understand how we got to do what we are doing, we have to go back to understand what happened in 1393CE Ming dynasty. To understand why we are training in our art we must go back to understand 1507CE, to understand why we are training in our art we must go back to understand what happened in 1609CE. To understand why we are training in our art we must go back to understand what happened in 1879, and to understand the history of our art we must go back to understand what happened in the 1920’s in mainland Japan. To understand our history of our art we must go back and understand what happened in 1945. That is my basic outline in terms of chronology.
    When the Asian Martial Arts were introduced to the Western world by war veterans and some instructors from Japan and Korea it had flourished into its golden age. Then overtime, the arts such as Karate and Taekwondo became more of a commercialized sport, and the education of learning self-defense as a top priority was overshadowed. The reason being is that instructors just want to make lots money through commercialism and running a black belt mill (McDojo). In most tournaments you would see competitors sporting multi-coloured gis (Karate Uniforms) and all of that. Before I even donned a Karate uniform and walked into a dojo to give this thing a try, I thought all this commercialized hype was cool. When I was training in traditional Karate for a while, I begin to realize how a scam it can be while training in a McDojo due to pricy membership fees, merchandise fees, grading fees and tournaments fees, and instructors that use their political power by adding taxes to what instructors sell that don’t even relate to their own state/provincial governmental taxes, thus abandoning their path as a warrior scholar and taking up the role as being a con artist salesman to accomplish their goals to make themselves filthy rich and spend their money on something that may or may not relate to Martial Arts. Even those that engage in nepotism in their dojo is a cancer towards traditional Martial Arts. Individuals who are relatives and family friends to a Sensei can get an easy pass, furthermore, receiving a black belt on a silver platter. It is just simply saying, “Oh we like you young man, show me a few katas and I’ll give you your black belt and certificate.” How does that feel to others that had to work hard and pay their dues to achieve their goals than others? They can be envious. If that type of practice at the dojo where I train happens, I wouldn’t stay around. Those that expect to get an easy pass because they think in their minds that they are special in one way or the other; don’t have the heart to be successful in the Martial Arts or in life. You must earn it. As a scholar of the Martial Arts, I felt that following the old budo way was the best path, going back and understanding the roots of the art that I take through lineage and so forth. The sad thing is that many young students that train in Karate or Taekwondo lack the knowledge. All they know is to do this and do that and win lots of trophies. Also, receiving belt ranks very quickly until getting to Jr. Black belt at a young age. It is bad business for Martial Arts schools because students are not educated enough and they are unable to fully grasp combative principles. On one positive note, many Martial Arts students are becoming smarter, if their instructors are being corrupt; they are willing to leave and find a better instructor instead of blindly being loyal to him or her. However, in a bad economy we must be aware of Martial Arts instructors that have an ego and be desperately greedy because there can be more of those individuals out there.
In the brotherhood of the Montu Arts, now Europeanized term as Martial Arts, we have messed up really badly. I speak to those who have claimed titles in your system, Senseis, Sifus, Gurus, Renshis, Kyoshis, Shihans, Hanshis, we must lead by example or else we would lose our youth for the youth who are the future. Don’t put business matters before your students; do not let your ego get the best of you. Those that introduced military science to the world would be disappointed in us. Those that developed Karate would be disappointed in us. I ask these questions for those who are reading this. Do you still want to play politics? Do you want to be narrow minded? Would you sell out? Would you continue practicing nepotism? Would you continue to put your own students down? Would you continue playing the shady salesman/con artists? If so, your Martial Arts journey would be in vain.  
  
                                                                                                                                        HTP NTR
                                                                                                                                        Jonathan

Monday 5 December 2011

Who is Bodhidharma?


