My blog has moved to http://dontfightthetao.blogspot.com
While I will be checking in here occasionally, my main writings will be at blogspot. thanks, everyone!
Inner workings of Martial Arts
10 Jun 2009 Leave a comment
in Martial arts
"You may train for a long, long
time, but if you merely move your hands & feet and jump up &
down like a puppet, learning Karate is not very different from learning
to dance. You will never have reached the heart of the matter; your
will have failed to grasp the quintessence of Karate-Do." ~Gichin
Funakoshi
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All Martial Arts instructors must’ve had this happen to them at least once: A student comes up to you and asks "When will I learn the next form? (or self defense set, etc). As their instructor, you might be tempted to look at them with a raised eyebrow, and say in your best Yoda-like voice: "When you are ready".
Of course, the student already *thinks* they are ready, or they wouldn’t have asked in the first place, right? If they’ve been at your school for some time, its okay that they think they’re deserving of something new and novel, right?
Dojo etiquette aside (in the Dojos I’ve trained in, it was bad manners to ask for a new technique or Kata from the teacher), I don’t necessarily see a student’s desire for the next Kata, waza, kumite combo, etc, as a breach of ettiquette…..instead I see a student who is setting goals for himself/herself, and knows how to get there. That’s great! I tell my students that I like how they’re progressing, and how I like to see that they’re setting goals for themselves.
But then, I tell them that we teach new material when we see that a student has worked enough to understand the "base" of the Kata (at our school, we call them "Taolu" or simply just "Chuan" (fist), and that they’ll get a new Taolu or technique when we deem they’re ready. I ask that they "look forward to the surprises when they arrive". I suggest that they practice the movements until there is no thought involved. I once told a class "You should feel the form in your bones, you want to almost feel the emotion of the form. With practice, your form will be you, not merely some set of movements strung together".
However, another thing I teach my students, is that simply knowing the sequence of movements to a particular Taolu, doesn’t necessarily mean they’ve mastered the art as a whole. I’m a firm believer in that Forms are not merely requirements for belt ranks, or merely a cardiovascular exercise or a dusty long-worn tradition. I believe that even in today’s evolution of Martial systems, the seemingly "old style" drill of kata, taolu, or whatever you’d like to call it, is a valuable link to not only history, but also a valuable link to all things of BodyMind connections.
Call me "old school" if you’d like, but when I trained in Karate, my Sensei had us practice Kata till the cows came home. Every day, Kata. I do remember as a child, wondering when I’d actually learn how to fight just like in the "Kung Fu" TV series that I so faithfully watched every week. Then we’d do Kumite (sparring)…..and I still wondered when I’d learn how to fight. However, when belt tests came, we were required to defend ourselves against the rest of the class, some of them with weapons, some of them without. That’s when the "actual fighting" came out. But where it came from, I had no clue! I just remember seeing people attacking, then it would be over and on with the rest of the belt test.
It took many years after my youngster days, years of studying other martial systems, for me to realize that "fighting" is merely a nice batch of extra icing on the big cake of Martial Arts. All of my other teachers required the same…..form practice every day, over and over. Drills practice, over and over. Fighting techniques, sometimes brutal, over and over. My teachers expected "perfect practice", not just plain old practice. My teachers expected that we adhere to good effort in anything, no matter what. I knew that in time, all that effort would someday make sense. There were days I puked in the corner from the effort of class. Days were I couldn’t lift my legs, some fainting spells, and lots of contusions. It was only after these many years did I realize that the long journeys down these sometimes bruisy and bloody paths, whittled down everything that wasn’t useful to me: arrogance, anger, envy, jealousy, hate, self-loathing, laziness, pretentiousness, discrimination, selfishness, etc etc. I began to get glimpses of what really makes "me".
For so long, I merely "danced" and jumped around "like a puppet". I still do, But I’d like to think, that I can at least catch myself doing so, and get right back to the business of practicing well, not just merely practicing moves. And….not trip over my own two feet!
(However, just for the record, although I see goal setting, confident students when they try to ask me for more forms, our Dojo etiquette is "Do not ask. you’ll be taught, don’t worry")
Softness vs. Hardness
08 Jun 2009 2 Comments
in Philosophy
Softness triumphs over hardness,
Feebleness over strength.
What is more malleable is always superior over that which is immoveable.
This is the principle of controlling things by going along with them,
…of mastery through adaptation.
