By David Krogh
The Yielding Warrior is not what you might think it is. It is not a “how to” martial arts book. It does not have diagrams or illustrations demonstrating techniques. It is, however, a very descriptive and fairly comprehensive book about meditation and its influences in almost everything from martial arts to daily activities.
The author, Jeff Patterson, is a martial arts instructor and the owner of Northwest Fighting Arts, a martial arts and meditative arts academy located here in SE Portland. He has operated his academy since 1994. Before that he was in the Marines for four years, deployed in the Middle East during the first Persian Gulf War. Patterson said, “The Marine Corps wasn’t a defining influence on my work in the meditative arts, but it did teach me discipline, structure and how to take responsibility for my time and actions. I value that period of my life, and I think it helped me become a more rooted and stable young adult.”
After his service, he attended Portland State University, earning two business degrees while also training in Western boxing, which was a passion of his. “One of my boxing coaches suggested that if I truly wanted to become a better boxer, I should start practicing meditation and Tai Chi. At the time, I saw it purely as a way to improve my performance in the ring, I wasn’t thinking about how it might influence the rest of my life. But as I continued training, I began to realize that these practices didn’t just make me a better fighter. They improved my focus, awareness and overall balance in ways that extended far beyond boxing. That recommendation quietly set me on a path that shaped not only my athletic development, but how I approach life as a whole.”
Getting back to The Yielding Warrior and what exactly is meant by the term “yielding,” Patterson describes the concept as follows. “At its core, yielding is about not butting heads with force or meeting resistance head-on. Instead of fighting force directly, yielding teaches you how to redirect it in a way that gives you the greatest advantage with the least amount of resistance. I break yielding down into three main pillars: physical yielding, mental yielding and emotional yielding. Physical yielding is how we work with the body and movement. Mental yielding is how we work with thoughts, pressure and decision-making. Emotional yielding is how we relate to stress, conflict and internal reactions. The strategy is the same in all three areas. Stop wasting energy fighting what’s already happening and learn how to adapt, redirect and move forward more effectively.”
Tai Chi and Qigong are discussed in great detail within his book and also taught at his academy. Patterson has clarified their importance and value. “People often ask about the difference between Tai Chi and Qigong. Historically, Tai Chi was developed as a martial art and used as a method of training for combat. It was designed to teach structure, timing, sensitivity and how to work with force. Qigong, on the other hand, is an energetic and meditative practice. It’s often referred to as the science of the breath because it focuses on regulating breathing, cultivating internal energy and restoring balance in the body and nervous system. Today, the two are frequently taught together. In modern practice, most people who train Tai Chi are doing so primarily for health, longevity and stress regulation rather than for fighting. Because of that, many of the health-oriented strategies from Qigong have naturally been woven into how Tai Chi is taught and practiced. While Tai Chi and Qigong are very different in origin and emphasis, they also share many similarities. When taught together, they complement each other well, blending structure, movement, breath and awareness into a unified practice.”
Although Patterson teaches both martial arts and meditative arts, he states that most students are initially interested in only one track or the other. “What’s interesting is that many eventually begin to recognize how these disciplines complement one another. But that realization tends to happen organically, not by pressure, through experience.”
When asked if this book was a text for his classes or a stand alone book promoting meditation, Patterson responded, “The book is helpful for anyone who’s taking on a meditative practice, and really for anyone involved in performance or athletics, since meditation is already so widely used to support focus, recovery and consistency. People come to the meditative arts for many different reasons. Some are on a performance path. Others are looking for therapeutic or medical benefits. Some are drawn to the philosophical side, and others to the meditative or spiritual aspect. Because of that, The Yielding Warrior was written as a stand alone book. It’s not dependent on someone practicing martial arts or even formal meditation. The principles apply across all of these paths.”
The Yielding Warrior is Patterson’s third book and was published by Difference Press, an independent publisher that helps authors prepare and publish instructional books. Patterson has also created two audio courses and several instructional videos.
His books are available through his academy website, nwfighting.com, and other online retailers. For additional information about The Yielding Warrior and Patterson, visit theyieldingwarrior.com.
