I trained in Tenryokudo Bujutsu (Translated loosely as The Elemental Philosophy of the Art of War) for 1 year, during which I gained many insights and abilities which helped both my personal development and my professional development in a high conflict work environment where I was entrusted to train new employees in methods of safely controlling aggressive clientele and controlling my own emotional state in the midst of political entanglements, financial difficulties, and a romantic conflict of interest which gained me a loyal fiancee and an abundance of dedicated enemies.
I attained the rank of 5th degree white belt in the system and was ready to receive my yellow belt before the dojo closed. I respect all the people I trained with and the sensei, who was an invaluable resource in developing my personal style of self defense which has remained with me to the present day. On a personal level, I greatly appreciated the supportive environment of the dojo and the noncompetitive atmosphere of personal fulfillment in addition to the most reasonable monthly price I will probably ever pay for martial arts instruction.
Without further ado, here are some lessons I gained from my tenure:
*Your stance is the root of your stability, both physically and mentally. Never let an opponent break your stance: feet shoulder width apart, archer's stance, weight on your forward foot, front hand down low to protect your knees, rear hand tucked across the body guarding your face, slight smile at all times. Strive to make this stance a default response to any aggressive display and do not allow your opponent to change your position.
*The martial arts can be described in the following elements: earth, wind, fire, water, lightning, wood, metal, and void. Each element conforms to certain universal tendencies and has a characteristic impact on an opponent.
Earth is the element of immovable strength and formidable power. It is the element of sumo wrestlers, Shotokan karatekas, and western shoot wrestlers. It is an attitude of immovability and constancy in the face of conflict. Its physical manifestation is in muscularity and strength as expressed through weight lifting and brute force techniques.
Wind is the element of unpredictability, humor, extravagance, and caprice. It projects circularity and frustrates the opponent into submission. Its physical manifestation is in agility, flexibility, and endurance as expressed through prolonged running, jumping, and acrobatics. Wushu, Capoeira, and other circular forms project the wind attitude.
Fire is the element of destruction. It projects an attitude of aggression, linearity, and speed. Fire is not a heavy force, but a driving force. Physically, it is embodied by power as expressed through sprinting and other maximum effort exertions. Fire will inevitably burn out after a short time and is therefore an element reserved for tactically appropriate moments. Krav Maga, Kenpo, and other arts renowned for speed and aggression project a fire attitude.
Water is the element of yielding strength. It is deceptive and enrapturing to an opponent who will be tempted to attack by the appearance of weakness, but quickly submerged and drowned by fluid defense. Water is one of the most difficult elements to fully master, as it requires the greatest situational awareness to effectively implement. However, it is also one of the most deadly in its deceptive gentleness. Physically, it is embodied by nonstrenuous, fluid movements, as in dance. All forms of Jiu Jitsu, Judo, Aikido, and other gentle arts demonstrate a water attitude.
Lightning is the element of sudden explosive power. It combines the elements of fire and wind to produce effective counters of great power with great unpredictability. Muay Thai, Bokator, Savate, and southeast Asian arts evoke this quality of sudden, devastating counterattacks.
Wood is the element of yielding strength. Combining the elements of earth and water, it constitutes an intermediary element demanding both fluidity and rigidity. Self defense karate has aspects of wood.
Metal is the ideal martial element. When solid, it can be rigid and flexible in equal measure, sharpened to hold a precision point, or broad enough to bludgeon. When molten, it can conform to an opponent's movements and harden on demand, locking them in place. Metal, properly expressed, requires perfect awareness, will, and skill. Any art can exemplify metal, but only with extensive martial refinement.
Void is the absence and presence of all elements. It is the zen element of total detachment and total immersion. It is nonchalantly buying a churro from a street vendor, boarding a bus, sitting on a couch. Void techniques project disappearance, stealth, and unseen death. The opponent cannot easily anticipate void techniques because they originate from a place of casual routine rather than expressed malice. Ninjitsu and similar assassin arts make extensive use of void to destroy opponents when they are least prepared and escape undetected.
*Physical conditioning, and every other form of art, can conform to the elemental philosophy. The elements are a handy way of conceptualizing conflict situations and determining appropriate responses to them. In this sense, my study of Tenryokudo Bujutsu was more important for my philosophical development than my fighting skill.
*Escalation of force should mirror your opponent. In all things, be a mirror to your opponent. Be kind to kind individuals and you will increase kindness in the world. In equal measure, be cruel to those who use cruelty, and you will reduce cruelty in the world. Expressed in another way, follow the iron rule: do unto others as they have done unto you. In so doing, you will forge a culture of iron strength around you.
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