The Standing Post

posted on 17.03.11

pic via ikipr/shootingdaggerz

Ninja skills are an essential study in the history of martial arts.

Related Posts:

Michael Echanis: America’s First Ninja

The Nine Cutting Fingers of Ninjutsu

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posted on 06.08.10

I-Chuan Test of Power By Sifu Gregory Fong (via taichipdx)

excellent form and if you think those pushs and pulls towards the end of the clip wouldn’t hurt…then you got another thing coming.

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posted on 02.07.10 Magus of Java author says “Snap out of it!”

I thought coming from this guy’s experience this is a valid call to self reliance and resilient community building as well as not getting bogged down in new age fantasy games. Extraordinary human development is real, but what do you do when society crashes?

“Please Stop Hitting the Snooze Button” by Kostas Dervenis (via)

Despite my best efforts, I keep getting letters inquiring about John Djiang’s contact details. The usual request is for me to make arrangements for the petitioner to become an immortal in his/her (usually his) spare time, via a web-based video correspondence course posted on Youtube following the individual’s initial visit to Indonesia (a trip which is only necessary so that he can take photos with Master Djiang to post on Facebook, and videos to post on youtube). Given that this website is dedicated to Pammachon, not the Magus of Java, it would appear that few people are reading my posts and directions very carefully (perhaps the youth of today has lost the capacity to read after all), so let me summarize my standpoint and reiterate my position for one final time:

The Magus of Java is, as Bruno would say, sooooooo 1999. It is outdated. It was a plan that did not work. You’re too late – all the immortals have already made the cut, graduated, and taken the last plane out. You missed out. Sorry about that.

To my surprise, several people who wish to portray themselves as scientists have stated on various fora that, were the theories presented in the Magus of Java found to be true, physics would be revolutionized. In fact, this is an erroneous statement, as there is nothing in the book that is not old hat. There are innovative viewpoints in the book, but nothing in there is really “mine” – all I did was connect the dots and draw pretty pictures.

Herbert Benson (et al) proved in 1981 that the use of tantric yoga techniques by advanced practitioners could circumvent the biophysical model as we know it; the publication of same was made in Nature, a prestigious peer-reviewed scientific journal, and has never been disproven. gTummo yoga is considered by the Tibetans as a path to Enlightenment and its practitioners as well on their way to becoming Buddhas (immortals). We already know that human beings can generate incredible amounts of energy through these practices – so go bother the Tibetan Buddhists, they are is set up to deal with you, I am not.

The binary nature of the Universe was theorized by Einstein back in the day, and by the ancients way back in the day; that the speed of gravity is equal to the speed of light, as Einstein predicted, was finally experimentally proven a few years ago, confirming once and for all that weird hair styles have something going for them. Many cosmologists are now saying that the amount of dark matter in the universe must be equal to the amount of “light” matter so dear to us – gee, what a surprise. The Mass Unconscious was first postulated by Carl Gustav Jung, not Kostas Danaos – I just used his model. So go bother a Jungian – he will charge you for your trouble. I am not the first to comment on the similarity of ancient thought with modern physics; there are many other authors who have stated the same, and who routinely attend their own book signings – Fritjof Capra is still active, for example. And no – I am not interested in anyone’s chi machine.

I understand there are so-called teachers out there charging 5 to 6 thousand dollars a pop for teaching basic Mo Pai meditation - I am not one of them. Good luck with that, and feel free to consider yourself an idiot if you coughed up such funds. Did you really think that a life-altering journey could be initiated because of an advertisement posted through a medium such as the Internet? Christ on a Harley! I have never charged a student of mine one penny, not for martial arts training nor for meditation, nor do I have any plans to do so, though it would appear I could have made a fortune if I had. But making money was never the point behind the project.

I’ve had people call my book “life altering” and “groundbreaking” and all sorts of good stuff, and for that I must thank them (there were a bunch of others who thought it was crap, too, and I’ll have to thank them as well). I am very happy that the Magus of Java affected your life the way that it did, and I hope you can pass the same positive feeling onto others in the future. But let me make this clear: your choices in life are your responsibility, not mine.

