Zen and the martial arts?

[Samurai Jack]

Alright so here's my contribution to a thread that I technically should be posting on the most considering that I'm not a practitioner of a CMA.

I've been practicing Zen for some time now and only recently began training in aikido (since January 3,2003).

So what, if any benifit to a martial art does zazen provide? I mean I've heard so much lip service paid to a zen/chan/martial arts conection, but nobody seems able to articulate exactly WHAT the conection is.

Now, don't get me wrong, I know that it isn't necessary to practice meditiation with your martial art, but is a meditating martial artist a better martial artist?

[ZIM]

Is this a troll? ;)
but is a meditating martial artist a better martial artist? Not necessarily.
if any benifit to a martial art does zazen provide The sitting meditation *may* provide some stress relief, possibly resistance to flight/fight responses. The POV of Buddhism might provide some *insight towards* spontaneity in technique, altho it might not make a person more spontaneous...

[Christopher M]

Look up Takuan on the net, who is probably the best source for Zen ideas applied to martial practice. In particularly, he wrote often to the famous japanese swordsman Yagyu Munemori, and the fruits of this are available in the books 'The Sword and the Mind' and 'The Unfettered Mind.' Cleary's 'The Japanese Art of War' is more accessible and gives the topic a considerable introduction.

[chen zhen]

meditating will (can..) make you more calm in a real fighting situation, so that you're like "keep it cool" when facing off with an opp.
it's like what Tai Chi and internal arts wants you to be, and tries to develop through standing qigong, and that sorta thing.

[bodhitree]

Meditating can help to better respond to all areas of life. Meditating is NOT JUST sitting in postures still and breathing, If you dont work on awareness and calmness in everymoment, all the sitting and breathing in the world will do nothing. Focus on one goal miss the whole point. Meditate for virtue, the virtuous man has no hangups and can respond appropriately to anything!

[chen zhen]

A student went to his meditation teacher and said, "My meditation is horrible! I feel so distracted, or my legs ache, or I'm constantly falling asleep. It's just horrible!"
"It will pass," the teacher said matter-of-factly.
A week later, the student came back to his teacher. "My meditation is wonderful! I feel so aware, so peaceful, so alive! It's just wonderful!'
"It will pass," the teacher replied matter-of-factly.


;)

[shaolinboxer]

In meditation we can create the mind, body, and spirit that we must carry into hard training.

[Former castleva]

English philosophy or Zen,whatever helps you.

I do not know how it is possible to measure how a martial artist is better,or even better than... :(

I can´t see why meditating would make anyone "better" anyways.

[chen zhen]

Meditating could help you realize that no-one is "better" in any ways. that's zen philosophy...;)

[Former castleva]

Well,my philosophy derives from biology... ;)

[chen zhen]

How does that work out?

[Former castleva]

It´s working pretty well.

[chen zhen]

I mean, how? Biological philosophy? how does that work?

[shaolinboxer]

There si a fascinating history associated with this. The reading list is actually quite long.

You could begin at www.koryu.com for details on the historical facts and theories about zen and the martial arts.

[BaJinDaoChuan]

Traditionally buddhism was taught along with kung-fu. My Style is Ba (8) Zen (Fold) Tao (way/path) Chuan (fist). Our predominate style is Snake. But the buddhism is taugt along with it. They go hand in hand. It not only makes you a better martial artist, it makes you a better person.

[chen zhen]

In what way does it make you a better MA'ist? please define this