Love the math genius
To be a good martial artist one needs to have a math genius inside them.
But, “I’m no good at math” is the all too familiar cry of many martial artists that I have said this to. However, you all have inside you a Little Math Genius waiting to get out.
Where is it? Consider this:
Someone throws you a punch.
Without thinking about it a little part or your brain has been set in motion. This little part knows calculus, trigonometry, 3d equations, wind, speed, and mass mathematics. It works out the rate of movement of the fist, what weight it probably is, what spin it exhibits, what gravity’s influence will do to the path of the arm. It tells your body what movements are needed in space to get in position to block, what speed you need to move you arms, open your block and what precise moment you need to close your hand at the weakest part of the opponents arm! It does this all in real-time, updating its entire set of equations on the fly should the arm, say, bump into somthing, and it does all this without you needing to think about it.
You just block the punch.
What magnificence! What magic!
But, you cry, don’t all animals exhibit the same little functions? Snakes strike, humming birds hover: this is not a human only ability.
True, all animals can do this but only humans have learned how it works: high-level control and training. This comes through martial arts practice.
The Little Math Genius (LMG) in humans goes well beyond all those seen in nature and affects all the bodies’ functions of mathematics. It is the part your brain which can count. It knows from data passed to it from the eye that I have ten 1 pound coins in my hand. I just know this. I know what a coin is and I know that one times ten is ten. This information is not contained in the coins themselves. Take apart a million one pound coins and you won’t find anything that tells you how to add them up. This ability has come from training and control over our human functions. All humans LMG start in life as a blank canvas, we are born with no conscious knowledge of math. We can’t tell the time, add up or subtract. The average of 16 years of school gifts us this ability. No other animal has evolved such control over this function. We can even use the LMG in an abstract mode: math.
Since I have learned that 1 + 1 = 2 through experimentation and reinforcement of this idea, I have gained some level of control over the LMG. Combined with the input from the functions of language and argument I can express true mathematical functions in words and writing, or even just in my conscious mind.
Ever asked yourself how you just know the answer to a math question? The LMG tells you. It does the math for you. This simple part of all animals has, in us, developed far far beyond its natural level and it is never wrong. When you know something you just know it. Math experts say their ability is to them as music was to Beethoven. He said that when it came to music he could just play, he could feel the notes in his head. This too is the LMG. It is the part of you that expresses joy in all mathematical situations whether they are physical, such as sport, or abstract.
It is the LMG that see all mathematical patterns in nature too. Spheres, triangles, are all beautiful to him. It is he who adores the shapes contained in architecture and bridges. Again the taste of these objects is defined for you by the LMG.
All of these things are trained reactions. The LMG is born blank. It first input comes from the knowing shape of the mother. The comfort shape of the bosom (something I have never trained it out of!). From that moment on it is in training. Take sparing, so much is going on when you on the mat, but the LMG is there with you. High speeds, distance to objects, and timings. Awareness of space around you, in front, and behind. Knowledge of gravity and balance affecting you and correctional movements based on understandings of your bodies limits. All handled for you by you subconscious’s LMG. When you first stepped onto a mat these things were alien to you, and you had to learn them. You also had to practice them. This is where the LMG got his training, through the experiences you had whilst out on driving lessons, and he never stops learning.
But how does it work?
The operation of the LMG is based in reality. The fact he needs training shows his operation is not independent of the world around you, rather he relies on that for his input. Even when performing 3d visualisations in your head, such as counting some coins in your mind, you are recreating his input for him. All the clues are there in your mind for him to act upon. His greatest power comes when you don’t give him any contradicting inputs form the conscious mind and just let him get on with it. This is what in martial arts is called Zanshin or combat awareness.
Take martial combat. Two combatants square off and draw up stances. The fight begins. In combat you don’t have time to think or you loose. For example: in fencing, one has to let go with ones mind and let the body act on instinct. This instinct is controlled by the LMG. He looks as mathematics data coming from the senses and passes this information to other unconscious parts of the brain. They pass back what actions to take and the LMG, who is totally grounded in the moment and just processing data like crazy, makes the play. The sword arm moves down and parry’s. Then in one swift movement whilst the opponent brings his arm back up to block your reposte, your LMG spots the movement and turns your sword arms reposte into a disengage which circles under the opponents now high block and strikes. All this happens in the merest blink of an eye. If you had thought about it you would not even got the parry in let alone the reposte!
