Psyche and Martial Arts: Self-Realisation through Martial Arts 3838393937, 9783838393933

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IULIUS-CEZAR MACARIE

ND MARTIAL ARTS

If realisation through martial arts

11 1111

9 783838 3

978-

8 8

, LAP'

LAMBERT

Academic Publishing

IULIUS-CEZAR

MACARIE

PSYCHE AND MARTIAL ARTS Self-realisation

through

martial

arts

LAP LAMBERT Acad mic Publishmg

lmpressum/lmprint (nur fur Deutschland/ only for Germany) Bibliografische Information der Deutschen Nationalbibliothek: Die Deutsche Nationalbibliothek verzeichnet diese Publikation in der Deutschen Nationalbibliografie; detaillierte bibliografische Daten sind im Internet Ober http://dnb.d -nb.de abrufbar. Alie in diesem Buch genannten Marken und Produktnamen unterliegen warenzeichen-, markenoder patentrechtlichem Schutz bzw. sind Warenzeichen oder eingetragene Warenzeichen der jeweiligen lnhaber. Die Wiedergabe von Marken, Produktnamen, Gebrauchsnamen, Handelsnamen, Warenbezeichnungen u.s.w. in diesem Werk berechtigt auch ohne besondere Kennzeichnung nicht zu der Annahme, dass solche Namen im Sinne der Warenzeichen- und Markenschutzgesetzgebung als frei zu betrachten waren und daher von jedermann benutzt werden durften.

CONTENTS

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Imprint (only for USA, GB) Bibliographic information published by the Deutsche Nationalbibliothek: The Deutsche Nationalbibliothek lists this publication in the Deutsche Nationalbibliografie; detailed bibliographic data are available in the Internet at http://dnb.d-nb.de. Any brand names and product names mentioned in this book are subject to trademark, brand or patent protection and are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders. The use of brand names, product names, common names, trade names, product descriptions etc. even without a particular marking in this works is in no way to be construed to mean that such names may be regarded as unrestricted in respect of trademark and brand protection legislation and could thus be used by anyone. Cover image: www.ingimage.com Publisher: LAP LAMBERTAcademic Publishing GmbH & Co. KG Dudweiler Landstr. 99, 66123 Saarbrucken, Germany Phone +49 681 3720-310, Fax +49 681 3720-3109 Email: [email protected] Printed in the U.S.A. Printed in the U .K. by (see last page) ISBN: 978-3-8383-9393-3

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Acknowledgments Contributor

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Introduction Martial Arts - The Psyche Within Jung on Self-realisation and Eastern Thought Martial Artist Profiles Conclusion

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APPENDIX I APPENDIX2

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GLOSSARY BIBLIOGRAPHY INDEX

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About the author

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Copyright © 2010 by the author and LAP LAMBERTAcademic Publishing GmbH & Co. KG and licensors All rights reserved. SaarbrOcken 2010 3

CODA I wrote this book soon after I graduated with a Masters degree in Psychodynamics of Human Development. Then, I thought that I had the best sources at hand to process all I thought there was to know about Carl G. Jung’s process of individuation, on the one hand, and regarding the history of martial arts, on the other. I am aware that some references I used then are inadequate now. Thus, I urge the reader to be cautious, and triangulate the information found here with other sources. As with martial arts’ foundation, Jung’s teachings point to individual experience. In other words, we learn bodily. I understood then that the task I set for myself was gigantic. Yet, I was motivated by my inner vision to bring into conversation martial arts with analysis to understand in what ways the former could provide a framework for the latter. And that’s the reason why this book came to completion. But, the more knowledge one acquires, the deeper the issue at heart becomes, and the more one circumambulates when attempting to bring together such disciplines. Thus, it is far from maturity and I am painfully aware of the work lying ahead of me and others wishing to illuminate the path to self-development through martial arts. Till then, whilst I get myself lost or finding my way back to bring this work to its essence, I hope it will prove a reliable starting point for researching the limitless bodily practices and intellectual, spiritual resources of such scholarly-warrior subject matter. Notable researchers into martial arts studies have since published several works, which I recommend as complementary to this one. Namely, those published by scholar warriors, such as Paul Bowman (Cardiff University), Benjamin N. Judkins (Cornell University), and anthropologist Kevin Tan (National University of Singapore), whose works have been disseminated and excellently reviewed via Kung-fu Podcasts, by Sifu T.W. Smith. Author of Psyche and Martial Arts, March 2017, Budapest, Hungary.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

"The cave reveals what is inside us, what we bring into it We also take shelter in it/or the challenge, If there is something to uncover." Ivan Laucik (1944 - 2004)

With greatest respect, I would like to thank the martial artists who agreed to contribute to this study. They have kindly given their time and went out of their way to help with this work. l_

I will always remember the guidance, which my supervisors have given. Stephen Flower had an enormous amount of insight and patience, and for that, I am grateful. This project was born five years ago. Ron, my mentor and martial arts friend was the one who inspired me the most and I am indebted to him. All my martial arts teachers have had a great impact on my explorative journey in Karate-do and Aikido so far, and some continue to inspire me to this day. On a more personal note, I would like to show my deep appreciation to Katarina, my wife who had faith in me. Equally, I would like to thank to my family and friends who have given me the support I needed to see this work through. I dedicate this book to my mother whose presence I feel in my-dreams.

