Mind-no-Mind and the Throw (the throw [投その])

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In recent postings I have provided some interesting concepts regarding the dart arts. A stance, body structure and the mechanics of ‘the throw’ in darts along with other principles such as mushin, mushotoku, hishiryo, and fudoshin - all Asian martial discipline principles of the mind. The concept of ‘mind-no-mind’ and the throw are today’s article.

We as dart players have one thing we all must do well in order to succeed in the dart arts, the throw. We cannot spend any time ‘thinking of the throw’ with our human conscious mind thoughts for they distract and obfuscate what needs to happen in ‘the throw’. This brings us to the mind-no-mind concept, i.e., the ability to throw well and consistently in a competitive environment. 

We need to encode our procedural memories to create ‘tapes’ that are played each and every time in a consistent manner that provides us - “The Throw” that hits the target each time, every time and under a variety of situations and circumstances. These tapes are conditioned responses that bypass our thinking process, i.e., that process runs when we are observing our adversary, watching scores, figuring out our strategies and tactics in the moment, etc. We don’t have brain resources to make our throws, the throw, but must rely on triggering our tapes, i.e., those procedural memory oriented primal (instinct-like) conditioned responses so that our bodies and darts work much like our lizard brains (see my martial arts blogs for what the human, monkey and lizard brain concepts mean). 

How do we create, “The Throw?” Well, we first have to find our throw, then we have to practice-practice-practice and then practice-practice-practice some more to find and create a tape of our throw. This is going to take time and … wait for it …. “practice-practice-practice and then practice-practice-practice some more!”

I look at it as a life-or-death practice in that if I fail to encode the tape that I will actually lose life. It is the incentive I know is not reality but a way to convince the mind and the lizard brain to make it really and deeply encoded procedural memory tape that will consistently provide me, “My Personal Throw!”

The process of practice should include the following principles and concepts as goals to create a mind-no-mind ‘throw’. You have read them before if you read my blog but a reminder as follows is always a good repetitive learning tool:

Mushin: Mushin is the essence of Zen and Japanese martial arts. Mushin literally means the "mind without mind", and it is commonly called "the state of no-mindedness". Mushin is the essence of Zen and Japanese martial arts. It is a state of mind where the mind is not fixed on or occupied by any thought or emotion. In Zen on in your daily life, if the impulse is expressed as conscious thought, it is not Zen.

Mushotoku: In Zen, the concept of Mushotoku [無所得] represents a state of mind where the spirit does not seek to obtain anything. This is the attitude of a mind that does not get attached to objects and that seeks no personal gain. It transcends dualities and limitations of the ego. When in mushotoku, even if you lose a match you are still free, content and moving ever forward toward enlightened dart arts. 

Mushotoku is a concept of acting without wanting to achieve a result, and giving without wanting something in return while still attaining that very thing. It is about no fear of either having something or losing that something, it is about being something regardless. It is not discarding the very nature of the discipline but embracing it without attaching one’s mind to it to the detriment of all else, it allows its presence in the moment. 

Mushotoku means getting rid of attachment on a mental level, that is, becoming unattached to personal achievements in all forms. Letting go of achievements means letting go of the inner self. In the end, giving up the self is the greatest achievement you can reach. Mushotoku is you, me and the entire Universe in pure sincerity.

Hishiryo: [非思慮] is a state of mind beyond thinking and non-thinking. During Zazen, it is the normal condition of the consciousness. Consciousness during Zen meditation is not the same as it is in daily life, it does not behave like the intellect. During zazen, we have thoughts that appear and disappears naturally; this is perfectly normal. If we let those thoughts come and go freely, without giving form to them, without wanting to chase them, the intellect becomes peaceful by itself and hishiryo consciousness appears, beyond thinking and non-thinking.

The more you think, the more afraid you become, and the more anxious you grow. When you think too much, conflicts and battles take hold of your mind, preventing you from achieving a zen mind in the dart arts. When you stop this internal activity, you return to the normal, simple, and peaceful condition of the mind, the immovable mind. 

