Yeshua-Do Updates, Vol.2, No.3, March 2007

 NOTE FROM SENSEI VITOLD JORDAN

“And He said unto them, that the Son of Man is Lord also of the Sabbath.” 

-  LUKE 6.5 (KJV – Holy Bible)

“For anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from his own work,

just as God did from His.

Let us therefore, make every effort to enter that rest.” 

-  HEBREWS 4.10-11 (NIV – Holy Bible)

Many people do not realize that Jesus Christ was constantly under pressure. But there were grueling demands on His time; He rarely had any personal privacy; He was constantly interrupted. People repeatedly misunderstood Him, criticized Him, and ridiculed Him. He had enormous stress, which would have caused any of us to cave in.

As we look at the life of the Master, we quickly discover that He remained at peace under pressure. He was never in a hurry. He was always at ease. He had calmness about His life that enabled him to handle enormous amount of stress. How did He do this so successfully? The answer can be simply started; He based His life on sound principles of stress management. If we understand and apply these principles in our lives we will truly experience less pressure and more peace of mind. Finally we realize that He is the LORD of Sabbath and that we can find true comfort thru and in Him.

Bruce Lee once said,"You must learn to allow patience and stillness to take over from anxiety and frantic activity for the sake of doing something,

Between martial artists of the first rank, there is room for only one mistake. Before an exchange of blows, several minutes may be spent in controlled patience and planning while each man respectfully observes his opponent, studying his position or stance, watching, getting ideas, and charging his energy. When one man thinks he is going to attack, his opponent may quickly change his stance. If he has overreacted, his opponent makes a note of it. This is a weakness which he will later attempt to use to his advantage.

"A good martial artist  recognizes these moves for what they are: a process of sounding out and experimentation. The good martial artist  is patient. He is observant, controlling his patience, and organizing his composure. When he sees an opportunity he explodes. Remember: You and your opponent are one. There is a coexisting relationship between you. You coexist with your opponent and become his complement, absorbing his attack and using his force to overcome him.”

Following is an article by Joe Hyams, the man who studied Budo since 1952 with renowned martial artists such as Ed Parker, Bruce Lee, Master Han, and Jim Liu. Joe received his first black belt in 1969, his other hobbies have included fencing, flying, and race-car driving. His understanding and approach to successful living can serve as an inspiration for us. For a modern warriors “Active–Inactivity” is a key to live at ease and relax in the times of stress but still being capable to act with precision and force when timing is right.

In order to keep the balance between practical and spiritual I enclose for you also two books by Sadhu Sundar Singh, the great Hindu Christian who truly followed the Way of supernatural available to us by Grace of  Tao/Logos. It’s really my pleasure and joy to give you, “At The Master's Feet” and “Wisdom of the Sadhu”, two books which changed and transformed the lives of many people.

May God richly bless you.

Sensei Vitold

Yukon, March 2, 2007

ACTIVE INACTIVITY

“When a problem arises in your life, don't fight with it or try to deny it. Accept and acknowledge it. Be patient in seeking a solution or opening, and then fully commit yourself to the resolution you think advisable." 

-  JIM LIU, Wing–Chung Martial Artist

Bronislaw Kaper, who introduced me to the martial arts more than two decades ago, introduced me to another interesting notion - consciously doing nothing. Bronny is courtly, elegant, and a gentleman in the European style. Born in Poland and educated in Warsaw and Berlin, he was a junior sabre champion by the age of eighteen and is still considered one of the best sabre-men on the West Coast, even though he is now in his late sixties.

One day I telephoned him to see whether he was available for lunch. "Sorry," said Bronny, "but this is my day for doing nothing.

I protested, "But lunch is not doing anything but eating."

Bronny laughed. "If I made a date for lunch with you, dear boy, I must do something and today I do nothing."

"Explain, please," I said.

"In our lives today, we don't leave room for empty spots, for doing nothing. This concept of doing nothing, which has nothing to do with just not doing something, is also an activity and an exercise.

"Compare doing nothing to a pause in music. A pause is not a  lack of music, it is an integral part of the composition. If a conductor does not hold a pause to its full value, it is like cutting into the flesh. As Claude Debussy has said, `Music is the space between the notes.' The masters of good phrasing, like good martial artists, are men who pay as much attention to pause and silence (nonaction) as to action."

Bronny seemed to be saying that meaningful pause allowed one I u take stock of where one was. The next time I saw Bruce Lee, I told him of my conversation with Bronny.

Bruce laughed and said, "He's right, you know. That pause in the middle of action is one of my secrets, too. Many martial artists attack with the force of a storm without observing the effect of their  attack on their opponent. When I attack, I always try to pause-stop action  - to study my opponent and his reactions before going into action again. I include pause and silence along with activity, thus allowing myself time to sense my own internal processes as well as my opponent's.”

Years later, long after Bruce had gone to make films in Hong Kong, I finally understood how important this "stop action" was to his art. Most martial artists use a set pattern of techniques repeatedly. But Bruce was never locked into a routine. He was, in a sense, constantly conducting an environmental impact report on his own activity - pausing to assess, adjust, and correct according to the  demands of the situation. He never allowed his opponent to dictate his actions. Instead, he forced his opponent to react to him, pausing frequently to regroup and reform his approach.

Recently I found a way to fit this abstract idea of "stop action" into my life. For some time I had allowed my work schedule to pattern my life. Then one day I was overwhelmed by the pressure. I realized that there was a parallel  with my experiences on the mat when engaged in a bout with an overpowering opponent. During such a bout, I often heeded Bruce's words and paused to regroup and then attempted to take the initiative. Why wouldn't this method work with my present problem?

Despite all the pressures, I decided to take a day off, a pause during which I planned to do nothing, and study the situation. The pause worked wonders for me. I assessed my predicament, settled on a future course of behavior, and decided that I would take the initiative in determining my own life schedule. I had discovered that doing nothing can sometimes be more important than doing something.

TECHNICAL SECTION

Tai-jutsu technique –GOKYO (Knife attack) - presented by Shihan Mitsunari Kanai (8^th Dan Aikido) and myself as his ‘Uke’ (partner) during my Aikido & Iaido Shugyo-training (1988-1989) in New England Aikikai, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.

2      Enter and grab the opponent’s wrist (not the knife!)

THE END