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CONTRIBUTOR

INTRODUCTION

Dr. Ron Roberts is a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Psychology, at Kingston University. He has been practicing Shaolin Kung-Fu for the past ten years and cocounseling for even longer.

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The work before you is the result of both my research as a graduate student in Psychodynamics of Human Development and of Karate-do. My formal introduction to the Martial Arts (MAs) training started during my military service in my former home, Romania. For the most part of the sixteen years that have passed since I have been consistent in my training and study of Karate-do. Although, there have been times when life events have swayed me away from training. In the past eight years however, my training and research into the methods of Karate-do have run side by side with my studies and work in the field of Psychology. It is perhaps inevitable that I started to make links between these two journeys. A turning point came when I began to look beyond the ego related distractions such as participating in Karate-do competitions and the immediate results of physical training in Karate-do, and turned my focus on the psyche's benefits from the practice ofMAs. It was then that I began to see glimpses of what the true meaning of training in the MAs could be. Namely, MAs could be an alternative way to a journey of personal realisation. A source of encouragement to persevere in this direction came from the study that I carried out as part of my MSc dissertation that looked at the aspects of Jung's Analytical Psychology concerned with the self-development throughout one's life stages. I began to ask myself what these aspects and means to pursue a journey of personal realisation are and if elements of that journey can be found in the Way of the Warrior or the Martial Arts Way. Together with my Masters supervisor, I have arrived to the core question of this book: In what ways can MAs provide a framework for a journey of Self-realisation? My objective here is to investigate how the martial artists interviewed in this study make sense of their experiences of MAs and to find out what aspects and means may appear in the training of these martial artists that aid their engagement with a journey of Self-realisation. This study posits two arguments. First, that certain aspects and means that appear in the training of MAs are connected to the underlying components of MAs philosophy that has been handed down from generation to generation. Second, that through practice of MAs, its practitioners develop an ability to engage in a relationship with their own journey of Selfrealisation. Finally, the study makes no pretention to build or test the theory that MAs provide a framework for a journey of Self-realisation. My ambition here is no 7

more or less than to examine previous scholarship on areas strictly related or adjacent to Self-realisation, and to learn by investigation about the meanings attached by the participants in this study to their experiences of MAs training. Another way to describe such a study is empirical research. That is, in order to verify some theories I used Western scientific methods to find some answers worthwhile for those passionately curious in both fields, Psychology and MAs. The focus of this book is on the role MAs flay in the martial artists' selfdevelopment and the process Carl Gustav Jung referred to as Individuation or metaphorically as a journey of Self-realisation towards wholeness. Throughout the book, the reader will find terms such as wholeness, Self-realisation, selftransformation, and personal realization or development of personality, the path to self-development, the middle path, and the way of the warrior. Such terms could be seen to have various meanings. This is not the case here; they are metaphors for Individuation, the term originally used by Jung and fundamentally connected to Self's quest for meaning and transformation. So, to limit confusion I will use the word Individuation only when I cite Jung's own words. Thereafter, I use Self-realisation. Jung describes his life in Memories, dreams and reflections as a story of self2 realisation, a process of growth within himself. My motivation to use Jung's metaphor of Self-realisation instead of Individuation stems from the fact that some participants interviewed in this study use the same term to describe their experiences of MAs. Also, because it is a term shared by the Chinese MAs philosophy, Upanishads or Buddhism, and is a term I will be using in relation to Self-realisation. Nevertheless, previous research to link the two systems, Analytical Psychology and MAs, is limited. One of these reasons could be that these two systems have originated in places far apart from each other and separated in time by thousands of years. This inspired me to tread on the footsteps of thinkers like Jung and carry out this research in an attempt to bridge the gap between the wisdom of Eastern practices and Western scientific thinking. I acknowledge this when I discuss later on the methodological problems encountered by previous researchers when investigating the Eastern 3 practices (e.g. MAs, Mindfulness meditation) in a Western context. This book is divided in three main parts. The first focuses on MAs or the Way of the Warrior, and examines the psychological/therapeutic and spiritual aspects of MAs, namely the evidence that Ron Roberts and I reviewed in an attempt to find what benefits there could be for those adherents who submit to arduous and long years of training in MAs. I conclude with an analysis of rather recent and rare work of scholarship from two psychological analysts and martial artists on the impact of 4 MAs training on the process of Self-realisation. The second part focuses on Jung's vision of Self-realisation and specifically psyche's aspects involved in this process. I conclude this part with Jung's view on the Eastern wisdom. The final part presents the martial artists' profiles who graciously agreed to participate in this study and the meanings they make of their experiences as martial artists. My sincere wish is to show the specific details in how these participants make sense of their experiences ofMAs and the impact this has on their journey of personal