Hotep/Ashashemalekim,
There have been more myths and legends than facts for a number of generations of Martial Arts origins and animal practices in the Martial Arts concerning where it originated and who invented it. More of it has sprung out of belief systems more than finding out the facts. However, more and more I see information written by field researchers and others related to the field of study are coming out during the time when everyone worldwide is using the internet. The reality is that right knowledge is easily accessible to us, and the new generation of people will be more intelligent than the previous generation. It is so true. My quest as a scholar of the Martial Arts is not only competing and collecting trophies at tournaments, teaching classes, attending seminars, improving my health, etc. My quest and my passion in the Martial Arts have been for right knowledge, finding out about my past in order to restore and preserve factual History that can bring my self-esteem to a higher level into African consciousness. In my previous blogs I have claimed that the Martial Arts were not invented by Bodhidharma, it was in development all away back to the Paleolithic age. It evolved out of hunting and gathering by early Homosapien Sapien peoples of Eastern Africa. I will discuss in this blog the accurate facts about Bodhidharma, and the actual origins of animal practices.
The Existence of Bodhidharma the Buddhist Monk
There are documentations of Bodhidharma’s existence that originated in Nepal, and in China. This Buddhist had made a significant contribution to the Asian Martial Arts so much that the Chinese writer made out that he was the originator of Martial Art concepts through animal imitations, but he really wasn’t. Bodhidharma (Chinese name was Da-Mo) was born from the warrior caste of Dravidians around the late 400’s or early 500’s CE. It is important to note that the Dravidians are the descendants of various Kushite (Ethiopians) tribes such as the Ta-Seti, Ta Nahesi, Mursi and Nubians. The Tamils of Southeast India descended from the Dravidians. The city and kingdom that Da-Mo was born and raised in was Kanchipuram, Pallava kingdom (modern day Tamil Nadu in Southeast India). He was the third son of a Pallavine King. Da-Mo was a student of Mahayana school under Prajnatara. After his studies, he traveled to China through boat, landed on Nepal and walked on foot across the snowy mountains of the Himalayas into China and settled at the Province of Honan c.525CE.
It was there that he spread the teachings of a new Buddhist sect called Chan (in Japanese called Zen). He was invited into Shaolin Temple to introduce Zen meditation. He noticed that the monks were unable to sit in meditation for a long period of time; they were falling asleep so often because the monks cannot attain the proper mental aspect. So Da-Mo left the Shaolin Temple and he meditated, trained, and ate in the cave for nine years. After nine years he returned to Shaolin Temple and taught the monks newer techniques that his disciples incorporated into their Chinese boxing stressing the importance of controlling breathing and introducing Yoga techniques. It is unknown that Da-Mo studied the animals in both his home country and in China, but maybe he did. The closest evidence I have found was that he studied Yoga and his native fighting arts Kuttu Varisai and Silambam and passed the techniques down to the monks. The monks called the forms Lohan Quan (monk fist boxing). I have been told that the 18 forms of the Lohan were fully developed 4 or 5 generations after Bodhidharma’s time.
Was Bodhidharma’s Legacy fact or myth?
There had been many legends coming out everywhere on the internet and books related to Martial Arts. My goal is to present the facts and dispel the myth.  Many attributes of Bodhidharma are questionable by many Historians. Unfortunately it has been widely accepted as Historical truth. Most Martial Arts schools are being misinformed about History and have been taught fables.
In one legend where I have been taught, was that Bodhidharma was the creator of all Martial Arts. That he was the first person to introduce Martial Arts to China in the 6th century CE. He noticed that the monks were weak physically and were falling asleep. The monks were constantly being attacked by bandits. So Bodhidharma taught the monks physical exercises and Martial Arts, thus gave birth to Shaolin Kung Fu. After his death, he left a manual of exercises called Yi Jin Jing. Many historians discredited the authenticity of Yi Jing Jin.
Source: Traditionally Bodhidharma is being credited to be the founder of the martial arts at the Shaolin Temple. However, martial arts historians have shown this legend stems from a 17th century qigong manual known as the Yijin Jing.
The authenticity of the Yi Jin Jing has been discredited by some historians including Tang Hao, Xu Zhen and Matsuda Ryuchi. This argument is summarized by modern historian Lin Boyuan in his Zhongguo wushu shi:
As for the "Yi Jin Jing" (Muscle Change Classic), a spurious text attributed to Bodhidharma and included in the legend of his transmitting martial arts at the temple, it was written in the Ming dynasty, in 1624, by the Daoist priest Zining of Mt. Tiantai, and falsely attributed to Bodhidharma. Forged prefaces, attributed to the Tang general Li Jing and the Southern Song general Niu Gao were written. They say that, after Bodhidharma faced the wall for nine years at Shaolin temple, he left behind an iron chest; when the monks opened this chest they found the two books "Xi Sui Jing" (Marrow Washing Classic) and "Yi Jin Jing" within. The first book was taken by his disciple Huike, and disappeared; as for the second, "the monks selfishly coveted it, practicing the skills therein, falling into heterodox ways, and losing the correct purpose of cultivating the Real. The Shaolin monks have made some fame for themselves through their fighting skill; this is all due to having obtained this manuscript." Based on this, Bodhidharma was claimed to be the ancestor of Shaolin martial arts. This manuscript is full of errors, absurdities and fantastic claims; it cannot be taken as a legitimate source.

