The Yin and Yang Symbol Meaning

The Yin and Yang symbol can be found throughout Martial Arts and oriental culture.

It is thousands of years old and represents the Universe, sometimes known as nature, creation or Source, and that this force maintains opposites and all things in balance.

For example, here are some opposites which are always maintained in balance:

Hard and Soft

Cold and Hot

Day and Night

Darkness and Light Good and Bad/Evil

Each side of the Yin and Yang symbol contains a dot of the opposite colour. This represents that nothing is purely one thing. All things, including people, contain a spark or seed of their opposite.

For example, nobody is 100% good or 100% bad, as everyone is both. In understanding this, it follows that the Universe, nature, creation or Source is also both. It creates and destroys, and gives life and death, none of which is to do with judgement or punishment, but simply a characteristic of Yin and Yang, i.e., the balance of energy.

Yin and Yang philosophy shows how seemingly opposite or contrary forces which appear to be doing battle, such as good and evil, are actually complementary and interplay together for our spiritual growth, or growth of consciousness in general.

Martial Arts techniques also involve balancing hard (yang) and soft (yin) movements. A hard technique is blocking a punch or checking a kick, whereas a soft technique would be moving out of the way or deflecting, such as parrying, slipping, ducking or redirecting. One of the kata that you will learn at Cobra Martial Arts is called Three Battles and is about using and understanding 'hard' techniques, whereas Rotating Palms kata is relaxed and flowing and about practicing and understanding 'soft' techniques.

The ancient Chinese concept of Yin and Yang is related to the ancient Indian concept of Karma, where everything and all forces are maintained in perpetual balance and as such, we all reap what we sow, not through judgement, punishment or reward, but to balance opposite energies and forces within the universe. If you prefer the idea of judgement, punishment and reward, you could see it this way. People judge, punish or reward themselves through their own thoughts, beliefs and actions, as everything needs to rebalance. What goes round comes round.

As we (as consciousness / a soul) are eternal, some of our karma can be instant and other aspects take time to rebalance, even many lifetimes and generations. Some of our karma, positive or negative, is passed on to our children and descendants, coded into our 'junk' DNA (bloodline) and we are all therefore also balancing some of the karma created by our ancestors, positive and negative and usually a mix of both. People who are living a largely negative lifetime this time around (sometimes referred to as evil) and who have accepted that 'bad' karma is coming for them sooner or later as a result to justify continuing with their evil, usually don't realise that they are also contributing to the karma of their children, grandchildren and descendants and as a result we may observe repeating patterns in bloodlines such as various forms of addiction, abuse and poverty.

The Yin and Yang represents the Universe maintaining Balance

Cobra Martial Arts & Fitness Centres - Personal Development Program - 1991.