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16. Mai 2026

What happens before it begins?

On attitude and intention in martial arts.

Attitude determines success.

At around 3 a.m., the phone rang. I had to come. Chaos reigned in the delivery room; the unborn child was in danger. I had to act. Sleep-deprived and reluctant, I hurried up the stairs and finally stood before the door behind which the calamity lay hidden. Time and again in such situations, I had immediately plunged into the chaos to react to the problems (as best I could, without making mistakes). Until I gradually learned that it was better to pause. Not to open the door, but instead to ask myself if I was all right.

Of course not! Because I was already in a state of action, only half-awake, breathing shallowly, tensing my shoulders, and annoyed by the many night shifts. A very unfavourable mindset for any kind of dangerous situation. But now I was aware of myself. And beyond this assessment, I sensed what my inner senses were telling me. Simply through mindful observation, the tension eased somewhat; I exhaled slowly and took in the whole space around me. Calm returned; I sat up straight, felt at peace, and was ready. Only then did I turn the handle, let the dynamics of the situation wash over me, adapt to them, and do what the situation required: calmly and non-violently.

It took a long time before I learned through experience that a mindset suitable for emergencies does not need to be trained, but that it is enough simply to allow it to emerge. For it corresponds to the basic physical and psychological aura of a healthy toddler: attentive, curious, open, and friendly.

Graphic: Jaeger 2026

What are nerves, the brain, and consciousness for?

Tiny creatures flow with the current of events that permeates and surrounds them. More highly developed animals use a motor system to move towards what is useful and to avoid what is dangerous. Their lives are shaped by relationships and interactions that must be balanced against their needs. This is the function of nerve and motor cells. (Wolpert 2026, Llinás 2002)

As recently as the last century, we believed that the brain processed external and internal information (input), made management decisions, and then issued commands to the body (output), much like a robot.

Physicists now observe something different: brains are self-sufficient systems that generate countless frequency patterns, rhythms, and oscillations. These sound patterns are interconnected with all other cells and influence their rhythms.

Newborns learn by matching the input from their sensory cells with movements that are initially uncoordinated and only gradually become purposeful. They must physically grasp the world to experience and understand it from different perspectives. Nerve cells (unlike AI algorithms) are inextricably interwoven with the motor system and influence the rest of the body to create optimal relationships with external dynamics.

Feedback regarding the effect of reaching out into the environment calibrates the entire system, including the nervous system. Information is not transmitted as individual signals between sender and receiver (as in devices) but as modulations of overall sounds. Much like the way the sounds of individual instruments blend into the sound of an orchestra. (Buzsáki 2026)

Information processing also means far more than the processing of electrical action potentials (as in computers). This is because a multitude of other (physical, thermodynamic, chemical, and mechanical) processes are involved. (Drukarch 2023)

Nerve cells help to attune the body to opportunities or dangers and prepare for relationships. (Jaeger 2024)

In the course of evolution, increasingly complex neural response patterns emerged, superimposing themselves on older, developmentally earlier information-processing programs. The task of new brain programs is initially to dampen and calm the more rapidly triggered archaic programs. Only then can more intelligent brain processes take effect undisturbed. If developmentally younger programs, such as consciousness, attempt to dominate older, more fundamental rhythms of the body—such as the tension and relaxation of the diaphragm—they succeed at most only temporarily. If this were to happen too frequently, it would lead to tension.

The most effective and elegant form of movement is the unconscious and relaxed one.

Heinrich von Kleist wrote in 1810, Every movement has a centre of gravity. Therefore, it is ‘enough to control this, within the figure (of a marionette). The limbs, which are nothing but pendulums’, followed ‘without any intervention … of their accord.’ Every time a marionette’s centre of gravity is moved in a straight line, the limbs describe curves. And if the whole is shaken in a purely random manner, a kind of rhythmic movement arises. The advantage of this is that the marionette ‘never affects an air of grace.’ For ‘affectation’ meant that the ‘soul’ was situated at some point apart from the centre of gravity of the movement … The ‘grace’ of a movement was consequently ‘at its purest’ when the person had either no consciousness at all or an ‘infinite consciousness.’ (Kleist: On the Puppet Theatre, Berlin 1810)

Two hundred years earlier, the Zen monk Takuan Sōhō had already asserted that movements are best performed in a state of selfless, empty wakefulness that ‘lingers’ on nothing: “If you … even think for a moment of meeting the sword where it is right now, your mind will pause at that very position, your movements will be hindered, and your opponent will strike you down.” (Fudóchishinmyóroku: The Mysterious Record of Motionless Wisdom). (Takuan Sōhō, 1573–1645). And even earlier, the monk Eckhardt (1260–1327) summarized, “Be aware of yourself, and wherever you find yourself, let go of yourself. That is the best.”

