Is It All in the Mind, Dr. Freud?
Friday 22 April 2022
There's often a hot debate about whether martial arts is a physical sport or a mental sport. Is it the mind or is it the body?
Most if not all sports people will tell you that the person who wins in a physically competitive sport digs deep and produces that extra burst of determination at the last moment, getting them 'over the line' first. What this is telling you is that when the body says the tank is empty, the mind disagrees.
The reason a gym full of machines and weights is limiting is because it can become autonomous and monotonous (read boring!). Rowing in, rowing out, pushing up, pushing down, going fast, going slow, may all help the physique up to a point. But at Meiji Martial Arts, that's simply called a warm-up, 'blowing out the tubes', flexing the muscles, freeing-up the joints, before getting into the interesting bits.
We can easily forget that the mind and the body are inextricably linked. Martial arts can restore and strengthen that bond. It fosters harmony between the two. This is why the great masters always look peaceful (just don't be fooled by that serene look, though!). They are at peace with themselves.
When harmony is achieved, the whole martial arts experience is like the flow of water - fluid yet full of energy, joyful, and unstoppable! Liken it to a shared experience between mind and body, where they are constantly learning from each other. They work together. Thus, the physical disciplines demanded by martial arts are reflected in a changed mental attitude, where confidence, respect, self-respect and humility grow together, in the Dojo and in one's personal life. From the other direction, determination to achieve communicates from the mind to the body, which responds physically and positively.
Good martial arts ensures you grow physically, mentally, socially and culturally. You'll feel more satisfied, more optimistic, more in control, with more purpose in your life. Above all, you'll get to realise there is no limit to what you can achieve, inside and outside the Dojo.
So, would Dr. Freud have told us it's all in the mind? Possibly, but we would disagree. However, there's little doubt that it starts with the mind - the decision to come to the Dojo - the desire to achieve - the determination to grow. On the other side, maybe Sigmund would have sharpened his great mind even more with some Meiji Martial Arts to get the juices really flowing!