Making Good People, Better

[paihequan]

I'd like to start a discussion on the art and way of making good people, better.

What I have in mind is for member of MT to share of their arts and the ways in which each strives to enhance the character and personalities of the individual practitioner.

Is this via meditative practices or by some other means (Forms etc)?

Lets hear your views :asian:

 

[Marginal]

I've seen little evidence to hint that forms, meditation etc are meant to accomplish anything along the lines of character or personality improvement.

That's why psychologists, religions etc are for. (Presumably)

 

[redfang]

A few years back, my innate aggressive tendencies were beginning to get the better of me. I don't believe that most adults in our society have adequate opportunities to appropriately explore and release the impulses that make up our violent and competitive sides. As with many people, I would keep it bottled up. I tried to dull the aggressive aspects of my personality through drinking and less legal vices. Even so, rage bubbled to the surface from time to inappropriate time. Then, because of my wife, I started martial arts training. Where I go, some of us train MMA style for fights. Some of the people are pretty good. So to not get my butt kicked too badly, I eliminated some of the things that hindered my training, like smoking and regular drinking (though I'm not against the irregular kind.) I started running and working out in addition to martial arts work outs. I've found that the competition I get in training is an excellent release and I'm a much calmer person as a result. I also enjoy the forms practice and the focus that they can bring. I've been dabbling in some meditative practices and things like yoga both for character building and what they can bring to my martial training, which is what everything else comes back to.

 

[MartialArtist]

The limiting factor for 99.99999% of the people is mental.

Compare good with great _____________

For the sake of example, fill the blank with basketball player and you can compare Vince Carter with Michael Jordan.

Vince Carter has all the physical aspects of Michael Jordan. Limiting factor? Mental aspect of the game. Michael did what he had to do to make the team better, knew when to ballhog the ball (forget the Wizards), knew when and to whom to pass to at the right moment. He understood the game. Vince Carter knows how to dunk.

 

[MartialArtist]

To improve the mental aspect, especially with the martial arts, is developing reflexive actions where you don't have to think about anything. You don't have to think about strategy like "I'll attack with this first and then do X and Y and Z". That's not strategy, that's planning what you'll do with little room for adaptation until you get hit and see it won't work for that person. That leads to strategy, another trait. Strategy like that doesn't work. Strategy as in using logic does. Wearing sandals would change how you fight than if you were just wearing light sneakers. Know how to control emotions, know how to toy with the other guy, etc. Mental aspects include heart and drive. Includes mental stamina. Knowing when to stop, knowing when to get into gear, knowing when not to quit and knowing when not to fight. Enduring what you must.

PROPER training and experience. No short-cuts.

Short-cuts = Shortcomings

 

[tonbo]

I think a good martial art (NOT a McDojo!!) makes people better by teaching them very simple, but very useful mental skills:

1. Patience : It takes time to learn material. There is a lot of practice time involved. If you wait it out, and take the time, you will be rewarded.

2. Perseverance : Not only do you have to be patient, but you have to keep with it. Hard workouts and frustrations are inevitable. If you learn to get up after each time you fall down, you gain another valuable skill.

3. Courtesy : In most martial arts, you have to show some degree of respect to those you train with. After enough time in the arts, this extends to those around you in the day-to-day world.

4. Situational Awareness : As you learn what kind of body movement can precipitate which attacks, and what people generally use, you can become more aware of situations where you might be in danger. Once you learn how to identify these situations and "read" others, you can help yourself and others avoid bad situations.

These are just some of the benefits that I see in the martial arts. There are plenty more, as anyone can attest to. However, these are all but tools -- they won't make a bad person good unless that person chooses to learn.

Just my own opinion, anyway!

Peace--

 

[paihequan]

Some great replies. Very interesting.

When looked at from the viewpoint of "Maslow's Hierarchy of Human Needs" it is an interesting exercise to see how the martial arts rises to meet these very same needs.

Are there any specific aspects of your arts that go straight to dealing with making good people, better.

Things such as moral training, meditation, self-awareness and feedback?

 

[MartialArtist]

Originally posted by paihequan
Some great replies. Very interesting.

When looked at from the viewpoint of "Maslow's Hierarchy of Human Needs" it is an interesting exercise to see how the martial arts rises to meet these very same needs.

Are there any specific aspects of your arts that go straight to dealing with making good people, better.

Things such as moral training, meditation, self-awareness and feedback?

Discipline.

Lead by example, and pound discipline into them. Use of corporal punishment would be dandy in this day and age where people can get away with almost anything and blame it on others and never themselves. Punish strictly but accordingly. Mental endurance exercises as punishment works just fine.

Meditation does work if one actually knows how to do it. But most people are impatient, and that's where the discipline factor comes in.

Mental stamina. This is obviously the best part. You can make up your own ideas (but let them be safe). Korea's tag-sparring team has to run up mountains in the cold with light shoes and no shirt during winter. Quite a bit of snow there. There is another exercises that's been used for ages... The cold water trick. Yes, the very same one you see in the movies with a guy meditating under a cold waterfall. Kinda the same concept. The Navy SEALs have a variation of it where they just get a group of tadpoles and put them there. Of course, this isn't an everyday exercise unless you want hypothermia. And this is for the team that plays tag with the feet, imagine what combat-oriented people do.


One of the most important things a person involved in any activity that requires movement is breathing. Most people don't know how to breathe as strange as it sounds. I see people who breathe in short, weezing movements when running that it sounds like they are having a spasm of some sort. I've seen people who breathe out of sync in a way and people who pant like dogs.

 

[MountainSage]

MartialArtist, you breathing comments are so true. The one thing that can improve a person overall is teaching them to breath correctly. Next, IMHO, is flexibility, then strength and conditioning. These four things, if nothing else, will improve a persons life overall. The martial training is just topping on the sundae.

Mountian Sage