Thread: Astral Combat: From Beginner's Play to Advanced Tactics

I posted these posts on another forum and thought that some people may be able to use them here as well.

Introduction

I hate the saying: "Those who can't do teach." In fact, I think it's what got most of the world to where it is today. I think the saying should be: "Those who have done can teach." I think it's sad to leave teaching to those who "can't" do things. Everyone "can" and eventually with enough will, will indeed do. I'm also not saying that just because I've done and trained (borderline obsessively at times) that I'm a teacher. In fact, I'm not a teacher. I'm just one person passing on a few words of advice to another.

So now that I have Iron Maiden playing in the background, I should be well ready for a good write-up on this type of thing. And yay for being the first to it. I managed to give my friend a crash course in this type of fighting, so I'll try my best here. If there's something that's not clear, please ask questions or contribute.

My main proficiency when it comes to combat of any type in close quarters, but I'm no one-trick pony. I learn things that are used on me, and so have been able to practice and develop a few more abilities than my general main-stays. And I would definitely want to emphasize practicing and learning many ways to do something. Stagnation leads to failure, and when fighting, failure leads to death.

This may be a fairly long post. Ready to dive in? :headbang:

Part I: Meditation and Self-Discovery

Corny enough beginning title? Yeah, I thought so too. But it's the best way to start. I'm sure that you can find ways to meditate, ground and center anywhere, but I'm going to put some of my favorite methods here anyway. At the end of each section, I'll put any exercises that I found to be helpful with each part of the work.

Now, you may know what you are and you may not. You may have had a lot of past lives or very few. That matters not. Everyone has a potential to use energy. Using it in a combat situation is just one way that the individual can take advantage of their own gifts. Though, if you have any luck, hopefully, that opportunity never comes. But the further you delve, the more likely it is to find beings attracted to your energy for their own food source or simply because they see you as a threat. Those are two examples, but you may find many more reasons why these beings are becoming more and more noticeable around you. Some may not have bad intention toward you, but you should always be ready just incase you need to fight. Self-defense is the best ability to teach yourself.

In order to learn anything about the arts of energy, you must first learn how you can use it. Each user uses it slightly different than any other. Some may see it as an array of colors, while others feel it as a physical force. Even martial artist who was taught by a master in the art that he studied in would be a failure if he just mirrored and spit the exact same method of his master. In order for him to achieve true strength, he has to be able to incorporate those techniques through his own body. He can't use them the same exact way as the master can, and never will. But at the same time, when he reaches the level of the master, that does not make him any less powerful. In fact, he could potentially be more powerful because he's now introduced something new to the art.

So the first thing you must do before all else is to learn to sense energy. For some, this can be an incredibly daunting task, while for others it comes as easy as breathing. It feels different for many, and so I won't describe it to you. Just trust your intuition, and you'll know whether you have it right or not. That's another thing that you must learn, if your intuition tells you something, trust it. It's something that I still have trouble with, but have found it to be right every time. When I doubted my intuition, I was wrong. Your intuition and will are your two most powerful tools.

The step in the chain is to find in yourself what you feel your strong suits are. And these are again usually found by your intuition and believe it or not your hobbies and interests. For me, I always knew that I liked using swords and blades. I've also always been one to idolize after action movies and practice different techniques that I've seen in the movie. So I found that I tended to be better at close-quarters than distance. But that's not truly what we need to worry about.

Find in yourself the elements that you feel attached to. I'll talk about the elements and their specific uses in the next section. For me I've always found that people have a basic alignment (Light or Darkness), and primary alignment (Fire, Water, Air, Earth, Metal, Electricity, or Neutral which is rare), a secondary alignment of the above listed, and possibly a tertiary or third alignment in special cases. Now, that may seem like a lot, but if you think about it for a second, I'll bet more likely than not, you'd be able to come up with your elemental alignments without much thought. But for some it does take longer, which isn't to say anything good or bad. A person may be a late bloomer, but the flowers will still show regardless.

