Читать книгу Zen Shaolin Karate. The complete Practice, Philosophy and History онлайн

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His research has broken all the barriers between the different nationalities and their prejudiced ways of presenting their own martial arts. In our workshops we have had people from many different martial backgrounds 'pushing hands' together under Nathan's guidance, exploring their similarities instead of their differences. It really does herald a new era where, instead of jealously guarding their 'secrets' from successive generations and allowing their art to disintegrate, modern instructors are sharing and learning from each other to improve their systems and then documenting them so they are not lost to those wishing to follow the way in the future.

Read this book with an open heart and an open mind and just let the philosophy wash over you, because the secret of all martial art technique lies in the weight of the practitioner's heart, not his hands or feet.

Introduction

Karate has become a household word in many countries of the world. It is a far cry indeed from the days when it was practiced as an obscure Okinawan village art. As a word, karate simply means empty hand (kara = empty, te- hand). Karate originated in China where the empty-hand arts grew as an extension of the ancient teachings of the Ch'an (Zen) monks of the Shaolin Temple. In fact, the true teachings reflect this ancient wisdom in a practical way. If a system is stripped of its essential philosophy, it becomes nothing more than a gross collection of methods for brutalizing our fellow human beings. Fear is a poor substitute for respect.