There are some pre-attack indicators – behaviors of a potential attacker – that give away his intent to attack you. If you know what to look for, and if you are paying attention, you can spot them and respond skillfully, before he has a chance to do you harm. Shifts in body position, posture, statements, target glances, hand motions, all reveal the intent of an attacker. If you are trained you will see them. Not all martial artists train in this.
There are other threat indicators that are more subtle. Here is an advanced practice idea. It is for any martial artist who wants it. It may be of interest at any level. To put it to use will take some experience.
For people new to martial arts these insights might give the impression that we are focused on something other than the cultivation of strength, speed, presence of mind, and practical combative skill. But that is what we are focused on in classes.
People might assume that because of the sophistication of the insights and applications that I am describing, which arise in advanced practice, that we are interested in philosophy or inner life more than in practical self-defense and the cultivation of the body and mind. That would be a misunderstanding.
I would say this: By practicing scrupulously for many years to maintain our attention on whatever object we choose in perfecting our karate techniques we develop precisely the mental skill we need to attend to the condition of our mind itself.
By “whatever object we choose” I mean any one of the many emphases we select in class to focus in on. These objects of attention are familiar to all of us. Examples include depth of stance, foot placement, generating maneuver and firepower from the rotation of the koshi, closed fist, release tension, proper use of the eyes, etc.
As we train for the first years, we consciously direct our attention to these objects. Over time, with practice, we get better at keeping them firmly in mind. At first our attention wanders every few seconds. In the course of a single kata, 30 or 40 seconds long, most of us as beginners will remain on the object for a few moves at most. Then we have to deliberately return our attention to the object, by force of our memory and will, or with a reminder from the instructor. Little by little, in this way we make a habit of good technique – strong stances, quick techniques, dominating will, use of the whole body, etc.
Very good. It works.
By entering into a state of flow, a clear and purposeful state of mind, we get good concentration. This is not easy to do. It is rewarding in itself. But it is only a step on the path.
We build on our foundation of a powerful body and real combative skill. We develop a strength of mind that we can deploy anywhere, anytime. On a dark country road in the middle of the night when the snow starts falling and the surface is slick, lost in the forest, walking on a city street, at work, at school, in sports, playing music, in conversation, debate, confrontation, anywhere you need it.
Vigilance may save your life. Without the ability of sustained situational awareness, we place ourselves in jeopardy: too easily approached, too easily surprised, always subject to shifting environmental conditions, opening ourselves to the possibility of an attack, a deception, any terrifying or attractive thing we may encounter. Vigilance will protect us from these external threats.
But vigilance is needed inwardly as well. Our minds are very busy. And in a busy mind, flooded with impressions, beautiful, seductive, ugly and dull, many times a second, sights, sounds, memories, aspirations, desires, fears, regrets, powerful opponents to be faced and those we have overcome – the flood goes on in our minds without ceasing, influencing what we see, how we feel, what we do and say and think, our choices, our relationships, our life and death and future, mostly without our noticing it. Without mind training we will miss this. Unaware, will be subject to it.
With strong and continuous attention, we can see what is going on. We can recognize states of mind for what they are, eliminate the unwholesome states, and cultivate wholesome ones. That way we can make a good path through life. Strong, virtuous and free.
Without that degree of inner attention, it is not possible to overcome many harmful mental states, obstacles and habits. Then, by neglecting them, we allow they flourish.
Using the powerful, clear presence of mind we have been cultivating in the dojo by using our bodies and physical techniques as the objects of our attention, we can now redirect it inward. And use it to explore and to train more deeply than we ever imagined.
Building on our physical training we can turn our minds toward the condition of our minds, and train them to be skillful, to be strong, resilient, and tranquil enough to see what is valuable, real and true.
Vigilance can do much more than keep us alive.
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Post copyright © 2025 Jeffrey Brooks, MountainKarateNC.com, Yamabayashi Ryu, Mountain Karate Dojo, Western NC, USA.
Photo by Michael Lushington
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read True Karate Dō by Jeffrey Brooks
“One of the best books I’ve read in years, inviting and compelling. Jeff Brooks moves effortlessly from martial arts to Buddhism to consciousness studies, self-transformation, and related fields in this wide-ranging and Illuminating study that has much to offer both novice explorers and veteran practitioners. A splendid achievement.”— Philip Zaleski, Editor, The Best Spiritual Writing series