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There are many traditions that use these practices and concepts for the
attainment of excellence.
For instance, the Japanese Samauri Swordsmen used these practices in what is
truly a nerve wracking experience, facing an opponents or multiple opponents
in a fight to the death.
Man facing man, ANY distraction from the task at hand, whether the
distraction is fear based, "Help! I might die!", or arrogance based, "I'm
better than him, so I will win.", or anger, "I'm gonna kill that SOB!" or
any thoughts that attach you to an outcome of any kind diminish your
performance. All these permutations were worked out in actual combat
practice over many centuries. Of course, the practices were also used in
this culture and many many others successfully in other kinds of
performance.
The point is that attachment to outcome takes you away from just looking at
what is in front of you, the market is up, down, whatever. The nail is
straight, crooked, whatever.
It simply does take enormous discipline to consistently attain this kind of
level, and the "mystical types of meditation" have proven themselves in the
arena.
Take a look at all the work done in a similar vein in sports, or indeed in
sexual performance. Eddie merely uses the Zen practices as his benchmark.
The message is congruent with what has been learned in many other methods of
attaining excellence.
Good Trading,
George Van Noy
jorxj@xxxxxxxxxxxx
-----Original Message-----
From: BrentinUtahsDixie <brente@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: RealTraders Discussion Group <realtraders@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Saturday, October 03, 1998 2:06 PM
Subject: Re: [Fwd: Samurai
>Steve,
>
>Point well taken, and thanks. Although I have misgivings about some Zen, or
>other mystical types of meditation or what have you it's what works for
>you. Sometimes I do better in a trade if I become detached and not even
>watch the market.
>
>This business of centering reminds me of my first lesson in framing. If you
>are trying to drive in a nail and you look exactly where you want to hit
>the nail you will hit that spot with the hammer virtually every time but if
>your concentration wanders and you look at the penetration point of the
>nail or anywhere else you will often miss the head of the nail. Using an
>axe is similar. Now there is no mystical power at work other then the
>wondrous coordination of our mind and body but it works like magic. You
>don't even have to practice.
>
>In trading you need to identify the head of that nail and not look at
>anything other then your plan. Then strike when the time is right and
>you'll hit the nail right on the head every time. If you missed then you
>likely messed up somewhere along the way.
>
>Brent
>
>
>
>----------
>> From: Steve80866@xxxxxxx
>> To: brente@xxxxxxxxxxxx
>> Subject: Re: [Fwd: Samurai Trader's Email Digest Issue # 13 October
>3, 1998]
>> Date: Saturday, October 03, 1998 1:25 PM
>>
>> Brent,
>>
>> I think you miss the point. Toppel's post is not about intelligence or
>what's
>> right or wrong in the market. The content of his message can certainly
>be
>> debated. What he is pushing is the inner attitude that quiets those
>> emotions/conflicts you named. Call it Zen, intuition, experience,
>centering,
>> or whatever, I think it is a deeper knowing of what is really going on.
>I
>> would find it hard to believe that good traders don't develop some form
>of
>> this deeper "intelligence" regardless of their intellectual intelligence.
>>
>> (Despite some rave reviews by some, I don't find Toppel's books to
>enlighten
>> me much, but I think his subject is right on.)
>>
>> I enjoy your posts.
>>
>> Good trading,
>>
>> Steve
>
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