Before taking any action, it makes sense to pause for a moment and experience the vastness of space and time: “Simply place yourself in a state of non-action, and things will unfold of their accord. Let go of your mind and set your soul free. Be emotionless and unmoved.” (Victor C. Mayr V.C.: Early Taoist tales of Chuang Tzu, Hawaii 1994)

If, in the face of a difficult or dangerous situation, one’s attitude is alert, open, calm, and friendly, the connective tissues (unhindered by thoughts or rules) can stretch to their natural baseline elasticity. (Tensegrity. See Meyers T: Anatomy Trains, New York 2025).

This relaxed elasticity deforms as a whole in response to external or internal influences: fasciae expand and slide back into an optimal, low-energy form. (Provided they are not prevented from doing so by poor posture.)

Pausing and finding stillness calms the fundamental archaic response patterns of the brain stem (freeze, fight, flight). The assessment of reality (including by the midbrain) takes place realistically and without agitation. When the construction of the ego (including via the cerebrum) then also loses its significance, an alert connection with the flow of events (flow) arises. Or, in a more intense form, trance. As in dance, music, or art. Then consciousness merely observes how well the movement unfolds: uncontrolled and (of its accord) naturally relaxed.

Terrain

Living beings are not clearly demarcated either internally or externally. They interact with their surroundings. Everything that constitutes them—cells, bacteria, viruses, and other aspects of their being (such as the psyche or the body)—is embedded in larger systemic contexts. Immediately surrounding the body’s boundary of the skin is a cloud of bacteria that is as characteristic of the body as a fingerprint. A wider-reaching terrain constitutes a personal space (which varies greatly from person to person). This environment (at a distance of at least an arm’s length) is constantly (unconsciously) scanned for potential dangers while we are awake. Further layers of this terrain include a room, a garden, a city, and a country.

If the safety zones of two people (or even societies) overlap, communication or an exchange can arise. Through friendly and mutual reaching out and accepting. If there is a threat of crossing the subjectively clear boundary of one’s own territory, unconscious (rapid) emergency patterns are triggered, preparing the body to react to a danger. The simplest of these patterns for dealing with severe stress is freezing or collapsing. This is a normal response during childbirth; then it is vital for the newborn to do absolutely nothing. For fidgeting would only make its situation worse.

Immediately after birth, the next most appropriate, archaic form of movement is then activated: stretching out and defending oneself. The newborn awakens all its nervous and motor functions through a surge of activating hormones. It is thus ready for the basic patterns of reptilian-like reactions: fight or flight. This primal stress in the newborn is soothed by the bond with the mother. Through this bond, more intelligent movement patterns are established, which newborns are incapable of until then: relaxing as they breathe out and suckling in a state of connection.

If children experience care, protection, and love as they grow up, they will later be able to calm themselves. And occasionally, when in danger, they can recognize the onset of stressful primitive behaviour in time. For example, when a stranger approaches the red boundary line of their territory. Then stress reactions (fighting against something, enduring something, running away, freezing, or collapsing) can be soothed.

The resulting expression of calm alertness is perceptible to others and can (without further intervention) lead to a change in a threatening situation. But it does not have to. That is why (after initial attempts at calming down) many people resort to crocodile-like patterns again when a threat escalates.

But wouldn’t maintaining a calm attitude in the face of a massive attack inevitably lead to collapse? In the case of violent attacks, isn’t renouncing violence absurd and a danger to the public?

No. Because a calm, peaceful attitude can seamlessly transition into flexible adaptation to whatever is happening at the moment. Much like a sailor who remains calm even in a storm and does not fight against the various forces affecting his boat but adapts to them with flexibility.

Volitional attitude

An attitude can follow the ideas of a conscious self that wishes to change reality. The creation of a ‘volitional self’ (in the frontal part of the brain) is an energy-consuming process preceded by unconscious reaction patterns. These include the activation of archaic patterns when the other person does not submit to one’s own will.

