A Tale of Two Masters and the Secret of the Iron Palm

by Alex Lamas

This is not going to be what you think it's going to be. It is not a explanation of how to do Iron palm, nor is it a examination of the various techniques. It is an example of how two different view points of contentment versus ambition can define the individual. So please stick with me.

Once a generation or two ago, there were two martial arts masters. Both came from different countries and emigrated to the US, New York City to be exact. Both started teaching in the 50's or 60's and by the 1970's, were highly accomplished with large schools and many wonderful students. Both developed and practiced Iron Palm training from a young age and by the time of mastery, both were able to display almost super-human skill. What differed was their approach.

The first master worked brutally hard, smashing his hands with amazing force and at times fracturing them. By the time his hands healed, he had virtually turned them to iron, making them formidable weapons. He could crush boards, brick and ice, any hard substance would succumb to his power. His hands were legendary.

The other master took great care and treated his hands with gentleness. First, he would hit a rice bag, neither too hard nor too soft and after a few years he would eventually graduate to a sand bag. After each training session he would treat his hands with salves and medicine, massaging them whether they needed it or not. After a few yew years he would then graduate to a bag filled with metal shot, still hitting with force but slowly and gradually increasing the force of his strikes with the passing years. It took time and he could eventually condition his hands by hitting a can filled with lead but as always, neither too hard nor too soft and still treating himself with the utmost care afterwards. In time he too had achieved iron hands and he too could display his power with feats of crushing brick and stone.

After many years the first master had achieved world-wide fame, wealth and an abundance of followers. However, being human, with the passing years his health would slow and his hands deteriorated as fast as they were strengthened. Eventually his hands became crippled and he would need assistance to do the most mundane tasks. They were arthritic and twisted to the point of almost being useless.

The second master did not achieve the same level of status, however he enjoyed a small but fiercely loyal following. He was and is famous in certain circles and enjoys a high level of respect from the community. He on occasion will teach at his will or whim and has quite a healthy lifestyle with certain exceptions. His hands are to this day his best feature. They are strong, yet pliable and they look as if they belonged to a concert pianist. Don't be fooled, they can still make bricks crumble under his power.

It is wondered whether ambition and contentment are at odds. If one is content, does that mean they have no ambition? If one is ambitious, are they incapable of being satisfied and doomed to always chase more? Can these two qualities coexist? From the latter example it can. The second master did not lack ambition, nor was he lethargic or in any way a "slacker". He took care and was quite mindful of his processes. He also knew when enough was enough. He built a fine school, had hundreds of students but his concerns were more of the quality of his teaching and his practice, rather than accumulation of power, wealth or status. Even when power was bestowed on him he accepted it reluctantly and took it on as a responsibility rather than a privilege. Even to this day he shuns the lime light.

When our ambitions exceed our needs, that is when we start down the road to self-destruction. When we are obsessed with accumulation that is in adverse affect of our own well-being, it at this point we doom ourselves to the continuing cycle of more, faster, bigger, better. When we cannot find an end to this cycle, our discontentment becomes greed and leads to depression. Lack of satisfaction can be as dangerous as a total lack of ambition. We cling to defined outcomes and if they are met, we increase them and if the increase is not met, we suffer for our addictions. Addiction to more is an addiction to self and our egos, then we become nothing but beings bent on satiating our own gross appetites. The Buddhist concept of the "hungry ghost".

At some point we can find our contentment when we concern ourselves with the quality of our goals, rather than the quantity of our ambitions. Am I healthy? Can I live comfortably? Do I treat myself, my loved ones and neighbors with care and compassion? Am I mindful of the impact that I have on my body, mind and the world outside? Those are the questions that we should be motivated to answer.

Do not think of this as a critique of the first master. He enjoyed his life and his accomplishments. Even long after death he has a high level of respect but he made his choices and they were his. His results stood for themselves, as well as the consequences to his well-being. We can have ambition but what are we ambitious about? Do we want more or can we care more? Do we treat ourselves with kindness and can we transfer that quality to others? Let's treat ourselves with the kindness and compassion we would show our loved ones. Balancing the right ambitions with being satisfied and grateful for what we have can lead to true growth.