The true meaning of martial arts is to strengthen the body first, and then to practice martial arts.
The value of martial arts is divided into four levels, namely: "preventing and diagnosing diseases" in the primary stage. The value of "strengthening, fitness, and self-defense" in the intermediate stage; the value of "prolonging life, improving intelligence, and improving virtue" in the advanced stage; and the value of "cultivating Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism" in the super stage.
Primary stage: The value of "preventing, diagnosing and treating diseases" Some people think that martial arts is a "killing technique". This view cannot be said to be unreasonable, because actual combat is one of the core features of Chinese martial arts. In today's Chinese martial arts world, there are many capable people and strong opponents. The influence of Chinese martial arts is expanding all over the world. However, "from yin to yang, from softness to strength" truly reflects the two-way value of Chinese martial arts. Martial arts is both a "killing art" and a "living art". The so-called "living art" refers to the value of martial arts in "preventing, diagnosing and treating diseases". In fact, real martial arts masters are often proficient in medical skills: firstly, they can prevent and diagnose and treat their own injuries; secondly, they can also help others and do good deeds to accumulate virtue. To a further level, martial arts cultivation itself should have the three major values ??of "preventing, diagnosing, and treating diseases."
Intermediate stage: The value of "strengthening, fitness and self-defense" Chinese martial arts has obvious value of strengthening the body, fitness and self-defense, which has been recognized by the world. There is no doubt that actual combat is always inseparable from a strong body. Many martial arts masters were originally weak and sick, but after practicing martial arts hard, their bodies became stronger day by day. There are countless examples of this. The reason is that the human body is in a relatively advanced physical and mental functional state when practicing martial arts, with smooth qi and blood, strong spirit, naturally refreshed and free of all diseases. In a sense, there is a simple way to judge a martial artist's skill, and that is to see whether he is healthy. If a person is sallow, skinny, weak, and out of breath after even a little exercise, then it is unimaginable under normal circumstances to say that he has extraordinary martial arts skills. Those who learn martial arts must be proficient in the way of maintaining health, and must abide by it both inside and outside the martial arts, and never disobey it; otherwise, the principles and methods of martial arts may be biased, and they may lose weight but not nourish themselves, and they may be separated but not reunited. However, learning martial arts has become an act of harming one's body and shortening one's lifespan, which is really contrary to the original intention of learning martial arts
Advanced stage: The value of "increasing life, improving intelligence, and improving virtue" in martial arts has been difficult to determine since ancient times. If you are trapped in the disputes between sects such as Shaolin, Wudang, Emei, and Qingcheng, it is destined to be difficult to understand your true realm. The world of martial arts is one family. In a pure sense, there is no essential difference between Muay Thai, Judo, Jeet Kune Do, Taekwondo, Karate, Kickboxing and Chinese martial arts. They should seek common ground while reserving differences, and jointly pursue the highest realm of martial arts.
Seniors who truly understand the true meaning of martial arts will definitely be able to maintain their martial arts skills to a very old age. Not only that, real martial arts training has an obvious effect of prolonging life. As far as I know, one of the secrets of some old-timers is to use body breathing and pore breathing when doing boxing. In this way, the problem of energy loss in actual combat is solved to a large extent, and the effect is naturally extraordinary. Until the end of their lives, many seniors possess physical strength and martial arts skills that are beyond the reach of ordinary young people. A few people who have a glimpse of the Tao can actually live a hundred years old and take care of themselves while still helping the world and curing diseases every day. This is the real longevity effect.
Martial arts has obvious intellectual value. Throughout the ages, high-level martial arts practitioners have mostly been men of both civil and martial arts. True skills come from hard practice, and secrets come from deep thinking. Without high enlightenment, it is difficult to reach lofty realms. Martial arts training is all-round and three-dimensional, and mental training is also essential. After practicing martial arts skillfully, the qi and blood in the brain are abnormally smooth, and the mind is quick and like a spring. Under such circumstances, it is only natural for martial artists to develop their wisdom. Moreover, practicing martial arts is just a means, and survival is the goal. The so-called "a small effort in fists and kicks, but tolerance of a manly man" is very reasonable. If you don't understand the principles of life, what's the use of practicing martial arts? Moreover, all great masters are very innovative and can create something of their own based on the strengths of others. As for martial artists who are illiterate, although they can be found everywhere, they are not the right path after all. Therefore, martial arts students must pay attention to the level of wisdom and use it as one of the standards to measure their own realm. Many people ignore the intellectual value of martial arts from the beginning, and even remain ignorant of it for the rest of their lives, resulting in the tragedy of "well-developed limbs and simple minds."
Martial arts training has outstanding moral value. Those who learn martial arts must first learn to be a human being, especially Chinese martial arts which places more emphasis on morality. Let me not be weak and have high virtue and high merit. When one's kung fu has reached a superior state, mental cultivation is difficult for ordinary people to achieve. There are two kinds of "morality": one is social morality, which mainly solves the relationship between oneself and others; the other is natural morality, which mainly solves the relationship between man and the universe. Most people tend to limit "morality" to the scope of social morality and ignore higher-level natural morality. The mentality of a martial arts master can be summarized by the four essentials (the most yin, the most yang, the most softness, and the most hardness), or it can be measured by the "three non-standards" (not harming nature and principles, not violating laws and disciplines, and not harming others or destroying oneself). At this point, one is indeed full of compassion for everything and everything in the world: "Unconditional compassion" is called "compassion", and there is no need for any reason or excuse to do good and help others; "Compassion with the same body" is called "compassion", and if others suffer the slightest pain, oneself also Feel the same. This kind of virtue and this kind of heart can only be achieved by people with extremely high martial arts accomplishments, and they should become role models for the majority of martial arts enthusiasts.
Super stage: The value of "cultivating Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism". In essence, Chinese martial arts have many similarities with Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism. Confucianism emphasizes "righteousness, sincerity, self-cultivation, ordering the family, governing the country, and bringing peace to the world". It also emphasizes that "the human heart is only in danger, and the Taoist heart is only in danger; the essence is only one, and the right to hold it is in the center." Taoism emphasizes that "nothingness generates nature, nature generates Qi, Qi divides Yin and Yang, Yin and Yang form heaven and earth, and heaven and earth generate all things." They also emphasize that "knocking teeth and swallowing fluids, swallowing fluids to transform into essence, refining essence into Qi, refining Qi into spirit, and refining spirit into spirit." The emptiness and the emptiness are combined with the Tao, and the combination of the Tao and the realm is achieved." Buddhism emphasizes that "one attains enlightenment and becomes a Buddha, and the Buddha saves all sentient beings" and advocates "consciously awakening others and saving others by oneself." When martial arts training reaches a certain level, the above content must be involved. The reason is very simple. Real martial arts training must properly handle the relationship between form and spirit, life and fate, society and morality, and the individual and the universe. Many seniors with extremely rich practical experience in Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism have a lot to say about this. Deep experience.
When it comes to the issue of luck, martial arts and Confucianism are completely connected. Confucianism places special emphasis on nourishing qi, as the saying goes, "I am good at nourishing my righteous qi." Mr. Ma Litao has profound internal energy, and his Qigong is an authentic direct descendant of the Confucian Chicken Man. During his lifetime, Mr. Ma was highly skilled in martial arts and used his old strength to attack his young men many times. The martial arts community respected him as a "tank". According to Ma Lao's experience, the depth of internal strength cultivation directly determines the level of martial arts. High-ranking monks do not avoid Taoism, and high-level Taoism does not taboo monks. The connection between martial arts, Taoism and Buddhism is also very close. From the perspective of martial arts, the realm of Taoism and Buddhism is mainly about internal strength cultivation, which can just make up for the shortcomings of general martial arts. There is a famous saying in the martial arts world: "If you learn for the first three years, you will conquer the world; if you learn for another three years, you will be unable to move even a single step." The Tao teaches those who have no intention, and the Buddha embraces them. Only by studying Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism with an open mind can we draw from them extremely beneficial nutrients for martial arts training. Of course, I do not advocate martial arts students to believe in religion. In the process of learning from the martial arts experience of Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism, one must keep a clear mind and use a critical eye to identify the essence and dross. Learning martial arts is similar to studying, you have to get in and get out again. Otherwise, we can only become "martial arts nerds" and "nerds".