From a physical perspective, body, mind, environment, and thus also ‘the other’ are one. Therefore, there can be neither a self separate from the other nor a ‘free’ will. (Glenberg A: Embodiment as a unifying perspective for psychology, Cogn Sci 2010 1 586–596)

Unless as an illusion: through the (actively generated) notion of volition, an attempt is made to shape a situation differently from how it would develop dynamically. This generates a counter- or transverse force that pushes, pulls, or blocks.

The illusions of “I and will” disrupt an unintentional attitude in the sense of Kleist or Takuan. They demand a reality that is different from how it is developing, and which must therefore be forced. In the face of a threat, conscious willing triggers (unconsciously) archaic reaction patterns such as attacking, enduring, resisting, fleeing, or freezing. Often, two-thirds of the inner team then work on Plan A (“Stay cool!”) and the rest on Plan B (“Win!”). The resulting dynamic of action resembles a wheel wobbling in its hub, which would run much better if it were centred.

If the brain deliberately attempts to control the body in detail (according to a memorized pattern), the movement becomes clumsy because reactions to events always come too late. Conscious movement control is therefore only useful for interrupting movement sequences (for example, when unlearning poor posture and unfavourable movement patterns).

Involuntary attitude and intention

Intention or intent is a dynamic, intimate connection beyond the sense of self and time. A prerequisite for skilful, seamless, spontaneous action. In all known cultures, it was (or still is) the task of female or male shamans to ‘travel to worlds’ that remained closed to others. (Black Elk 1947) Or to move between worlds, like Hagasussa, the fence-rider (Belscher 2025). Or like Baba Yaga, whose hut stood on chicken legs that turned towards different realities. Or like dancers whose bodies were possessed by a god or demon during rituals or ceremonies.

Trance and possession are ways in which a person can perceive themselves and their surroundings physically and psychologically. Actions that obey a trance logic differ significantly from the emotional or rational everyday consciousness shaped by a sense of time and self.

A simpler form is intimate connection in the flow of events. With a calm, friendly attitude, intended to lead to an optimal interconnection with what is happening, there is no room for the dominance of the ego and its worries. Especially in situations of great danger.

It is precisely under severe mental and physical stress that movement sequences and actions should flow smoothly. The brain then takes on an integrating role, able to benevolently accompany and observe the body’s movements, just as a conductor influences rhythm and dynamics. The brain then follows the idea of what might or should happen. The execution of the action is left undisturbed to the unconscious body, which acts as best it can, or as it has learned through training and practice.

But if not a ‘will,’ what then guides this calm yet effective action?

The Chinese use a term that we might translate as ‘intention’ (意图, English: intent, intention). What is meant is a dynamic connection: “as if one were throwing a ball into fast-flowing water, which floats along without resistance” (Takuan). Without focus, calm, carried along by the momentum. Connected and shaping from within, exerting influence and perhaps also guiding.

If the brain generates its rhythms and is inextricably interwoven with the motor function, then it becomes clear what ‘intention’ (意图) might mean. The more intensely a starting point calms down, the more clearly the brain and body can be attuned before an action. In emergencies, this state is called attentive waiting. Or alert non-action (Chinese: preceding stillness Wu (無) or not forcing anything Wu-Wei (無為).

A calmness that is linked to a readiness to act should the dynamics of the situation require it. Not reacting hastily, but connected, non-violently, and immediately.

The ability to act smoothly and with clear intent is expected of experienced pilots: not reacting (delayed) to air turbulence, but experiencing what needs to be done from a deep connection. Surgeons require this state of being when operating. Climbers, when working in swaying treetops. Under such intense pressure, countless pieces of information regarding all changes are perceived simultaneously. The entire body, including the connective tissue, then resembles a highly efficient instrument that resonates in a unified harmony. Energy flows dynamically, adapted to external conditions and unhindered by internal friction. Consciousness can admire this seamless and seemingly magical process. Were it to attempt to control it deliberately, something else would arise, something violent.

Intention could also be regarded as an integrating psychological element, accepting and understanding what is happening. With a clear recognition of what the situation requires. As if one were first to let the starry sky unfold, and then to select a star upon which to focus the telescope.

