ANST - Martial Arts

[Dennis and/or Dory Grace]

ZaraZina said:
>How many artisans also have a background in the martial arts?
 <snip>
>4th Degree Brown Belt, World Tae Kwon Do Fed. Trained Under Dennis "Sugar
Bear" Gotcher - 3 yrs
>Training Seminars with Joe Lewis and Bill Wallace.  Competed heavily in
Kata and Tournament Fighting.
>Teacher of  Women's and Children's Self-Defense
>Blue Belt,  Chon-ji style Tae Kwon Do. Trained Under Mike Uselton - 2 yrs
>Security Guard and Bouncer - 5 yrs

Well, my martial resume isn't nearly so impressive. I first trained in
Silum Kung Fu for a few months, Kyokushin for a couple years, have taken
miscellaneous workshops on aikido, tai chi, judo, and the like, and
presently have a green belt in Cha Yon Ryu. Since I've been doing visual
arts longer than martial arts, I guess I actually brought some skills like
focus and visualization with me when I started training rather than the
other way around. The new arena, of course, offered the opportunity to
approach fleshing out those skills from new perspectives. ;-> (I have yet
to learn real well how to get out of the way rather than stand ground and
block or advance and kick; don't think that could have *anything* to do
with basic personality traits, do ya?. ;->)

I think ZaraZina's right about martial arts being more internal than
external, but then it's all connected anyway, right?

I think some of the things I've learned from martial arts are that it's a
good thing to recognize and own my own personal power, just as it's a good
thing to recognize and own my own weaknesses. That it is possible to move
through situations in a variety of ways without ever necessarily hitting a
wall of black or white. I've experienced beautiful instances of *seeing*and
clarity and unexpected awareness that have, over time, led me to be a bit
more given to pause and thought than I have been in the past. I don't know
which I've learned from martial arts that's more valuable: the things I've
gained through learning or the things I've learned to let go of. I'm not
sure if I've gained more through learning what my potential might be or
what my limitations might be. I've got a sneaking hunch that that yin-yang
thing applies, and that it's all intertwined somehow. I think much of the
martial arts--where body and mind are trained together--can enhance
anyone's life regardless of vocation.

But then I guess we're all pretty much proponents of what we like doing, no?

Aquilanne
toolatetomakeanyrealphilosophicalsensebecauseitistoolateforrealcoffee


Dory Grace--The Inkwell
denouncer of Tytyvylus & warrior crone
mailto:amazing at mail.utexas.edu
http://www.angelfire.com/biz/aquilanne
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