Check it out.
“(Yamaoka) Tesshu developed a kind of sixth sense, frequently surprising his disciples by telling them exactly what they were thinking. When they asked about his “magic power,” Tesshu told them: “It is nothing out of the ordinary. If your mind is empty, it reflects the ‘distortions’ and shadows present in others minds. In swordsmanship no-mind allows us to see the perfect place to strike; in daily life if enables us to see into another’s heart.” from The Sword of no Sword: The life of Master Warrior Tesshu by John Stevens
Hong Kong flight attendants take Wing Chun classes in order to protect themselves in the close confinement of an airplane.
While I’ve watched Wing Chun employed in street fights and fail, it seems like the perfect martial art to learn when needing to quickly diffuse a physical confrontation.
The speed, up close combat and quick neutralization of Wing Chun is ideal in this particular reason.
Also, when flying from Hong Kong, never complain about not getting ice in your drink of you’ll find yourself on the floor, pissing blood.
Observations & Phenomena features Professor Dave Leech, Dr. Tim Brigham and David Metcalfe in conversation on anomalies, science and contemporary culture. Summoning the spirit of science to celebrate a new age of reason.
Articles discussed:
Is Participating in Psi Research a Good Idea -http://weilerpsiblog.wordpress.com/20…
The Secret Science of Spiritual Healing -http://www.viewzone.com/spiritualheal…
Anniversary of Monkey Man Alert! -http://www.cryptomundo.com/cryptozoo-… (With additional insight from Rangers sight pygmies in Way Kambas National Park - http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/20… )
Witch Hunt of the Week:
Witch Doctors and Con Artists - A First-Hand Account of Witchcraft in Africa, by Justin Chapman -http://www.skeptic.com/eskeptic/13-04…
Quotes of concern in this week’s Witch Hunt article:
“I wanted to see some mob violence, but it’s probably better that we got back on the boda-boda and booked it out of there, following the healer who also rode on a boda-boda. I didn’t think we were in danger but Luke told me that the crowd knew they could be identified on television and so when the police left they could potentially attack us.”
“How interesting. How bizarre.”
Divination technique used to decide this episode’s sequence: I Ching
Diviner: Professor Dave Leech
Result: Hexagram 49: Revolution (Molting)
Follow us on Twitter: @obsrv_phenom
This stands to be a very interesting podcast! First episode delves right into claims of super-powers via the practice of QiGong. Check it out!
(via You Don’t Know the Ninja: 8 New Revelations About the Shadow Warrior - Time Magazine)
- Excellent quick history on the Shinobi, will read this book. Here’s two choice bits to think about:
“Ninja comes originally from the Chinese and is a vague Japanese pronunciation for “one who endures.”
and
Were ninja similar to other secretive, cult-like orders of the day, perhaps like the hashishin, or assassins of the Crusades?
I don’t think so, because the assassins had a strong, powerful jihadist sense, very deeply rooted in the religion, whereas the ninja were not religiously driven. The overlap came in that the ninja wanted what was called “right-mindedness.” They had to have the correct attitude in order to undertake what they did in defense of their villages, their masters and themselves. What they did was train in a local belief system, which was Shinto and called shugendo, which is really mountain asceticism, which demanded that you undertake training in the mountains and along the streams to hone your body and mind until you are absolutely fit enough to carry out ninja activities.
Related:
Yiquan, Wang Yu-Fong (by brownsatay)
Very solid form.
- Man in China moves objects with CHI_KI energy. (vid by uevpatori)
- A video of an 84-year-old man who appears to be moving objects with only his internal energy has become viral in China. The man also slices his stomach with a cleaver but remains unscathed.
- The power of Qi is often demonstrated in various styles of Chinese martial arts most often practiced by Buddhist monks. You’ve probably seen those Shaolin shows where they make their bodies immovable or unraisable, and even immune to the sharp tip of a spear, but an 84-year-old man from China takes things to a whole new level. He claims he can channel his inner Qi (Chi) to move and even break various objects. To prove his ability he allowed a camera crew to record several of his feats, including moving bricks and a bowl full of water and breaking a glass bottle. The video of him performing these extraordinary stunts has been doing the rounds for about two years, but so far no one has been able to explain just how he’s doing it.”
- via http://www.odditycentral.com/videos/old-chinese-man-moves-objects-with-qi-chi-energy.html
Could be faked at a couple points, obviously, but still fun.
“The hidden message of Buddhism is that behind karma is intention, and behind intention is magick, and behind magick is Suchness.”
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