Zanshin is the conscious mind putting its feet up and letting the brain act as an instrument of combat. The LMG is in total control when the mind is turned off. All the mind does is suggest tactics, it doesn’t carry them out and it tries like hell to remain aloof from the whole thing, lest emotions and fear or frustration hamper the performance of the LMG’s subconscious crew and you loose. This is the meaning of the famous phrase:
“Fear causes hesitation, and hesitation causes all you worst fears to come true”
No wonder the doctrine of Zen was of interest to the Samurai! Its whole nature is one where the conscious mind develops a detachment to the happenings of the body.
The fact that it takes years of training to get any good at sports such as fencing or Taekwondo leads me to reiterate the reality grounding of the LMG. Even in mental sports, such as chess, the mind and LMG work together. The mind, suggesting tactics, and focusing both on the mental projection of the possible counters to the next few moves together with the LMG passing the data back and forth to the memory. The data is all analysed by the LMG for its mathematical content, this is then passed back through the memory onto the mind which sees the effect played out as the suggested sequence of pieces moves around the mental board.
However, the LMG also has much more fundamental and mundane uses: Time keeping. It is he which counts the seconds and minutes of the day. He that acts as the alarm clock, telling you that that pie needs taking out of the oven, or that the data from the hypothalamus combined with his knowledge of the hours since you last slept means that your probably a little tired.
But it is science that the LMG gets his most valuable use. The math used in science all comes from the training lavished on the LMG. The calculations whizzing around inside the minds of astrophysicists are almost impossible for them to grasp in one totality let alone put down in paper. It is the LMG who does the working out of any mathematical functions needed to process the information. The speed that he works gives the mind enough input at such a speed that it can “see” the whole idea. Without his speed this would be impossible. Again, functioning in conjunction with the memory he provides the mind with the mathematical answers to any questions instantly. Thus the whole equation can be keep in constant reiteration, chopped up, passed backwards, paused, speeded up and stopped all because the processing of the LMG is so quick.
The role the LMG plays in our lives is immense. The training lavished on him by many turns him into a mighty engine. Our mind relies on his functioning to process such things as articles of faith, knowledge, and even love. He is the turbine of our mind.
But is there more?
The question is can we improve his abilities beyond the normal. Yes, most definitely. Unless you should have a defective brain (many do) where learning becomes impossible the LMG can be sharpened along with the other functions of the mind to an almost razor sharp point. A great instrument which can look at the stars and count ever single one, work out the functioning of the world around us and our place in it.
Take relativity, and all other higher level scientific theories. They use the LMG in all instances. They are expressions of the LMG’s understanding of math. It is thanks to him that we have any understanding of math at all. It is quite possible that somewhere in the cosmos there are beings without any LMG. Imagine that, ignorant of math in any form. Also imagine the idea that the functioning of reality may be different in these places. One plus one may equal five. That is harder to imagine precisely because the LMG is screaming at you that one plus one equals two. This may be his only weakness.
Coming from the western spiral arm of the galaxy known as Milky Way, human beings have always been subjected to the local laws of this area of space. But, as all scientists know, our understanding of these laws is not perfect. Since this understanding comes in no small part from the use of the LMG is could be him that is at fault. Or rather our training of him and his evolutionary path that he has taken to where he is today.
Could there be deeper understandings of math laying in wait for the next evolution of our LMG tool? Could, one day, humans actually know what it’s like to know one plus one equals five?
Perhaps, just tantalisingly out of reach, lays the uprooted floorboards of the universe that requires us to let go of even the LMG. Or is our small minds input doomed to be restricted by what we perceive as reality? The functioning of the LMG is the base of all science. A thorough examination of his multitude of talents awaits par two of this document.
Until then: rejoice! You do know math! Whenever you need him he is there! So take the little fella’ out for walks, play sport, sharpen your mind, open you consciousness, allow him to be in control and take in some great music.
Your Little Math Genius will love you for it!
By Basho
Inspired by D.Adams
Basho & Cesca are traveling with:
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