Despite its portrayal in movies and on TV, genuine martial arts is not about being aggressive. To the untrained eye, martial arts appears malicious and violent; however, nothing could be further from the truth. Martial arts masters are trained in the way of peace. Those who have dedicated their lives to martial arts training have been taught to take appropriate action at every level of a confrontation. If you’ve considered enrolling at a martial arts institute near your Northeast Ohio home, it’s important to do it for the right reasons. By embracing the true meaning of martial arts, you can learn much more than simply how to defend yourself—you can actually change the way you see the world around you. Those from The Silent Mind in Twinsburg, Ohio will be the first to tell you that real martial arts is so much more fulfilling than the anger-filled kicks and jabs you see on TV.

Sensei Tim Loomis from Northeast Ohio’s The Silent Mind describes an old axiom taught by many of the venerable martial arts masters—walk away from confrontation if possible, fight rather than be hurt, hurt rather than maim, maim rather than kill, and kill rather than be killed. This lesson teaches us to take the minimum action necessary to protect ourselves and our loved ones. It tells us to take appropriate action. Only in dire circumstances should martial arts training be used to seriously injure another person. And it should never be used as a means to show off or bully someone else. There is a right time and a wrong time to demonstrate the result of one’s martial arts training, and it’s important to tell the difference.

Recently there was an excellent example of right and appropriate action. During a trip to Europe, two U.S. Marines and their friend saved a train full of people from an armed terrorist. They sprang into action immediately after the first shots rang out, subduing the terrorist before innocent lives could be taken. In this case, the three men only used as much force as was necessary to take down the assailant and ensure the safety of the passengers.

Often, taking appropriate action is misconstrued as aggressive action. It looks that way to the untrained eye because they lack the experience of martial arts masters and their students. Martial artists are taught to continuously evaluate a situation and take appropriate action at each juncture. Our first action is to employ strategies and tactics to avoid physical confrontation. Having fully exercised these tactics, we are immediately prepared to take the next action—physical action—when/if a real threat develops. Since we’ve already done everything possible to avoid a fight, we are instantly ready to fight when necessary.

Sensei Tim Loomis from The Silent Mind of Twinsburg states that the hardest lesson even seasoned martial artists have to learn is to drop the ego. The ego often goads us into inappropriate action. For example, the ego tells us we should fight because we’re offended, not because our life is really threatened. Interestingly, this lesson is best learned not by training at a martial arts institute or even fighting, but by meditating.

It’s clear that genuine martial arts isn’t even close to how it’s portrayed in the media. By partaking in martial arts training at a reputable martial arts institute like The Silent Mind, you’ll find that your greatest strength lies in your mind, not your fists. For more words of wisdom from Northeast Ohio martial arts master Tim Loomis, visit www.thesilentmind.com.

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The Silent Mind
9076 Church St
Twinsburg, Ohio 44087
Ph: 330.425.7204
www.thesilentmind.com