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realization. I hope that readers can refer to the more general ideas on Self-realisation that I explore in this book as well as appreciating that what I found in this research can be uncovered under similar circumstances. I hope this book will be useful to academics and non-academics alike. To add some reading fluidity for the latter I have adapted the regular citation pi:actice and attached the references required by the former as endnotes.

Notes 1

Carl Gustav Jung ( 1875-1961) was a Swish psychologist and psychiatrist who founded a new system of , ychology that he called analytical psychology. Jung 1963 I Columbus 1991 ~ Donahue 1994; Retivov 1994

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1 CHAPTERJ

MARTIAL ARTS - THE PSYCHE WITHIN

"Do not strike others, do not be striked by others, this is the principle of peace without incident." - Miyagi Chojun, founder of Goju Ryu (Source: G. Lever)

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The Fascination of Martial Arts - Martial arts (MAs) are often associated with fighting techniques. It is true, I think, that combat is an inherent part ofMAs, however, that is only one element of the entire phenomenon ofMAs. The context in which a MA has developed perhaps plays a role in how much of 'martial' or of an 'art', there is within any one MA system. Another distinction when comparing MAs systems relates t their spiritual and psychological/therapeutic dimensions. For that, one needs to look into the evolution of the MAs systems to understand their all-encompassing aspects. Historians of MAs offer accounts that show India as the cradle of the MAs, but very little is known of this early stage. From there they spread (like Buddhism) into China where they found a more nurturing environment and the attitude of the Chinese, with I heir down-to-earth culture, mystical, nature and body oriented Eastern Alchemy of l'aoist religion, focused on blending the combat techniques with spiritual training. 1:rom China, the MAs spread to Mongolia, Indonesia, Java, Philippines, Korea, < >kinawa and Japan. Here they mixed with the local indigenous martial and religious 'ystems and concepts of nature (as is the case in Japan), to give rise to new and unique lorms of MAs. For example, Aikido and Karate-do migrated from 1900, initially through Japan and later from Okinawa (as in the case of Karate-do) into Europe 5 111·reasing in popularity, especially after WW2. I agree with Payne, who argues that the spiritual dimension is at the heart of the M As and wish to add a point, which he is no doubt aware of too, that psychological 6 aspects concerned with the transformation of the Self are equally central to MAs. I ·1icseare the principal considerations of this book and in the following chapter I aim I, 1 explain how, by engaging with training in MAs, and its physical aspects from the lw 1 inning, one can find the framework for a journey of self-discovery or Self, ,·alisation as Jung called it. This chapter is structured into three parts. Firstly, Ron Roberts and I examine the 1111sconceptionsin the West that MAs are nothing but a set of skills to fight. The vidence from our survey shows the psycho/therapeutic benefits of MAs to the martial 11I ists' wellbeing. Additionally, we discuss the underlying spiritual and moral values of th MAs that aid the practitioner's character fon_nationby developing the will to pursue 1 journey of Self-realisation. At the end of this section, I comment on the false impression that female martial artists take longer than males to make progress in ll'chnical ability and equally in their self-development through MAs. Secondly, I explore the other dimensions of MAs, such as the importance of Ki in /ludo or the Way of the Warrior and the parallels between Ki and Jung's concept of II

psychic energy found in the wisdom tradition of Alchemy. I comment on Budo 's means to cultivate self-awareness and the immovable spirit of a martial artist following the 'middle path' to reach inner peace and a 'sense of balance' in life and spirit. Further on, I explain the importance of the spiritual dimension of the MAs' preparatory practice for the confrontation with death as reflected in the self-introspection and selfconfrontation qualities of the martial artists' self-development. Finally, I focus on the parallels found between spiritual maturation, the path of the spiritual pilgrim on the quest to wholeness and the martial artist on the Way of the Warrior leading to Self-realisation. In addition, I discuss the works of two analytical psychologists. One analyzes the ancient tradition of Eastern Alchemy ,linked to Selfrealisation through the connection between the psyche and the matter or the mind and body. The other emphasizes that in MAs the body of the practitioner is the alchemical vessel containing the opposites within one's psyche and that through practice of Aikido , one can bring them to harmony and transformation of the Self

