In our recent karate class, our master kept telling us that we needed to hold still whenever we are told to do "chunbi" ("joon bi", "ready stance"). No moving around arranging your hair, uniform, or scratching that rebel itch at the side of your face. Hold still. Do not move.
Then he went around asking why he kept reminding us this. Some answered that we needed to be ready. But how? Some answered that we needed to focus our energy. Yes, but why? What's the reason that all karate forms start with "chunbi"? Personally, I thought it was because we needed to be aware of our surroundings. And it turned out all of these things were correct.
But why?
It was because when we're in chunbi, we are focusing our energy, not wasting energy on unnecessary actions, and making ourselves ready for anything that might happen around us. You're in an attention stance, but your muscles are limber enough that you can react as needed, whenever needed. Your muscles are ready but not tensed. In short, in chunbi--while not moving--you are actually keeping yourself prepared.
In chunbi, even when you are not moving, you are not passive. Instead, you are actively waiting to react.
As I was standing there, nodding my head, I suddenly realized that this is what God meant in Psalm 46:10:
"He says, 'Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.'"
He didn't say "be still and worry" or "be still and do nothing," or even "be still and make yourself sick with busyness." Instead, He said, "be still and know." He's not telling us to be clueless spectators of what He's going to do. Instead, He wants us to actively prepare while holding still and knowing that He's got it.
How can one actively be still? I kept asking myself. It's a very contradictory thing to understand. Then I went back to the concept of chunbi and that helped me understand better.
Chunbi is usually done before doing hyungs (forms) which are imaginary fight forms made up of different combinations of movements and techniques that are intended to develop a karate student's fighting skills. It takes a lot of practice and repetitive movements to actually perfect hyungs; and if you don't practice and memorize, your mind will forget the forms and your muscles will not remember the movements. And in preparation for doing these hyungs, one needs to be focused and still. So you can remember the techniques, so you can prepare to make the techniques, and so you have enough power and energy to do the techniques well. Because if you keep moving around, you waste energy and you risk losing focus and power.
Isn't that the same with our lives? When we are too busy worrying or doing something else because of paranoia or our endless fear of what-ifs, we lose focus and we lose energy. Until such time that we actually don't want to do anything else anymore. We say that we are tired of everything and unable to go on, but we forget that we are so because we don't know how to follow simple instructions: be still.
But when we are actively being still, we are not only not moving--we are actually keeping ourselves ready with focus, power, and energy. So that when the time comes that we need to move, when God says "sheejak" (start), we are ready to work well because we are actively preparing.
But does it end there? No.
God said, "and know that I am God." He did not just say "be still" and do nothing else. That's because actively being still includes the next part, the hyung part. The fight techniques we need to memorize and practice again and again and again so our mind and body won't forget. Hyungs are the Word and promises of God. It's the only way we can know Him. He is our technique.
When we say we know God, we know His words. We meditate on it day and night like what He said to Joshua (see Joshua 1:8). We remember them. We practice them. His words are our defense and offense against the power of this world. All the negative things that life throws at us, the problems that seem to be unsolvable, the issues we cannot get over, the fights that keep on pushing us down, the let-downs that keep on dragging us down the dark rabbit hole--God's Word is our armor, sword, and shield. And just like hyungs we need to practice them nonstop to make sure they stick and become instinctive and reflexive. It's the only way we can fight well.
While in chunbi, a sudden family problem arises but you are able to move and defend yourself because you are ready to react. A work problem kicks you but you averted it because you saw it coming and was able to prepare yourself. A health problem tries to punch you in the gut but you defend and punch back because you have the power to fight back. This is what actively being still means.
We focus on God by being still and fight back with His Word when needed.
And we have this promise that we will win. Because when God said, "and know that I am God," He also said that He "will be exalted among the nations, and [He] will be exalted in the earth." And one cannot be exalted over all nations and the earth unless one is the winner--the top of everything. This is not arrogance but assurance from God.
This is why Paul said in Romans 8:31, "What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?"
When we have God as our armor, offense, and defense, what can these problems do to us? Make us cry? Maybe. Weaken us? Maybe. Make us doubt? Most likely. Shake our faith? Possibly. But if we hold on to to our hyungs and keep our chunbi a good one, can these things defeat us? No. Unequivocally no.
If we keep ourselves prepared and focused by actively being still, and meditating on God's words and promises day and night, we are undefeatable. We may get bruised in the process, but we won't go down in the fight. Because we know when and how to fight.
Our life journey is often arduous and crazy. Full of highs, lows, and valleys of humility that we really don't know what's going to happen next. We don't know what tomorrow will bring. But one thing is for sure, if we are actively being still and we keep practicing our offense-defense techniques, we're going to be fine.
Our God who is exalted among the nations and the earth will make sure of it.
So, be still!
