Oneironaut

Something else that further confuses the situation is that there are tons of Buddhists that reject the Brahmanic and Hindu concepts of reincarnation. The argument is that Shakyamuni himself was never a proponent of the concept of rebirth/reincarnation. He also rejected it.

But there are many different kinds of Taoists. I'm sure they all believe different things and this further confuses everything. The average everyday person think qigong is for crazies and old people with nothing better to do. The concept of chi/ki is not scientifically accepted and falls outside the realm of logic. The scientific community HEAVILY scrutinzes and rejects anything having to do with chi and throws it under the label of metaphysical baggage. Even yin yang theory is WRONG according to modern scientific thought. No logic here. Then whats the point of life itself? Or cultivation practices such as neidan? It's not a waste of time at all. In my experiences it works the other way around. Leaving it all in the hands of some invisible man in the clouds is a more passive way of religion asserting their control.

Nothing that a .45 caliber wouldn't be able to take care of. If they could have weapons then so can I.

That's the thing. Karate punching is more "self defense" oriented. Boxing isn't and they have no issue going on the aggressive. Muay Thai punching is used to set the opponent up for knees and elbows. Muay Thai isn't a punching art but they incorporated boxing elements into their art to fill the gap. Street fights are a bad idea going into a different culture. I wouldn't want a Thai kicking at my legs or trying to knee me in the head. Oblique kicks are dirty and so are elbows. They can leave a really nasty cut. I seen another video of a Thai beating up a boxer really bad but I can't find that one either. The boxer wound up with his arm dangling below the elbow after taking some kicks. I think it'll be an excellent complement to boxing/judo. I'm thinking of taking yoshinkan aikido when I'm able to visit Japan. It's not the wuss/soft style/ineffective aikido that's typically being taught today. Ueshiba made it ineffective with his pacifism. Japanese martial arts (like karate and judo) lost much of their brutality and effectiveness throughout the years because of their desire to appeal to everyone. Screw that. Wasn't planning on it. I could still "steal" their martial arts.

Filipino martial arts? If I go back to the boxing gym and spring back into shape I'll be moving like Mayweather in months to come. I don't see what filipino martial arts would give me in terms of footwork that boxing hasn't already. I think I'll check out the nearest shotokan school instead. I'll also pick judo back up while I'm at it.

You do realize those are "taekwondo" WHITE BELTS right? I know it's taekwondo (not karate) because it's written behind the guys gi at 1:13 in the video. And there's 0 power generation behind their kicks therefore they likely play tag instead of fighting because their school doesn't believe in full contact sparring. The taekwondo fella caught one of the boxers clean at 2:09. I've seen a video on YouTube (which unfortunately I can no longer find) under the karate vs boxing label. The boxer came with swift and crisp combinations but the karate guy was nowhere to be found because of his footwork. The karate guy came back on the offensive with some hand strikes (which the boxer blocked with his 16 oz gloves) and the karate guy snuck in a very similar kick (like the one at 2:09) and caught the boxer square on the head. There was actual power behind the kick and the boxer fell back like a wooden block and laid there stiff. He looked lifeless. On another note taekwondo has HORRIBLE punching. They may as well not have any. I know because I took taekwondo as a kid and quit at yellow belt. I've also taken 3 years of boxing and 1.5 years of judo.

You can't. But you are aware that there are legitimate practices to experience the state of death and anything beyond that? I have some experience with it but I'm certainly no adept. At least not yet. Kinda difficult (if not impossible) to separate much of the time. Nah. The Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Islam & Christianity) have a monopoly on fear mongering. They have it down to a science. We can agree to disagree.

Then how did Enshin karate (A kyokushin offshoot) get the exact same boxing punches as well? I thought that traditional karate guys chambered while punching (during actual combat) but it appears that they don't. They actually keep their hands up in a guard (from what I seen in Goju Ryu) and that's really cool. Other forms of karate resemble wing chun in my opinion (like in the video below). I've heard that karate guys use speedy, confusing (yet highly effective) footwork. They actually move as much if not more than boxers and that's also a good thing. Can someone introduce me? I'm concerned about the head movement though. I don't think I've seen karatekas really move their heads out of the way of punches. One of the karatekas in the video below showed some head movement but then again shotokan guys seem to like fighting at kicking range.

......

How many years did you practice for and how is your body feeling? I'm short (5'5) and naturally quick and powerful. I gain muscle mass and strength very quickly as well. I'm pretty sure I'll see immediate benefits from full contact sparring and intense conditioning but I don't wanna abuse myself to the point that I start regretting it later on in life. I was wondering what that odd breathing was all about. I see that they call it sanchin. Thanks for that. Also, where did the kyokushin guys develop their punching from? Is it in the original kata from the goju ryu and shotokan lineages? Their punches resemble that of boxers.