Psychological/Therapeutic Aspects of Martial Arts - With Ron Roberts Ron Roberts and I have jointly written this section on psychological/therapeutic aspects of MAs, and it needs some introduction and explanation. Ron has been practicing Shao/in Kung-Fu for the past ten years, has been my mentor, good MAs friend, and inspired me as both a supervisor as well as a person. However, for many years I have been involved with MAs and whilst I studied Psychology as an undergraduate with Ron as my supervisor I had the opportunity to carry out some comparative analysis on the physical and mental health of a group ofMAs students and physical fitness practitioners. This chapter is the product of the work we started then and the work I continued during my postgraduate studies in Analytical Psychology. In spring 2010, a version of this section entitled Martial and M(fntal Health appeared in 8 the spring issue of Contemporary Psychotherapy. We explored weather MAs can be beneficial to the martial artist's psychological wellbeing. A close examination of the psychological/therapeutic benefits of MAs may help us understand, for example, the positive effects MAs may have on the psyche. The following is a range of scientific evidence to suggest that might be the case. By Minto' s method there seems to be no 9 better way than to explain the concepts by showing the evidence first. Understanding of the concepts outlined in the following sections of the book is essential, and I encourage the reader to find the extra effort needed to understand the theory. In the West, hundreds of styles of MAs have tried to catch the attention of the public; very few of them have become established. However, to many; Aikido, Karate-do, Kung-Fu, Tae-Kwon-Do and Judo are about punches, kicks and throws, and are seen by Westemers as ' ... naught but a killing present, anger past, and misery 10 to come, in the course of one who studies these arts'. This is not surprising given that popular culture has focused on the physical side of these skills - breaking bricks 11 and bones in the guise of mass entertainment. As Master Hokama explains, there is a high price to pay for this obsession with 'pop martial arts' and that is the lack of 12

spiritual enrichment. This is, he believes, due to popularization of Karate-do and 12 Kung-Ju through 'Karate kid' type movies and international competitions. Some of I he martial artists interviewed in this study confess that they also passed through that initial stage of wanting to be a Bruce Lee like fighter, however, they continued with their 'heroic journeys' beyond the aggrandized image of their heroes. Moreover, 13 1ccording to Hokama Sensei, a high number of W estemers who have discovered that the study of methods and theories of Okinawan Karate-do represent 'an invaluable aid in achieving self-actualization' through forming and purifying the 14 human spirit. To its practitioners, MAs provide benefits in many areas. Bruce Lee for example distilled this to three areas - health promotion, cultivation of mind and 15 · lf protection, while others consider five distinct areas - self-defense, health and 16 It t ness, character training, mind expansion and spiritual development. That MAs promote psychological as well as physical wellbeing has come to the attention of w stem scientists only in the last thirty five years, with the acknowledgment that they ;i 1,0 embody a system of moral values (e.g. respect property, be faithful and sincere, l xcrt oneself in the perfection of character), which together can enhance physical and 11 111cntal relaxation, control of mind and body, and self-confidence building. The approach to life that Eastern practices such as yoga, meditation and MAs offer to I h ir followers, has proved attractive to many who are dissatisfied with the consumerist 18 ,ind materialist values prevalent in the West. Since the 1960's and I970's in particular t I1 ·re has been a tremendous growth in these practices. The surge in popularity of MAs, 111particular traditional Karate-do, in our view indicates that as both a discipline and ;1lue system they have something to offer their practitioners. This could be considered ., product of their attention to affective, cognitive and behavioral characteristics on one 20 19 11:ind, and a calling for morality, non-violence and enlightenment on the other. Research distinguished between so-called 'soft' (internal) and 'hard' (external) · ·hools of MAs. The difference lies in the way energy (Ki, Chi or Qi) is propagated through the body towards a target. The 'soft' MAs (e.g. Tai-Chi-Chuan) may be t xpressed in a slow, soft and gentle manner; the force is internal and hardly visible outside. The 'hard' MAs when demonstrated show the force visibly, and one can literally hear the vibration of air caused by the application of force. Knoblauch l , amined these two constructs to see if they have any influence in the selection of a 21 M As style. Using the California Personality Inventory (CPI) he found significant differences between participants from both 'soft' and 'hard' MAs styles. The students that practiced an external style showed a more dominant and competitive personality tlian those who practiced an internal style. Care is needed in interpreting these results as it is important to remember that some MAs (e.g. Shao/in Kung Fu, Goju Ryu and Shotokan Karate-do) have aspects that are both soft and hard. From a different perspective, some researchers have developed an interest in the 'ocial implications of the relationship between aggression and MAs practice. MAs wisdom has it that after consistent practice one becomes less impulsive and aggressive towards others. The Shao/in moral code for example comprises 12 ethics, IO forbidden acts and 10 obligations. Patience, insight and calmness are considered

