Product Description
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It is a historical journey that begins where it should, the
birthplace of the martial arts at Shaolin Temple and ends at the
Budokan in Japan. Over two years in the making, this is an epic
account of today s greatest martial arts teachers and the mind
connection that exists between them regardless of their very
diverse styles. Taking a giant leap from the traditional martial
arts of Japan to Chinese kungfu may seem improbable but the
connection is much closer than you may think, especially in the
daily practice. As we weave our story between the two countries
and the various martial arts you begin to realize that the
teachers in our interviews often overlap and repeat each others
words... though they may be generations apart and thousands of
miles from each other, in spirit and philosophy they are the
same. Says Warrior Monk ShiDeRu of the Shaolin Temple: We try to
see the origin of ourselves, not just Chinese, American or
Japanese but as a being that is part of the universe... The
emptiness of the mind is linked to the body s energy that is
colorless... its nothingness. To illustrate the mind-body
connection we take you into the daily practice of each martial
art. You will step inside the Aikido Headquarters in Japan and
the JKA and JKS okan Karate Honbu Dojos to experience the
daily training. Witness the power of bushido as you sit ringside
at the Japan Kendo Championships or the zen concentration of the
archer in the Japan Kyudo championships. Through interviews and
filming of their daily training, you will experience the
philosophical and physical elements that unite all great masters
of the martial arts. We show you why the mind-body connection
plays such an important role in martial arts. We describe it as
being one with your space or universe says Moriteru Uesheba,
Aikido master... It is called mushin where movement is
spontaneous within a state of nothingness. This clear state of
mind can only be achieved say all the great martial arts masters,
through constant daily practice in order to reach the mental and
physical conditioning needed. In the spirit of zen or budo we
call this mushin which is an empty mind says legendary karate
grandmaster Hirokazu Kanazawa, 10th Dan... It is a state of total
control and concentration to enable you to arrive at your
objective in life, which is the mental attitude you need in your
journey to find success. In this sense, The Empty Mind is not
just for martial artists, but for anyone who wishes to improve
themselves both spiritually and physically in order to find
happiness in their every day life. Featuring: Moriteru Ueshiba,
Masahiko Tanaka, Masao Kagawa, Hirokazu Kanazawa, Teruyuki
Okazaki, Monk Shi DeYang, Master Zhang Shengli, Master Yuan,
Master Zhong, AJKF Kendo and the ANKF Kyudo Federations. This
Version is remastered with surround sound and in widescreen
format. Soundtrack composed and performed by Richard Brookens of
Yellowbell and available on CD
Review
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Every now and then you round a corner in life and get smacked in
the face by a couple of ideas or products that share a common
theme. In my case, it was a pair of DVD's one of which is titled,
The Empty Mind: The Spirit and Philosophy of Martial Arts. Some
might say it was serendipity that brought them to my desk on the
same day, but I prefer to think it was more mundane: The Martial
Arts have come of age. I'll talk about The Empty Mind first.
Several weeks ago, a Kenpo black belt named James Bennet dropped
off the DVD for me to watch. I asked him if it was another one of
those amateur efforts. He insisted it wasn't. So I gave it a
look. I must say I was impressed. It certainly wasn't a
collection of home movies. It is a coherent production that was
professionally filmed in Japan and China. Crafted by Jon Braeley,
of Empty Mind Films, it profiles practitioners of Aikido, Karate,
Kendo, Kyudo, Shaolin Kingfu, Tai Chi and Wushu as they plied
their trade in the dojo and at tournaments. The styles were
presented as artistic endeavors that steel the character and
build the body no matter what age the student. The production was
proof positive that filmmakers now view the martial arts as
legitimate pursuits that are worthy of the finest documentary
. This could be shown on the National Geographic Channel
tonight and no one would suspect that it was not a multi-million
dollar project helmed by Hollywood heavyweights. On a more
personal note, this documentary rekindled my fire for the Asian
ways of combat. In this age of mixed martial arts, when all that
matters is the destination, this film reinforces the notion that
in life it's the journey that really counts. By Robert W. Young,
Editor, Black Belt Magazine. --BLACK BELT MAGAZINE, April 2010.
by Robert W. Young, Editor, Black Belt.
