S
SPONP4US
Guest
I am considering taking up Akido, partly for exercise and also to build discipline and give me some self defence skills. The appeal of Akido for me is its use of calmness, and the majority of its techniques being compassionate (no one gets their bones broken and their own attack force is used against them).
However, although the Akido Club I found seems a very good one and the instructors seem professional, I am reading things on their website about:
“Zazen” a sitting meditation at the beginning of class to settle the mind.
“Mushin” a state of No mind. Apparently practitioners progress to attain this state of calmness when engaged in combat e.t.c
This all sounds very Zen/Bhuddist/ Taoist to me in fact it is. But Akido in its application does not necessarily have to involve these things as anything other than and addition and part of training. Like stretching, taking deep breaths when you are excited (or about to become aggressive). However I also have read about “Ki” which is reffered to as part of Akido, albeit loosely, as some kind of supernatural energy of body and manipulated during defence techniques. I really don’t want to get into all that stuff.
It all’s sounds a little fruity, and I feel the success of the techniques are actually just about Physics and the fact they where tried and tested in feudal Japan quite literally (nothing to do with quasi esoteric energy theory).
As a Catholic should I avoid this Martial Arts altogether? I know there are Atheists who even do this and don’t pay too much attention to the pseusdo spiritual aspects. I also know people in law enforcement use Akido over here where I live too … So it does seem successful to a degree.
I am a devout Catholic however and God and the faith of the Church must come first in all I do. But is there any point me attending clas and maybe having to say every lesson “Oh I can’t do this as it is against my beliefs” … I can see it getting boring for everyone, the instructor and tedious for me.
Can anyone offer any advice or suggestions?
However, although the Akido Club I found seems a very good one and the instructors seem professional, I am reading things on their website about:
“Zazen” a sitting meditation at the beginning of class to settle the mind.
“Mushin” a state of No mind. Apparently practitioners progress to attain this state of calmness when engaged in combat e.t.c
This all sounds very Zen/Bhuddist/ Taoist to me in fact it is. But Akido in its application does not necessarily have to involve these things as anything other than and addition and part of training. Like stretching, taking deep breaths when you are excited (or about to become aggressive). However I also have read about “Ki” which is reffered to as part of Akido, albeit loosely, as some kind of supernatural energy of body and manipulated during defence techniques. I really don’t want to get into all that stuff.
It all’s sounds a little fruity, and I feel the success of the techniques are actually just about Physics and the fact they where tried and tested in feudal Japan quite literally (nothing to do with quasi esoteric energy theory).
As a Catholic should I avoid this Martial Arts altogether? I know there are Atheists who even do this and don’t pay too much attention to the pseusdo spiritual aspects. I also know people in law enforcement use Akido over here where I live too … So it does seem successful to a degree.
I am a devout Catholic however and God and the faith of the Church must come first in all I do. But is there any point me attending clas and maybe having to say every lesson “Oh I can’t do this as it is against my beliefs” … I can see it getting boring for everyone, the instructor and tedious for me.
Can anyone offer any advice or suggestions?
that’s what I almost thought.
remember him taking about the Olympics in one of his homilies earlier this year.