Another original source that proved that the Bodhidharma story to be mostly false:
The oldest available copy was published in 1827[43] and the composition of the text itself has been dated to 1624.[24] Even then, the association of Bodhidharma with martial arts only becomes widespread as a result of the 1904–1907 serialization of the novel The Travels of Lao Ts'an in Illustrated Fiction Magazine[44]:
One of the most recently invented and familiar of the Shaolin historical narratives is a story that claims that the Indian monk Bodhidharma, the supposed founder of Chinese Chan (Zen) Buddhism, introduced boxing into the monastery as a form of exercise around a.d. 525. This story first appeared in a popular novel, The Travels of Lao T’san, published as a series in a literary magazine in 1907. This story was quickly picked up by others and spread rapidly through publication in a popular contemporary boxing manual, Secrets of Shaolin Boxing Methods, and the first Chinese physical culture history published in 1919. As a result, it has enjoyed vast oral circulation and is one of the most “sacred” of the narratives shared within Chinese and Chinese-derived martial arts. That this story is clearly a twentieth-century invention is confirmed by writings going back at least 250 years earlier, which mention both Bodhidharma and martial arts but make no connection between the two.[45]



Another source can be seen here: The attribution of Shaolin's martial arts to Bodhidharma has been discounted by several 20th century martial arts historians, first by Tang Hao on the grounds that the Yì Jīn Jīng is a forgery.[12] Stele and documentary evidence shows the monks historically worshiped the Bodhisattva Vajrapani's "Kimnara King" form as the progenitor of their staff and bare hand fighting styles.[13]
Huiguang and Sengchou were involved with martial arts before they became two of the very first Shaolin monks, reported as practicing martial arts before the arrival of Bodhidharma.[14] Sengchou's skill with the tin staff is even documented in the Chinese Buddhist canon.
Records of the discovery of arms caches in the monasteries of Chang'an during government raids in AD 446 suggests that Chinese monks practiced martial arts prior to the establishment of the Shaolin Monastery in 497.[15] Monks came from the ranks of the population among whom the martial arts were widely practiced before the introduction of Buddhism. There are indications that Huiguang, Sengchou and even Huike, Bodhidarma's immediate successor as Patriarch of Chán Buddhism, may have been military men before retiring to the monastic life. Moreover, Chinese monasteries, not unlike those of Europe, in many ways were effectively large landed estates, that is, sources of considerable regular income which required protection.
In addition to that, the Spring and Autumn Annals of Wu and Yue, the Bibliographies in the Book of the Han Dynasty and the Records of the Grand Historian all document the existence of martial arts in China before Bodhidharma. The martial arts Shuāi Jiāo and Sun Bin Quan, to name two, predate the establishment of the Shaolin Monastery by centuries.[16]