All of you have to understand the following: The Magus of Java was essentially an Enacted Plan with a specific implementation timeframe, and nothing more. I was seeking a fulcrum to stave off the inevitable, but it would seem that the Universe cannot be dissuaded once it makes up its Mind. I pretty much stated my purpose behind writing the book in its final chapter, the chapter that few people liked and most people skimmed through, and dropped references to same throughout the text. I guess no one was paying attention. No one cared what I personally thought back then; it would appear that this has changed these days.

I have felt the Decline breathing down our necks for a long period of time, since the early 80s to be precise, and it has come to stay. The Decline is as unavoidable as a steamroller, and for some reason there is no slowing it down either. The times that are coming will not be particularly pleasant, but they will not be the End that some people envision. Nope, no end of the world folks, you will have to continue dealing with reality on a daily basis, but things will be much, much harder. Nevertheless, when I wrote the Magus of Java, I was orchestrating a sequence of actions whose purpose was to stave off an inevitable turn of events; I am actually fairly good at that and have been trained to do so. But the Universe did not want this, and no man can stop a hurricane: death, disease, insurrection, religious fanaticism, stupidity and terrorism all stood in my way, and the plans I made failed spectacularly. The desperate shot that I took with the Magus of Java did not reach its mark. So I gave up; every man only gets so many chances to do the right thing in his life.

9/11 and the events that followed the publication of the Magus of Java, and other events that will follow in the future, have changed and will change the world for the worse, now and forever. No one can move back in time: if a domino fails to tumble, then the stack it lies in is forfeit; if it does tumble, it initiates a chain of events. So forget about John Djiang – concentrate on preparing for your future. Forget about 1999 – concentrate on 2010 and beyond.

The Decline that is coming will be a time of Enclaves and Inequality, a time when the Fire of Prometheus will burn low in humanity or not at all. There have been many such periods in human history; sadly, one lies ahead. Science will advance, indeed, but it will not be available to everyone. The citizen’s rights you grew up with and have come to take for granted will simply cease to exist; millions of people will die of starvation and thirst. You should do your best to prepare for the coming times, and forget about Youtube videos. Concentrate on day-to-day necessities and empower yourself to be a strong and vital member of an independent community. Each one of you is a link in the chain – each one of you can become an asset or a liability. So become strong in your heart and mind and become an asset to civilization and to your loved ones. Let honor and virtue rule your hearts, and strength and integrity rule your mind. Do not be afraid of expressing defiance to corrupt authority and understand that this is not a time to avoid confrontation. Do not be afraid to tell an idiot that he is an idiot, assuming that you can prove he is. Become independent – stand on your own two feet, so that you can help others stand on theirs. If you do not understand these words, then you have no business at my doorstep in any case, so go complain elsewhere.

In any case, now you know what to do. Interested parties with half a brain, please purchase and read The Limits to Growth to better understand what is ahead…

Individuals interested in immortality, please change radio stations. The immortals have all gone back to Mount Olympus.

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posted on 07.04.10

bodhisattvaquotes:

“Do not seek to follow in the footsteps of the wise. Seek what they sought.” - Matsuo Basho

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posted on 24.03.10

morningstar:

ledgergermane:

Sceptic challenges guru to kill him live on TV - Times Online

First, the master chanted mantras, then he sprinkled water on his intended victim. He brandished a knife, ruffled the sceptic’s hair and pressed his temples. But after several hours of similar antics, Mr Edamaruku was still very much alive — smiling for the cameras and taunting the furious holy man.

They should account for internal damage. There are “strikes” which can be performed by the most highly skilled (and dually bad-energy aligned) Tai Chi Chuan practitioners, which can kill a target 4-8-12 hours later (due to slow internal bleeding/hemorrhages), but appear to have done little more than a streetwalking scuff. This is a most ancient form of assassination. Typically, projection of this energy is used to heal, not destroy.

There are similar strikes used in many Indian / SE Asian / Chinese Martial Arts which use internal energy as a destructive force, where on the outside it may seem nothing more than hands calmly placed on skin.

The brazen challenger on this particular show may have asked for an internal complication he may not realize exists until months or years later (for his sake, lets hope its all a publicity stunt).

