Sunday, October 30, 2011

Ghosts, Demons and Ru Ding

I was recently reading in Bruce's book "The Power of Internal Martial Arts" about how on the path towards spiritual evolution, there are some very challenging stages where we can experience such things as "searing deserts" of the soul and "gnawing psychic thirsts," as we encounter the depths of our being through inner dissolving and martial training. He also talks about how being a spiritual warrior involves a willingness to live through several "dark nights of the soul."

I'm wondering if anyone here would be willing to share some of their expereinces of working with their demons through meditation and martial arts? Has anyone here lived through any of these "dark nights?" if so, what was it like, how long did it last and what helped you in dealing with it?

My reason for this request is to help to get some perspective on my own experience, as well as for sharing and community around these rarely-discussed experiences. 

I know about it, and it is very recent history. It started when I was in China. I was teaching in a university there, and I started to have some panic attacks, coming from absolutely nowhere, heart beating very fast, a feeling of death coming very soon, and other pains in the chest. Symptoms of a heart attack. Went to many doctors who said my body was perfectly well! I was kinda thinking "the guy is fooling me". But check-up after check-up, I realized that they were right. 

So were was allthis pain/fear coming from? It was incredible, coming out of nowhere, especially in the evening. Really was an agony, on the physical, but even more on the emotional level. I later learnt from the internet that I was not alone. It is a symptom called "Spasmophilia" by the French. Don't look in a dictionary, the concept doesn't exist in english, it is a kind of "panic attack symptoms. People may have this for years. 

Knowing this started to help me, also a supporting wife, and an australian neighbor I consider to be a sage helped me a lot too. Having a warrior spirit: oh yes it definitely was what made the difference. I can honestly say I had it. I didn't want to lose; losing meaning to be dead/crazy.

The last doctor I saw said I should be on medication for a year minimum. I thought, "fuck it, no way, better die than become a zombie". And it did finally work! Compared with some other people having the same stuff: 

- I never took medication (maybe one pill when I was to take a plane)
- I never lost my job, despite the many sleepless nights I had
- I never tried to commit suicide
- I was - strangely- happy when not in a crisis.

However, my "I don't wanna lose" attitude was also my biggest flaw in many aspects. What I needed to learn (and still need somehow) was the idea of letting go. Accepting, even things I thought terrible. Including death. 
That is not easy. I realized my fears and angers where coming out in my body. And it was a result of my energy practices. Not because I was not practicing correctly, I believe, but because it was a stage. I hated it. 

I realized I was in a constant anger against many things. The weather, the bad environment. Fear was coming almost instantly when I was hearing a story of someone dying in car accident, or something like that. I was feeling helpless, powerless in a threatening world. I didn't want to admit it, my body spoke for me!

2 words were for me to learn: acceptance, and no-judgement. I knew these (I read some spiritual literature, too!), but I had to make them become real in my very body., not just as words. I thought coming back to my country would help me. It did, but not immediatly. It was not a matter of place, it was purely internal stuff. 

That was a real dark night of the soul. AS for "ghosts", well, I was not thinking of it that way in the beginning. But I had heard about Castaneda's "flyers", ghosts feeding on human energy through emotions. I don't know if those exist, but I managed to get out definitely by saying strongly, but without hatred: "ok, you will do all the crazy stuff to my body, you may even kill me, I don't care if can't sleep, but I WON'T GIVE YOU MY FEAR. 

Since then, I had some "crisises", but nothing compared with the ones I had before. I know the protocol to get out. And more important, I don't bother. Actually I believe what we feel emotionally is more important than anything else. Events may be important, but they should never be a loss of emotional balance, which is our very soul (in chinese, the heart is the root of the shen or spirit)

Several minor ones and one big one. In a period when I was practicing a great deal, something started coming out of the lungs. Then it worked out to the skin...there is stayed giving me a really hellish experience for about six months of continual skin itching along with spasmodic leg stuff every time I tried to sleep. One of the hardest times of my life. Thought I mind end there. Kept practicing...in fact my meditation was about the only thing that gave me any break at all. Couldn't sleep for very long periods. Really, really happy when that was over.

Friday, October 14, 2011

Italian Knife Fighting System?

Has anyone ever heard of this instructor and knife fighting system?

Master Gilberto Pauciullo and Northern Italian Piedmont (?) knife fighting system.

I have been lurking for a long time,and people who know me, like Ken, are aware that I research South American Fighting systems like Garrote and now in Colombia Grima. But another aspect of my research has to do with my Italian heritage, on my fathers side. So for a long time now I have been looking into Italian traditions of Knife and Stick fighting. There are quite a few that are still alive and kept that way by old Masters. The only problem is a certain veil of secrecy maintained by several knife and stick traditions, especially the Sicilian ones. And yes, they exist,they are not reconstructed thru old manuals, the only problem is getting in. Look up BASTONE SICILIANO or COLTELLO SICILIANO and you will get some answers.

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

COMBAT AGAINST MULTIPLE OPPONENTS

Here's some more info on my newest book, which happens to be on one of my most beloved topics: 

Combat in Outnumbered Scenarios: The origin of Historical Fencing.
... 
In this book I cover the fundamentals of combat against multiple opponents both with long double hand weapons (staff) and short single hand weapons (baton).

The main topics are:

- Combat strategy against multiple opponents,
- Principles of engagement,
- Principles and usefulness of active and reactive behavior,
- Technique for distance optimization,
- In motion sweeping parrying technique,
- Scenarios specific of baton due to its shorter length and single hand manipulation,
- Tactical decision making during combat.

The book has one additional chapter in which I cover the historical evolution of combat technique, more specifically parrying technique, presenting why and for what purpose different parrying techniques were created over time, hoping that these contents contribute not only for a better understanding of Martial Art's history but also improve combat strategy.

The book costs 19,95 dollars and is available at www.pretomartialarts.com, as well as on www.amazon.com

More information can be found on www.pretomartialarts.com and http://bf3c2baf.linkbucks.com

Although the Portuguese version of my website is still under construction, all my books are available in both languages.

Thursday, October 6, 2011

Bartitsu Session at Gallowglass Academy

Tonight was the second session with my Bartitsu student.

We reviewed our pugilism from last week including the left lead, the right rear punch and the upper cut. We then reviewed using your left lead arm to block an incoming right hand punch and then counter punching with your right fist. I then introduced the idea of using the inverted fist punch used as hook to strike at the temporomandibular joint (TMJ)

We then talked again about how you can get someone off balance by moving them into the empty triangle point in front of behind them. 

We then worked on making someone fall over backward from the collar and elbow/randori position both with and without blocking the leg. From there we worked on the back heel throw from pugilism. Once we had worked on that I introduced the cross buttock throw from pugilism also called the neck hip throw in jujutsu.

We finished the session by an introduction to Vigny's cane with the front guard and using cuts #1 and #2 and then falling into a two handed bayonet stance to add a thrust.