Hishiryo, it is entirely connected with the present, never overthinking, to be eternally connected to the present moment. Hishiryo is the absolute ego-lessness consciousness, in full unity with the dart arts.

Fudoshin: [不動心] is the 'immovable mind', that is, the mind that has met all challenges of life, and has attained a state of complete composure and fearlessness. This state of equanimity is essential in the practice of the dart arts. Fudoshin represents a peaceful state of total determination and unshakable will. It is the state of a spirit that is determined to win, and that is filled with courage, endurance and determination to surmount every obstacle that comes in its way. Fudoshin is associated with a feeling of invincibility, of a mind that cannot be disturbed by confusion, hesitation, doubt, or fear.

From the moment you set and prep to approach the ockey line, to the stance; to the position of your body; to the arm and to the actual ‘throw’ you need to trigger the tape and feel it instinctively and primally so that you can focus on those tactics and strategies that achieve your goals in the dart arts. If I had to say what the hardest part of the dart arts to achieve it would be the finding, creation and application of the personal throw because without that you don’t achieve mastery of the dart arts. 

“In order for any life to matter, we all have to matter.” - Marcus Luttrell, Navy Seal (ret)

Dart Outs - Part I: Doubles Out

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It is my way of the darts to figure outs where I have a D16 out figured regardless of the score remaining. 152, 149, 146, 143, 142, 137, 134, 131, 128, 125, 119, 112, 109, 108, 107, 106, 105, 104, 102, 101, 99, 92, 89, 86, 83, 80, 77, 74, 71, 65, 62 … are the scores that with three darts you will have an out of D16 or 32 point double out. 

When I was playing this weekend the question came out from a person I was playing as to what my goal was in hitting or aiming for a certain target, they couldn’t see my goal. I said that I figure out how to end up with a D16 shot whether with three darts, two darts or just one dart in my hands. I told him I wanted to have the D16 open at least for that last dart. 

I then explained that the dart arts competitions of ’01’ games was to leave an opportunity of outs like if I missed D16 by hitting a single 16 on the first dart it would leave me the D8 then D4 then D2 outs or that was my aim anyway. I wanted to set it up so I could get multiple opportunities to double out provided any misses I made could be fixed if the opponent was unlucky in doubling out. Does this make sense?

I told the player it is a bit like golf where the game was often won in the short game, i.e., getting on the green and putting in with the least stroke count. In say a 501 game you have the long game where you attempt to accumulate the most points with the least darts thrown to get to the short game that begins at 170 points, i.e., the first score that will allow an out with three darts. 

Simplistically speaking, if any of the above listed scores are left when your turn comes around then I know that I have a good chance at a D16 out and barring any real obstacles it leaves me outs even after the three are thrown as long as a miss doesn’t hit the scores bordering my targets, i.e., D16 to D8 to D4 to D2 to D1. Can you see it?

The key to the dart short game is the ability to figure out, on the fly (any one, two or three darts throws), what targets you need to go for to get that double out. If I need a T20 on the first dart but end up with a single 20 I need to figure out ‘on the fly’ what changes and targets I need with the two remaining darts and so forth down to that one dart left. This needs to happen for each successive three dart effort until I go out or lose to my opponent. Make sense? 

This is the short game in the ’01’ arena of the dart arts. Like putting, you have to read the green to reach and sink a put and in the dart arts you have to read the math to reach that infamous double out to win by sinking that one dart into the proper double score ring. You, as in golf, cannot ignore the long game either because the faster you get to a possible out the better your chances. 

In the long game the higher the score achieved for each three darts the less darts it takes to reach your short game, the double out chances, and then your accuracy, just like putting to the hole in golf, to hit that out with one to three darts maximum makes for a winning game. 

Now, how to get that mind game going is to practice the games and then immediately at the 170 point marker begin to figure out, IN YOUR HEAD, how to reach any out with three darts. How to you do that, figure it out best you can in practice using just your mind and then validate and verify your accuracy with a double out chart. Many dart cabinets have an out chart but don’t become dependent on those boards, ignore them until you need to validate and verify what you figured out in your mind. Look at it as a most excellent brain exercise to keep your mind flexible and strong as well. 

