The Empowerment of Fighting

When we were children, no one thought us to be brave or to understand courage. We were just left to our own devices. It is not until we come up against bullies or aggressive kids that we discover what kind of understanding we have in these matters. Sometimes it is too late by then, for this can do a lot of damage to one so little. I believe parents sending their little ones to martial art classes, boxing or any other sort of contact sport is most times misguided. We are still expecting them to be brave all by themselves, this I believe is where we all go wrong. This practice of handing our little ones over to someone else is irresponsible and goes only to tell them “you are on your own kid, sort it out for yourself.” Or as I have heard some fathers say “it will make a man out of him.” Also teaching girls that they need someone to protect them is damaging. Why do we do this? How unloving or disconcerting can we get! How can we expect them to sort out problems, including emotional ones, when they come up? Can you remember when this happened to you? Total confusion, detached, lonely, not backed up, on your own.

Why do we allow this to go on and on when we call ourselves intelligent beings.

Well I would ask again; why do we think we are intelligent when we still allow politicians create wars, and still believe their lies? When we still believe in religious instruction that also has created wars? We have allowed ourselves to be kept blind and deaf by our false leaders, who have always greatly profited from wars. War was always there to protect the interest of the corrupt - they told us it was for war and country. Bullshit I say! It was, and still is for them. They also need us fighting with one another. They want us ready to kill. They create an enemy and call on our loyalty when they please. There is a natural ability to fight, brought on by injustice through anger, greed , ego and aggression,. The elite of this world have always used this to rule over us as they press these buttons when they feel fit. If democracy were to work as it is supposed to (by the people, for the people), why do we still need to ask for our rights? And often times have to fight for them? Thousands of years of democratic rule and the people are still not happy. Why? Church and state, kings and queens can not exist where we think for ourselves, both spiritually and materially. So they keep us fighting and we insist on fighting with one another, in sport, in anger, for greed. We watch violent games online. We vent anger, looking for our place in this world.

So this is where the empowerment of fighting starts and for this we need to stop fighting. The words Kung Fu means ‘that which comes from the heart’ and ‘stop fighting’. The Buddha taught us that to strike someone for any reason, we also strike ourselves and the universe. So we have discussed what most people view as fighting (violent, angry etc), profiting in many ways from it, but there is a different way. Have you ever thought that fighting may be a blessing? In Shaolin Kung Fu we train to protect others and also to balance our chi. We are taught never to use Kung Fu or chi to damage or maim. We develop skill sets to protect. There can be no violence or aggression. To use our skills to protect is an honour as we are protecting the universal way and it’s creation. This we will discuss some other time. The empowerment of fight is to use your courage once developed, to look at your 'self' first with all its negative and positive aspects and have the foresight and courage to change. Also to view others without judgement and to accept everything on this level, we need courage. Can we accept another’s flaws? Another’s religion? Another’s culture? Do you think we could do these things without courage or without fighting? And would we, after having accepted the principles, fight to protect them for others? So you see, fighting with honour has many ways. How much fight does a person having been told they have cancer need to survive? How many times per day does a mother or father’s heart break having lost a child? What kind of fight is this? You see fighting does not belong to the violent ones, with the angry or aggressive ones. What they use is violence - this is not courage. They are driven by negative forces. Courage on the other hand is from the positive side of the human being and from the heart. So now you may understand why we say that which 'comes from the heart’. Original Shaolin Kung Fu teaches us the positive ways. It’s movements are meant to develop the energy of courage. I could go on to talk about other examples but I’m sure you are beginning to see what I am talking about. I hope I have explained myself properly.

Please keep this in mind:

Anger brings destruction war and death. Courage builds all things. Peace and life

Use your fight for peace

In Lung Ying Dragon Sign Kung Fu, my Grand Master, Chiu Chung, taught me that fighting can be good or bad - choose. And that Kung Fu is about balance or mind, body, heart and spirit. It is never about anger or violence.

Things to fight against: Things to fight for:

1. Violence 1. Love

2. Hate 2. Justice

3. Depression 3. Courage

4. Revenge 4. Consciousness

5. Liers 5. Trust

6. Racism 6. Acceptance

7. Indifference of all kinds 7. Other people

8. Greed 8. Kindness

(results in death) (results in Life)

Ponder on these things and please keep this in mind -

Be dignified in all things,