Or to put it another way, the eyes race ahead when reading aloud, while the speech lags, taking shape as it makes sense. If one were to read only what is written there, word for word, the listener would understand nothing. Anticipation creates a pull for the mind and the body’s cells. It is as if one feels the clay before it is sensed when it connects with the hand.

Intention, on the other hand, is like a suggestion arising from a connection, from an opening that allows the necessary parameters of action to be emphasized. In contrast, a goal defines an action, while a vision remains diffuse. It arises from the circumstances. It has not yet arrived in a situation. It germinates in perception. When possibilities open up for something to flow towards where it seems favourable. This does not require a great deal of detailed information but rather an understanding of the dynamics of development, the circumstances, the relationships, and the possibilities.

Intention requires self-confidence and perseverance. Otherwise, the momentum is hindered or interrupted. Like a sailor who remains flexible in their course and senses what is needed to open up new possibilities by accompanying, steering, and guiding (based on their own flexible structure). To achieve this, the coherence of the situation must be grasped to adapt flexibly. This is quite different from letting deliberately memorized patterns run their course as a standard reaction to standard situations.

Calm, peaceful, connected, without violence

Several hundred years ago, relatively weak women and men developed unusual forms of martial arts. They were fed up with being bullied by stronger, more brutal, and faster violent criminals. It is said that it began with the observation of fighting animals, which neither wasted unnecessary energy nor immediately countered external forces with equal opposing forces. Following their example, natural, calm, yet effective forms of movement emerged. The seemingly slower, softer, gentler approach was not intended to assert itself against external force but rather to adapt, accompany, guide, and direct it. Thus, an art gradually emerged that enabled one to remain calm under the most difficult conditions, to listen, to attune oneself, to connect with a situation, and thereby influence it meaningfully.

Applying the basic principles of ‘soft‘ or ‘internal’ martial arts opens up various possibilities:

  • Actual fights can be effectively managed in such a way that one’s own risk of injury remains low and brute force comes to nothing.
  • Or the dynamics of a situation can be influenced in such a way that dissonance diminishes and harmony increases. In this way, internal and external friction can subside, and, where appropriate, a relationship can develop.

In both cases, the use of force is unnecessary. Violence signals helplessness when the exterior hardens and the interior is weak. If the interior is strengthened, violence loses its significance. If, on the other hand, the interior is not centred, outward-directed forces must be applied. Which usually makes the situation worse. The suggestion to relax, particularly in times of distress (or in the face of unusual stress), and to open oneself up to the dynamics of the situation seems counterintuitive to many.

In our civilization, we are accustomed to fighting against something: against bacteria, against viruses, against enemies, against pagans, against addictions, against diseases, against other ideologies, or against any other threats of all kinds. In reality, however, fighting is a culturally acquired inability that must first be laboriously drilled into children to drive out their innate peacefulness.

Humans are born as premature babies who cannot survive without love and care. They are social, lovable beings shaped not only genetically and epigenetically but also immediately after birth. So-called evil arises only through neglect and through socially destructive forms of behaviour. ‘Warfare readiness’ is therefore the consequence of a disruption to natural human development.

The usual, learned way of dealing with danger consists of preparing oneself and positioning oneself defensively. Then, (well-armed), one lies in wait for a favourable opportunity to parry an attack. Or to intervene oneself in good time and strike at a weak point. This is then followed by a targeted response involving quick, strong, cunning, and well-rehearsed action.

Even in the martial arts game of ‘pushing or sensing hands,’ these ‘wanting to win’ behavioural patterns repeatedly manifest as (often unconscious) tension, stiffness, or rigidity.

However, people can also choose not to give others power over themselves. Then, in the face of a threat, they would remain calm. And they would radically accept a situation just as it is. Without attaching any significance to failure or victory. Connected, calm, peaceful, friendly. Even in the face of great danger. And without any thought of using violence.

Non-violence is today mostly derided as a dangerous illusion. For in the face of annihilation, war, and destruction, pacifism is regarded by those in power as collapse or betrayal.

The superiority of calm movement over brute force can be experienced physically. The ability to win without fighting is innate in humans. And must be fostered in educational institutions. Adults can learn to abandon unfavourable behaviour and, instead of war, to train in the way of peace. Learning inner martial arts would be particularly suitable for this.

Literature

Letzte Aktualisierung: 16.05.2026