The
Intersection
of Traditional Asian Martial Arts is an internet resource designed to
provide the public with information regarding established systems of
self defense developed in Japan, China, Okinawa, and the Philippines.
The content of the site includes the history and biography of these
Traditional Martial Arts, along with locations and contact information
of qualified instructors in the Mid-Michigan area.
These instructors are devoted to researching,
preserving and teaching the traditional martial arts, and offer classes
in various disciplines to help educate people about
the philosophy and benefits of training. The classes are
taught in the traditional manner, emphasizing safe practice, cultural
and spiritual aspects, and mastery of material at each level.
Fighting
arts have existed throughout human history. As human beings
strove to excel in warfare, they discovered that the grueling
discipline of preparing for battle gave them a degree of mastery over
certain human weaknesses, such as greed, worry, and fear of
death. When the need for warfare diminished, the
training methods were preserved and incorporated with ritual, which
helped to
improve concentration. This is how, over time, these excellent systems
of
physical, mental and spiritual forging were developed. This
way
is known in Japanese as budo (martial way).
In traditional martial arts,
students begin by
practicing the basics, including stances, stepping,
correct etiquette, and safe falling methods. Consequently,
when the
body and mind have begun to adapt to the training, students are given
more difficult material in accordance with their readiness to learn and
devotion to practice. The most successful student is the one
who
can "empty his cup," that is, put aside preconceptions and become
wholeheartedly devoted to the material offered by the
instructor. With dedicated, vigorous practice, most students
find
their health and concentration improve, and that the overall quality of
their lives is affected positively by their involvement in the martial
arts.
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