an open heart and an open mind and just let the philosophy wash over you, because the secret of all martial art technique lies in the weight of the practitioner's heart, not his hands or feet.
Introduction
Karate has become a household word in many countries of the world. It is a far cry indeed from the days when it was practiced as an obscure Okinawan village art. As a word, karate simply means empty hand (kara = empty, te- hand). Karate originated in China where the empty-hand arts grew as an extension of the ancient teachings of the Ch'an (Zen) monks of the Shaolin Temple. In fact, the true teachings reflect this ancient wisdom in a practical way. If a system is stripped of its essential philosophy, it becomes nothing more than a gross collection of methods for brutalizing our fellow human beings. Fear is a poor substitute for respect.
The great classics in any art form serve as a source of inspiration to the succeeding generations. They are the bedrock upon which future developments depend. True karate teachings can be said to be contained in the original solo forms, or kata, which preserve the classical art. Of the utmost importance in the preservation of these classical kata is the soul of each form, its practical function.
This book is about classical karate. However, far from being dry or safe, it is controversial. It breaks totally new ground, not through innovation but through the restoration of the neglected practical applications of two of karate's oldest and most profound kata. These are woven together to form a concise and highly practical system that remains true to the wisdom of the Shaolin Temple and that is enjoyable to learn and practice.
This bookreveals the Chinese origins of karate and how to unite and apply all the techniques shown. Most of these kata applications have never been published in English. You are invited to try them for yourself, and if you like them, to make them your own.
Chapter One of this book deals with the Shaolin Way and the history and background of karate. Chapter Two deals with basic techniques and exercises. Chapter Three deals with the Saam Chin kata and Saam Chin boxing (boxing is given to mean punching, striking, kicking, and deflecting). Chapter Four deals with the Nai Fuan Chin kata (note that this is in fact three kata in one) and Nai Fuan Chin grappling (joint locks, restraints, and throws). Chapter Five deals with the ultimate combination of the techniques in Chapters Two to Four through the medium of pushing hands, which forms the bridge or link between kata and application.
The karate in this book can be categorized as Zen Shaolin Karate, which means the empty-hand (way) of Shaolin meditation. It is not a style, however, but a living principle. Its major characteristics are strict adherence to Zen principles, and a refusal to use self-generated power or to initiate an attack. In fact, Zen Shaolin avoids direct confrontation (in which the strongest win), instead seeking the watercourse way (the line of least resistance), flowing with the lines of force, and turning an opponent's force back on him. In so doing, the need to become aggressive is removed.
Using genuine applications, you can also overcome the limitations of strength because you will not be using it! You will learn how to absorb your opponent's force, borrow, and then give it back, the whole process being done instantly by contact reflex while the mind is dispassionately fixed in the meditational state known as samadhi. If you find your body is flowing with the force of an attack, not resisting or blocking, but rerouting it, and if you find calmness amidst physical action, then you will have discovered the watercourse way for yourself. Your own understanding will lead to your own true karate-do.
Gassho
Nathan J. Johnson
Kai San, Zen Shaolin Karate Renmei
The University of Southampton
Chapter One
Philosophy and History
To begin, I will describe the history of karate, from its origins at the Shaolin Temple through to its development in Okinawa and eventual transplantation in Japan. In this chapter, I will also outline the philosophy and theory of the art, which are inseparable from the its physical aspects.
The Shaolin Way
The Shaolin Temple (Shorin-ji in Japanese) stood in a misty, mountainous region in China's Honan Province. The name means "Temple of the Young Trees" and was so-called because of the small trees that surrounded it. Prior to its destruction in 1644 or 1645, an observer could have watched the temple's monks practicing martial arts forms in the early morning light and again at twilight. It was here in this temple that many of the empty-hand fighting arts evolved greatly as they became an extension of Buddhist meditation. The monks began a system of combat training in which they learned how to counter an attack without resistance, conscious thought, or aggression. This was the forerunner of what was later to be called Eighteen Monk Boxing. These techniques were compiled into forms, some of which became popularly known by the Japanese term kata. We are sometimes encouraged to imagine that the empty-hand arts somehow grew from these exercises independent of the rest of Buddhist practice, but if we are to gain any insight into the true value of the empty-hand arts, then a basic understanding of the essential philosophy is required.
Zen is the Japanese translation of the Chinese word Ch'an, which in turn is the Chinese translation of the Indian word dhyana, meaning meditation. According to tradition, its founder and first patriarch, Bodhidharma (Daruma in Japanese), left India and crossed into China, eventually taking up residence in the Shaolin Temple (circa A.D. 528).
The monks practiced seated meditation, living in the moment, and the direct experience of reality. It is said that Bodhidharma often pointed to wild animals or natural beauty to directly convey a teaching without using words. How many of us have not felt a tugging, somewhere deep within, when exposed to an ink drawing of a Zen landscape (or any other art form bearing the hallmark of Zen simplicity)? For many centuries, teachers have used these direct methods to transmit the concepts of Zen, which are always better experienced than discussed. The direct method also reduces the need to engage in endless and often counterproductive intellectual discussion.
What Is Zen (as Related to Karate-do)?
Many people who hear the words Zen meditation have a safe intellectual category for them or assume that they know what meditation is, without even trying it! One common misconception about meditation is that it is sitting down and thinking of nothing. This is completely wrong.
Meditation teaches absolutely focused concentration on one point. The meditator.will swiftly bring the mind back to that point if it wanders. This provides strength and the ability to completely concentrate, born not from struggling, but from letting go, relaxing, and not following casual thoughts. Often an untrained mind lacks discipline in concentration and may retreat into a daydream at an inopportune moment. In fact, the untrained mind will often do anything in order to escape the moment. During our school-days, many of us were reprimanded for lapses in concentration. A standard instruction was "Pay attention!" This is all very well, but for some of us, we might just as well have been told to jump 30 feet into the air. No one ever told us how to pay attention. For some it comes more readily than others, but many of us need to be taught to do it effectively.
To practice Zen is to pay attention. Meditation teaches us to become masters of our thoughts, and not their slaves or victims. During the meditation process, no attempt is made to reject or suppress thoughts. One simply tries to disengage oneself from them, so as not to get caught up in them.
