miércoles, 31 de agosto de 2016

Common mistakes





martes, 30 de agosto de 2016

Meditation

A human is like a horse cart. There is the chariot that holds the coachman, the horse that drives the chariot and the coachman himself, whom directs the whole vehicle on his chosen path.
Under the ideal conditions, the cart should be directed by the coachman, but in reality it is directed by the horse; and as such, it is disconnected from the true heart and intention of the coachman.
In Xiao Yao
 Pai, by cultivating the Dao (Xiu Dao); through our schools art; Dao Yin Shu, we develop wisdom and common sense (Wu), with the purpose of activating the 'coachman' so we can express our true nature directly into the world.
When we meditate, the reason we do not entertain the mind is so as to prevent it from being enabled or activated. The result of this method is that the energy of our attention and will, is diverted from the ceaseless activity of the mind and turned inwards to the inner heart to "awaken" the coachman. This is called turning the light around to illumine the heart and awaken to our original nature.
When the mind anew, becomes subordinated to the inner heart, it is as though an emperor displaced from his throne, reclaims his position as the highest ruler of his empire.
In this parable, the horse is the acquired post-birth mind (ego).
...

This is the difference between the pre-birth mind which has always existed that is your undying and eternal identity; your true face - and the temporary mind that forms after your physical body is delivered from your mothers' womb. While the latter, being of the body, perishes with the death of the same body that created it, the former is never born and never dies. It has been the "nameless you" through all your lives and carries in itself every combined experience you have ever had, from this life and all others before it. Try to fathom for a minute, the magnificence of what you could be with all the knowledge and wisdom of a thousand live's experiences at your finger tips, and compare that to the relative dullness of what you have learned till date from your current life, yet unfinished.

The post-birth mind is the cognitive complex that forms as we begin to absorb different streams of information from our external world through our body's five senses; namely - seeing, feeling, hearing, tasting and smelling. Like 5 rivers of information, the senses stream into the empty cavity that holds our mind and pool into a vast and heavy sea of fractured knowing. A sea of ideas, beliefs, customs, traditions and indoctrination.
...
The true nature of the child's mind is pure like that of a pristine crystal and tranquil like a pond without ripples. In its clarity, it sees all things and in it's stillness it understands them in all their depth. It is yet free of the concept of Yin and Yang (Taiji), which separates the united whole (Wuji) into the dichotomy of physical existence. The black and the white. The high and the low. The great and the small. The beautiful and the ugly. These are all instruments of discriminative thought.
So how do we do away with all this cognitive pollution? How do we pacify the acquired mind so that the original mind can shine forth in full force and we can express the entire essence of our eternal being and not just the fractional personality we have created in this life? How do we awaken and manifest our true nature into the world so we can become spectacular creators and sophisticated engineers of our reality?
By directing our attention from the horse (acquired mind) to the coachman (original mind) by way of our intention, attention and will.
....

Q: I'm afraid that if I meditate, I will lose my acquired self or my identity. I want to develop my spirit but I'm scared that I will lose my personality in the process.
A: This is understandable, and also a common misconception. When we shift our focus from the acquired mind to the original mind, what happens is not that the acquired personality layers around the core, melt off or disappear, on the contrary, they remain in place, but the redirected focus like a laser, begins to heat up the core so that it becomes hotter and hotter. The heat and vapour created from this, then moves outward into the layers and begins to purify and clean them transforming their quality from negative to positive. So, the layers become light and pure and their resistance begins to disappear; as such, when the original mind radiates its spiritual light from the core, it fires out into the world in full force, completely unabridged and without interruption, because the quality of the layers have changed from an active resistor to a superconductor through which the original mind can conduct and express itself undisturbed by acquired beliefs, dogmas, or fears or any negative aspects that have been accumulated by the acquired mind since birth.

During this process of transformation, the acquired layers of the mind transmute as such:

Anger and frustration turn into kindness.
Hate and impatience turn into love.
Anxiety and worry turn into fairness and justice.
Sadness and depression turn into courage and righteousness.
...
You will find that there are many schools today which are based on dogma and beliefs. They have a plethora of teachings and tons of literature and books that you have to read to absorb their philosophy, but this also "forms" their mind, shaping it into the very structure of the philosophy. So rather than helping you to re-mind yourself into your formless state, you're being formed into an image of their institution. Every philosophy has a form and If you tune your mind to it, you will "lock" yourself to the frequency of that level of thought, and you will not be able to move beyond. Now, while one type of frequency of thinking can be better than an other, it is still limiting, because the ultimate Dao has no form. The highest way has no way at all.

In spiritual Daoist teaching we have no dogma or prohibition. This is a tool to make the 'horse' weak and to cut the roots of the acquired mind. When the racing horse mind is weak and deprived of unsubstantiated beliefs and faith, then it becomes pacified. When it is pacified, it is easier to not pay attention to it. When it's easier to ignore it, it becomes easier to keep your focus on stillness. When it's easier to keep your focus on stillness, cultivating the Dao becomes effortless. When the Dao can be cultivated without effort, the you have touched upon the highest way.

And finally, I'll leave you with a favourite quote of mine by Laozi.