– Lao Tzu
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Feebleness over strength.
What is more malleable is always superior over that which is immoveable.
This is the principle of controlling things by going along with them,
…of mastery through adaptation.
– Lao Tzu
————————-
The other day, a student emailed me and asked: "What is the point of Tai Chi practice? How effective is it at all, for self defense. Soft is weak, slow is not powerful and will not defend yourself. I don’t get, what’s the point? I want to defend myself powerfully, not be weak."
….And that, dear student,….is where your current weakness is….
Now, this student is an "external" Wushu student…..not a Taiji student….he has been around long enough to know the movements, but not long enough to know the "art" yet. I pondered for a day before responding to his email. At first, I took it sort of personally,….I thought he was putting down Taijiquan and labeling it a weak method. After thinking about his email, I realized that he was genuinely curious about something he does not understand.
I did write back, citing the above mentioned quote, and attempting to explain that Taijiquan does not teach one to be slow and weak. But how do you explain it while typing? Its something that has to be shown, experienced, and explained verbally. So, the next class the student was in, I introduced the "slow and low" approach to Taolu (forms) training. I had the whole class practice the 1st basic routine, with 2 stipulations: 1) They had 10 seconds to do each movement…they could NOT be done with a movement before the 10 second timer went off, and 2) Their upper body movements and lower body movements had to precisely timed to end at the same time….no stances being finished before the hand motions, and vice versa.
We did this exercise for about 10 minutes, and at first, I noticed that everyone "cheated", by establishing the stance first, then finishing with their arm or hand movements. After the exercise, I mentioned that they would need to work on moving slowly, in order to move quickly in an effective manner. I said "Lao Tzu has a quote…."Softness triumphs over hardness, Feebleness over strength.What is more malleable is always superior over that which is immoveable.This is the principle of controlling things by going along with them,…of mastery through adaptation." This doesn’t mean that you have to be weak, flaccid, lacking strength. It means that you shouldn’t always rely on brute strength alone. If you determine victory solely by size and strength, you’ll one day experience defeat when your strength wanes. You guys are using so much tension and strength just to do 10-second movments…..relax a little, take your time instead of timing yourself! Be aware of every movement, how it feels, where your body is in space at all times. Establish and keep your aligned posture". I then showed them some tips on how to move effectively while moving slowly.
After another 15 minutes of practice, they were beginning to get a bit more versed in moving slowly…..not quite picture perfect Taiji form, but they at least were getting the idea. I ended the exercise with "That, everyone….is Taiji. It doesn’t matter what movements you do, so long as you keep Taiji principles. You don’t know the principles by academic standards, but your felt them tonight. Now, lets do some self defense!"
I noticed, that all the students moved a little more swiftly, with a little more flow and little more agility. Without much thought, all the students applied "ting jin" (listening energy) instead of merely throwing strikes and kicks in hopes that they would hit something, or put up a blind block or blind parry. At the end of class, I said "Thanks for practicing Taiji with me tonight. All of you fought well in the self defense drills……we do the same in Taiji class….different form movements though. Other than that, know that true martial arts use BOTH hard and soft energy…..never just one or the other."
As we were prepping the studio to leave for the night, the student who sent me the "what’s the point of Taiji?" email, approached me and said "Thanks for answering my questions". I laughed and said "YOU answered your questions….by struggling through what you initially thought was soft and weak. Now you know how to adapt to your sparring partner’s movements and attitudes"
Hopefully, this student will understand how softness and hardness, can pretty much be the "same"……
When “Human-ness” throws us curveballs…
04 May 2009 Leave a comment
Today, I allowed Ego, Pride, and emotion dicate how I saw myself. I allowed anger and pride talk to me, and convince me to doubt myself.
I write this, so that my students can remember that I’m human. All too often, we put our teachers (in any art or skill) very high on a pedestal. I must remind my students that the higher they place teachers and mentors on a pedestal, you won’t be able to reach them, and the only way the teachers can teach you is to shout (which results in misunderstanding a teacher’s words), or to drop ther knowledge down to them (which results in an unpredictable place where it may fall).
For a little while today, I went through a little bit of a struggle to keep Ego and emotion in check, but somehow they convinced me to doubt myself. The subject of this struggle is not important….what is important, is what I learned from it…
I’ve always known that "anger" is a secondary emotion. I usually check myself, asking "is this primary emotion i’m feeling, a good reason for me to feel anger?"…and either I let it go, or seek to dissolve the reason of my anger.
