Zen or Zen-like, that is the question?

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Za-zen [座禅]: seated Zen meditation, usu. in a cross-legged position. Where in one has to find a true definition, explanation and understanding of the method of Zen meditation. In certain professional karate and martial disciplines one method of Zen is referred to by experts as, "the koan method." 

Zen Koans as they originate from Zen masters testing or challenging Zen students with parables, i.e., simple stories used to trigger a sudden realization in the student of a moral nature. Martial (Zen-like) Koan (or parable like quotes) studies are taking the practice of Zen Koan’s to trigger on-going realizations in the study of martial quotes that will lead toward martial enlightenment - toward a spiritual state of mind that allows for change. It is through such changes that both the discipline and the student can achieve higher levels of understanding through acquired knowledge and experience. Welcome to the “Martial (Zen-like) Koan Studies!”

“Koans, or parables (a simple story used to illustrate a moral or spiritual lesson).”

You probably already know that my next concept is the use of koan’s in karate to perform Zen-like Koan quotes, meme’s, aphorisms, etc., to pass forward teachings that provide the student study materials to exercise the mind while contributing to the practitioners understanding of karate and martial arts/disciplines. 

Go to: Martial (Zen-like) Koan Studies to experience an effort to demonstrate a Zen-like lesson similar and not true lesson by a proverbial koan. 

Another method used in karate and martial systems to promote a feeling of a Zen-like effort is sitting Za-zen, a method of sitting meditation. This is often referred to as, “Mokuso [黙想]: meditation;  silent contemplation.” This sitting in a meditative state in most dojo is merely lip service using a mystic oriented concept to stimulate the minds and motivations of the practitioners and in truth very few are actually taught a Zen-like method of sitting meditation. You will find many of the platitudes provided as quotations as example in the martial koan studies blog linked above. It is an enlightening experience!

If you do more research on Zen in its forms, then you come to realize that what we did is pull out those aspects and concepts that merely fit our needs, called confirmation bias, and manufactured a Zen-like concept and practice it becomes glaringly apparent that Zen in Karate does not exist because what is there is merely a Zen-like watered down version to fit a specific model and perception of karate and martial arts of the American Way. 

Bibliography (Click the link)