Make it part of your training regiment to be able to figure out in an instance what you need to get that winning out especially as each dart is sent to the board in case you hit the target or just miss it by ‘this much’. 

Special Exercises for Dart Arts Throwing

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As a lead off, I had the privilege to toss a few darts with a couple of competitors this weekend in a place called Markleeville California. Since I had not tossed against others in over twenty years I was a bit tense, at first, but glad for the opportunity to practice, train and compete even if not actually a full fledged tournament. One of the players turned out to be pretty darn good so it gave me some realistic competition and that means I get to learn and grow as a dart artist. I considered it a good start back into a competitive environment. 

Since I had tossed a lot of darts of two nights for about two to three hours where I stepped up to the ocher line frequently I felt a considerable stress and strain of my right arm and shoulder girdle. It reminded me that to really compete, as is relevant in almost all disciplines of a sporting nature, you must get into, remain and maintain a fitness level of both mind and body. 

In this I came to remember a means of toughening up and strengthening the body and especially the throwing arm that I have started up the first day after such an eventful and teaching/learning weekend of darts. 

There are two ways to achieve this goal and both may be used if you desire. One, is with a boxer’s weighted gloves and the second is with the heaviest darts possible, i.e., I believe 30 grams. With the heavy darts you toss/throw in practice. I advocate using the heavy darts on days separated by other days using your normal weighted darts. In my particular case that is not possible so I tend to use the boxer’s gloves.

The boxer gloves are weighted, about one or two pounds maximum. The gloves are fingerless and the weights sit on the backside or the back of the hand. I use my typical stance, position and throw as described in other articles but no darts. I take hourly breaks at work to stretch and flex because I work a desk and computer. I also walks a few flights of stairs to get movement and invigorate the mind. Whenever I reach the bottom of the stairs, wearing the gloves, I assume a dart kamae and visualize while air-tossing darts at fixed targets in my vision, etc. Focusing on proper posture, positioning and the throw, etc., wearing the weighted gloves it gives me the feeling of dart weight in my hand and since the weights shift at the end of the throw it gives the arm and shoulder the feel of a dart in motion. This will and has strengthened my throwing shoulder, arm, elbow, wrist and hand - especially in the follow through - so that my body and mind get healthier, more fit and capable of tossing darts well over a longer period of time and competitive stresses. 

Wearing the weighted gloves puts a weight in the act of air-throwing darts that are lighter when actual darts are used in  practice against the dartboard without competitors as well as in a competitive environment. Add in other healthy and fitness exercises like pushups, etc. as well as general calisthenics to remain fit goes a long way to throwing good darts competitively. Don’t assume that throwing darts takes only such physical fitness and remember that there are other things to practice doing this exercise such as aiming, peripheral vision in the throw to remain in proper throwing position and process, the follow through and the actual target acquisitioning process - all visualized in the air-dart throw with weights exercise and practice. 

Good darts!

“In order for any life to matter, we all have to matter.” - Marcus Luttrell, Navy Seal (ret)

Letting Go

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As you can perceive with all the articles to date there are a good deal of variables with throwing good darts and they may seem overwhelming to say the least so this article is about how to take all this good stuff and make it work for you. In a nutshell, "It is about letting go."

The process is a bit like this, first you gather up all the knowledge you can, second you analyze every detail of that knowledge toward a goal of understanding, third you practice working on further analysis of each individual part where you begin to synthesize your unique holistic whole that will be a foundation to your dat arts, fourth you then begin to let go of all the particulars of your knowledge, understanding and continuing encoding of experience in practice and competition to achieve a synthesized unique personal ability to throw darts well, finally letting go of your more atomistic connection to individual technique base study to allow your primal conditioned procedural memory responses, instinct like, to get you in the flow of your dart arts.

Letting go is advancing into that immovable mind of no mind, the flow, that professionals have that make them masters of the dart arts.

“In order for any life to matter, we all have to matter.” - Marcus Luttrell, Navy Seal (ret)