Friday, August 21, 2015

Perception and Awareness

Friday Knight News


"The key to growth is the introduction of higher dimensions of consciousness into our awareness." Lao Tzu 

As I mentioned in the blog last week, awareness is foundational to good self-defense. Almost every aspect of martial art training helps hone our awareness and trains us to focus, but life is distracting and without constant vigilance even martial artists can be caught off guard. One afternoon a few decades ago I was having a discussion with a group of students in a private training session about the similarities between some Native American and Japanese concepts of perception and awareness.

Iron Palm is one of my favorite awareness focusing drills.



To illustrate my point I suggested that we conduct an experiment. The experiment that I proposed was one that I had utilized many times in training and also in the field. While being pursued in a low-light setting, I had experienced having my pursuers actually step on my dirt covered hand as it lay upon the ground. Only to have them walk on past me as if I had merely been the root of the stump I had envisioned in my mind. On this day I wanted to see how effective this concept was in broad daylight on a beautiful sunny day. I told my students that I was going to step outside of the dojo into the front line of the property and hide. Their job was to walk to the door after giving me a minute to hide and look outside to see if they could spot me.

After they looked, they were to return to class and wait silently without telling any of the others if they had spotted me or not. Each person in turn was to do the same and after the last man had finished I returned to the class and asked them individually what they had seen. To the last man they described almost exactly the same setting. Although a few individuals could not recall the color of the flowers or the color of the cars that were parked out on the street, still the blue sky, fluffy white clouds and the young sapling tree was mentioned in each description.

None of the students had seen me, which was amazing because of the lack of obstacles from which to chose to hide behind. All of the students asked if I had left the premises as they had not been able to figure out where it was I had hidden. Before I answered them, I asked them to take another look outside and describe what they saw. This time they were all amazed that the young sapling tree was nowhere to be seen. I had wondered if the drivers of the passing cars saw a black belt in a white gi standing on one leg with the other leg perched against his thigh. I thought afterward that they might believe I was trying to reenact a scene from the movie with Mr. Miyagi. I had taken the Crane posture, but even so I had thought of myself as a young sapling tree, but perhaps that is all the passing drivers had seen as well.

"The first step toward change is awareness. The second step is acceptance." Nathaniel Branden

I am pleased to announce my newest release from my fantasy, fiction, martial art adventure series. It is a standalone book, although knowledge of the earlier books can be beneficial. I hope it will be of interest to you.
Jace Lee No Agenda (Dream Walker Book 5)



Synopsis: After the harrowing experience in the secret cave, makeshift torture chamber, Jace Lee decides to take a sabbatical. He leaves his only family (his student, Adam and his sister, Jade) as he goes on a spirit quest to increase his unusual dream walking power. Jace also wrestles with the high cost of maintaining his unique skill. This becomes even more difficult as he realizes his sacrifice upon seeing how Adam and Jade have found solace with each other. Jace is happy for them and he helps them get established in a new life before he leaves Europe and returns to the USA.

Once in the states Jace wanders, trying to learn to make a shift to dream walk like the other dream walkers, but instead he forges his will to maintain the power he has acquired. Midway through his journey he comes into contact with a family that seems likely to change his destiny. Then some of the forces that his teacher Xander Davidson had to deal with begins a subtle play to win him over. He finds that both his martial art skills and his dream walking talents are in demand. Eventually when the groups intentions become apparent he needs a little help from his friends to get away, but at what price does it come.




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