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The Mind Is In Charge Of The Body; Internal Martial Arts

By Marci Glover


Taoists believe that there is a way the body can be strengthened through yogic and psychological practices. This is what is referred to as internal martial arts. The nervous and the energy manufacturing systems are controlled from within the body resulting in a strong human being, both within and without the body. It is common to find people practicing these skills in California. They are trying very hard to preserve this culture.

The founders of this field of art practiced, mastered the skills and later described the underlying principles; balancing the body, effortless power and internal energy. These same people codified the main principles that still guide the field even today. The main principles as described by the founders are; physical mechanism, linking the body and mind, and striving to attain advanced skills.

Body mechanism is a principle that asserts that human beings are made of hard tissues which interlock to form a skeleton. These hard tissues are covered with the soft tissues mainly composed of ligaments, muscles and tendons. When the hard tissues interlock, they cut down the work that was meant for the soft tissues to very low levels.

The same principle argues that the body has fulcrums, through whose turning the body avoids a lot of effort. Therefore, an artist must find a suitable position during his/her performance to help push power into the soft tissues. Hence, the body works like a lever system; where less energy is used to produce more energy on the output end.

On the other hand, the full empty principle suggests that the human body is made up of full and empty points. A fighter should know the full and empty parts of his/her opponent if he/she has to beat him/her. Knowing these points is essential in helping the fighter move fast and steadily. It also ensures that balance is maintained even after the strongest knock by the opponent. The fighter ought to strike the strongest points of the opponent.

According to the founders of internal martial arts, pain can be avoided through involving the mind whenever the body is hit by anything that can cause pain. If the mind tells the body that there is no pain, then no pain will be felt. This is because the mind coordinates every activity in the body; including sensing stimuli. So, for physical strength to have any value, the mind must be involved.

The difference between internal martial arts and other exercises is the therapeutic action known as sung. This is the springiness or suspension involved in yoga, Tai Chi and many other genres of this field. The artist takes his/her mind through a relaxation session, and does not pay attention to anything happening outside his/her thoughts for a long time. Sung creates meridian avenues, balances the muscles and eliminates dysfunction that results from poor posture. It is the most important element that leads to mastery of internal secrets of Tai Chi.

To master this practice, one needs to sharpen his/her skills in minimizing energy expenditure, but maintain high levels of power production. This is only possible if the mind is properly engaged. Most people around California have developed interest in this culture, and are practicing them routinely. This culture is so much loved that a course was introduced in Stanford University to help preserve these practices.




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