That's pretty much all for the first part. Including this part and excluding the introduction, there will be four parts to this. But now I'll get to the exercises.

Part I Exercise:Star and Roots Meditation

Sit in a comfortable place, and try to find your calm. Try to be as straight postured as possible, but don't let the posture interfere with your mediation. Once you feel ready, begin by taking some deep breaths, and then close your eyes. Continue the deep breathing until you feel that calm and quiet without them. Imagine yourself rooted to the ground. Then imagine those roots extending out into space to touch the stars. Continue growing your roots until you find a star that can sustain your growth. Once all of your roots are connected to the stars, slowly open your eyes.

This exercise emphasize both learning to sense energy (The roots being you and the stars the energy) and to ground yourself. Grounding is a skill that will be needed especially if you use a lot of energy at one time.

Part II: The Elements and Their Uses

As mentioned above, I wanted to devote an entire section to the elements and how they can be used. Now, there are a lot of ways to use an element even outside of combat. Just as any element can attack, they can also protect, heal, and do many other impressive feats. I'll divide this section into the elements starting with light and darkness and continuing in the order listed above. The exercise for this section will hopefully be a bit more fun than the last, but I'll get to that at the end. It's time to learn about the elements of the world and how they can be used to your advantage!

Light: Light is not the "good" element. It is just an element. For most light does feel better than darkness, but that goes to say that they are aligned to light. Though being one of the two main opposition elements, it is a great advantage to be able to use light on something aligned to darkness. The best example of light is the sun. It's warm and bright, and projects straight rays. It can be used in offense as a beam and is not an easy element to shape. It's also not always an effective method to fight. It's the least offensive of all the elements except when being used against darkness. Now on the other hand, you may have heard of the white orb practice that people use in defense. Light isn't the strongest defensive element, but it is the quickest to summon. When you feel threatened, imagine a white orb of light surrounding you. The effect is instantaneous. If nothing else it works to repel darkness. Light energy can also be used to heal. For healing cases, it's your jack-of all trades element. If you're unsure on the problem, then light will probably be your best bet. Though be warned that light energy may hurt some of the people you are trying to help if they are aligned with darkness.

Darkness: Darkness is not the "evil" element. Like light, it is just another element. But often a person will feel different around it because they're either not used to it or are light aligned. Darkness is an energy that moves in heavy clumps like a heavy gas. Darkness is not immediately strong against light. In fact, when fighting light early, it will lose. Darkness is the only element that, in a way, thinks for itself. When fighting, it will "learn" that if it can't attack the front, it will go around to attack. It also is the energy used for summoning, which tends to be its best way of attack. Darkness by itself does little to effect even the weakest target, but with enough energy and knowledge, darkness is a valuable tool for summoning and gathering companions. So in that way it works for attack, defense, and healing. But darkness is an element that you must have knowledge in before you use heavily. Most things that are summoned are not what the user wanted. For the most part with darkness, you want to use it as a sort of mold for making your attacks and defenses. This is a slow element, so if you need speed, I don't recommend it. As for healing its effect is the same as light. It's your jack-of-all-trades healer. But again like light, for a person aligned toward light, this could be hurtful.

Fire: This is by far the most violent of all the elements. Like light, this element is incredibly hard to form into solidity. It's a bit easier than light to shape, but to make it solid can be a challenge. The basic feeling of fire is hot and erratic. It's attack method is simple and straight-forward. Shoot and burn. The defensive method of fire acts as more of an alarm than it does a defense. And it's defense like the orb of light against darkness will attack an enemy who tries to come through it. But it's the break in the erratic energies is the real warning toward a change. For healing purposes, this element works as a purgative. That is to say that it cleanses the system of any internal ailments. It's not something that the user would use on an outer wound. That would only cause more pain to the injured. But it can be used very well to clear sickness and toxins from the body both physical and astral.