Actually, I just found this off of Michael Winn's site. This seems to differ greatly from the Buddhist and Hindu ideas behind reincarnation. This actually throws everything in for a giant loop of confusion. Which of these are more accurate and true?

When I find myself near PA I'll be sure to pay a visit.

Reminds me of the Vietnamese Buddhist monk Thích Quảng Đức WARNING: Very violent and extremely disturbing video. DO NOT watch if you are easily offended. I have infinite respect for that mans willpower and determination. The common westerner, while deeply disturbed at such images, also harbors endless jealousy, sweeps the cultivation practice under the rug and credits drugs (even with the lack of evidence) as to how that man was able to endure that unimaginable hell peacefully. I wonder how these guys "tough out" the sheer cruelty of experience. I wanna be a bad ass too. Some samurai in ancient Japan engaged in a torturous practice called misogi-kyo where they would go under freezing waterfalls in the morning and bathe there. By concentrating on the lower point, the hara (the lower dantien), and once the right concentration was reached these guys felt no ounce of pain and so were able to endure very harsh conditions with ease. Does anyone have any idea as to how these guys (especially the Vietnamese monk) manage to do this?

What's so special about it and what makes it so different from a more "standard" orbit?

I'm marveled by the deep connection that Taoists and practitioners of qigong have with nature, animals and the times of year. I see that the solstices, equinox, eclipses, moon phases etc. are given special importance. I want to learn more about this and the kinds of Taoist practices/meditations that take place during these times of year. I also want to hear about your experiences. Also, are there any sources that can assist me in familiarizing myself with this and eventually cultivating a deep connection with nature as well?

From the limited information I've come across it seems like xing yi quan shares many similarities with boxing in terms of power generation. I want to know several things 1) Does xing yi quan share bobbing, weaving, slipping, feints, excellent guards for defense and advanced footwork similar to boxing? 2) Also, has xing yi quan been influenced by boxing in more modern times? I'm interested in learning one Chinese martial art (that isn't wing chun or tai chi) to go with my boxing and judo. It may end up being sanshou but I'm looking at xing yi quan also.

Well that's a no brainer. But I can only imagine that tapping into nature and connecting with its energy field can only take you infinitely deeper so it's very important to know these things.

I was very interested because there were many Taoists doing their microcosmic orbit practice during last year's super moon. The super moon was quite a fascinating event and the fact that Taoists use natural events for cultivation was equally fascinating. Thanks for the information. I'll look into those books.

Anyone?

I was hoping someone had the experience to comment on it.

I'm wanting to learn the chi nei tsang section on trees and and also how to communicate with them. Nature is truly fascinating.

[This was previously posted on Zen Forum International] I care too much about what others think about me and I really want to bring this torture to an everlasting finish. This whole business of caring about what others think about me causes such a great degree of stress, fear and anxiety. This fear leaves me with no inner space, no freedom and leaves me walking around tight, awkward and nearly paralyzed. This thinking also has me feeling suffocated and enslaved to everyone which in turn leaves me deeply unhappy as this runs completely contrary to how I want to live my life. I know I don't have to live my life this way but I just don't know how to stop this deeply ingrained (possibly trained or conditioned) behavior. Externally I can pull off the devil may care act but internally I'm worse off than a plane accident or a train wreck. The external act and "faking it till I make it" does me no good in the long run. I don't know where to begin or what to do when it comes to tackling this issue. Any suggestions? I'm posting this here as well because I'm interested in knowing how to handle this issue from the Taoist perspective.

What kind of grip are they using when doing their judo throws?

Judo actually descends from jujutsu. Jujutsu descends from Chinese/Mongolian shuaijiao and other Chinese grappling forms. Either way they all share a common foundation. That likely explains their resemblance (some of those throws look like a modified uchi mata).

Reiki Level 1 Yes. First example would be me walking by a very crowded area and as I'm getting stares from strangers I feel my lack of confidence in myself and begin wondering what these people are thinking of me or if there's anything wrong with me in general. I feel like I need to modify my behavior to fit in and perhaps their attention would just drift elsewhere. Example 2: If I'm in the presence of an attractive female I feel like I need to be on my "best behavior" even if the likelihood of anything happening is close to impossible. Example 3: If there is slight tension in the air I feel like I need to put others needs ahead of my own in order to avoid any kind of conflict. Example 4: To avoid any kind of social disproval or confrontation I allow people to walk all over me and I don't dare speak my mind. In essence this make me a coward. For the third and fourth example... I realize when I'm in shape and fresh and on point with my boxing skills the anxiety and care for the approval of others goes away entirely. In fact boxing gives me a more cavalier attitude and I'm simultaneously in a zen state of mind. I don't know if that's a good or a bad thing especially If I'm more welcoming of an "anything goes" confrontation but it's not like I go out deliberately looking for it or creating the circumstances so they can occur. I'm a very peaceful person by default. From a psychological standpoint I should be on medications for social anxiety disorder. I'm already there. It's been that way all my life.