THE MENG'S MARTIAL ARTS PHILOSOPHY

Martial arts are not mainly techniques for fighting or defeating an enemy. They are a way to reconcile the world and make humanity one family. The true secret of martial arts consists of harmonizing yourself with the movement of the universe, thereby bringing yourself into accord with the universe as a whole by embracing oneness with it. Thus, I am never defeated, however fast the enemy may attack. It is not because my technique is faster than that of my enemy. It is not a question of speed. The fight actually finishes before it begins. When an enemy tries to fight with me, the universe itself, he must break the harmony of the universe. Hence, at the moment he possesses the mind to fight with me, defeat has already visited him.

Then how can you straighten your warped mind, purify your heart, and harmonize your body and spirit with the activities of all things in nature? You must first make your heart pure. This pure heart will exude great love, omnipotent to all quarters and to all times of the universe. Those who disagree cannot attain harmony with reality.

Competing in techniques, winning and losing, does not constitute true martial arts. True Martial Arts knows no defeat. "Winning,” means winning over the mind by defeating discord within you. Martial Art study requires a mind oriented toward serving the peace of all human beings in the world – not a mind bent on practice merely for the sake of felling an opponent. True martial arts are a work of love. It is a work of giving life to all beings – not killing or seeking struggles with one another. Love is the guardian deity of everything.

The "Martial Way" means to seek Harmony and to Practice maintaining that oneness. If we depart ever so slightly from it, we lose the Way. I want considerate people to listen to the voice of the martial arts. Use it not for the correcting of others; listen to it for correcting your own mind.

Martial arts gives rise to an artistic process of more fully realizing our potential and creativity, a harmonious way of experiencing and expressing life itself. It deals not just with disciplining the body and mind for punching and kicking, but also with everyday activities such as eating and sleeping. The "battles" one continuously fights in everyday life far outweigh those rare battles of combat. However, if one can effectively deal with "real" fighting, the battles of life become more easily manageable.

The process of fighting, like the process of living, entails the search for truth. Its value lies in the doing – not in what is done, in the journey – not in the destination, in the experience – not in the outcome. When you live within the process and not for the product, each moment can be prized, and action in life becomes direct and free. Living in the past halts creativity. Living in the future dilutes the present. Reality demands recognition of the "here and now". It is the realization of what lies in our inner most selves.

These thoughts form the bedrock of martial arts. They constitute the mission of martial arts – a mission that should be yours as well.

~ Grand Master Benny Meng