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H E A L T H Y M I N D , H E A L T H Y B O D Y

a cough, cold, or the flu, for example, we are reminded of how much better it is to be healthy. Young people who begin to train in martial arts give themselves one of the best opportunities available to become fit and healthy. Good health is not confined only to the body; mental health is equally important. The Buddha said that pain is what the body experiences, and suffering is what the mind experiences. It is extremely useful to understand this. For example, if you trip and stub your toe, that hurts your body; but once you get over the embarrassment, you can laugh about it. However, if a bully threatens you or calls you unpleasant names, you will suffer, but that suffering will be in your mind. Martial arts training cannot solve all of life’s problems, but, as you will discover, you can train your body and your mind to be as prepared as possible for all eventualities. If you practice martial arts techniques with a partner, you must make sure that you stand far enough apart, and that blows, strikes, and kicks are pulled sufficiently far enough away from their targets to ensure safety. This is an important safety measure that I will return to later. Here is an example of a block/counterattack sequence from the style of kung fu. Your partner launches a left punch toward you. You defend against the attack by raising your right arm in a technique known as a bong sau, or “wing hand.” Slant your body to one side as you block to avoid the force of the attack. Follow up with a right hand-strike of your own, making sure that you grasp your partner’s attacking hand with your left hand. Control the speed and power of your counter to avoid injuring your opponent. Safety is very important in martial arts training, particularly for young people. One of the reasons for this is that young people do not have fully developed bones, joints, cartilage, and other tissue. Therefore,

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