Use mercy in war, and you win,use it for defence,and you are secure.
(Lao Tzu)

What is control? Control is the attempt to assert your will over something or somebody else.People have ideas,

dreams and seek to make their thoughts real.Reality and ideas are two different things: reality simply exists whether we choose to believe in it or not and ideas are an attempt to shape, change or understand reality.

Humanity has spent centuries attempting to bend the

natural world and society to fit the pattern of their ideas. Millions of people have died in the name of ideas. Control is the illusion that reality will fit within the harness of an idea.

Motive Taoism asks the question: what is your purpose in seeking to control another? Why would you want to? Some people would argue: "It is for their own good."But who are you to decide what is good for somebody else? Would you steal another person's free will? On what basis can you decide?

Foundation We are all educated and conditioned to think in certain ways. Our culture makes us conform within a strict pattern of social behaviour. This is the foundation of our thoughts and to some extent the basis for any ideas we have. Given our conditioning, can our ideas necessarily be trusted?

Were they grown in healthy soil?

Control and Karate
Karate advocates working in harmony with the structural capacities of your body. It aims to work within the range of natural movement, to complement the body and its rhythms. Nothing is forced. Ideas are subtly offered and the body allowed time to consider and change according to comfort. Sensation is valued over thought. Controlling yourself Until you have found harmony within your own body and mind, how can you consider any attempt to control another? Your own body must be balanced, stable and centred. Your thoughts must be calm, natural and compassionate.Unless you can act in accordance with the flow of things, your attempt at control will fail. Taoism advocates leading without taking control, shepherding from amongst the flock rather than standing at the front and asserting yourself. If people are unaware of your influence will they be troubled by it? Can people resist what they cannot feel? If you do not assume leadership, nobody can ever oppose you. Wanting leadership creates division - it operates on a principle of boss and underling - and can only lead to resentment and failure. Controlling others The main skills required in controlling others are adaptation and change. You must move as they move, be sensitive to what is happening. Your presence must be so slight that they cannot find reason to resist you. Force is not even used. People will often willingly give you control, allow you to influence them. Treat this responsibility with respect. Control in self defence If we are balanced within ourselves and can move sensitively in response to another person, then we may consider self defence.

Gojuryu Karate works on the principle of yielding to force.You must move around the opponent's force, circumvent their strength and use only the minimum of power to defeat them. Since their is no merit in harming others, Karate seeks solutions to attack which reduce the need for further conflict. It is better to shock the opponent than harm them. We would only harm the aggressor if there were no other choice available.

Wisdom

WISDOM

Albert Einstein
"A human being is part of a whole, called by us the 'universe', a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings, as something separate from the rest - a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affectation for a few people near us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circles of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty."

The greatest power we ever got is the power of our thoughts. There is an Intelligence inside us that can elevate our life at the highest level. Everyone should learn to collaborate with this Intelligence which is organized to react on our intentions and to create with us a life of abundance and happiness. Freedom, happiness, richness, love, friendship, health and wealth are our birth right. We have been created to live our life in freedom, health and wealth. If our life doesn't look like that, it means we block ourselves by our thoughts. Our thoughts are very powerful instruments we use to either create happiness and wealth, or sickness and poverty. If your life doesn't look like what you're dreaming of, it means you have thoughts which go against you. Your thoughts create your life. If you want to change your life, change first your thoughts. You can choose your thoughts. Nobody in the world can put a thought in your head without your permission. Your mind belongs to you! Its your job to control your thoughts! You are the master of your head, you are the guardian of your thoughts. You can change them. Choose those thoughts who will bring you the results you want. Never think a thing you dont want to happen. Read that again : never think a thought you don't want to become true. It means : don't think anything negative about yourself if you don't want this thought to become real. If you don't want to be stupid, stop thinking you are. If you don?t want to be fat, stop rehearsing in your head how fat you are now. If you don't want to loose your boyfriend or girlfriend, stop thinking about this possibility. Instead of these destructive thoughts, choose thoughts which reinforce you. Choose to think how intelligent you are, and you will be! Choose to think how beautiful you are, and you will shine like a star! Choose to think you are loved, and you will! Thoughts are energy. Every thought carries an energy level. Your choice : or you choose thoughts which lower your energy level, or you choose thoughts which increase your energy level. Its in your hands! Or better : its in your head! How you will feel and act depends on what you think. Every action and emotion is preceded by a thought. You can choose thoughts which block you, or even paralyze you. It isn't any more difficult to watch your thoughts to be able to choose them consciously. Its just a matter of exercise and consciousness. Once you've learned how to become the master of your thoughts, you become the master of your life! If checking your thoughts seems too difficult for now, you can start watching your mouth. Never let come out of your mouth something you don't want to happen! Never wish a bad luck to anyone if you don't want this to realize. Watch your mouth, watch your words, watch your thougths, and become the creator of your own life! Your life does not depend on others. It depends on your own ability to master your thoughts