To attain knowledge, add things everyday.
To attain wisdom, remove things everyday.

Taken from Xiao Yao Pai - School of Spiritual Taoism

Full text at:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/xiaoyaopaitaoism/
www.spiritualtaoism.com www.taoyinshu.comwww.xiaoyaopai.eu

lunes, 29 de agosto de 2016

How to Take Care of Your Kendo Bogu

Nunca es tarde

domingo, 28 de agosto de 2016

Amaneceres





 



Paisajes desde el tren camino del trabajo
iPhone 5
Cercanías línea Mataró
Sobre las 7

El Lechón Viajero ahora en Sao Paulo

Otro viaje relámpago del Lechón. Jueves avión, viernes charla y sábado de regreso. Tiempo para en el viaje de vuelta al aeropuerto tomar unas fotos de la urbe. Impresionante modernidad, Pero no busquéis rastros coloniales...





Aprendiendo

Lo que no hagan los chinos...

miércoles, 24 de agosto de 2016

Aragami



Aragami (also known as Aragami: The Raging God of Battle) is a 2003 Japanese action film directed by Ryuhei Kitamura. It was Kitamura's contribution to the Duel Project, a challenge issued by producer Shinya Kawai to him and fellow director Yukihiko Tsutsumi to film a feature-length movie with only two actors, battling in one setting, in only the time frame of one week. 
Ancient Japan. Fleeing from enemies, two wounded samurai arrive at a strange old temple in a remote location in the mountains. The doors to the place are opened by a beautiful and exotic woman, who beckons them inside. Unable to walk any further, they collapse from exhaustion. One of the samurai awakens to find himself miraculously healed. He meets his saviour, a mysterious man who tells him that his friend died from his wounds. The samurai is persuaded to stay the night. His host tells him the legend of the "Tengu", a goblin which is said to reside in the mountains dining on the flesh of men. He goes on to reveal the true name of the Tengu : Aragami. When the samurai asks if Aragami poses a threat to the temple, his host answers : "I am Aragami". The only way for the Samurai to leave the temple is to destroy Aragami.

Tsuki

Last Samurai - Katsumoto Ende

martes, 23 de agosto de 2016

Para entender el entorno

Training is comming


domingo, 21 de agosto de 2016

Eclipse

Luna en la noche
Luminosa y oscura
Tras el samurai

5-7-5

Humor de informáticos

Aprovechando espacios



Un éxito de la ingeniería española. Para ver más curiosidades: http://thegraffitihunter.blogspot.com.es

Haiku desolado

Amarte, amor?
Quererte es bien extraño
Siendo un disfraz

5-7-5

sábado, 20 de agosto de 2016

Sinkholes The Groundbreaking Truth

miércoles, 17 de agosto de 2016

Sombras

lunes, 15 de agosto de 2016

viernes, 12 de agosto de 2016

KENDO E JOGOS OLÍMPICOS II (um post de Usage San)

Navegando por la web en estos tiempos olímpicos me he encontrado con este post antiguo (abril 2006) pero tremendamente vigente en estos días. Os lo dejo a continuación. Podéis ojear el blog entero si os va el kendo merece la pena

Imaginemos que, com bastante tempo e paciência, até se conseguia que TODA A GENTE, NO MUNDO, aprendesse as regras e percebesse a competição de kendo tal como ela é. 

Vamos ser optimistas. Quanto tempo tolerariam as grandes redes de televisão mundiais (não esquecer que os jogos são sobretudo um evento televisivo à escala planetária que vive de patrocínios comerciais) um desporto sem duração pré-determinada?

Sabemos muito bem que uma final de um campeonato pode acabar em segundos, mas também (por exemplo, a final por equipas masculinas do mundial de Glasgow) sabemos que pode estender-se por 15 ou 20 minutos de anti-shiai sem que nada de interessante (pelo menos, para um tele-espectador vulgar) se passe.

O que é um facto é que, tal como é entendido e praticado hoje, o shiai de kendo é impensável nuns Jogos Olímpicos. Já nem vou falar da fome das medalhas e de tudo o que os atletas são capazes de fazer para as obter. Afinal, o mais importante no kendo nem é vencer.

Porque é que o judo criou os "famosos" koka e yuko? Para abreviar os combates? Não tenho a mais pequena dúvida. Porque é que o taekwondo olímpico tem vitórias por acumulação de pontos, tal qual como, por exemplo, o boxe? É tudo uma questão de tempo, do seu controle e do dinheiro que esse "tempo televisivo olímpico" vale em compromissos comerciais.

Qual a solução?

A solução proposta pela World Kumdo Association, desvirtua completamente aquilo a que chamamos kendo actualmente: marcação electrónica, acumulação de pontos, pontapés (sim, sim), etc. O exemplo do judo também não é o melhor. Criar fracções de ippon numa arte marcial que tem como um dos seus fundamentos o conceito de "um golpe, uma morte", parece-me, no mínimo, ridículo. E assim, de repente, não estou a ver mais nada.

