Relaxed Power / Perceived Weakness

Friday Knight News

“Everything you do, if not in a relaxed state will be done at a lesser level than you are proficient.” Bruce Lee

Tension is not true strength, this post deals with three questions about overcoming weakness. Can we overcome weakness by developing strength? Can we overcome weakness by sharing our struggles? Can we overcome strength with weakness? The following ideas are observations I've made in these situations.



Can we overcome weakness by developing strength? The obvious answer is yes, anything that we do to strengthen ourselves will help us overcome weakness. So what can we do to overcome weakness by developing our strengths? Exercise and fitness gives us an easy formula to follow for this solution. The thing is, what is it that defines weakness? Often many of the people that are strong in body alone, fail first when it comes to adversity. You don't have to look far to verify this statement. Look at the host of people that drop out of any elite force from military, police and even special cadres in the martial arts. Many of those that try to join them are fit when they come in, but they fail to make the grade. So the answer must include strengthening all areas physically, emotionally, and mentally.

"Notice that the stiffest tree is most easily cracked, while the bamboo or willow survives by bending with the wind." Bruce Lee

Can we overcome weakness by sharing our struggles? There is a difference between complaining and overcoming. Emotional strength is not ignoring your pain, but gaining the strength to face it and maybe even overcome it. I have faced death many times, and helped deliver others from it. Still sometimes watching a movie that had certain scenes in it has caused me to shake and have tremors. This effect continued for decades as I subjected myself to them. Still I was strangely drawn to these films that had these situations in them. I understand what it is to be beaten until you lose count of the strikes and lashes and to be subjected to circumstances where nothing you are told can be trusted and no one can be relied upon. I understand passing out from pain. Yet facing the emotional hurts from my past was more difficult (fear inducing), than facing physical threats like stopping three armed robbers while unarmed and other similar situations. Eventually, though I was able to talk to trusted friends and family about my own torturous death and revival. I wrote a book that describes how following the code of bushido has helped me along in my path to recovery.




Can we overcome strength with weakness? There is always a bigger fish in the ocean, so trusting only on strength is shortsighted. We gain mental toughness by facing adversity. Upper level martial arts focus on developing nothingness, and learning to relax is a giant step forward in this attempt. I have found that often the greater the struggle and discomfort suffered, the easier it is to face lesser things in a calm manner. Power from relaxation and acceptance is hard to understand for most of us as we only associate power with resistance. I first came to accept this in junior high school. One day it dawned on me, I paid to get beat up by world class, champion, black belts every day for fun. After that epiphany, there was't much about junior high that could bother me. Gaining power from perceived weakness is something we can all use at one time or another; so learn to relax.  

"To have faith is to trust yourself to the water. When you swim you don't grab hold of the water, because if you do you will sink and drown. Instead you relax, and float." Alan Watts

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.