OVERVIEW OF COURSES

The Martial Tradition

   Education is a life-long process that often happens in the most unexpected ways. Everything learned and experienced in life, good and bad, teaches something valuable that helps shape us as a person. Life is in many ways a battle – over weakness, fears, insecurities, and doubts. As such the martial arts as a physical activity is particularly effective in developing a level of self-understanding that is hard to achieve in any other arena, by testing physical and mental limits, learning to face and deal with fear and anxiety through sparring and competition, and by developing high levels of focus and mental development through learning many complex movements. The focus in each class is on the development of the mind through the mastering and control of the body. Boddhidharma, the father of Zen and Shao-lin Kung Fu, stated that to train the mind one must first train the body. A statement that indicates that physical education should play a primary role in education, rather than just as a one unit elective. I have found martial arts particularly effective in developing the mind and body, which may be why the practice of martial arts and Zen (the study of the mind) has developed hand-in-hand through the centuries.
    In end of semester essays, one student stated that the classes and their inherent philosophies made a greater difference in her life than years of therapy and a number of counselors. Another student stated that she was so miserable in her life that she considered suicide, until she found hope and a focus beyond her misery through the philosophies and training of the martial arts. And another student’s feedback attributed the martial art classes with giving him the discipline and attitude he needed to find a new life that would not end up back in prison. The philosophies of Zen and Taoism have a great deal to offer people in dealing with the stress of modern life, and both philosophies, having been developed in conjunction with the martial arts (Zen with Kung Fu and Tai Chi with Taoism) are in many ways best understood when learned hand-in-hand with the martial arts. The many small battles of life, education and work are better dealt with through the mental skills and discipline acquired through martial training.
    A welcome byproduct of mastering the mind through the body is the development of a strong and healthy body. The unique training methods of the martial arts develops a “whole body” fitness, strengthening not just the muscles and cardiovascular system, but also the joints, spine, ligaments and tendons, and through various breathing and movement exercises, improves the health of every cell in the body (see studies on cancer research)

Tai Chi and Fear (From “Tai Chi - Mind, Body and Spirit.”

“The practice of Kung Fu is designed to free us from the only true enemy – Fear.”  ~ Nathan Johnson, in “Barefoot Zen”

    One of the elements that make martial arts useful for psychological development and self-introspection is fear. Although a growing interest in extreme sports is providing more avenues to face fear and develop the skills necessary to deal with it, few are as accessible as the martial arts to such a wide range of society. Particularly Tai Chi, as it can be practiced anywhere by any age, young or old. Although Tai Chi may not seem to be a fear inducing activity, and generally is not the way it is practiced by most people (unless you practice in a park, alone, which takes a certain amount of bravery), Tai Chi can still develop the mind in ways to better deal with common fears. Before looking at specifics however, it is worth looking at some common fears that can dramatically affect your life.