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pre-requisites of good Kung-Fu. In a similar vein, Karate-do which is often translated as the way of the empty hand has a code or set of rules called the Dojo Kun, which could differ from dojo to dojo and the key tenets of these gravitate around 23 respect of others, humbleness and calmness of the mind. Most of these rules are imbedded in the philosophy of the MAs, which has been handed down from ancient times with the role of reinforcing the pacifistic urge that lies at the heart of the MAs. Namely, a Karate-ka (Karate-do practitioner) uses no weapons and the fighting skills s/he has are only to be used in self-defense and never to initiate a first attack. This reminds students of the right attitude, frame of mind and virtues to practice in and out 24 the dojo. One of these rules is: 'Refrain from violent and impetuous behavior' . Several studies point to the effectiveness of traditional MAs in reducing aggression. Zivin and colleagues conducted a study in which 60 middle school boys were paired on problematic behavior profiles in a treatment group and a waiting list control 25 group. The treatment group participated in school-linked training in traditional MAs. Schoolteachers were asked to rate the students on impulsiveness, resistance to rules, self-concept and inappropriate behavior. After three months of training, the students within the treatment group had improved their behavior in class and all exclusions following the start of the study (6 in all) occurred in the control group, but not in the treatment group. The teachers rated the MAs students as less impulsive and less aggressive towards other colleagues. Other studies likewise support the traditional view that training in MAs reduces aggressiveness, contrary to the general 26 public's beliefofMAs as merely a set of fighting skills. Further evidence of the effectiveness ofMAs in producing affective, cognitive and behavioral benefits has come from a number of studies. Improvements in self•• esteem,21 a more positive response to p h.ysica1 chll a enge,28 greater autonomy29 and 30

emotional stability, and assertiveness have all been associated with MAs training. Konzak and Boudreau have drawn attention to the social benefits of such behavioral 31 change, which Lakes and colleagues argue are a consequence of enhanced self32 regulation, historically known in MAs as self-control, developing will and discipline. 33 Sharp defines will as the psychic energy or libido within the sphere of consciousness. Roberto Assagioli, founder of Psychosynthesis, sees three basic aspects of the will: the 34 skilful will, the good will and the strong will. Payne however, emphasizes on the inherent characteristic of the will such as intention and commitment of one's self towards a specific action versus the misunderstood 'will-power', teeth-greeting effort 35 left as a legacy from the Victorian era. Payne's distinction between will as a mental process and will as a conceptual or intellectual process is difficult to understand and explain. He notes however, that in MAs training the intent behind the will is what 36 brings about changes in MAs students' personal transformation. Others focus on the 37 will's intent and how that alters consciousness and the perceptions of self and others. In our view, on the one hand, the will is important in helping a martial artist to progress from beginner to advanced level, reorganizing her/his personality and performance inside and outside the dojo, and on the other hand, diligent training, coupled with a sincere attitude towards the moral and philosophical principles of MAs is what 14