Sometimes, though, no matter how grounded we may think we are, how balanced we think we are, it is ultimately us that makes or breaks our groundedness. Just like martial artists learn to defend against attack, we must remember that every defense has a counter attack. In my case today, I defended, and got angry that my defense was weak. As a result, I counterattacked with too more force than was necessary…..I countered with an emotion. (of course, I’m not speaking literally of me defending against a kick or punch….)
So, what did I learn from this? Self doubt can be a good way to hurt yourself. Anger is a great way to blind yourself, and negative emotion is the fastest way to lose your groundedness.
So, students……I’m human. Get me off the pedestal and realize I’m merely farther along a path, NOT way above you. Besides, I’m afraid of heights! 🙂=
“Perpetual state of falling”: How’s YOUR Ukemi?
27 Apr 2009 Leave a comment
in Philosophy
Ukemi (Japanese): "Receiving", "To receive or absorb", "To turn away (from a strike)"
On my news feed today, I came upon a story about a performance artist that takes pictures of himself falling from trees, buildings, etc,….for Art. (Check out the story and pics here http://tinyurl.com/cf62jl) According to the story, Kerry Skarbakka was inspired by Martin Heidegger’s description of "human existence as a perpetual state of falling".
I had stumbled upon (No pun intended!!) Martin Heidegger’s philosophy of "falling", and was impressed by it. Our falls are long ones…..ones where we have to twist and turn to manipulate our bodies to avoid the obstacles in the way during the fall….or at least position ourselves such that impact with an obstacle does not kill us!
My best friend is a stunt person, and from what I’ve seen and been told, there is a method to stunt falling. You just can’t blindly throw yourself out the window of a 30 story building for a movie scene, and expect to land on the air bag. From what I understand, you have to plan your takeoff from your perch (the plan changes depending on how high up you are) and plan your landing so you 1.)land on the airbag and not do a dreaded "bounce off" from the bag onto the pavement) and 2.) land in a good position so you don’t break anything. On the other hand, the safety crew handling the airbag is of utmost importance as well! They have to make sure the bag is positioned correctly for a safe landing, and they have to be keen-eyed so as to adjust the bag in real time during the stuntperson’s fall. Whew.
While thinking about this today, I’ve found that in comparison there are several things in Martial Arts that might result in us falling (there are more, I’m sure…be sure to add your additions in the comments section of this blog entry):
1) We trip over our own feet (i.e. "we have no balance or coordination").
2) We’re taken off balance and thrown or swept.
3) We attempt a sweep, throw, balance maneuver, etc on someone else, and lose our balance in the process.
4) Our terrain (floor, mat, grass, ground, etc) may be uneven, slippery, or gravelly.
5) We attempt a technique, jump, throw, sweep, etc. without being formally taught it, and losing balance due to faulty understanding of the core concepts (i.e. "trying to imitate a book or a video")
6) Our own attempts at attack are neutralized and redirected to the ground.
7) We are too overconfident in our abilities, and maybe overlook safety precautions or proper execution of technique.
Let’s explore this further, shall we?
1) In my years of teaching martial arts, I’ve found that there’s no such thing as someone who’s is truly "uncoordinated". Instead, I found people gain coordination for activities through experience, surroundings, and even social interaction. When people say "I can’t dance", I hear "I haven’t yet been taught the relationship between movement, rhythm, synchronization, and expression.". We are all coordinated in certain ways.
2) We’re taken off balance: Sometimes, in martial arts, if we space out for just a second, we are able to be pushed, pulled, or directed off balance.
3) We attempt a throw, and lose our own balance. This may be due to a good counter-technique by our opponent or training partner, or faulty technique on our part.
4) Uneven terrain. Sometimes, yes,….terrain will provide an element for surprise, even with skilled practitioners.
5) Attempting a technique without fully understanding how its done. I’ve seen this many times. Unfortunately, I also see many injuries from the falls or off-balancing.
6) Our own attacks are neutralized. It is considered a great skill to be able to neutralize an attack (instead of only blocking it) and redirect the energy back at the attacker. Although many arts are more well known for this (Aikido, Tai Chi, Judo, Jujutsu, etc), ALL arts carry this concept.
