Martial Arts Vs Spirituality and Non Violence

Often we see a conflict between Martial Arts and Non-Violence/Spirituality. How can some art which teaches people how to fight, how to use weapons, sticks & where to strike a person to immobilize or maybe even kill, be a spiritual discipline.

Some of us do consider martial arts to be spiritual but still dont know why is martial arts a spiritual discipline. Well we can understand, Yogasanas, pranayaams, Zen Buddhism, Reiki and even Martial arts such as Tai Chi and Chi Kung to be spiritual and non-violent disciplines. But how can learning kickboxing, Muay Thai, Hard Core Elbow Strikes, Knee Strikes, Jabs, Knockout Hooks, Upper Cuts and so on be spiritual and non-violent.

Well to understand the above first we need to understand the following.
The humility of a weak person has no value, the non-violence of a weakling has to no value, the humility and peaceful nature of a strong person does have value. For example a mouse or rabbit goes by you, this event wouldn't have any value to you(well if you have a real strong phobia for rats or rabbits then its a different matter then) but just imagine if you are in a jungle and lion, tiger or a jaguar walks past you without harming you, you would remember it all your life. Once a tiger who had strayed from the wild did walk past an old uncle of mine, he rubbed himself like a cat does on him and walked past him, this happened many years back and he still goes about talking about it. It wouldn't have been much of an event if a cat had done the same.

So truly speaking the non-violence of a man who can devastate a man with one strike is true non-violence, such a non-violence comes from within the depth of the mind. Non-Violence usually is taken as non-expression of violent feelings in the mind. But it is not that, mind which is relaxed, peaceful and calm is a non-violent mind.

Workshop

For Details:-

CONTACT:

SAURABH CHOPRA

email: Combatrix@gmail.com
Blogging: http://combatrix.blogspot.com/

Requirements for Corporate Workshop

Gymnastic Mats(more the merrier, but atleast two)
Lapel Mic, Speakers, Sound System, OHP
Preferably a hall with an elevated stage(for visibility)



Instructions For Participants
Loose Cotton Clothing
Canvas Sports Shoes or Flat Soled Sports Shoes( non leather only)
Water Bottle 1 Litre or More
No leather items on body, during training.
No accessories like jewellry etc on body during training.
To follow a vegetarian diet for the duration of the workshop.
No alcohol, No Smoking, No Tobacco, No addictives for the duration of the workshop.
Keep a light stomach while you come for training.

You can resume all of the above restrictions once the workshop ends. But for the duration of the workshop the above rules need to be followed.

How is COMBATRIX different from the usual self defence workshop

* First of all Combatrix is not exactly a Self defence workshop(its a bit more), though Self Defence is a part of it. Combatrix is mainly a Self Developement Workshop which includes Training in Hand Combat skills & meditative practices in martial arts which makes us a force to reckon with in our day to day life. It also makes us a more dynamic and versatile personality.
* Combatrix is a blend of Soft Relaxation based Meditative Techniques and Hard Fight Based Combat Techniques taken from various martial arts.
* There may seem to be a conflict between Soft Relaxation Techniques and hard fight based techniques, but in reality they complement each other like two lovers.
* Combatrix presents the best of all martial arts blended together in a 10 day workshop which aims at making a person strong, flexible and confident not only in martial arts but also in his work.
* At the end of the workshop I do not promise that the participant would be the best fighter in the world, but I do promise a technique if practiced with dedication over a period of time can make the person excel in whatever he or she decides it to be. Be it fight or work or both, and much more.
* The combat techniques taught here are not to win fights but how to survive them. Well there are pretty good chances that in the process of surviving you may actually win.

COMBATRIX THE WORKSHOP

I have come out with Combatrix, which combines the best from all martial arts and sports training workout. Combatrix combines meditative practices existing in martial arts with Hard core fighting methods. The workshops suits all age groups and all body types as the training intensity is moderate and controlled but highly effective. Combatrix contains practically applicable fighting methods, particularly suited for individuals with little no or training in martial arts. All aspects of fighting such as grappling, stand up fighting, ground fighting are covered in the workshop. And very powerful meditative & destressing techniques are taught which make the participant not only tough physically but also mentally.

