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There is this thing called The True Art, or The Perfect Art, or The Way. Oddly, though most every martial artist refers to it, there has never been a real definition for it. Until now.
After all, if there is a definition for the concept of perfection of art, it will make it that much easier to attain. It is always much easier to find something if you know where it is, or, in the specific of this case, what it is. Thus, the intent of this article is to provide a definition, and hope that it will speed up your progress to The True Art.
One of the first definitive things I ever hard concerning this thing called The True Art was that it can?t be heard. I found this interesting, because it provided sound feedback in the case of developing an Aikido shoulder roll, it didn?t necessarily hold true in the case of Kiai (spirit shout). However, I eventually realized that placing the foot firmly without noise provided for a purer transmission of energy, and thus was somewhat true, and I was on The Way.
Another definition I came across during my studies was that The True Art cannot be felt. For years I struggled with this concept, working my way through such ideas as Economy of Motion, the most gained for the least effort. Finally I realized that the concept of Do nothing until nothing is left undone, which was written in the Tao, was an attainable.
A tough concept for me to get was that The True Art could not be seen. This was a killer, and summed up by one person I met through the oblique statement that energy is invisible. But, with enough practice, you do start to move in a different time frame than other citizens of the universe, the practice of the martial arts does establish a different universe that does coincide, yet be superior to, the universe in which we all live.
Finally, there is my personal method for encouraging people on this subject of defining what The True Art is. I tell people that The True Art is like a wobbling wheel, the less wobble, the more True it is. Thus, through the study of physics and our bodies, real time physics can be applied to the analysis of our motions.
Now, thus far, we have a definition that can?t be heard, felt or seen, but can, after a fashion, be measured. Combine that with the definition of God (that which cannot be named), or the definition of chi (it is everything and everywhere, but it cannot be seen), and we have something that is real in the abstract, and which can be measured. And, thus, we have a definition of The True Art.
In the end, having measured the worth of our art and having sought to perfect our art, we achieve The True Art. The question is how long is it going to take to achieve this noble goal? The measuring methods laid down by our ancestors often seem mysterious, and so tend to obfuscate as much as enlighten. However, through a study of the religion of physics we can understand the mysticism, and thus our path can, indeed, be a speedy path.
After all, if there is a definition for the concept of perfection of art, it will make it that much easier to attain. It is always much easier to find something if you know where it is, or, in the specific of this case, what it is. Thus, the intent of this article is to provide a definition, and hope that it will speed up your progress to The True Art.
One of the first definitive things I ever hard concerning this thing called The True Art was that it can?t be heard. I found this interesting, because it provided sound feedback in the case of developing an Aikido shoulder roll, it didn?t necessarily hold true in the case of Kiai (spirit shout). However, I eventually realized that placing the foot firmly without noise provided for a purer transmission of energy, and thus was somewhat true, and I was on The Way.
Another definition I came across during my studies was that The True Art cannot be felt. For years I struggled with this concept, working my way through such ideas as Economy of Motion, the most gained for the least effort. Finally I realized that the concept of Do nothing until nothing is left undone, which was written in the Tao, was an attainable.
A tough concept for me to get was that The True Art could not be seen. This was a killer, and summed up by one person I met through the oblique statement that energy is invisible. But, with enough practice, you do start to move in a different time frame than other citizens of the universe, the practice of the martial arts does establish a different universe that does coincide, yet be superior to, the universe in which we all live.
Finally, there is my personal method for encouraging people on this subject of defining what The True Art is. I tell people that The True Art is like a wobbling wheel, the less wobble, the more True it is. Thus, through the study of physics and our bodies, real time physics can be applied to the analysis of our motions.
Now, thus far, we have a definition that can?t be heard, felt or seen, but can, after a fashion, be measured. Combine that with the definition of God (that which cannot be named), or the definition of chi (it is everything and everywhere, but it cannot be seen), and we have something that is real in the abstract, and which can be measured. And, thus, we have a definition of The True Art.
In the end, having measured the worth of our art and having sought to perfect our art, we achieve The True Art. The question is how long is it going to take to achieve this noble goal? The measuring methods laid down by our ancestors often seem mysterious, and so tend to obfuscate as much as enlighten. However, through a study of the religion of physics we can understand the mysticism, and thus our path can, indeed, be a speedy path.
About the Author:
Al Case has been seeking The True Art for over over forty years. You can avail yourself of his success with a free book at Monster Martial Arts.
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