Martial Arts Meditation

The meditative aspects of martial arts have fascinated me for almost as long as I have been training. I have done a tremendous amount of research on the subject of Japan's 'Zen' arts, including the fighting arts but also sado (tea ceremony) and shodo (calligraphy), among others. Principally my interest has always been in how the performance of one of these arts can lead the practitioner to experience satori, or 'realization', which some authors call 'enlightenment'.

More recently my research into martial arts meditation led me to the work first of Tony Wright (Left in the Dark) and through him to Dr Julian Jaynes (The Origin of Consciousness). Exposure to these works has led me to completely review my understanding of religions such as Buddhism and Taoism and had led to me to wonder if the entire Axial age (to which Buddha and Lao Tse belong as two of the foremost Axial philosophers) is demonstrative of a massive, more-or-less global shift in consciousness from right brain hemisphere dominance to left brain hemisphere dominance.

These observations provide the background for my teaching of Warrior Zen. There are four principal 'minds' in this and though I use Japanese terminology I am defining them in scientific terms so I hope that martial artists of any background can identify with what I am saying. All of these 'minds' can be better differentiated and understood through martial arts meditation.

Mushin: Mushin can be understood as 'no mind' but I prefer to define it as 'no conscious mind'. To me the term refers to the diminishing dominance of the left hemisphere during meditation (whether dynamic or static) and increased access to the right brain hemisphere.

Satori: Satori refers to a state of spiritual realization which many cast under the umbrella of 'enlightenment'. I would define satori as an experience of complete right brain hemisphere dominance for a brief moment before the left hemisphere 'wakes up' and regains control. The principal means to gaining satori is through ascetic discipline which serves to exhaust the left brain hemisphere and I have drawn comparisons between my definition, understanding and experience and those of both Jesus and Mohammed.

Heijo shin: This is one's everyday mind, which I would describe as being (for most of us) one in which our left brain hemisphere is dominant, we are conscious that we are conscious and we have a sense of 'I'. Although this aspect of our mind is often overlooked in the literature written on martial arts meditation, it is nevertheless a key component to investigate. 'Realizing' your everyday mind is as important as awakening to the non-conceptual minds of mushin and satori.