The Center for Interdisciplinary Martial Arts Training

Instructors

Every Instructor is required to maintain weekly teaching and training classes. Regardless of experience or background, every instructor learns the system as a student and pursues a deeper and richer understanding of the Martial and Healing arts. Each class opens up one’s perspective in the art and encourages exploration.  “MERGING KNOWLEDGE” from the different fields and integrating them into the system has been a huge contribution to the understanding of Martial Arts, it has been the most exciting development in regaining the Art as a whole (martial and healing combined) and for the progression of the students participating.

Knowledge

What is the Way? How is it discovered through Martial Arts? How well can we know it today as it was known back 2-3000 yrs ago? We at Eight Hands guide every student to knowing the art and themselves, discussing the meanings of truth, justice, necessary defense, personal perception and belief, and the “DYNAMICS OF OUR WORLD, PRIVATELY, SOCIALLY, AND PUBLICLY“. We leave it open for students to critique and analyze, to question the effectiveness of their movements and discover what is hidden in the art and find the meaning behind it. Some may discover that on their path, there is no meaning left today in the art but what knowledge and truth they put in it. For some finding a new love for the KATA through deeper understanding is a benefit in training. Further students find the lost connections between all the disciplines and how they overlap, differ, and even assist one another. One of the main cornerstones of interdisciplinary training is that the student bridges the internal world (qi, thought, and emotion) with the external world (mass, time, and place) through healing, meditation, and physical movement (dynamic and static).

Respecting Tradition

Eight Hands journeys past the traditional boundaries of the most well-known disciplines. The physical application of the Art has always been known to be a play

field for the aspiring “ATHLETE” and “ALTERNATIVE PRACTITIONER“. Still today we have had very little breakthrough on the spiritual application of the Art in America as a whole, waiting for science and metaphysics to merge with tradition and modern times, and the western and eastern philosophies. We believe that for previous followers keeping to tradition, meant not questioning the old ways. However, in many fields today, questioning is exactly what has been required to appreciate and fully understand the value of the “Old Ways”. We learn how, why, and in what ways the art developed and how it applied in the “personal lives” of the warrior in time of war as well as in peace.

Solving the Unknown

With in the last 60 years Martial Arts leaders have been on a “MISSION TO SOLVE A PROBLEM” of finding an applicable defense for modern times while still respecting the tradition. Because of modern application and specialized approaches, we feel that the traditional disciplines alone are unable to address the real issues today. The old traditions were created in a time far different than today, and the art today has lost perspective of what made the old tradition effective in its time. We strongly feel that this breaking down and specializing has brought a majority of loyal followers farther from the solution. Even though technology has advanced civilization, we must not forget what is always present. the effectiveness of ancient practice was the focus of what is unseen and natural. When we remove physical movement and material perspective, we can “see” the reality of what is. Energy is the key to all that is. We look to find again that which the masters knew.

With Globalization and the Internet, Language and Computers has proven effective in bridging understanding and correcting long thought of truths we now find possibly detrimental to the way of mankind. Bringing the disciplines back together, including some of the newest inter-disciplines will clear up “MISINTERPRETATIONS & CONTRADICTIONS” new students and old, find within the art. We no longer neglect the very nature of the Healing and Martial Arts.

Pursuit of Effectiveness

The study of the major disciplines, their methods and purpose of training, philosophies, and historical background have helped to find the “COMMONALITIES & DIFFERENCES” that people search for in their practice. Interdisciplinary research involved students as well as teachers. The integrating of many disciplines to find the Spirit of the Martial Arts was an illuminating process and discovery. Many students who come to practice the Eight Hands Discipline are relieved in finding that it doesn’t take a specialized branch to find their way, but an “OPEN MIND” into looking within. Students as well as instructors have found a joy in the effective nature of this style, relieving them of the need for defense of their style. No longer does anyone Martial Art prove to be better or more effective than any other.

Merging Mankind with Nature

We have furthered our approach to the Martial Arts by going beyond reconnecting the different branches of the art, and bringing in the traditional insight of the beginning masters who taught the art. Most ancient teachers were also doctors, philosophers, painters, and cooks. They used daily living to teach the layman how to be. We follow this same approach. Our method of teaching is merged with a multitude of other knowledge outside of the art. Helping every person connect with the art in their “PERSONALIZED WAY” is an inherent goal of Eight Hands.