While the sprained bones cut my practice short a little, I started a new book. This will be my third one so far. It is called “Samurai Zen” from Scott Shaw. As the name suggests, it is about the theory of Zen Buddhism for the martial artist. Shaw describes how to refine your physical senses in addition to exercises on channeling energy.
One exercise sticks out for me mainly. He talks about Muga, or the state of intuitive awareness. When embracing Muga “you are in contact with all interactive elements of the universe” (p. 37). Well, that sounds pretty spiritual, doesn’t it? However, if you think about it, weren’t you in a situation before that did not feel right. Walking down the forest and the hair on the back of your neck stands up? You probably felt an animal watching you. You could not see it, but you knew it was there somewhere.
How about you could practice this subconscious mind and use it to your martial artist advantage?
Shaw describes an exercise of Reading the Room, reading the energy of the people in the room. You can even push it to read the energy of an empty room, as the emotions of people, which were in it before, linger. Sounds like science fiction? A little bit. But I have seen some Ninjutsu exercise where a blindfolded kneeling person is to be cut with a sword (a wooden of course). With practice and concentration this martial artist was able to sense the strike and evade it. It was pretty impressive I must say.
Anyway, there is a lot between heaven and earth where we have no explanation for. I will start practicing the reading of the room. I can imagine this would help in my day to day business world as well.