So the whole idea that there were no Martial Arts in China during the dark ages, until Bodhidharma’s arrival is completely untrue! First recorded history of Chinese Martial Arts existed approx. 1,500 years before Bodhidharma’s time. Even just before Bodhidharma’s arrival to Honan province, most of the monks were well skilled in Chinese Boxing such as Huiguang, Senghou and Huike, the disciples of Bodhidharma’s Zen Buddhism.
Therefore, Bodhidharma’s creation of Martial Arts is a myth which unfortunately until this day had been taught as truth and propagated through Martial Arts books, the internet and documentaries.
Another legend where I read for myself was his nine year meditation in a cave. After being disturbed by the monks’ poor conditioning and being unable to stay in meditation for long periods of time. He left Shaolin Temple and gone to a cave and meditated for nine years. He kept falling asleep, so he cut his eyelashes to stay awake. Once his eyelashes hit the grass it grew tea leaves. Bodhidharma had the ability to stare at the wall for so long that it burned a hole through the wall. These supernatural attributes are questionable.
Failing to make a favorable impression in Southern China, Bodhidharma is said to have traveled to the northern Chinese kingdom of Wei to the Shaolin Monastery. After either being refused entry to the temple or being ejected after a short time, he lived in a nearby cave, where he "faced a wall for nine years, not speaking for the entire time".[18]
The biographical tradition is littered with apocryphal tales about Bodhidharma's life and circumstances. In one version of the story, he is said to have fallen asleep seven years into his nine years of wall-gazing. Becoming angry with himself, he cut off his eyelids to prevent it from happening again.[22] According to the legend, as his eyelids hit the floor the first tea plants sprang up; and thereafter tea would provide a stimulant to help keep students of Chán awake during meditation.[23]
The most popular account relates that Bodhidharma was admitted into the Shaolin temple after nine years in the cave and taught there for some time. However, other versions report that he "passed away, seated upright";[18] or that he disappeared, leaving behind the Yi Jin Jing;[24] or that his legs atrophied after nine years of sitting,[25] which is why Japanese Bodhidharma dolls have no legs.

The reality is that Bodhidharma was human and that he didn’t posses god-like powers. If you meditate in a cave or anywhere for nine straight years, you will die of starvation. Bodhidharma did yoga exercises in the cave and his disciples or villagers sent him food.  The nine year meditation in the cave is an influential story on the Japanese people that possess Bodhidharma (Daruma) dolls that feature the wide, bulging eyes with no eyelashes and these dolls have no legs.  
       
Animal Imitation: The Cornerstone of Martial Arts
I haven’t found any proof that Bodhidharma studied different kinds of animals in India or in China to incorporate into his Martial Arts system. Animal imitation in the Martial Arts had been practiced formally since the beginning of early human history. African people, the first human race on earth were the first to possess God consciousness through nature. African people were not at all polytheist or a cult of that matter. They believed that the god Amen-Ra was present with the earth and other living things given animals a special God-given attribute that humans can imitate in a way. I have been teaching this to students on a few occasions. In Kilindi Iyi’s article called The Martial Arts of Africa:
Certain formulas were memorized, such as the transformation into the Crocodile god Sebak, which is as follows; “The Osiris Ani, whose word is truth, saith; ‘I am the Crocodile-god Sebak, who dwelleth amid his terrors. I am the Crocodile-god, and I seize my prey like a ravening beast. I am the great Fish which is Kamu. I am the Lord to whom bowings and prostrations are made in Sekhem (Letopolis).  And the Osiris Ani is the Lord to whom the bowings and preparations are made in Sekhem.”

    This is just one of the prayers of transformation which, when approached in the proper manner, would bring about the desired results in combat. The ancient Africans laid down the fundamental basis for self-mastery, with the warrior arts as one of the vehicles.
                                                                                                                            –Kilindi Iyi

The Africans were very advanced in medicine, science, mathematics, geometry, architect, music, agriculture, Yoga exercises, Martial Arts (Montu Arts) and Spirituality in their established civilization before Europeans ever got out of their caves.
On the subject of Spirituality and the Martial Arts, Bodhidharma’s contribution of his Buddhist teachings and his Martial Arts exercises were revolutionary (not whatsoever a new invention of that generation) which influenced Karate-do goes back to his African ancestors, the early developers of indigenous fighting systems. Kilindi Iyi stated in his article Martial Arts of Africa that the early writings of the Martial Arts goes back to the Hieroglyphs (Greek word meaning Sacred Carvings/Writings) of Kemet (Egypt).
    The martial arts of Africa presented to the world one of the earliest forms of systematic combat. The use of weapons such as the spear, mace, sword, and the bow and arrow all have their origins in Africa. The unarmed forms of combat exemplified the movements of certain animals held sacred by the ancient Africans. They found early in their history that these animal principles could be isolated within the consciousness of man and manifested into an unconquerable fighting force. Of course, this was thousands of years before there was civilization in those areas commonly thought to be the “birthplace” of martial arts. It was the ancient Africans who first gave to the world military science. The martial beginnings started with mankind’s desire to preserve and organize combative principles in system that could be readily taught to subsequent generations.

