Spiritual Karate

In 2015, the late Spanish psychologist and author Bernabé Tierno became famous for his teachings and especially for his book  Mental Karate  (“Spiritual Karate”). Tierno was 75 years old at the time of his death and had fought against bone cancer that had spread to his lungs with the same strength and wisdom he conveyed in his writings.

Tierno left behind 60 published books, and his legacy also echoes in all the conferences and courses he taught. This article is a tribute to the life work and teachings of one of the most renowned Spanish psychologists.

I remember the book Mental Karate as one of those works that influenced me particularly deeply. That is why I want to focus on the teachings and insights of that book. When I read the book, I was surprised at how people have such a high ability to control their own minds and because of this, the ability to also control their reactions and emotions. We often believe that we are at the mercy of the outside world – under the influence of our life partners, colleagues, our family, our boss – but in reality we are slaves to them just because we choose to be.

Bernabé teaches its readers about the power of emotional intelligence, and especially the power of words, when it comes to changing difficult situations or circumstances.

By combining wisdom and oriental philosophy and passing these on through calmness, patience and thoughtfulness, you can achieve a much greater amount of victory and success than through aggression or coercion. Bernabé’s book teaches that love and positivity are the most important forces of change.

It has been scientifically proven that toxic word, bad news, and negative language can cause as much destruction as physical aggression. In the same way, positive words, in turn, can act as calming and healing. The problem arises from the fact that society is increasingly experiencing toxic people, the stress and pain we often cause ourselves. For this reason, it is good to practice spiritual karate.

Spiritual karate is that you learn to be like a stone. It’s about learning to recognize where the toxicity is coming from and not letting it affect you. We cannot control the thoughts and actions of others, but we can control ourselves.

The key to this is the disarmament of a toxic person. When you remove from a childish and immature person his weapons with which he tries to project all his bitterness and problems into us, you become free. Bernabé teaches us that we have a strong antidote that always works for these awkward people: show them that they have no power over you and that they do not control your feelings or your life.

Example: if my colleague at work wants to annoy me constantly and show him that he has the power to do so, and by reacting with anger, resentment, or other visible emotions, I confirm his actions. A colleague knows he has gotten under my skin and continues to annoy me in the same way because he knows it works. With my reactions, I give him exactly what he wants: toxic and bitter people want others to feel the same way they do.

Bernabé emphasizes the importance of emotional control as a promoter of personal growth. When your actions come from calm, serenity and serenity, you can achieve almost anything. Stress and impulsivity break down all projects, relationships with others, and our own mental health. Stop boycotting yourself and your abilities.

For this reason, it is very important to learn to be emotionally intelligent. Reject parts of yourself that are negative and primitive and of no use. Replace these feelings and thoughts with empathy, understanding, and generosity. Through practice, nothing or anyone will no longer have the power to annoy or disturb you. You are your own boss and you are not dependent on anyone else.

Accept the people around you as they are; they all have their own purposes and beliefs, and even if you don’t share the same thoughts, you can understand them, be able to negotiate, and feel empathy for them.

When we trust ourselves, we know how to recognize a situation where someone else is right and we are wrong ourselves, we dare to admit it and make the mistakes we learn. No one can always be right and the path to learning goes through mistakes. When you have a balanced approach to different situations, you will be able to face problems calmly and quietly without losing control. With this attitude, we gain more empathy, love, and understanding from others.

Acclimatization? Do not do it. A good spiritual karate fighter can clearly say what he wants and wants. They reinforce their own beliefs, are self-confident, but also know how to look at things from the perspective of another. They do not feel the need to adapt or follow other flocks of sheep. When you encounter an opponent who is furious and malicious, do the opposite, and don’t imitate them: face them gently and calmly, steadily, and strong. We cannot lose our own inner peace for the sake of someone else.

If you want to become an effective spiritual karate fighter and want to stop worrying about the childish behavior of others, we recommend reading the book Mental Karate and embracing the ideas it contains. Maybe after reading the book, you will be able to calm down your life and awkward people and improve your quality of life.

English note It is known that the work in question has not been translated into Finnish, but it can be found in Spanish and English, for example.