Hoshin Training: Gaining Control through Sensing Intention

The ability to feel the other person’s intention is part of what makes the martial arts so mystical.

In Hoshin the ability to sense the intention of the other person is one of the ways you can test your energy work and meditation. Sensing the intention of an opponent gives you instant control of what could be a violent situation.

Let’s look more closely at what we mean by intention. Each action of a person carries with it a very subtle vibration. People, especially when they are unaware of this fact, constantly put out a variety of subtle vibrations. Think about a time when you have come home to feel your home vibrating with bad energy, you know immediately that your spouse is upset. This is the same vibration that we are speaking about.

Even when your eyes are closed you can feel the distinct vibration of someone who is about to hit you. There is a difference in the energy coming from the attacker with the intention to strike and the actual strike itself. With training you can learn to distinguish between the two.

As part of Hoshin training a student will stand with their eyes closed while the instructor sends a punch slowly to their face with the sincere intention of making contact. Students will almost always feel the difference in the energy and duck out of the way. Most students end up with a shocked look on their face as they realize what they have felt.

Another exercise related to sensing intention is to have the students stand with their eyes closed and their back to the instructor. The instructor will silently walk toward the student. When the student senses the instructor coming they are to raise their hand. There is usually a difference in when a student notices the instructor based on the instructors thoughts. Sometime they will use angry thoughts, other times happy thoughts.

A student who is able to sense intention will be less intimidated in what can otherwise be a scary situation. You are in control when you are sure of the other person’s intentions toward you. Once you are clear about the situation you can choose the option that works best at the time.

The most important part of this is that you will not be taken by surprise. While you want always want to use all the solutions available to you, at least you have the control and the power when it comes to how to respond.