Combatrix encourages participants to develop their own fighting methods after learning the existing methods taught to them, as opposed to spoon feeding with techniques, as the human mind recognizes the techniques best suited for its body. Aim of this workshop is to make the participant not only strong and focussed but also responsible and sensitive to his or her surroundings & people.

The workshop aims at improving the following points in an individual

• Strength

• Flexibility

• Agility

• Power

• Endurance

• Fighting Skills

• Mental Focus

• Relaxation skills

Some Real Life Fight Tips # 1

• Never raise your kick, below belt level in a life threatening fight especially when you are fighting more than one person. Once you have the confidence of kicking high & strong, only then use the high kick but that too preferably if the opponent is tending to back out of the fight, or if you have to give finishing touches to the already bashed up opponent.
• Never lose your cool in a fight, always be relaxed & alert. Losing cool, makes one stiff, and in aggression one tends to open up his guards.
• Raise the valor in you. There may be times in ones life that one may rather fight to his or her death than run away(this is usually when some body's loved one is in danger). During such situations there is only one thing that really helps... that is the "Kshatriya Bhaav".... the Valor in oneself. The Valor is linked to the praana shakti in a person which is in turn linked to the breath. If in a fight you feel that you are being dominated or are getting nervous, then breathe out forcefully a couple of times like in Kapaalbhati pranayaam practiced in Yoga.
• But there are also times when one might just rather run away than risk anything.
• Always be humble. Never really pick up a fight, even if a fight is brewing up, always look to end the fight non-violently, through talks, in a cool headed demeanor. Then even if with all your efforts if the fight seems imminent then either run away and forget about it, or fight to the end(or till the time you find an escape route). In terms of technicality:- never get into the Bully Stance during such situations, always be in the ignoring stance(I don't want to fight you stance). Your guards are all open in the bully stance and the opponent gets forewarned about any attack of yours.
  
• Always keep your eyes on your opponent. As you advance in skill and if you are facing more than one opponent, the more the presence of your mind the more you'll be aware of all your opponents.
• Never think of showing off when you get caught up in a brawl. You are most vulnerable when you are in the show off mode.

What happens when we get into a fight or a tight situation anywhere?

We are unable to think anything, our mind gets tensed and panicky, all muscles get tensed up and we are unable to even think let alone move.. Or for that matter when the boss decides to blow the steam on you, all the points in the book you read about relaxation and smiling at your boss when he screams at you goes for a toss. You can't be relaxed by reading books, you cant be relaxed by listening to people in seminars. Relaxation is a skill like any other skill which needs to be practiced. Relaxation is not only flexibility of the mind & body it is also the strength of both. And here in Combatrix you shall learn practices which when practiced regularly increase our ability to stay relaxed in the worst of all situations and when the mind is truly relaxed & alert it works out a solution which the strong body implements. That also means that the mind invents a technique according to the situation.

So to sum up the most important point in any fight situation or tight situation.

• BE RELAXED and AT THE SAME TIME BE ALERT.
• If one is only relaxed he will be bashed up left right and centre, If one is only alert he'll tense up and wouldn't be able to move a muscle. So the skill here is to be relaxed and alert.

COMBAT BEYOND THE TECHNIQUES

• Anyone who has been learning any martial or has gone through any self defence workshop has been made to go through techniques
• Techniques such as
• What to do when someone points a knife at you
• What to do when someone grabs you from the back
• What to do when someone points a pistol at you.
• What to do when someone pushes you.
• ....many more what to do's

• Sounds very nice and easy, but things don't work out always as we want it
• What if there are 12 people grabbing you
• What if the person decides to shoot you instead of just keeping the gun on your back.
• What if there are 5 people deciding to get cozy with you all at once.
• What if you have somebody with you who has not learnt the tecniques you learnt at the martial arts school and he or she becomes your weakness.

I dont mean to write off techniques, or I am not saying there is anything wrong with them, what I mean to say that there is something beyond the techniques which makes the technique work. And recognizing that is wisdom .... more common sense actually.

To go beyond something we need to go through it, therefore to go beyond the techniques we need to go through it, we need to learn it....