    On the African continent, the oldest remains, tools, and weapons of man are found. The oldest martial arts records in existence are in the form of hieroglyphics in what is today called Egypt.  The ancient Egyptian priesthood taught systems of combat based upon history, legend, and myths about the gods and goddesses. As handed down by the religion, every great temple maintenance an armed force to protect its interests.
                                                                                                                           -Kilindi Iyi

Kilindi also claimed that animal imitation had remain African in Origin before India, China or Japan ever came up with that idea, “Through imitating the movements of these animals, we seek to awaken their attributes within ourselves.” (Kilindi Iyi Martial Arts of Africa).Prof. Carroll also claimed that the Wrestlers of Nubia imitate the monkey and the dragonfly in wrestling bouts, According to an oral tradition, the Nuba began wrestling in order to imitate certain species of monkeys which were abundant in the hill country. The young monkeys played by trying to overthrow each other. The Nuba wrestlers imitate certain animal and insect characteristics while wrestling. Like a baboon or monkey threatening its foe, the Nuba will rub his hands on the ground; (and it helps his grip). He stamps his feet and roars like a bull. Flicking his tongue and moving his fingers like a large flying insect, the Nuba dances into the ring, not as a man, but representing the spirit of his cattle herd, (Prof. Carroll). Until this day it is written on the walls of the many tombs of Egypt, Nubians and Kemites performing combative movements and wrestling holds that resembles that of Judo, Karate and every Martial Art system known to man.
I taught the breakdown to students of animal attributes that my ancestors admired in their MD NTR (Word of God or gods) such as the snake that can strike quickly as ever at a victim Africans would say wow I wish I had the ability to be quick with my hands the enemy wouldn’t see it coming. The falcon has the ability of strong eyesight, the falcon can see its prey from high above the sky and swoop down Africans say wow if only I had the ability to see far away, that is the eye of Heru (Horus) the original Messiah. They don’t worship the animals; they worship the attributes to see if it can rub off on them. The dog has the ability to smell things far away and can sense that someone is going to die. The dog has the ability to be the judge represented by the NTR (Neter) Anubis the Jackal. Approx. 50,000years BCE when Africans settled along the Yellow River of China they saw Cranes standing on one leg for long periods of time, and they only wish they had the ability to be balanced like the crane. They don’t worship the animal; they worship the attribute of the animal to see if it can one day rub off on them. Here is part of a video of Dr. Booker T. Coleman on what he said about animal imitation in his lecture called History and Science of the Moors:
In conclusion, what Bodhidharma brought into China was African in origin. The Bodhidharma story had been turned into a fabricated story of the 20th century. The Martial Arts practices existed long before his time and that every civilization developed their own Martial Art discipline before his time. A wise man once told me that, “The human body is universal the arm in Europe can break the same as in Asia.”  I’m not trying to be unkind or cause any hurt to anyone whatsoever. I’m trying to be factual, encouraging all of you to be open minded in expanding our knowledge of the Montu Arts, which the term being Europeanized as Martial Arts. This is how deep it is when presenting real live history in order to detach the myths. My occasional conversations I had with my mother about our history had risen to a higher level of interest. Several years ago I didn’t have much interest, but now I have been doing my homework, doing critical thinking and spreading the wisdom to anybody. My mother told me “it is great to educate yourself and open your eyes to the knowledge in order to give your wisdom. Keep doing what you’re doing.” I saw that movie the Warriors a few months ago when Cyrus said, “Can you dig iiiiiit?” I am asking you, can you dig what I have presented to you? If not, do your own research, try to prove me wrong. Know your past and understand your past. Everyday I go on my quest for the light for right knowledge. As the saying goes, “The truth shall set you free.”
Here is an article I am currently reading called In the Shadow of Bodhidharma by Dr. William C.C. Hu and Fred Bleicher. This article is written in 1965 for Black Belt Magazine as the introduction says, “Black Belt’s research team verifies the Historical existence of Bodhidharma but finds no evidence to support claims that he was the originator of Karate.
                                                                                                                                             Jonathan
 Further Recommended Reading:
Origin of Martial Arts: The Real History
They Came Before Bodhidharma
African Contributions to the World (Facts revealed) 
Kata and the Transmission of Knowledge by Michael Rosenbaum (book available on Amazon)