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posted on 23.02.10 The Shamanic Origins of Tai Chi

Under the moonlight, in a village somewhere in the Golden Triangle, the Ka-ren Shaman moved slowly and methodically. He was showing us the movements taught him by his Shaman, which had been passed down through the tribe for generations. The Shaman moved strikingly similar to a Tai Chi master.

The Golden Triangle is a roughly drawn geographic area that overlaps the borders of three countries: Myanmar in the west, Laos in the east, and Thailand in the south. This area gets its soubrette from its most profitable export, the golden excretions of the poppy—opium. The terrain of small brown mountains and narrow forested valleys is ideally suited to guerilla tactics. In the past this incomprehensible landscape acted as a barrier against the encroachments of the Burmese, Chinese, and Cambodian empires, allowing the area’s indigeonous hill tribes to maintain their own autonomy. More recently, the triangle’s remoteness continues to keep much of civilization at bay. Both Buddhist and Christian missionaries have failed to convert but a small number of the people away from their ancient animist beliefs. The Shaman or medicine man still plays an important role in the life of the isolated villages. In 1987 the author visited with the Ka-ren in one of the more remote areas of the Triangle. There he was fortunate enough to spend an evening with a Shaman and witness his spirit dance. It was there that the connection between this tradition and that of the Chinese martial arts seemed to meld.

Tai Chi has often been described and written about as form of meditation—a moving meditation. The purpose of meditation is to alter one’s consciousness in order to achieve a variety of goals from relaxation and healing to extending one’s lifespan and many even believe that it helps develop supernatural abilities. The picture that most often comes to mind when we consider meditation is that of the Yogi, the Buddhist, and the Taoist, sitting cross-legged in a temple. The key ingredients are silence, stillness, and solitude. Contrast this image with one of the continually flowing and sometimes explosive movements of Tai Chi, and it would appear to be the antithesis of the conditions needed for meditation. From where then did this unique concept, the linking of physical movement with an altered state of consciousness, originate?

The five elements and their associated heraldic animals represent an ancient knowledge of how heavenly forces could be manipulated to affect earthly destinies. The central ritual of Taoist magic consists in the ability to call up the forces of these spirit generals and indicates that the heraldic animals are indeed the essence of supernatural powers.
The Chinese Pau Kua, Ong Hean-Tatt

According to his book, Shamanism: Archaic Techniques of Ecstasy, Eliade recounts that a Shaman must from time to time perform a ritual known as the Spirit Dance. Well known among native Americans, accounts of this practice also date back 4,000 years in Chinese records. During the Spirit Dance, the Shaman moves in imitation of his animal spirit to call on its powers. It is said that the animal spirit actually takes possession of the Shaman’s body and imbues the Shaman with superhuman strength. This principle is also mirrored in the martial arts. Performing the movements of Tai Chi is said to generate a spiritual energy—Chi. Like the Shaman’s infusion from his animal spirit, Chi also bestows superhuman strength. Could it be that performing the stylized movements of a Tai Chi form is based on the ancient Shaman’s practice of dancing the spirit?

The Ka-ren belong to the Thai linguistic group whose origins lie in southwest China, possibly Yunnan or Szechwan. In the twelfth century the Mongols drove whole populations in China southwards. The social upheaval this caused helped to bring to an end to the fabled empires of Pagan and Angkor. The Thai tribes that had been displaced southwards initially settled in the wilderness hill country that bounded these two empires, but when Mongol incursions and civil wars finally destroyed the kingdoms, the Thai came down from the hills and established their own kingdom on the ruins. But not all the tribes came down from the hills. While their cousins went on to found the Thai kingdom, others chose instead to remain in the uplands, living a lifestyle little changed over time. Could the practices of the Ka-ren Shaman be a time capsule of an archaic Chinese martial arts system as it existed a thousand years ago? If so, would this mean that the connection between martial arts and Shamanism was closer and much older than we thought?

While there are several similarities between the origins of martial arts systems and the Shamanic tradition of the Vision Quest, it does not imply that practicing Tai Chi is a form of spirit possession. What it does is suggest is that some of China’s most ancient traditions may be the source, inspiration, or template from which the more refined disciplines, such as Tai Chi, evolved.

So the next time you go out and practice your Snake Creeps Down and Crane Opens Wings in the moonlight, know that not only are you continuing a millennia-old tradition of martial arts, but a tradition that quite possibly goes back through the mists of prehistory to the dawn of mankind itself.