Water: This is the calmest of all the elements, but that doesn't make it weak. It's calmness is what gives it its strength. The element feels heavy and cold and is easily shaped and moved around for any situation. Water attacks with pressure. It is a blunt force, but one not to be taken lightly. While it is heavy to wield, it's the most precise element when it comes to accuracy. It can be controlled even after it hits its target. For defensive purposes, it again uses pressure. This time making it harder for the enemy to hit you. It works to slow the attack so you can be more ready for the counter. Water is about timing and precision making its counters deadly. For healing water works from the inside out. It's a slow healer, but given time, it'll ensure that the injury has no complications. It keeps the body hydrated and provides a way for other life energies to travel to the injury. In the case of the physical side, it's blood.

Air: Air is the bipolar element. Sometimes it's peaceful and calm, while at other times it can fight more violently than fire. It feels like nothingness is moving. Attacking with this element tends to lead to a random boat of effects. This is an element that is not to be controlled. It must be worked with, and the quicker the user comes to that end, the easier it will be to use. For the defensive, it works a lot like fire without the added attack. It may not attack the enemies, but it also won't be notices. The wind is clear, and if something invades your defenses, you'll know about it quicker than you would with any other element. Wind heals emotions. Air is not an element that is meant to heal physical or astral wounds, but a nice breeze always helps smother the anger in the heart.

Earth: This is a stationary and heavy element. It feels heavy and oddly textured. The earth is one of easiest elements to mold and shape. Like darkness, this is a very slow element, but can be used to attack in a number of ways. It wouldn't be uncommon to attack directly from the ground or to throw an attack like a large stone. But Earth stands out most with its defensive properties. It's a wall, and that's all there is to it. It may be a bit heavier to work within, but you'll certainly have enough time to work before anything will get through. This primarily heals outer wounds taking energy from the ground and restoring it to the patient.

Metal: Metal is the molding element. It's the easiest to shape and maintains its shape better than anything else. It feels heavy and distinct. I say distinct because based on what you are making, it will feel different. This element requires preparation before the situation. With it you can build armor or various weapons that act as offensives or defensives. It's very important to maintain a constant image of what you are creating when you make it or it will surely break. For healing, this is the quick fix that will not be permanent. It will work for the time, but most likely be worse later. It's a last ditch solution for times when you don't have time to do anything else.

Electricity: Electricity is the most uncontrollable of all the elements, but it will also do the most severe damage to whatever you are fighting. It feels static and hot. This element is used by making yourself the conductor of the electricity which means that you will feel as much pain as your opponent. It has no defensive property, but does have a healing property. Like metal, it's healing is a last ditch effort. Electricity can revive someone in critical condition, and possibly stabilize them.

Neutral or Psionic: This is the most basic energy, but it is also the most complex. It is your will, your life force, and the energy in your aura. It can be used to accomplish many things and nothing. This is the energy that is completely different for everyone. Describing how it is for me will not help in learning and mastering it.

That pretty much sums up the elements and their basic uses. Now you may be wondering why I didn't include everything about them there (For example: ice, magnetism, ect.). That will be covered in the last section of this piece. Now onto the exercise.

Part II Exercise: Playin With Fire

Now that you've read about the elements, don't you think that you should get some time to play with them? :think: I do! This can be hard or easy based on how your alignments are. You can do this while walking or while meditating. Focus energy into your hands, and then imagine them into a specific element. That's it, really. Learn how they feel and what your imaginations can have them do. Learn how they work and add your own flare to them. The biggest part with this one is that you have fun with it. The more you play, the more chance you'll have for new ideas which could later evolve into powerful technique at your fingertips!

Part III: Training and Practical Experience

In this section, I am not going to include an exercise at the end. I think by this point, in the case that you've been reading and following along, you should have a basis for all that you need. This section is going to explain the basics of attack and defense. I did put healing in the last section, but that is something that, while it may be needed in combat, is for another time.

Like the last section, I'll divide this one into parts as well. This will take energy usage into the next step by discussing the basics of spiritual technique, offense and defense.

