Fighting Fit

Friday Knight News

“If you do not control the enemy, the enemy will control you” Miyamoto Musashi

Are you fighting fit or fit to fight? As martial artists, we should understand that there is a difference between being fighting fit and being fit to fight. In life and in competition those that are best prepared generally have the advantage no matter what the field of contention may stem from. A true martial artist does their best to maintain control of their body, mind and spirit. These three elements are crucial gauges of our ability to control ourselves. It is through our ability to control these elements that we find the skill to transmute this control into the external control of our attackers.

Physical conditioning is the most apparent indicator of fighting fitness, but it is not the king of these traits. Being mentally prepared for combat is great too. Still having a good strategy or plan of action is not the supreme skill in combat. Many people, civilian or military have had well laid out plans but all that goes out the window if you do not have a tenacious spirit. I have seen it time and time again where the bigger stronger attacker (even if they), launch a well prepared surprise attack against an unsuspecting target gets beat. It all boils down to not the size of the person in the fight but the tenacity of the fighter that counts. This tenacity of spirit is the prime factor needed for winning battles.

"Everyone has a plan 'till they get punched in the mouth." Mike Tyson

This tenacity of spirit can be cultivated but not learned. Mental ascendancy does not translate to having tenacity of spirit. Sometimes the enemy is external but more often than not the enemy is internal and tenacity of spirit counts just as highly here. However, we can run low on energy even in our spirit; we need to recharge from time to time to have some reserve, which I spoke of last week. Plus, there are the added factors of being mentally and physically prepared that also helps add to this reserve for our tenacious spirit. All three working in conjunction is the supreme goal at any age, or level of health. 

What we need to begin with is an understanding of the level of physical fitness we need. This depends upon our goals and circumstances. Are you competing in martial sports? Do you need self-defense skills for your job? If you said no to these questions, then do you have our own personal bodyguards to fight for you? If not, take inventory of your injuries, or hindrances and your best assets. Then you should be able to determine the fitness level you need that could help you evade or overcome an aggressor.

How we do that can depend on a lot of variables including environmental ones. Are we able bodied enough that we can run, walk, jump, roll, climb, or swim to escape or hide from our attacker? Our assessment should include if we are armed sufficiently and/or are we strong enough to fend them off. This is where training in your martial arts skills both armed and unarmed come into play. After that, following an exercise plan that can help us become capable of moving our bodies around in whatever environment we habitually occupy. We would also need to include a cold hard look at our diet. The less extra weight we have to deal with makes movement that much easier. Most people seem to be fighting fitness instead of having enough fitness to fight for their safety. Developing the discipline to get fit and eat right is a crucial element that can help jump start building tenacity of spirit.

Starting over after every failure is the mental discipline necessary to developing mental discipline. This can help lay the foundation for building strength of spirit. The mind is our greatest user of energy and it is where most of our real battles take place. We have to first learn to contend with our-self and our preconceptions and misconceptions of ourselves before we can confront the preconceptions and misconceptions of others.

We may never feel like a project is completed but we should do it anyway, there is no such thing as perfection. Once it is done, we find ways to improve upon it and take it that next step forward if we are willing to change. This is how we can improve on our old failures, my advice is to run your life as a beta test. It takes time, talent, work, sweat, heart ache, blood, but you can be/do whatever you make up your mind to be or do. You might have to make your own breaks because very few people will have the belief in you to make it happen; you have to find these things for yourself. Next Friday I will directly address specific skills to help build a tenacious spirit; meanwhile please feel free to read about the paradox of martial art training in my book:

Enlightenment-Kicking-Screaming

My stories are about martial arts adventures that are intertwined with paranormal or supernatural events. The following links are to the Kindle version books from the "Dream Walker” series. Our adventurers find themselves on a quest where they are confronted with both conspiracy and mystery. Their challenge is to unite their mind and body skills together utilizing what they have learned in the martial arts with the transcendental power of dream mediation. They attempt to do this while they are trying to make a life for themselves and elude those that seek to use and control them.

Conversations with a Sage (Book 1 of the Dream-Walker)

Conversations with a Sage: This explores Xander Davidson's early encounters with the mysterious fog like Dream Walking martial art sages. He ponders if they are real or if they are only remnants of his dreams. He mainly keeps this secret world to himself as he tries to copes with abuse, growing up without support or guidance and the mystery of his family's past. 

Xander and the Assassins Gift (Book 2 of the Dream-Walker)

The Assassins Gift: Xander Davidson struggles with the conspiracy of his family and the group that is actively trying to manipulate him to join them or die. The young Dream Walkers learns an early lesson to be careful about whom they let into their circle.


Warriors of Perception (Book 3 of the Dream-Walker)

Warriors of Perception: Xander Davidson and his band of friends embark on a mission to free themselves from their oppressors. They bravely face the challenge all the while vying for the right moment to turn the tables.

Jace Lee The Shift (Book 4 of the Dream-Walker)

Jace Lee The Shift: We find a new apprentice, Adam, that is fighting for his life. He is struggling to understand the amazing skills of his mentor, Jace Lee; a younger man that has trained under Xander Davidson. All the while his mentor attempts to reconcile the fact that his skills do not match up with the other Dream Walkers.


Jace Lee No Agenda (Dream Walker Book 5)

Jace Lee No Agenda: Jace Lee attempts to find himself on a self-imposed vision quest of sorts. Instead he finds himself being stalked by the same group that had previously sought after his teacher, (Xander Davidson). Instead of mastering his odd Dream Walking skills he finds love and the potential loss of his powers.

Jace Lee and the Tutelage of Ming Wu: Dream Walker 6 

Jace Lee The Tutelage of Ming Wu: Jace Lee rejoins his teacher Xander Davidson as they cope with a possible combined threat (the mysterious), Ming Wu and the Council that has continuously monitored the Dream Walkers.