Fear of Success, Fear of Failure, and Self-Sabotage

    Two of the most common fears that can affect daily actions, personal relationships, job choices, and overall happiness and satisfaction with life is the fear of success and the fear of failure. Fear of failure keeps us from enjoying a fulfilling life that can only come with taking chances. We avoid asking someone out, because they might reject us, or we avoid leaving someone because we are afraid of change, or of being alone, or of not finding someone else. We stay in a job we hate because we fear we may get a new job we hate more. Or we avoid going to school because we might fail, or not fit in, or be ridiculed by our friends or family. We say yes to our children when we should say no because we are afraid they won’t love us. People take drugs, smoke, drink, or have sex, all because if they don’t they might not fit in, or might be rejected. All out of some degree of fear – fear of rejection, loss, or failure.
   From a logical rational mind, such motivation for behavior seems absurd, yet we all do it to some degree or other. Which is a pretty good indication that we tend to live our lives irrationally, without forethought or understanding. This is where the introspection and meditative aspects of Tai Chi can come into play. By understanding how the above insecurities and fears can affect our behavior, life, and overall happiness, and by having some time each day when the mind is calmed and quiet, when thoughts can come and go at will, we can begin the process of change and transformation. Coupled with the determination and discipline that comes from doing the form daily no matter what, and you can develop the bravery necessary to confront any fear, uncertainty, or risk in life.
    Even without directly confronting, dealing, or participating in fear inducing situations, the calm confidence and assurance that comes from being relaxed, with the confident tall posture that comes from doing Tai Chi, can help you deal with common fears and stress. Going for a new job, having an interview, testing, or speaking before a group or class can be met better with a few slow deep breaths, while holding the image of yourself or a role model doing Tai Chi – calm, smooth, confident and powerful. A calm and confident person won’t be as susceptible to the Fear of Failure, for they know that the opinions or derision of others is of no account, that only their own efforts matter. So there is no fear of failing. What may seem like failure is met as an opportunity to begin again, wiser and with better understanding.
    Fear of Failure is an obvious factor in limiting your choices and decisions, but what of Fear of Success? Although it does not seem as obvious as to why one would fear success, it can in its own way be as debilitating as Fear of Failure. Change is in itself threatening, and if you succeed, life will be different. Whether as an artist, college graduate, or in new employment, many people feel, even if only subconsciously, that life will become different, unfamiliar, and strange. And of course, once you have succeeded, there is the undercurrent of thought – “Now that I have succeeded, what if I fail now?” Once a “success,” failure can seem even more threatening – as an artist no longer selling his work, a college graduate unable to find work, or not being able to do the job or maintain a marriage.  The end result? Too many people never reach for their dreams, fearing that if they succeed in the first step, they will fail even bigger in the next step. Leading to the all too common occurrence of “Self-Sabotage.”
    Rather than risking failure, rather than risking change through success, people often sabotage their efforts. Not consciously, but the end result is the same. They fail. To use the examples from above, the artist misses deadlines or never quite finishes his work, the college graduate misses classes, assignments, or neglects study, the job candidate is late for interviews or is unprepared, and the fiancée is caught with an old flame or starts to act like a jerk. Even in less dramatic ways, many people throughout their lives perform acts of Self-Sabotage, never quite conscious of it, and never quite finding satisfaction in their lives.
This is where Tai Chi might help, by providing a calmer and more steady mind, time for introspection and realization of acts of Self-Sabotage, understanding of fears of failure or success, and then the determination, discipline and focus to carry through. One of the benefits of the practice of a daily discipline such as Tai Chi is that you gain a thread of continuity in your life, one with which pace all other elements of your life. Fear of Success fades away, since no matter what success or change you may have, the continuity of daily Tai Chi practice provides a peaceful and stable base. It was, is, and always will be there. The same is true for Fear of Failure. You need not worry about failing, for tomorrow you have Tai Chi, and during its practice you may realize why you failed and what you need to do different.  And you have the discipline to do it, from the discipline of your daily practice. Since you fear neither success nor failure, Self-Sabotage is no longer a factor.

The Wilderness Experience

    The wilderness is an ideal learning place, as a foreign environment (for most people) filled with various challenges and difficulties, supported by a beautiful and inspiring setting well suited for inner reflection. Hikes, cross-country travel, the challenges of learning to use a map and compass, the difficulties of surviving in unknown terrain all combine to act as a catalyst or peak experience for inner growth and reflection. Students build and sleep in shelters, some volunteering for the extreme challenge of surviving the cold mountain or desert nights with just the clothes on their backs, learn how to build effective fires in the worst weather without the use of matches or lighter, travel solo cross country in controlled situations testing wilderness navigation skills, and confront a variety of other challenges, from night sits to making cordage from natural materials.
    In the backpacking class students challenge themselves through planning and carrying out a multi-night trip in the backcountry, far from civilization, enjoying the peace and solitude impossible to find in established campgrounds. To take into account the various experiences and needs of the students, each class varies slightly in content, to make each class challenging but enjoyable. To accommodate various interests, the survival classes are divided into two different courses – Wilderness Survival, involving short-term emergency survival skills, and Survival Arts, for those interested in long term survival skills such as those practiced by indigenous peoples across the world (for sample projects). A fourth wilderness based class “Zen of Camping” is a special offering exploring the long held link between nature and the martial arts, delving into Eastern philosophies, particularly Taoism, and the assorted practices and techniques for personal development utilizing martial arts in the natural environment.