The Book of Water and Spirit

When Musashi is speaking from the Book of Water and Spirit, he is talking about your demeanor. Musashi makes a point to say that you should take the middle road. To avoid a reckless spirit or having too much tension in the body.

This can only be achieved by having experience. If you watch a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu class, you will see chokes being applied. The more time a person has on the mat rolling, the more they know. They can tell almost instantly if a choke is “Sunk in” or not. If the choke is not sunk in, the practitioners continue to roll. One fighter is trying for the choke, and the other is fighting it off. To the uneducated spectator, it may appear that the choke is having an effect. But the two on the mat know differently, and nobody panics; they both have been here before.

The Coolness

This coolness only comes from experience. The spirit remains calm. This is why schools do fire drills. Students, upon hearing the fire bell, line up in the hallway. The teacher takes a head count, and they march out the nearest door in an orderly fashion. Practice makes it permanent and familiar. There is no need to panic, no need to rush. Line up, count, and leave the building.

Earlier, we talked about the mind-body connection, and it is often easier to access the body first and the mind second. This, of course, is not a hard and fast rule.  It is our observation over time. The body can influence the mind quite easily.

Mindbody

If you have suffered an injury in your Martial arts, you know you favor the injury. Sprain an ankle, walk with crutches, or hop for short distances. You quickly adapt, but bump that ankle and the pain radiates up the leg, ending up in a grimace on your face.

The reverse of this is the mental game. Every doctor will tell you that a patient’s attitude makes a difference in the treatment.

Research from Stanford University points to the patient mindset having an impact on physical healing. This is often linked to the placebo effect. Yet it has a significant impact on the patient’s ability to deal with either illness or injury.

Why not apply this to martial arts?  If you can calm your body through sequential relaxation, starting at your feet and moving to the top of your head, your mind will relax if you can relax your mind by going to a mental pasture on the side of a lake. Your body will relax.

When you become neutral, you do not panic, and you can move with clarity and flexibility.

Advantages of The Water Strategy:

1. Relax: Speed and swiftness come from being relaxed
2. Experience: Having been there before, in a given situation, is invaluable

You may enjoy this past posting: https://www.martialjournal.com/the-ground-seeing/

You can reach Kris Wilder here: https://linktr.ee/KrisWilder

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Kris Wilder

Kris Wilder is a martial artist, author, and life coach. He holds multiple black belts in various martial arts disciplines, including Goju-Ryu Karate, Taekwondo, and Judo. Kris is known for his deep understanding of martial arts and his ability to connect with students on a personal level.
He has authored several books on martial arts and self-defense, such as "The Way of Kata" and "The Little Black Book of Violence". Kris also runs the Wilder Karate Academy, where he teaches classes and conducts seminars.

Latest posts by Kris Wilder (see all)

• The Book of Water and Spirit - July 5, 2025
• The Water Book – Two Swords - June 27, 2025
• The Ground – Interconnection - June 18, 2025