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posted on 26.01.10 On Breathing and Dantien Cultivation

Breathing:

Hyperventilation: Notes on Trance States and Suggestion in Martial Arts From the Abstract of the presented paper:

This paper examines the relationship between hyperventilation, defined as breathing in excess of metabolic (physiological) requirements, and the phenomena of ‘trance states’ and suggestion, in the practice of the martial arts.
It is proposed that martial arts instructors should become familiar with the fundamentals of scientific respiratory psychophysiology, and of hypnosis, in order to avoid potential harm to themselves and their students, through inappropriate respiratory training, and an inability to use martial arts skills through encoding in: ‘State Dependent’ Memory, Learning and Behaviour (SDMLB).
An understanding of these phenomena, would allow the martial artist to employ safe respiratory training regimens; to improve performance; and ensure an appropriate ‘release’ of learned self-defense skills, in an emergency.

Free Download of “The Breath In Action” A short synopsis of the book:

“Breath in Action” confirms the importance of breath as central to all vocal communication. Bringing together experts on voice and breath from a variety of backgrounds, the book provides a wealth of information on the art of breath and vocal communication. New strategies for teaching breath, new paths of integration from various other disciplines and the latest in medical information are all brought together in this comprehensive, user-friendly volume. Divided into five sections, the book considers the use of breath in a range of contexts: Breath in the Body; Breath Across Cultures; Breath in Training; Breath in Movement; and Breath and the Mind. It offers an up- to- date perspective on how breath is taught in order to achieve better results in a performance context, and how it is conceptualised in order to add greater meaning and generate greater understanding of all human communication. Combining theory with practice, many of the chapters contain clearly laid out practical exercises on breathing techniques from various disciplines. Interdisciplinary in its focus, “Breath in Action” adds to specialist knowledge in the performance field, whilst also offering enlightening information for those interested in therapeutic and healing processes, movement, and voice and speech sciences.

Dantien Cultivation:

“Daoist Lower Dantien Psychotherapy (pdf)” from the article:

Dan-tien is a Daoist expression for energy center. There is a psychotherapeutic process related to Daoist practices of dan-tien development. The dan-tien psychotherapeutic process does not fit the pattern of what we normally think of as psychotherapy. It takes place in the larger context of a person’s existence in the universe. Therapy takes place when there is an interaction between the person and the cosmos.
Although many psychotherapists have incorporated meditation for their clients as well as for themselves,the central factor in the western psychotherapeutic process is the verbal exchange of thought and experience between client and therapist. In Daoist practice there is an exchange of non-verbal information between the practitioner and nature.

Dantien Breathing for Martial Arts (and Health). From article:

Embryonic Breathing is a technique that allows you to store the Qi (Chi) at the Real Dan Tian (elixir field), in the center of your abdomen and accumulate your body’s energy to a higher capacity.
The Lower Dan Tian is regarded today as the second brain, your body’s “battery” which can store a bioelectric charge. Qi is the energy or lifeforce within every cell of our body. It cannot yet be clearly defined, but it consists largely of the bioelectricity produced by the body’s metabolism. When the bioelectricity storage has reached a high level, the vital energy manifested by the physical body will be strong. Naturally, you will be healthy and have a long life.

The TAOBUMS Discussion on the “Second Brain” or Dantien Links out to several more interesting articles.

(All above links were culled from various postings on the great Viva La Pepa! blog, which you should definitely check out.)

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posted on 16.01.10 Yiquan: the Martial Art of Contradiction - Ebook by Wang Yonxiang

You need to have Scrib account to dl, but interesting read nonetheless.

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posted on 16.01.10

Viva La Pepa!: Zhan Zhuang

Entering the Heart of Trees

Bibliography, Links, Resources

@ Green Way Research

Zhan Zhuang & The Search of Wu

By Yu Yong Nian

http://tinyurl.com/yh4otgv

(Thanks to Harry E.)

++++++

A great blog find, check it out. Also, “ZZ&the Search for Wu” is one of the rarest books on Zhang Zhuang out there. Been trying to find a copy for a few years. The tome is the most scientific treatment of standing practice and its connection to health, meditation and martial arts I have ever read.

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