Então, repito: Qual a solução? Não há solução e não me parece que haja vergonha nenhuma nisso. Porque é que o kendo deveria ser desporto olímpico? Seria mais importante por isso? Será menos desporto assim?
Pelo contrário, a verdade é que tudo indica que, tal como se desconfiava, o k
Fonte: indo é muito mais do que um simples desporto.

Shinobido - Ninja (2012)

Entrenamiento y ciclo menstrual


En plenos Juegos Olímpicos de Río de Janeiro, se está comentando acerca de las atletas que han elegido un determinado momento del ciclo menstrual para competir! El tema no es nuevo .... De hecho uno de de los primeros artículos sobre este tema surge con las olimpiadas de Barcelona en 1992, por Zhakarove y Gomes.

Se ha estudiado el comportamiento de la flexibilidad, la variación de la fuerza (por medio de dinamómetro isocinético) y se ha medido en diferentes estudios el VO2 max a lo largo del ciclo menstrual .... Y qué sabemos ??

1. No se produce en todas las atletas un cambio de rendimiento deportivo a lo largo del ciclo menstrual.

2. En las atletas con un impacto negativo, el rendimiento es peor en la fase premenstrual.

3. El rendimiento es mejor en la fase folicular por el aumento de estrógenos.

4. Durante la menstruación  pueden ocurrir calambres menstruales y la pérdida de sangre (con la ferropenia consiguiente) puede comprometer el rendimiento

5. Parece que existe un mayor riesgo de lesión del ligamento cruzado anterior en el pico de la ovulación (esto es muy interesante! Pero faltan estudios concluyentes).

6. Un entrenadora inteligente que pregunta a la atleta como es su ciclo menstrual y cómo es su rendimiento puede adecuar  la intensidad del entrenamiento ... y todos contentos!

Buenos entrenamientos lechones!

jueves, 11 de agosto de 2016

Acciones de verano

Reparar Shinais, selección de lamas, lijado e hidratación en tubo con aceite vegetal 




Novedad: tubo secador para retirar el exceso de aceite de las lamas un tubo de PVC relleno de papel absorbente (del mismo que se usa tras freír el pollo empanado o las croquetas...)




Teñir el keikogi viejo o convertir un viejo judogi en keikogi
  
Le falta otro baño de color al judogi para acabar en keikogi ;)

Sabes?

Tengo tanto que decirte
entre silencios y ruido
rasgando memoria y tiempo
entre pasiones y olvidos
zozobra, lágrimas, llanto
antiguos y nuevos cantos


martes, 9 de agosto de 2016

Es como practicar Kendo

domingo, 7 de agosto de 2016

Sugerencias



viernes, 5 de agosto de 2016

Chinese soldiers circa 1900

miércoles, 3 de agosto de 2016

Taiji Sword

From the introduction to Taiji Sword (太極劍) by Wu Tunan (吳圖南) -

夫劍法無運用不能因敵致勝,微變化焉能出入神奇。是以初學劍術者,或姿勢不正確,或動作不自然,或應用不純熟,或轉換不玲琍。是皆由於不知運用之變化使然也。蓋用劍之法,紐勁為上,靈捷為先。目宜速,身不可滯。手宜敏,步不可遲。 久之,自然動作儒雅,舉止大方。其形勢似飛鳳。其勁力透中鋒。使用腰力,運動全身。故發勁用勢,非僅徒用手指着力而已耳。

Those practicing sword who do not practice applications can not achieve victory over different types of enemies,*(*There are different types of swordsmen and one must practice applications to deal with them in different ways analysis each, then taking advantage of their weakness.) (without practicing applications) if the enemy makes little changes you can not move the sword in and out with miraculous skill. Therefore, when first studying the sword art, maybe the postures are not correct, maybe the movements are not natural, maybe the applications not skillful, maybe the changes are not nimble. This is all due to not knowing the changes in applications. Concerning the application of sword techniques, the higher skill is turning power, being spirited and quick is also a priority. The eyes must be fast, the body cannot be sluggish. The hands must be agile, the steps cannot be late. After a long time, your movements naturally become refined, with a graceful bearing. Your postures resemble a flying phoenix. Your power passes through your center. Use the power of the waist, move the entire body. Therefore, when releasing power in a movement, do not merely use the power of the hand.




Translation: Scott M. Rodell

lunes, 1 de agosto de 2016

The Last Samurai - The True Story



The story of Jules Brunet, who inspired the character of Nathan Algren, played by Tom Cruise in the 2003 movie "the Last Samurai".


The French officer Jules Brunet played an active role during the Boshin War, leading the rebellion against the Imperial Nippon, in 1868-69.

"A revolution is forcing the Military Mission to return to France. Alone I stay, alone I wish to continue, under new conditions, the results obtained by the Mission, together with the Party of the North, which is the party favorable to France in Japan. Soon a reaction will take place, and the Daimyos of the North have offered me to be its soul".
— Jules Brunet, Letter to Napoleon III 

Five Mistakes Students Make in Iaido



Suino-Sensei shows five common mistakes made by beginners in iaido, and explains how to correct them to make your swordsmanship stronger, more efficient, and more effective.

El guerrero pacífico

Jo Kata Improvisation by Kashiwaya Sensei