strengthens the will and self-discipline to continue on the path of MAs. The body of vidence shown above suggests there may be a connection between certain aspects Iound in the MAs, the role these play in the gain of psychological benefits and how I hey contribute to the overall development of personalities in students involved in the 38 process of' Seeking perfection of character'. Of course, this does not mean that all students who engage in MAs training initially wi h or are aware of pursuing a journey to Self-realisation. There is also no proven t onnection between training per se and martial artists' engagement with the journey of S, if-realisation from the beginning of their training in MAs. This discussion raises .111 ther question about the motives some might have for choosing to practice MAs in Iii· first place. One way to assess an individual's motivation is to enquire on the ·atisfactions and benefits they derive from performing MAs. The question is: what is wovided by Martial Arts and gained by the martial artist? This question may call for ,11orein-depth interviewing to assess martial artists motivation asking: what type of "atification is derived from performing MAs? This study however, looks at the way in , hich MAs provides a framework for a journey to Self-realisation. In this respect, ome of the participants in this study who have between 19 and 4 7 years of MAs l pcrience describe that the reasons and dynamics of training changes with time and Ihl ir level of understanding of the art they practice. For example, one described that I1l 'tarted MAs due to needing to feel secure and overcome fear, but that changed lH cause MAs training is providing her with a framework for spiritual development .,kin to a religious way of life. Weiser and colleagues who have placed the psychotherapeutic aspects of MAs at tIll forefront of their explanations give a somewhat different perspective on the 39 11•u ment that MAs training has a practical value to verbal psychotherapy. They ontcnd that the therapeutic effects of MAs training can be compared to those of 1t·1hal psychotherapy and suggest that practice of MAs is a supplement to verbal p chotherapy. Both disciplines seek to gain understanding of one's character ( .. ·2 0 1th the aim of growth toward a new and stronger way of being in the world'. < >therresearchers have argued that the longevity of martial artists is a testimony to IIH ir psychological worth, and have compared the role of the MAs instructor or 41 111.1ster with a psychotherapist. Similar findings show occupational likeness between 42 1l1tp ychoanalyst and martial artist. In agreement with Parsons, Nardi finds that the 43 k IIIs of the psychotherapist and martial artist complement each other. Likewise, N,11diexamines analogous principles in both, the samurai code of Bushido and its two fll ·ific values rinkiohen (adaptability) and mushin (no-mind) with application to 11·ctive practice in psychotherapy. Further evidence links the Japanese MA of 1,/ddo to Feldenkrais method, an integrative therapy method promoting selfknowledge {hrough physical movement, pointing out that the two merge in 44 tl1l·rapeuticinterventions, such as movement therapy. 45 Rcsearch into the application of MAs as a psychotherapeutic intervention is scant. Mndcnlian's account is the only study of comparison between MAs (Aikido) and onvcntional psychotherapies (group or family therapies) and their effect on pro15

social behavior and academic performance. This sho . 11111, , l 111 nt in the participant's behavior and academic performance as a , cs II It II I I, 1ll t II r d MAs 46 training as opposed to psychotherapy. A more systematic app10.11h how ver, has been reported by Heckler who applied Aikido principles (centercdm-. · l ll rn;i n and in a dojo, blending) out of the conventional settings, such as formal MAs trn1111111• 47 with the aim to reinstate self-awareness in distressed patients. Finally, as in the case with the research into the psychological aspects of MAs, existing analysi of the applications of MAs in psychotherapy and the role it plays in the development of personalities of its practitioners, requires more comparative work. 48 This study places MAs in line with traditional somathopsychic therapies, such as 49 51 50 Alexander technique, structural integration, bioenergetics, and dance movement 52 th rapy, an concerned with re-establishing psychological growth in distressed and 11011 -distrcsscd patients through appropriate physical movements. The basic principle employ d by these methods is that emotional and interpersonal maladjustments are tl 11c:lul in lhe bodily cnsations, and can be corrected through appropriate physical 1110Vl'IIH 11ts p 1101111 d during the sessions. While these therapies focus on the ph sit :al and e111olion:il r ·sponses during therapy sessions, the martial artists i111L'rv1 'Wl d in thi ' stud dis uss about the insights they reached through training in Vl in I >011ah11 • who is an analytical psychologist and martial artist MAs. 111a si111ila1 analyse· tlw links lwtwu 11n I tai11bodily movements and lowering or raising energy levels that arc refined and lia11sforn1·d from pure physical energy into spiritual energy during training in MAs. Sh contends that this ancient method of transforming the energy expresses best the idea orS

dynamics that facilitate the making of the newly fi rgcd and r -or ,anized personality during the process of self-development. The analy i I present lat r in Chapter 3, aims to fill this gap and explain how these processes occur. Yet, I found parallels worth mentioning, between a Budo-ka' or Way of the Warrior's path and that of the pilgrim on the spiritual path and his/her quest to enlightenment, awakening, wholeness or Self-realisation.

Martial Arts - The Way of the Warrior Frances Vaughn, a practitioner of Humanistic and Transpersonal psychology enquires, in her article on spiritual intelligence, how one can 'contribute to 77 psychological wellbeing and overall healthy human development.' Although, I will not define or discuss spiritual intelligence here, I found Vaughn's definitions o spirituality, spiritual maturation and the spiritual path relevant to this topic an helpful to put these aspects in the context of psycho-spiritual development of martia l artists. In this respect, the most relevant definitions of spirituality are: "a) Spirituality is itself a separate developmental line; b) spirituality is an attitude (such as openness to love) at any stage and c) spirituality includes peak • expenences not stages. ,,78

