Martial Arts Of The World - Webs
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Martial Arts Of The World - Webs

Martial Arts Of The World - Webs Martial Arts Of The World - Webs

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334 Medicine, Traditional Chinese

Meditation Meditation is the general term for various techniques and practices designed to induce an altered state of consciousness, develop concentration and wisdom, and relieve stress and induce relaxation. On the simplest levels it is utilized to calm, cleanse, and relax the mind and body and to increase concentration and mental focus. On higher levels, it is practiced to produce a radical transformation of the character. Meditation is really mind/body training that is learned through discipline and practice. Meditation systems such as Zen and Daoist (Taoist) qigong may stimulate the autoimmune system, change brain waves from beta to alpha or theta, and lower heart and respiratory rate while increasing respiratory volume and decreasing muscular tension. Dimitri Kostynick defines the martial arts as “practices of combat outside of organized warfare, utilized for self-actualization, augmented with noncombative practices and formulae from the materia medica” (1989). In this view, the martial arts are a nexus between the techniques of combat and psychophysical self-cultivation. The Asian martial arts grew up intertwined with Daoism (Taoism), Shintô, Buddhism, and other magico-religious traditions that emphasize meditation as a means of gaining some form of enlightenment. It is no surprise that the traditional martial arts include meditation as either an integral part of or an adjunct to training. The classic martial arts have a long history in Japan, China, and elsewhere of using meditative practices as instruments of “spiritual forging.” Asian martial arts share a basically similar animatistic theory of energy (ki in Japanese; qi [chi] in Chinese) that is present in human beings and all living creatures. Ki is commonly taken to mean “vital breath,” bioelectric life energy, “spirit,” and “directed intention.” Japanese aikidô and Chinese taijiquan (tai chi ch’uan) and qigong are based on the ki notion. Although ki is a rather vague concept, most traditional martial arts prescribe methods of cultivating and directing this subtle energy. Meditation, relaxation, visualization, and movement sets (or kata) are used to generate, store, and utilize ki. In general, the serious use of ki energy has been Meditation 335

334 Medicine, Traditional Chinese

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