Using Martial Arts Zen & Strategy in
Life & Career Success
Lessons taken from Sun Tzu, "Zen" & the martial arts
As martial arts instructors, our primary goal is personal development, but most classes are 90% physical and often neglect the "Zen" and strategic lessons our art is based on. This video course is a structured approach to important "Zen" and Strategy principles from the martial arts and directly relates them to life and work goals.
A must learning course for Instructors who want to teach budo principles, "Zen" and the "Art of War" to their karate students!
How does a martial arts student take the lessons of "Zen" and Strategy from the dojo to life for goal attainment and career development
How is Zen and Asian strategy applied to life and work for success? This download video or DVD covers ancient Asian Strategy & wisdom including the topics of:
- dealing with difficult people and conflict at work
- goal attainment through strategy
- efficiency at work and in life - mirroring efficiency in technique
- centering oneself for stress free work
- high performance in meetings and negotiations using "Zen" and Budo Strategy
Strategy is derived from Sun Tzu's "Art of War". Concepts from the "Tao de Ching" are also incorporated with Zen to explore the balance of materialism, success and the Way. This online Zen video is derived from corporate workshops conducted for Staff at the University of the Sunshine Coast and corporate seminars. The online Zen videos include powerpoint learning slides and physical drills.
Chapt 1: Introduction to Zen, strategy and conflict
Chapt 2: Zen, Strategy, Success and Materialism
Chapt 3: Centering oneself for optimal performance in meetings & conflict
Chapt 4: Ox Herding pictures: knowing yourself & others
Chapt 5: Returning to an open and flexible mind for successful outcomes
Chapt 6: Reading others to improve interactions/discussions
Chapt 7: Applying the Art of War for life and personal strategy
Chapt 8: Responses to conflict
Chapt 9: Working with people and achieving partnerships for win-win outcomes.
To access the compete 9 part video course:
Contents of the video & a typical workshop:
Video 1 - Introduction to Zen and strategy (approx. 11 min, 10MB)
The first video is an introduction to Zen and relates Zen principles to daily life and work. The video course includes lecture content and physical drills and exercises to illustrate and practice the concepts raised. The instructor gives direct examples of applying zen at work, in the office, at meetings, negotiations, conflict and other situations requiring a clear mind through Zen. The filmed workshop is one that is usually presented to both groups who study Zen, and corporations looking to increase workplace efficiency, staff interactions and reduce stress.
Video 2 - Zen, Strategy, Success and Materialism (approx. 8 min, 10MB)
Do Zen and success conflict? How does Zen relate to conflict and strategy? Does Zen appear in the famous Chinese text the "Art of War" by Sun Tzu. How do these things relate to the "tao de ching", the famous book of change. This video relates the above pionts to show how Zen at work, and zen in life can realistically be applied. Reflections also come from text on great Zen masters such as Dogen, Shosan and Deshimaru roshi. this video introduces the efficiency of strategy derived from the Art of War - which may be used in business planning, or life goals.
Video 3 - Centering oneself for optimal performance in meetings & conflict
(approx. 9 min, 11MB)
Explains how one can work on Zen and centering concepts for dynamic situations at work such as heated discussions, or arguments. Moving Zen is explained as opposed to sitting Zen, or Zazen. Physical and mental apporaches to strength are touched on to establish the link, and talk about "hara" the Japanese word for the stomach area - from which Ki (or spiritual energy is derived). Breathing is introduced as a way to reduce anxiety and as a method to stay calm in turbulent or conflict situations. The topic also introduces conflcit management in situations of physical abuse, or emotional abuse.
Video 4 - Ox Herding pictures: knowing yourself and others (7 min 49sec, 11MB)
The Ox hedring pictures describe the path of dealing with one's ego and lifetime of a pre-conditioned responses and anxieties. It is a path of self discoevry through Zen that enables one to view the world in a new light with an open mind. A discussion on the ox herding pictures and how they relate to the path of Zen enlightenment (satori) is discussed.
Video 5 - Returning to an open and flexible mind in work and life (approx. 8 min, 11MB)
Obtaining goals in life through keeping the bigger picture in mind is a key of Zen. In addition flexibility, structure, and avoiding chaos is discussed in ways that map out life goals so achievment are obtained. Change in people is also reflected on.
Video 6 - Reading others (approx. 11 min, 11MB)
Understanding yourslef and others is a common link to Zen and Sun Tzu's "Art of war". Empathy through understanding others, is represented alongside startegy to achieve the desired outcomes. Again Zen philosophy, drills and "Art of War" concepts are discussed to illustrate how to read others to get better co-operation.
Video 7 - Applying the Art of War for life strategy (approx. 8 min, 9MB)
How does one apply the "Art of War" alongside Zen in the modern world of business or goal attainment. Zen is further discussed from a staregic viewpoint.
Video 8 - Responses to conflict (approx. 9 min, 12MB)
Using Zen and strategy to have appropriate response to conflict - in the workplace, or in life. Works on 4 types of responses to conflict with an individual
Video 9 - Working with people and achieve partnerships for win-win outcomes. (approx. 8 min, 9MB)
Aiki and Kiai are introduced as two differing pirnciples for delaing with a adversary.
The instructor, Jason Armstrong Ph.D., has lived and trained with a master in Japan and has more than 20 years experience teaching zen and martial arts in Japan, the USA and Australia. Dr. Armstrong has also worked at CEO levels in the West and been the General Manager of a company in Tokyo. The videos step through mental and physical concepts to provide exercises which can also be used to further Zen & budo strategy techniques and concepts.
The videos are taken from workshops we run in corporate environments on integrating "zen" principles and ancient wisdom within the modern corporate work environment.
Networking with others in a positive sense, aggressive people, and conflict management are a central theme to these workshops with a backbone of strategy to facilitate positive outcomes. The concepts are also extended to self improvement and personal performance in the work environment, meetings, or as applied to outside work scenarios. Controlling people are also addressed as a topic and ways to get around the difficulties in the workplace and life through strategy and Zen. The themes are approached from muliple angles (verbal agreesion and physical aggression). Dealing with conflict and bettering oneself for general performance is illustrated using tools from "Zen" (no religious connections associated but simply the understanding of self and others), the "Art of War" and principles of "Tao de Ching" - the classic book of change.
We operate both in California and Australia. Our online courses have recieved government support though an Australian Export Development Grant.
To access the compete 9 part video course:
