To say thank you for your interest in keeping your child and family safe from bullies, bullying and violence, we have made a special arrangement with our publishers to release the first chapter of Dr Miller's latest book: The Spirit of Martial Arts. Here it is! You are the first people in the public to have access to these amazing concepts! Hope you enjoy it!

THE SPIRIT OF SELF DEFENSE
A common sense approach to personal development in the martial arts

Dr. Steven A.C. Miller (B.Sc., M.Sc., N.D., Ph.D.)

Chapter One:
Historical Perspectives of the Martial Arts

The history of martial arts is an elusive one. There are hundreds of martial arts systems from all over the world and each has its own separate history.
Fortunately, for the context of this book, we are not interested in the details of a specific martial arts record, but rather the background of the martial arts in a general, broad-based sense. Once we familiarize ourselves with the history, we will be able to better understand the martial arts of today, and what our training should and should not represent.

The term "martial" refers to war. "Art" represents an abstract quality which holds different meanings depending on its practitioner. "Martial arts,"
therefore, is the esoteric nature (art) of the science of combat (martial). A beginner in martial arts studies the "science" of basic body movement in self defense scenarios. To the more advanced practitioner, the "science" becomes more of a free-flowing, unconfined, spontaneous "art" consisting of much more than simple martial qualities.

Traditionally, the curriculum of the martial artist was intended to elevate his, or her, character above the common standard of the rest of society. Martial arts was an all-encompassing educational study of developing not only the physical body, but mental capabilities and spiritual qualities as well. Martial arts included the study of Humanities (such as art, poetry, philosophy, and theology), as well as, Scientific methodologies (such as medicine, psychology and meteorology). The end product of this education was a scholar who was as much at ease in a tea room, as on the battlefield.

In feudal Japan, it was the martial artist who provided the model of excellence for society to admire. The goal of martial arts study was to teach students how to become better people. Physically, martial artists would study the science of combat designed to make them, and their loved ones, safe in the world in which they lived. Mentally, their pursuits in the scholarly fields would set them apart from the rest of society as "artists" and "aesthetes."  On an even higher plane, the martial artist would
study spiritual matters, gaining wisdom of spiritual truths as they "tuned in" to the invisible world around them.

Martial arts training was a very personal endeavour. Training was only given to those who were trusted friends, or more commonly, to the family members of the master. To the outside world, the family's "martial art" remained a secret. Part of the secrecy surrounding martial arts practice was due to the fact that this wisdom was acquired in order to protect
oneself. If a master openly taught his secrets, then his safety would no longer be an assurance. Martial knowledge was considered a treasure which was not to be shared with those who may, one day, use it against
the master. The general rule of the arts was that the secrets would be protected at all costs, and outsiders would never be allowed the pportunity to see the true nature of the combative arts which the family possessed.

An understanding of this historical aspect helps to demonstrate to us why much of what we see today as "martial arts" is merely a shadow of what training involved a few centuries ago When the Japanese introduced their martial arts to the Western nations, their history forbade them to divulge their long practised secrets in the arts. Many of the techniques we see today in forms, patterns, high kicks, wide stances and flashy hand movements would be considered comical to martial artists of the past. In truth, the martial arts of today bear little resemblance to genuine martial arts. Most of what is taught in the present, in so-called "martial arts schools," is useless in actual combat situations. The personal protection aspect, the "martial," has been removed and all we are left with is the often times only physical "art."

Not only are these "demonstration arts" not self defense, but what complicates matters is that many instructors of these arts are unaware of this fact and, therefore, teach their students that what they are learning is actually "self defense." It is this fallacy which has led to the belief that a "black belt" does not stand a chance against a veteran street-fighter. Sadly, for the most part, I believe this is a true statement for many people who have only trained in sport-fighting concepts. Although a boxer may be an excellent puncher, the notions of clinching and rules will drastically limit his odds of self defense in a street fight where there is no referee and there are no guidelines. Weapons, biting, headbutts, locking, throwing, ground fighting and chokes are all part of the equation on the street. Knowing now the secrecy surrounding true martial arts, and understanding the historical design of the masters, it is no surprise that these arts have remained secretly intact allowing only a select few to ever actually study the martial arts the way they were meant to be [i.e. for developing the body (self defense), the mind (the brain), and the spirit (the personal identity)].

The goals of this book, therefore, are to instruct its readers on the true nature of the martial arts, and to give them the information that they need in order to cope with actual self defense situations in the modern world. Self defense has much more to do with personal protection than merely dealing with physical threats. We must also protect our minds and
our spirits against the forces which pose risks. There is not much point in developing one's body to its fullest potential only to be unstable enough to
snuff out that life with a drug overdose. Martial arts is about the development of the whole person. This book shall attempt to take the development of the Spirit, mind and body from the cliché to the practical.

Physically, self defense techniques are not flashy or showy. They are not difficult and they are not highly technical. Martial arts techniques are designed to protect the practitioner against a physical threat. The techniques do not require speed or agility, nor do they require strength, to be effective. Speed is not a quality which everyone can always enjoy, as it requires a healthy joint structure and good muscle tone. Strength-dependent techniques are also useless in martial arts because the attacker, as a general rule, will be bigger, or stronger, than the victim. The need for strength and speed are Western additions to the Eastern techniques, and no doubt due to the fact that the West only knew the rudimentary aspects
of the techniques they saw. With accuracy, knowledge and practice, a self defense practitioner will not need strength or speed. By the end of this book, the reader will have taken the first step into a larger reality and will emerge a more intelligent and safer pedestrian than when he, or she, began.

The next chapters explore everything from the body movement techniques through to highly focussed meditation techniques specifically designed for the advanced martial artist. If you would like more information on this, please contact Dr Miller at Steve@streetConfidence.com