Spiritual Technique: When I talk about spiritual technique, I'm talking about the way in which a user can craft and use energy. Again as I mentioned above this is very different for everyone. And while that is the case, it is also something that I have to put a strong emphasis on. It's the foundation that every bit of energy usage is placed upon. If the user can't understand his own technique, then he will not be able to move forward with any form or style. But at the same time, in order for an energy user to learn his own technique he must first learn from others. It's like a writer. In order for the writer to come up with his own style, he's got to read and read until he feels that he's ready to try.

In this case though, most people don't have a teacher aside from themselves, but that shouldn't stop the dedicated practitioner. They say the best lessons in life come from the soul, and that's the point. Again, as I said before, you have to learn not to doubt yourself and trust your intuition. And this goes for a combat situation as well. When your senses aren't with you, your intuition is all that you've got. And if you can't trust that, you may be as good as dead out there.

You have to teach yourself the foundations of your own energy technique, and whether that comes through repeated practice, meditation, or watching some example, you have to find the way on your own. But I can't emphasize enough how important this aspect is. Sometimes, it's as easy as watching a t.v. show or seeing how the wind blows over the trees. This foundation is not something that I can put into words, but by this point, you may already know what I am trying to say. This is the time when imagination and dedication come along. A martial artists can be good by mimicking his master, but he will only become a master when he can adapt his master's style into his own.

Spiritual Offense: As it sounds, spiritual offense is a way of attacking your enemy with your energy. It sounds simple, but can be very difficult, and like on the physical plane, when it comes to combat you don't have much time. An astral fight can take place in less than a second leaving the defeated in pain and confused.

The first thing that the fighter needs to know is that this is a place that time does not exist. A battle that feels like hours could have taken place in under a minute of our time. In order for a user to fight properly in this situation he must learn to forget time. If you have a chance to think of time, then you could have made the attack.

The next thing that a fighter needs to realize is the difference in terrain. Just like a normal fight terrain can make a difference. But this won't be the difference between dirt and asphalt. No, this is the difference between solid ground and weightlessness. Even if you are something astral on the physical plane, you must compensate for how energy changes you. The more you use, the less ground you become. This method works well for some, but for others, it could be a handicap. So be aware of your surrounding terrain and also how energy can cause it to shift.

The third thing and most important thing that a fighter needs to learn is how to use his inner eyes and intuition in this type of fighting. These are generally beings that aren't seen normally. In order to fight them, the fighter has to be able to feel and know the difference between his energy, the surrounding energies, and the energy of the enemy.

From there it is a fight of energies and the various techniques that the fighter has gained through practice and play. I'll speak more on various techniques and weaponry in part IV.

Spiritual Defense: This, like offense sounds a lot easier than it is. It can be as easy as basic ward to parrying an enemy's attack and countering. But for this, I'm going to write about how to set up a ward. The basic defensive purposes of the elements in the last section is the general effect of what a ward of each element would do.

When it comes to warding, you really have to think if you have time to make a strong one, if you need it as an extra sensing platform, or if you have a very limited window for protection. I'm not going into the elements again, but you can generally get a good feel for what you need and how you can utilize each element to protect yourself.

The first step to setting up the ward is to imagine a box or an orb around yourself or the place your protecting. The shape can change based on how you want it and how much energy you can afford to expend at the time. It's important to know those factors. It's very easy to over-spend on a ward and be too tired and sloppy to make a good attack. But then again that's the same vice versa.

The second step is to know the element that you need. I say know, and not choose because in the time of a fight, it must come to you like an instinct. Your choices must be made at a split second or you'll be left in the dust.

The final step is solidifying the ward. That is to imagine it into function. Now in the elements, I said that different elements had different speed, and while that is true just be sure to know that time doesn't always matter in these things. You need to always go with your intuition even if it doesn't seem like the most strategic option.

Ending Words: From these past three parts, you have all that you need to train and teach yourself the basics of spiritual self-defense. In the final part of my writing, I'm going to talk about ways different ways to combine energy, and ways to make certain techniques easier through preparation and the creation spiritual items.

