An American Ronin's Guide to MEDITATION

An American Ronin's Field Guide
to
MEDITATION

Its a common platitude that your MIND is your greatest weapon.

Here at the AMERICAN RONIN PROJECT, we say the warrior must train first his spirit, then his mind, then his body, then his skillset.

Just as the body must be honed and trained, made strong, flexible, resilient, quick, so, too must the fighting spirit be developed and the mind prepared.

Your Three Greatest Enemies Are PAIN, FEAR, and ANGER.

The irony isn’t lost on us that “your three greatest enemies” lay firmly entrenched in your “greatest weapon.”

In all times and places, warriors have developed practices and habits designed to enhance their resiliency -physical and psychological.

Whether its the Templar attending Mass before mounting his charger for battle…or the Ranger doing the same before landing in France on 6 June…or the Samurai kneeling in meditation…the Greek Hoplite standing in his rank outside the walls of his city…

Before you confront the enemy physically, you have to confront him emotionally, psychologically, spiritually.

And since most of us live in a world where we will not choose our next fight, but have that fight chosen by an enemy who intends to render us a mere victim, we have to develop a state of readiness that doesn’t require warning or on the scene preparation to push aside fear and anger so we can simply FIGHT BACK.

Just as we can’t elect to train with our weapon or study combatives in that instant where we are set upon by someone who means to end us and what we cherish, we can’t hope in that moment to develop a mind resistant to fear and anger and pain or just hope that, since we are men, we have some natural immunity to the psychological damage done by committing or receiving violence.

Before the fight begins, you have to have trained:

Your SPIRIT -your willingness to fight and not accept the painful destiny an enemy seeks to impose…

Your MIND -your ability to resist the influence of pain and anger and fear…

Your BODY -your strength, your speed, your endurance…

Your SKILLSET -the techniques and tactics and strategy designed to leave you standing and in control in the face of an enemy’s actions.