Joshua van Asakinda
a biography

Joshua van Asakinda was born 22 September, 1979 near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He holds a master's degree from American Military University, and a bachelor's degree from the University of Pittsburgh, where he studied psychology and philosophy. During that time, he began developing a new theory of self-realization, which has inspired a number of books. For many years, he traveled the world; now he looks forward to making his vision a reality. Finally, he is a Buddhist, and First of the Zenshida’i, creator of Cimande Pencak Silat-Serak dari Zenshida'i.

Mission

Joshua van Asakinda has dedicated his work towards the resurrection of the classical tradition- a psychological tradition of optimism before adversity that has been passed down for thousands of years from grandfather to father to son, which he refers to as agonistic existentialism (Æ)​-, in order to light the way for those that thirst for an older, bolder, stronger worldview- a truly heroic theory of being. His written work spans a number of genres; he is well-versed in poetry, fantasy, and philosophy. And yet all of it shares a similar spirit- the longing of man to find fulfillment via the cultivation of his own inner power/potential, which is the most quintessentially human of all desires. Finally, his being a lifelong teacher and student of pencak silat, and thus having traveled the world in order to study religion and meditation, his work has also been strongly influenced by the Mahayana tradition of Buddho-Taoism.
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"Awakening is the Way of the Deathless;
Non-awakening is the way of death;
The Awakened do not die;
The non-awake live as though already dead."

~ ​The Lord Buddha, Gautama Siddhartha ~

Zenshida'i Buddho-Taoism

Joshua van Asakinda is the First of the Zenshida'i; he has spent much of his life traveling the world in search of masters, and has developed his own tradition of meditation, austerity, and the martial arts, which he calls Zenshida'i Buddho-Taoism. This is a tradition directed towards the cultivation of self-mastery according to the principles of the Mahayana. Zenshida'i Buddho-Taosim includes the martial system of the Zenshida'i, which consists of Kuntau, Bela Diri, & Pencak Silat-Serak; this fusion of arts is rooted in the Cimande tradition that was brought to the United States by Willy Wetzel in the 1950s. But much of what Willy Wetzel knew has been lost; the journey is not over yet, however, for Joshua van Asakinda has rediscovered a number of secrets that have long since been forgotten. And so today he continues to develop the combat system formally known as Cimande Pencak Silat-Serak dari Zenshida'i, or simply Zenshida'i Silat.
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Written Works
by
Joshua van Asakinda

Joshua van Asakinda has written a number of written works, including Slay the Maiden: Oracle: Ninety Days to a New Life; and Stranging the Beautiful Noise. His work is deeply philosophical in character, and has been influenced by a wide range of thinkers, from Friedrich Nietzsche to Joseph Campbell, from Carl Jung to Tsunetomo Yamamoto. And yet all of his work shares the same spirit: a heroic theory of being. Currently, the following books are in print, with more just beyond the horizon!

Slay the Maiden

Seven heroes awaken suddenly in a world of shadows, and find themselves charged with a great destiny, led only by the visions of a young boy. Step by step, they are led deeper into darkness; step by step, they descend further into the mysteries of virtue, love, & sacrifice- a descent that can only end in tragedy.
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Oracle: Ninety Days to a New Life

Oracle: Ninety Days to a New Life is an inspirational book of aphorisms designed to lead one, step by step, into self-mastery. Written in the spirit of Heroic Theory, it combines a deep understanding of the way of the warrior, psychology and philosophy, and various religious traditions, in order to provide a sophisticated method for discovering the meaning of it all.
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Stranging the Beautiful Noise

Stranging the Beautiful Noise is a collection of 144 poems by Joshua van Asakinda, including, for instance, Abraxas:

"A good and godly lullaby through endless eras sings
But who can know what destiny that sacred ballad brings?
The wheel of birth and death must roll; its ending none may know
It spans that barren maybe where all human spirits grow"
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Joshua van Asakinda
+1(330)314-4170
​joshua.van.asakinda@gmail.com