My approach to stress reduction is based on over 30 years of practicing meditation, mindfulness, martial arts, music, Tao Yin, Qigong, Hatha Yoga and similar disciplines. I like using different modalities. I tell people I’ve never seen a strong tree with just one root. Think about that for a second.
In my classes I tell people that calligraphy, tea ceremony, music, martial arts, Zen gardening are based on the same principles. So it is basically the same.
Martial arts are not a sports competition. It is a way of life, and fighting is just way to achieve the balance. Practicing with a partner ads an unknown variable in the equation. In Yoga, for example, you are working on your inner peace sitting on the mat, or doing asana alone, or surrounded by likeminded people. And it is wonderful! I’ve done it since 1982. And I still do sitting meditation. It is an amazing practice! But it is somewhat similar to playing chess with yourself. You are just learning about yourself, which is great too. We can do shadow boxing as a solo practice.
In martial arts, however, we are usually working on a balance by learning to interact with a partner, or several partners for that matter, who are working against us in a sparring. That’s why in my humble, but accurate, opinion 😉 martial arts offer easier and more practical way to achieve the balance and harmony in the midst of chaos of the modern world. I don’t have an opportunity to spend 10-15 years meditating in the cave, or even in a Buddhist monastery. We are constantly interacting with other people who are trying to get us out of balance. When you are out and about, we may not be surrounded by friendly faces.
I like teaching stress reduction through Martial Art principles because they are easy to show and explain. I am a visual learner. Emotional impact is very similar to physical impact. Why do you think an English idiom is calling an insult, “a slap in a face”. Because they are the same.
Check out My Classes I teach in Phoenix, AZ area
Some Stress Reduction Videos I Recorded:
