On Health, Fitness & Jeet Kune Do

When is the last time you took a moment to objectively listen to and evaluate that ever-present voice in your head?

We all have it. For some of us, it is louder and more obnoxious than for others. Sometimes the voice helps us make difficult decisions, but in general, it tends to be rather negative, cynical, and often cruelly chastising.

It’s called self talk, and for some reason the great majority of people tend to beat themselves up with it, and it is perhaps a student’s greatest challenge to advancement.

I see students punishing themselves far too often for making mistakes.  There are no mistakes!  There is always a better way of doing things, and we can always strive to be better.  Reminding and encouraging ourselves to excel is far more productive that convincing ourselves of how poorly we performed.

Martial arts, or any holistically engaging activity, can be used as a powerful tool to quiet and/or control self talk, but like most skills, turning the mental chatterbox into a trained and supportive ally takes time and diligence.

Focusing on a union of mind and body creates a certain synergy leading to ease of movement and physical expression. Bruce Lee saw the power of developing spiritual and mental strength, especially after that fateful day in 1970 when he injured his back, told he would never kick again, and subsequently bedridden for six months. Lee turned to books about philosophy, psychology, spirituality and personal growth. He also reinforced his mental/spiritual/emotional training via copious writing.

Reading and watching videos or listening to audios are also powerful ways to control mental chatter and retrain our self talk, just be certain that the material is engaging and positive. Follow up by practicing what you have learned, writing about it, and using positive language during self talk.

One thing that all martial artists and aspiring martial artists should remember is that the non-physical aspect of training is far more powerful than the physical. As Bruce Lee said, “JKD, ultimately is not a matter of petty techniques but of highly developed spirituality and physique.”

In Health,

–
Nhan-Esteban Khuong, L.Ac.
www.SGVJeetKuneDo.com