If you suspect that martial arts need to be Kung-fu, Jujitsu or Karate, think again. Sensei’s vary in form and format and the thinking that goes with the martial arts spans every art. Case in point: acting without thought. You want to concentrate. Concentrate means to leave the mind free of thought so that the martial arts action is the only known in the moment. This is not a new concept and has been taught and written about for centuries. But this practice is not married to the martial arts alone. You will find dozens of  art forms that demands clear concentration.

Rooks and knights. It is a match of intense wit. The person who knows chess well is also a person who acts on gut feeling. Know your opponent. A chess player feels as much as he sees and acts with thought. Moves and counter moves have been practiced for year and planning ahead is the name of the game. But at one point during any serious match, the time comes when sheer brilliance is not enough. Insight, gut feeling and an ability to read the master in the chair across from you becomes the truest part of the game.

It is at this point where the master of chess will act in similar fashion to the master of Kung fu. All moves memorized, that actions can take place without thought, opening the possibilities for actions that the mind alone cannot create. This is where the art of Kung fu or the art of chess become one played from a place that can never be defined.

Whether throwing a defensive maneuver with the body or doing the same across a board of black and white squares, the mind set is the same. To master each, the act must be first practiced so that it can be done without trying. A master can train the mind to let go in this manner in any venue. It need not be purely martial arts. Letting go of purposeful thought can be practiced anywhere and to be a true master, it should be.