Part IV: Higher Tactics

This is the last section of my piece, and with it I want to write about a few of the methods that I use to make things a bit easier and often times just a bit less energy dependent. I also want to talk about ways of combining elements for various effects. Up until this point, I tried to keep my points broad enough to apply to everyone, but now, you may be wondering why I haven't gone into depth with certain techniques and such. The reasoning behind this is if I drastically went into the methods that I use, then what good would it be for you to even read this. As I said before, it's different for everyone, and to say that my method is better would be a lie.

So in this part, I'm just going into some of the basic things that I've learned. Hopefully they'll be helpful examples that you can take with you. You could even find a better way to use them, and then you'd be the martial artist from before. Anyway, in short this is simply a section of my example. They're prompts that may or may not help you in your training.

The Combination of elements: Through playing around, I've found some helpful ways to combine the elements, but don't let this stop you from trying others. I won't go into details about each combination unless I find that it needs a greater explanation.

Air and Water- This combination for me has led to ice.

Air and Fire- Heat and to a certain extent a distant lightning-like energy. That energy was quick and disappeared as quickly as it arrived.

Earth and Water- Mud-like energy

Earth and Fire- Like the Mud type, but harder and easier to mold.

Metal and Electricity- Magnetism

I've also found that combining darkness or light with an element can cause various effects but don't tend to change the general element's effect. Darkness tends to make something more violent while light makes it more docile and spread out over a bigger distance.

Making Wards: A ward is not just something that protects. A ward is a created piece of energy that serves a certain function. Wards can be anything from a barrier to a sword to a supply of extra energy or even a function of your own imagination. The multiverse is the limit.

The first step it to gather an idea. You need a solid idea before you create something like this. It could be as easy as a fire sword or air bow. You may even want a metal suit of armor so that you don't have to ward yourself in every fight.

The next step is visualizing that ward very clearly and creating it in the place where it's supposed to go. For example you may make a sword in your hand or on the ground to pick it up. But you have to have a strong visualization of the ward.

The final step is the solidifying process. It's the same as the process of making the defensive wards earlier.

Placing Wards into Physical Objects: This is something that has drastically helped me. It's a very easy process that allows you to call upon your ward without having to expend energy at the moment. Some people place them into a piece of clothing or jewelry, but really they can be placed into anything that you see fit. Metals, gems, crystals, and cloth have tended to be the best mediums for me.

The first step to this process is to have the ward created in your mind. Whether it's a weapon, a power boost, or a defensive shell, you need to come up with the idea first.

The second step in the process is to find the piece that you want to place the ward inside. This is what I meant when I said medium above. I have a necklace that carries all of my item wards. Crystals work wonders for me. But I've also noticed that I need individual pieces for specific wards. So while you can have a few wards in one piece, you may make one that you feel should have its own.

The third step is the creation and imbuing. For the creation aspect, see the above methods. To imbue something into your medium, it's as easy as imagining that item into the medium. Then it's done.

The final step of the process and the one that may need to be repeated is the charging. In order for you not to have to spend energy in combat, you charge the medium with enough energy to summon the ward. Many people will charge it with a great deal more energy, so that they could use it multiple times before charging it again. To do this, you simply push your energy into the medium, and it should accept whatever you give it. You'll be able to feel when the piece has been depleted. It's another thing where you'll need your intuition. It is possible for the wards to break, and to fix them it's as easy going back through the process.

After-Word

I hope this helps someone. I didn't see anything in the section and decided that I could post here. And like I said, I'm not a teacher. I'm just passing on what I've learned so far. I'm a fighter and a pacifist, so I always hope that I never have to come to these ends, but tend to enjoy them when I have to. It's in my nature, I guess.

This is the first draft, and after finishing this, I was thinking that I may want to look into getting this published, so if you guys see anywhere where I can correct myself please let me know.

Stay well and always fight for what you know is right. Trust yourself.

Thanks for Reading
Rezenic

Thanks alot for this information.

A valuable reading

Really good. You didn't metion forming energies into part of yourself or transformations. Or, a fave of mine, imprisoning. But really good explenation.

Or, just going in with a couple swords and tearing **** up, but whatever works.