ls and depends on the path the spiritual pilgrim takes. The levels are conventional Id c the ones associated with group spiritual life (e.g. church goers) and post83 • 1111ventional levels that go beyond the "conventional observance of social customs" 111d require self-awareness and experiences beyond the levels of existence. A spiritual 84 pdprim is likely to reach such level as s/he matures. Unlike spirituality that consists , I peak experiences, the spiritual path has stages depicted by the wisdom traditions as 111the "souls' journey in Christianity, stages of Self in Sufism or the 10 ox-herding 85 ii II I ures in Zen Buddhism. " I think, all these metaphors of transformation show a 1111ilarity with Budo or the middle path of MAs in that they acknowledge a journey , I th Self not in flashes of inspiration, but in stages of learning. An example of that 1 th transforming energy that changes one from being concerned solely with one's 1 11llvidualwellbeing into someone concerned with the wellbeing of the whole as in ltol person, human family, planet and the whole web oflife. The pilgrim's Self on 1I II spiritual path is identified with a soul on a quest, not for power or glory as in the ,o's pursuit, but in search of enlightenment or becoming a whole, unified Self. The .11 ·h can take a particular form such as "commitment to a teacher who promises to 11I I I II the quest or a more solitary path to individuation ... in an effort to balance and 86 11111 rate the psychic forces that exist within us." I think that the metaphor of a p11itual pilgrim on a quest to wholeness portrays the Way of the Warrior on the quest I , Sonahue, an analytical psychologist and second-degree black belt in Chung Moo I 00 years old Chinese MA), contends that the Way of the Warrior (Budo or middle 88 / 11!, as described above) is a metaphor for Self-realisation. In her view, MAs or I asl 'rn Alchemy is an experience of 'psychoid reality that creates a balance through 111trospction and facilitates the development of the ego-self axis' and it is linked to 89 tl1t archetype of Self-realisation. Sharp defmes psychoid as a 'concept applicable to i,tually any archetype, expressing the essentially unknown but experienceable 90 onncction between psyche and matter' . Archetypes are representations expressed 91 111ly through images in dreams, myths, and symbols. From what Donahue explains, I ,/\·tern Alchemy as an ancient tradition of MAs, is linked to Self-realisation through I ht archetypal image of wholeness and enhances the connection between ego and the \',,/(, the psyche and the matter or the mind and body. Furthermore, it is an expression of a 'psychoid reality' because it expresses an archetype (of Self-realisation), which h nature "is not capable of being made conscious .. . on which account I call it 92 11:-;ychoid". 93 1listorically, however, Chinese MAs go back to alchemy. Alchemy is a discipline ommon to both East and West and connected to meditation practices. In ancient t, mes, Eastern Alchemy was a method taught in connection with attaining immortality through practice ofregular and specific bodily movements. In the West, the emphasis

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was on the transmutation of base materials into gold, a transformation through experience of image. As Donahue puts it, both Eastern and Western alchemies, dealt with the archetype of wholeness or the transformation of the Self. These two methods differed in how they mirrored the psychoid reality, the former through bodily movements, and the latter through image. When Donahue 'stumbled upon' the Chinese MA of Chung Moo she understood that at the root of her obsession with 94 MAs practice, was the archetype of Self-realisation. This type of archetype expresses itself through bodily movements. In Donahue's view, MAs is an experience of 'psychoid reality', which facilitates communication between the two structures o the psyche ego and Self, and the flow of energy between mind and body. The second body of Analytical Psychology scholarship traces the archetype o Self-realisation as the root of the process of self-transformation that takes place during the training of Aikido. Retivov, an analytical psychologist who trains Aikido argues that in this martial art, the transformation of the Self takes place through the 95 repetition of techniques. Retivov points out that in MAs the body of the practitioner is the alchemical vessel containinr the opposites and through repetition of techniques, 9 s/he can bring them to harmony. This act is analogous, she argues, to the process o 9 Self-realisation, "which unites the many opposing strands of dark and light". 98 Equally important for this transformation is the Dojo, or the 'place o enlightenment', the s~ace "where the self or the ego undergoes the transformatio 9 into the egoless self." I consider dojo being an analogue to the therapy room. Jun points out that the aim of the analysis (therapy) that takes place in the therapy room i concerned with the transformation of the Self or wholeness. He argues that the goal o psychotherapy is transformation - re-birth of the Self through the sacrifice of the 100 ego. Jung admits however, that for Westerners, "a conscious ego and a cultivate understanding must first be riroduced through analysis before one can even thi 11 about abolishing egohood". Nevertheless, Jung's statement supports Retivov' findings that self-transformation can occur in a dojo during MAs practice. Likewise, Donahue has found that specific bodily movements and repetition of the technique during MAs practice have a great part in that transformation of Self. There is a nea consensus between Donahue's and Retivov' s findings and Jung's explanations · respect of the aspects of MAs that might provide a framework for a journey of Selfrealisation. The meditation tradition of alchemy offers metaphor of transformation: just as th alchemist changes base metal into gold, in analysis the psychologist nurtures transformation of the Self of the person in therapy. The two metaphors mirror th martial artist using his/her body as a vessel to contain the opposites in an effort t increase self-awareness and attain self-transformation. Jung writes that "mind an body are presumably a pair of opposites and, as such, the expression of a single 102 entity." He explains that, although in opposition, they represent the whole an therefore the combined mind-body relationship has an important role in the selftransformation. As Donahue, I think that the Way of the Warrior is the middle pat that leads to Self-realisation or wholeness. 22

