Technology, Mindfulness, and Martial Arts

Teaching martial arts and Zen meditation, people will often ask what one has to do with the other. Without going into ten thousand word essay, let's just say that Zen helps one be mindful of their surroundings and that obviously has benefits to effective self defense. If you are mindful and somewhat calm, you will be able to utilize the martial art training when attacked. If your mind is wandering you won't see the attack coming. Very simple.

A very disturbing trend I see lately is now that everyone has an ipod, everyone is walking around in public with those tiny earphones shoved in their ears listening to music. I see people jogging, biking, walking, driving, etc, all while in their own world, unaware of what's going on around them. Very bad self defense. It's not that I don't like ipods, I own one and use it while I'm on my treadmill at home. I'm really not too concerned about being attacked or hit by a car in my upstairs bedroom. Public display of technology, such as cell phone or PDA use, has always annoyed me but from a rudeness stand point. This is just dangerous.

Being totally oblivious to your surroundings will get you seriously hurt or even killed. Whenever I see someone using an ipod in public, I know this person has never trained in any kind of serious martial art or awareness training. People never think anything will happen to them until it does. There are rapists out there who look for women, jogging alone, totally oblivious to anything around them often because of listening to an ipod. This is who they pounce on. Like a lion on a defenseless antelope.

I see people driving in cars wearing ipods. This is totally insane. A lot of how we react in preventing car accidents is because of what we hear. A horn, someone screeching tires, etc. Playing the radio in the car to loud can also be dangerous but the ipod completely blocks out ambient sounds.

Unplug those ipods before it's too late. Be aware of your surroundings. Don't walk, run, or drive through life just waiting to be a victim.

Ted Hanulak is the dojo owner and head instructor at the Aikijutsu Academy of Indianapolis. He teaches the Japanese martial art of Senso-Ryu Aikijutsu and Zen meditation. There are Senso-Ryu Dojo in Indiana, Florida and New York. http://www.aiki-jutsu.com