Regular Column by Grandmaster Jürg Ziegler (9th Dan Sin Moo Hapkido; Headmaster and Representative for all European, Middle East and Eurasien Countries for Dojunim Ji, Han Jae (10th Dan, true Founder of Hapkido), President of the EUROPEAN SIN MOO HAPKIDO ASSOCIATION - ESMHA - with members in over 30 Countries world-wide).

Dear Readers, I hope you enjoyed the last months column "Introduction to Sin Moo Hapkido". This month I would like to continue the introduction into this sophisticated Korean Martial Arts and begin the next chapter on "Proper and Exact Meditation"

Sin Moo Hapkido draws upon Buddhism, Zen and Confucianism. Whenever we think about our meditation, we should think of each of these practices and how they are united into a larger whole. Each practice has six basic precepts. When combined they form eighteen. Each practice has a different emphasis. Buddhism focuses on moral training and is associated with the mind. Zen focuses on breathing and is associated with the Spirit. Confucianism emphasises feelings / sense of touch and so focuses on the Body.

Sin Moo means the mind, Body and Spirit united. Through the uniting of mind, Body and Spirit we maximise our Ki. If we develop only one area, we are weakened. This is the meaning of Sin Moo Hapkido. Dojunim Ji, Han Jae says, "for meditation, in Korea, people go to a temple to learn. But I teach you exactly. The whole meaning of my system is in what I teach you today".

Buddhist moral training is based upon cleaning the mind, having a pure Buddha mind. This is accomplished by balancing the feelings, controlling the feelings, avoiding excess feelings. Feelings and emotions are associated with the mind. Each emotion, in excess, has physical symptoms and dangers associated with it.

1) The first emotion is happiness. It is fine to show happiness, but try not to show too much. Do not get too excited. When a person gets too excited blood rushes to the face and it is easy to have a heart attack.

2) Next is anger. It is important to keep calm. When angry you tense up your Body. This is not good. Keep calm.

3) Fear is next. Throw fear out. When you worry too much you get afraid. Do not be scared. Do not worry yourself sick.

4) Sadness is the fourth emotion. Too much sadness makes the face shrink, makes it become drawn and haggard, the cheeks sink in. When you are sad you loose your strength. Do not make a sad face.

5) Greed is the fifth emotion. It is all right to have wants and needs, but do not want too much. Keep materialism to a minimum.

6) Last is laziness. Again it is not good to procrastinate. Even if you do not want to do something, do not like to do it, do not be lazy. To become lazy is to yield to the evil. try to control all of these emotions to find the Middle way.

Zen concentrates on long, slow breathing. We build Ki through Zen techniques. Zen is associated with the senses, with the earth. There are many senses, many odours that you smell - spicy, a sour sewage odour, a bloody raw smell, fishy sour odour, the aroma of perfume and flowers, the fresh odour of grass and trees. In meditation we will concentrate on six:

1) The fresh air of grass and trees is full of oxygen

2) The smell of burnt ash has much carbon dioxide and should be avoided, this is the smell of blood or a dead Body.

3) Avoid taking in cold icy air. It is poison to the system. Especially do not breathe in cold air rapidly or through the mouth. It will make you sick.

4) The fourth odour is the hot humid air of summer - the air makes you feel claustrophobic. Breath this air slowly.

5) Next is the smell of dry air - like the flash of lightning.

6) The sixth odour is rainy, humid, moist air that is full of water.

A student asked at this point how we can avoid those elements when they are beyond our control. Grandmaster Ji, Han Jae explained that of course you continue to breath, but you avoid inhaling these odours by breathing in slowly and carefully, then you can’t smell any of those odours when you inhale. If you have too much or too little of proper breathing, your Ki energy is diminished - you can’t develop your Ki Power, If you have the Power to control the intake of the six elements that is the beginning of proper breathing for meditation. You can control the elements by long slow breathing. The balance is important.

Confucius training teaches doing nothing in excess. We are governed by the sense of touch, and so Confucianism is associated with the Body. Following the path leads to healthy Body. There are six elements that should not "touch" the Body.

1) Associated with the ears is cunning. Do not listen to cunning, sly deceiving words. These words touch the ears.

2) Do not flatter or listen to flattery. Flattery is associated with the eyes. When people are flattering you their eyes sparkle, the forehead wrinkles, the eyes shine. Flattery touches the eyes.

3) Fishiness is associated with the nose. It is the sense that something is "fishy" or untrue. It is sickening rotten disgusting smell like blood. Do not let this fishiness touch your nose.

4) The fourth sense is the mouth. Never let excessive cold touch your mouth.

5) The fifth sense of touch is sex or making love. Grandmaster says that everyone makes love - Zen people, Buddhist, Confucians. But do not get too excited or the touching and bond between the two people is not right. To have too strong feelings, like debauchery, lechery and lewdness is not good. These feelings are emitted through your skin. The bad feelings, this negative sex, leads to epidemics. Wrong sex can lead to personal problems, sickness - like AIDS and Syphillis.

6) The sixth sense organ is the skin. It is important to work out properly. To get cut, to bleed, to get infection when you are working or practising is not the proper way to work. Avoid this.

Dojunim Ji, Han Jae says, that when meditation is done properly, many good questions will come up. If you have no questions, then you are not doing it properly. There are different roads you can push your Ki through to do different techniques. There is control of the Ki for throwing, for killing, for proper practice of martial arts. Grandmaster says "I do not care about money. My name is the most important. If you come in contact with a black belt from another school, you need to be able to answer the question "what is meditation ?" The answer is long, slow breathing. If it is a high degree Master, he will say "AH!" If it is a low guy, he will ask you what you mean and you do not want to waste your time explaining. If you learn techniques properly, my name is good. If bad, my name is bad."