I found this synopsis of my book, and thought it might be of interest to anyone interested in the martial arts. The book itself is filled with many personal stories, anecdotes, martial art history, and quotes, and is much more interesting to read than the synopsis. But the book closely follows this path. Of course, my reason for posting this is to create interest and curiosity, and to cause you to want to read the book. To own it. To BUY it. Go to Amazon.com NOW...
WARRIOR
MIND
Synopsis
Introduction: Definition of the term "Warrior
Mind".
This book is about the development of
the functional, dynamic mind-set which is essential for all martial art
training, regardless of style. Through
the ages, this mental stance has come to be known as warrior mind. Warrior mind
has three components. The first is inner
strength—the development of unassailable integrity, clear intent, and
unwavering tenacity. The second
component of warrior mind is a thorough understanding of the principles of
strategy—correct movement and balance, proper angles, proper timing, and proper
entry. The third component of warrior
mind is acquiring body intelligence- a spontaneous flow of movement in response to an attack, without
having to think about it. The memory of
correct movement becomes stored in the muscles involved through diligent
practice over a long period of time.
Eventually, thought and movement become one expression.
Warrior Mind is a guide to
understanding and developing the warrior’s essential mind-set. It is also a guide to a strong and proactive
approach to life itself. The principles
that strengthen the warrior mind-set also empower and enrich one’s life whether
or not one is involved in a martial study.
In fact, the goal of developing warrior mind is to become so internally
strong that we discourage and minimize the violence around us. Ultimately, achieving warrior mind is a
spiritual journey.
Chapter 1. True Strength Comes From Within.
External strength is conditional and changes
with circumstances. Internal strength,
consisting of integrity and intent, is not conditional. Becoming truly strong is the result of
developing mental discipline, uncompromisable personal integrity, and clear
intent. It is choosing to live your life
on your own terms.
Chapter 2. The Body and Mind are One.
The body and mind are not
separate entities which struggle and compete with one another; they are one
marvelous intertwined experience. A
strong and healthy body enables a vital mind, and a disciplined mind encourages
a trained body. There is a strong mental
impact on one’s personal reality; thus, there is a correct mindset for
achievement. This chapter outlines the
ten mental exercises necessary for the development of the warrior mindset.
Chapter 3. Breath Control Expands Awareness.
Awareness
is a warrior’s first defense. Awareness
must be enhanced, honed to a razor sharpness just as any other weapon. This chapter is a detailed discussion of that
refinement process, which includes a discussion of abdominal (Tan-Jun)
breathing, mental quieting, relaxation, and Ki enhancement.
Chapter 4. Move from the Center.
A warrior must be aware of
and guard his balance at all times. He
must learn to initiate all movement from his center. This is called one-point movement. There is a direct relationship between proper
balance and the ability to generate and focus power. Correct hip and shoulder movement are
essential to maximize balance and power.
In addition to physical centering, one must understand mental centering,
for the mind must be ready to move before the body can be ready to move. The Kihap,
or “spirit yell” is used to unite the body and mind into a single focus.
Chapter 5. The Water Principle
All energy is directed toward gaining one's objective. The water principle refers to applying and
maintaining constant pressure on an opponent.
As an opponent’s energy surges and ebbs, the warrior’s reactions
constantly vary in response. But his
initial objective-- to prevail-- remains the same. A steadfast belief in a central doctrine can
help clarify his objective. A thorough
understanding of escalating strategic responses helps to sustain unwavering intent.
Chapter 6. Do Not Resist Force; Blend with it.
Meeting force head-on is the
least effective use of power. Rather than resisting force, it is much more
efficient to flow with it and direct it to one’s own advantage. But before one can understand and utilize the
principle of non-resistance, one must develop a non-contentious mind. Then one can blend with an opponent's
momentum and guide him into imbalance. Nothing
neutralizes a size difference better than disrupting an opponent’s balance.
Chapter 7. Seek the Angle of Best Advantage.
.
The goal of strategy is to establish and exploit advantages over an
opponent, reduce your personal jeopardy, and end an adversarial confrontation
as quickly as possible. A warrior may
use a mental advantage to undermine
his opponent's confidence. Or he may
utilize a tactical advantage by exploiting
some aspect of his environment. But a smart warrior will always employ an angular
advantage. He must thoroughly understand
strong and weak angles of attack, and constantly drive his opponent into
his own weak angles.
Chapter 8. Step into the Void.
The whole point of developing enhanced
awareness, balanced movement, clear, unwavering intent, and exploiting strategic
advantage is for the warrior to be able to react in time to protect
himself. If an attack is successfully
avoided, a "window of opportunity" is created by an opponent's
commitment to his own attacking movement.
The opponent is vulnerable to a defensive response until he can recover
his balance and momentum. That moment is
called "Musashi's Void". A
warrior should always try to operate within his opponent’s void by cutting off
his power, overextending his balance, keeping him on his heels by attacking him
before he can recover.
Chapter 9. Flow with Change.
All things change; all
conditions evolve. Graceful evolution of
the artist is only possible when he realizes that his understanding of his art
continually changes, that such understanding is never complete. The true artist must always view his art with
a beginner’s eye, open, ready to learn and adapt. Understanding
individual techniques is not enough; the warrior must understand that
techniques sometimes fail. He must be
prepared to counter unexpected moves and constantly transition to other
techniques. The basic principles of
sparring are apt examples of the physical and mental anticipation and
exploitation of change.
Chapter 10. Honor your Spirit.
The
ultimate goal of the warrior is to achieve a harmonious spirit. Even though the warrior excels at warfare, he
must eventually realize that fighting represents a societal breakdown—social
and spiritual failure. Thus, the warrior
must learn to transcend adversarial thinking patterns in order to evolve
socially and spiritually. He must become
sensitive to the energies which surround him, and the extent to which he
influences them. He must understand the
relationship between his own inner strength and his ability to emanate positive
energy. Eventually, the spiritually
evolving warrior will realize that his personal energy is connected to a
greater energy which surrounds us all, and that the vitality of his life force
depends on this interconnectedness. The
influx and outflow of this universal energy, called Ki, is profoundly influenced by his attitude and behavior.
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