on Roberts and I examined in this chapter, a range of explanations given in and non-academic fields including: psychological and MAs perspectives 1hat range from those emphasizing the psychological and therapeutic benefits of MAs 1,,l hose focused on the spiritual dimension of MAs. I focused on the impact of MAs 1111 the martial artists' development of personality written by the two analytical p chologists whose work I presented in the last section under the heading, MAs J,,, Way of the Warrior. I

tl • demic

Notes I'

I II

1981: 5

lhul

, 1111mporary Psychotherapy: http ://contemporarypsycbotherapy.org/vol-2-no-1/martial-arts-and-mentaliit I I SN 1757 -7993

Ii 1kr 1979; cited by Weiser, Kutz and Kutz 1995 t 11 .11ic and Roberts 2010 11,,~ .1111a 1984 11 1 1 translates as 'born before', therefore experienced all he asks from his/her students. I Ii 1111a1984: 92

I 11111.1k and Boudreau 1984

I

I l

and Hoyt 2004

lh1 h·1 1982

I 1111hl,1u h 1985 \

I

1111'

1981

>ojo 1su 'ually translated as a training hall. The correct translation is the place of the way (Clarke 2000;

I I Inn 001)

I hl I) ~o Kun: Japan Karate Association 2010 Z1v111 ct al 2001 Nos,mchuk 1981 I 1111r 19 8 I I hard and Rehberg 1986; Trulson 1986

I

onzak and Boudreau 1984 lhid I .tkl:S

I

t al.

2004

' ha1p 1991: http://www.psychccu.com/Jung/sharplexicon.html

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Payne 1981: 34 Payne 1981: 33 36 Ibid 37 James and Jones 1982 38 Dojo Kun: Japan Karate Association2010 39 Weiser et al 1995 40 Weiser et al 1995: 119 41 Richman and Rehberg 1986 42 Parsons 1984 43 Nardi 1984 44 Reinhardt 1985 45 Fuller 1988 46 Madenlian 1979 47 Heckler 1984 48 Fuller 1988 49 Alexander 1969 soRolf 1977

Vaughn 2002: 16 Ibid 79 Vaughn 2002: 20 KOIbid Kl Ibid 82

Vaughn 2002: 19 Vaughn 2002: 20 H4 Vaughn 2002 Vaughn 2002: 20 Mh Vaughn 2002: 24 N1 Donahue 1994 lbid ~ Donahue 1994: 103 harp 1991: http://www.psychceu.com/Jung/sharp1exicon.htrn1 !I olrnan 2000 Jung 1959 CW8: 380 Donahue 1994 Ibid Retivov 1994 Ibid I etivov 1994: 117 I etivov 1994: 122 - Retivov states that Dojo, the place of enlightenment, is derived from Sanskrit word 1,11,lhimanda · Retivov 1994: 122 '., Jung 1959 CWl 1

SI

Lowen 1975 Klein 1983 53 Donahue 1994 54 Wong: 1996 55 Lakes et al: 2004 56 Konzak and Boudreau 1984 57 Lakes et al: 2004 58 Jou 1981 59 Seitz 1990 60 Ueshiba 1984: 23: cited by Seitz 1990 61 Seitz 1990 62 Jung 1959: CW 7: 205 63 Tokitsu 2000 64 See Chapter 3 under Methods section 65 Tokitsu2000 66 Corlett and Pearson 2003: 8 67 Tokitsu 2000: 45 68 Tokitsu 2000 69 Clarke 2000: 8 70 Tokitsu 2000: 4 71 Tokitsu 2000: 45 72 Tokitsu 2000 73 Ibid 74 Tokitsu 2000: 52 75 Payne 1981: 30 76 Tokitsu 2000 52

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Jung 1959 CWll: 904 Jung 1959 CW8: 619

Chapter 2

JUNG ON SELF-REALISATION AND EASTERN THOUGHT

2

In this chapter, I first focus on Jung's vision of the psyche, the main aspects involved in the process of Self-realisation - consciousness, unconscious with its shadow, the go and the Self. The consciousness-unconsciousness dialogues are mediated by the ego's function to integrate elements of the shadow. Such action is facilitated by the transcendent function which reduces the tension between the opposites within one's /J yche through a synthesis of conscious dynamics and unconscious contents. The , apport between ego as subordinate to the greater Self is described in terms of their