Friday, June 24, 2016

Perception & Practice the Magical Element

Friday Knight News


"Cutting down the enemy is the way of strategy, and there is no need for many refinements of it." Miyamoto Musashi 

The difference between magical techniques and mundane ones is in the perception. This is true no matter if you are practicing self-defense based techniques or martial arts based skills. It is less about the style that is being studied, and more about the mind set that you are using. Still, some styles are more suited to be defined as arts of self-defense while other are better described as martial arts. Self-defense styles relates to personal protection and martial arts relates to the arts of war. 

Although today more and more of the arts of war deal with remote control and push button skills, than traditional hand-to-hand combat skills and expertise. Traditionally, most war arts dealt with armed hand-to-hand combat skills. So, to be more precise, martial arts that practice both armed hand-to-hand personal combat skills as well as empty hand skills are more likely to be considered martial arts. While styles that limit techniques in their curriculum so that they fit into a sporting environment and incorporate a broader set of targets and applications for street defense are more likely to be self-defense oriented.

      

In striking arts, controlled power in throwing blows both with punches and kicks can be viewed as exceptional. This ability to unleash both destruction power to the target or the ability to stop the blow is almost transcendent if not magical to some. This is also true with breaking boards or bricks; as well as striking hard enough to straightening out the S hooks on the heavy bag's chains. This description does not diminish one art from another, but merely defines it. Many times you will find that both the arts of self-defense and the martial arts have overlapping skill sets. While the application of these skills tend to vary, it's not the techniques that make the art magical it's the execution of them. I'm sure everyone can understand that an injury from a powerful strike can be fatal. This can also be true from taking a bad fall from a grappling art not to mention deaths from breaks or a strangulation. Both skill sets have the ability to deliver incredible force.     


The greatest difference, in my view, is in the mindset of these two paradigms. The arts of self-defense systems tend to look at situations as opportunities to use the least amount of force necessary to escape, stop, or subdue the aggressor. While the martial art oriented systems, tend to work at avoiding the conflict until forced to defend themselves or others and then deal with the circumstance based on the level of threat. This may seem like an arbitrary splitting of hairs, but from my perspective, this refinement is best seen or not seen in the application of the said arts techniques. Making your techniques invisible is the heart of the matter for making your skills seem magical.

"All warfare is based on deception." Sun Tzu

Prestidigitation is the sleight of hand and as such it has a lot to do with hand-to-hand combat. Due to the severity of these situations, martial arts tend to have a greater need for more invisible applications of techniques. When you are on the receiving end of such techniques, you never see it coming. If you are doing training, you live to talk about it. If you are not training, then the techniques would be felt but only briefly and you would only know that they had disappeared somewhere along the way. Still training is the secret to make your techniques seem magical.     

"When you cannot be deceived by men you will have realized the wisdom of strategy." Miyamoto Musashi 

My stories are about martial arts adventures that are intertwined with some science fiction, a dose of conspiracies theory, along with laughter, love and mystic experiences. 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 meditation. 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: Dream Walker Book 1 by [Lawrence, R. David]

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 cope with abuse, growing up without support or guidance and the mystery of his family's past. 

Xander and the Assassin's Gift: Dream Walker Book 2 by [Law, Rand]

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: 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: Dream Walker Book 4 by [Law, Rand]

Jace Lee The Shift: We meet Adam, (a new apprentice to Dream Walking), while he is fighting for his life. Adam is also struggling  to understand the amazing skills of his mentor, Jace Lee. Jace is a younger man than Adam and Jace has trained under Xander Davidson. Jace is attempting to reconcile the fact that his skills do not match up with the other Dream Walkers, but his abilities may just be a harbinger of things to come.


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.

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