Martial arts have always been shrouded in mystique. This can often lead to students abandoning the martial arts in search of the truth or becoming disillusioned. Very occasionally someone comes along, say an instructor, who is willing to peel back the cloak of secrecy from the inquisitive student and show him the way.

Sen-Shin means, (clear your mind) practice karate strongly and systematically. I’m sure you’ve heard the words don’t ask questions keep training and all will be revealed to you in time. In other words, you are not allowed to question what you are doing or why you are doing it. Of course not in all cases but in many that have Japanese instructors it is endemic, or as tradition likes to say, you don’t question the teacher, you just do what he tells you. However, when you practice in the dojo it is the opportunity and the place to empty your mind and a place to train your body.

soft must follow hard

The more you can free your mind, the more you can learn. Remember Sen-Shin. An example of this is the Chinese practice of Qigong pronounced Chi-Kung. It is an ancient Chinese discipline that combines mental concentration, breathing technique and body movements to activate and cultivate your vital energy as it flows through the invisible channels of the body.

Additionally, Qigong teaches you to use your mind, body, and spirit together to unblock energy and balance Yin and Yang energy in the body. Qigong is a simple and powerful form of exercise that is practiced in China and around the world. Anyone can immediately benefit from his practice. Qigong exercises teach the basic idea of ​​using consciousness to go into emptiness. It is a state of pure energy where you are one with the universe.

For example, when you sleep, you feel relaxed and at peace, you take your mind and body into emptiness, and we all do this automatic meditation without realizing it during sleep and periods of deep relaxation. When practicing Qigong we go into the void where we balance Yin and Yang, the feminine and masculine energy. Many teachers will tell you that the most powerful techniques are often the simplest. What this means is that many of the techniques taught in dojos around the world today are overly complicated, for example some kata with their applications (Bunkai) shrouded in mystery. In their fundamental form, Karate and Qigong exercises are very simple. No need to learn complicated secret moves or ‘um’, especially when it comes to self-defense, where a simpler approach has been proven time and time again to work better.

Masters of martial arts already know that mental power is more powerful than physical, because without the mental capacity and the ability to be able to turn your aggression on and off as you see fit, you will not defeat your enemy (attacker), even even if you are big and strong but without attitude the will to win (mental power). In short, if your opponent has more than you, guess what, you will be defeated. You have to cultivate within yourself through regular training the hard (external) and soft (internal) techniques that result in the overwhelming will to prevail no matter what. It’s that easy.

Practice every day and reap the reward

From my point of view, martial arts have a destination but many routes to get there. There are also many styles and schools of karate and other martial arts disciplines.

In many, however, their goal of building internal strength remains central to all. Therefore, in its soft training it must follow hard because it offers a method of training the nervous system, the mind and the internal organs simultaneously so that the inner strength of the whole person rises to a new level of power and fitness. For centuries, this knowledge was only passed down within families or a small circle of chosen teachers or students and was kept relatively secret. It is only recently that it has been taught and discussed.

Following this maxim, martial arts students through the development of extraordinary internal and physical powers have enabled practitioners to break bricks and stones with their bare hands. Qigong (Chi Kung) literally means energy exercise, and it is a gentle form of movement exercise, you are like an angry tiger in silence, you are like a sleeping dragon. You just have to be patient enough to figure it out.

In China, early morning draws people from all walks of life and of all ages to start their day by performing traditional exercises in parks and forests wherever they live. They can be seen doing stretching movements, others are training in various martial arts, Tai-Chi or Chi-kung, the slow, gentle exercise that develops and relaxes the entire body. Amid all these moving forms, practitioners are completely focused on deep inner growth. As stated above, for centuries the art was a closely guarded secret that encompassed all soft and hard martial arts training. It could be said that it is the hidden treasure of Karate.

‘The successful warrior is the average man/woman with laser-like focus’