Special Martial Arts Concept

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=90 BGCOLOR="#006699" TEXT="#080000" background="05d785a3.jpg"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#FFFFFF" FACE="Arial" ><B>Isshinryu Karate Do, Stamford Dojo</B></FONT><B>    </B><B> |    </B></div> <div> <A HREF="id155.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Concepts"><U><B><IMG SRC="03b0e0e0.png" border=0 width="14" height="14" ALT="up" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A><B>   </B><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="14" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" WIDTH="14"><B>     </B><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="14" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" WIDTH="14"><B>  </B><A HREF="id158.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Chinkuchi"><U><B><IMG SRC="0300e0e0.png" border=0 width="14" height="14" ALT="next" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=210 BGCOLOR="#FFCC66" TEXT="#080000" background="62660603.jpg"> <div> Please (Email on the Contact Page) send in your definitions, ideas, concepts, or constructs which have to do with the mental and philosophical development of oneself in martial arts.  We will edit these and place the best ones here for our readers from which to learn.</div> <div> <A HREF="id155.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Concepts"><U><IMG SRC="482641e0.jpg" border=0 width="100" height="30" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" height=390 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000" background="62660603.jpg"> <div> <B>Heijoshin -</B> <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Geneva" >     </FONT></div> <div>      <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#006600" FACE="Geneva" >This concept is made up, in the kanji script, of three characters or ideograms.  They are Hei (peace or calm), Jo (perpetual), and Shin (heart, spirit, inner being).  The karateka seeks to attain the state of Heijoshin at all times but most especially when things around the external self are unpleasant, painful, dangerous, etc.  It is not a state of denial nor repression nor subjugation of feelings nor of an avoidance of awareness.  Rather, Heijoshin is that state of mind which allows us to experience the "correctness" of each moment, regardless of the qualities, themes and feelings which that moment brings to us.  In the state of Heijoshin, we embrace the day, in this sense.  </FONT></div> <div>      Carpe Diem is a latin phrase which means "seize the day."  It means a similar thing but it does not mean, "live impulsively and self centeredly now, for tomorrow we die."  Heijoshin means to be totally at peace with whatever the present moment is handing us, to be accepting, comfortable with the various conditions and themes with which as a human being, living a life in a real world, we must experience.  Heijoshin does not want us to avoid anything but, rather, to accept it all:  joy, sunshine, wind, rain, happiness, pain, sadness, laughter, embracing, feeling alone, etc.</div> <div>      When the karateka truly knows the frailty and ephemeral nature of being, then he/she can truly enjoy and take pleasure in the minutiae of existence.  Most people believe that having more makes one happy.  In the spirit of Heijoshin, BEING MORE is what brings peace.  </div> <div>      What would you do if you learned that you had only one week to live.  Would you give all your possessions to charity (very noble) or would you want to spend quality time with your loved ones (very sensitive) or would you want to party it up (very hedonistic) OR would you simply keep doing what you are already doing.  If your answer is the last one, then you are in the state of Heijoshin, perpetual peace of the heart.</div> <div>  <FONT SIZE="6" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Vladimir Script" >John Gagnon</FONT></div> <div> Rokudan, Isshinryu Karate Do, Renshi, OKF</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <A HREF="id155.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Concepts"><U><IMG SRC="482641e0.jpg" border=0 width="100" height="30" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>