7) Overconfidence, and the tendency to not heed cautionary advice, safety precautions, etc. Come on, folks, we’ve ALL done this……jaywalking counts as this!
Regardless of how we fall, it is a matter of how we control our perception and reception of the attack (or force that causes a reaction), descent (or positioning) and landing "receiving" the ground). "Ukemi", as these types of skills are called in Japanese arts, is truly and art in itself. When I took Aikido lessons, the basic Ukemi would never really prepare you for when you’re taken on a throw. Being thrown by a beginner Aikidoka, was a whole heck of a lot different that being thrown by a black belt. There is no cookie cutter way to fall when thrown by an expert…..you just have to really understand the concept of Ukemi, and adjust accordingly in real time……a tough thing, sometimes. "Ukemi" itself, is not falling…its about learning to "receive" an attack, either by blending with it or redirecting the full brunt of impact.
When we become blinded by our own preconcieved knowledge, no wonder why we lose our balance and fall. I read somewhere long ago, that binocular vision is aided by our nose being on our face. Why is then, than some people choose to cut off their own nose, and put out one eye with all their "know-it-all" knowledge? I can’t help but look on in disapointement and contempt when I hear martial artists say stuff like "Oh yeah….it was a great seminar with Master so-and-so, but it wasn’t anything I didn’t already know….it was soooo boring. Why couldn’t they teach anything new?" I just want to say to them "Well, looks like you’re stuck with your old techniques then, even though you think you know it….you won’t attain anything new at that rate".
I’ve also seen people get thrown during sparring sessions, then get upset and blame their partner. "I wasn’t ready yet, damn it! Why did you sweep me like that?". Come on…..bitching and moaning isn’t going to change the fact that you were taken off balance! Why be mad at your partner for doing a sweep or throw correctly? In those cases, the real cause of your ire is that you think you might appear less skilled or afraid of looking stupid. I’ve met many people who vehemently refuse to learn any new skill in front of people, for fear of looking "stupid"…..this is where ego can mess up our training in ANYTHING. I mean, what are they afraid of….losing their reputation? Its not a reputation if the people around you don’t know who you are!!
Learn to fall without hitting the "pointy spots" (elbows, knees, shoulders). Fall with a sense of intent….an intent not to hurt yourself, but to follow gravity’s pull safely and get back up again. That’s the key….GET BACK UP AGAIN. Learn from the reasons why you fell. Don’t blame the ground for causing you an injury.
How’s your Ukemi? Do you practice Ukemi? Or do you just keep it on the back burner hoping you don’t trip and no one throws or sweeps you? Feel free to add your 2 cents.
See here for a great definition and description of "Ukemi", by Brad Ellin, Nov. 2002: "Ukemi- Recieving with spirit"
Philosophy of the Mayonnaise jar
17 Apr 2009 Leave a comment
in Philosophy
A friend of mine blogged this story, and out of curiosity I googled the story and found that it is popular and has several variations. Whatever the variation, it indeed is a philosophy that gives us food for thought:
——————————————
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A Professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, wordlessly, he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.
So the Professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.
The Professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with an unanimous "yes."
The Professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the space between the grains of sand.
"Now," said the professor, as the laughter subsided, "I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things–your family, your children, your health, your friends, and your favorite passions – things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.
The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house, and your car. The sand is everything else -the small stuff.
"If you put the sand into the jar first," he continued, "there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you. Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your partner out to dinner. Play another 18.
There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal. "Take care of the golf balls first, the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand."
One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented. The Professor smiled. "I’m glad you asked. It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there’s always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend."
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Me…I do tend to swirl sand in my coffee sometimes, and trip over my golf balls because I sometimes forget to put those golf balls in a good place……
Me…I do tend to swirl sand in my coffee sometimes, and trip over my golf balls because I sometimes forget to put those golf balls in a good place……
What’s your jar like? Feel freee to comment.
The martial arts path is a lot like exploring relationships….
16 Apr 2009 Leave a comment
in Philosophy
Martial Arts, can be a lot like finding relationships…..sort of like "dating". Yes, I’ve come to that realization.
Think about it,….when you’re attracted to someone and you’re on the "pursue" phase, sometimes we take on a slightly different persona during that time. We take on that "good behavior" persona so that the the person we’re interested in sees our good side and hopefully, is attracted to us as well. During that "dating persona" time, we generously compliment the object of our admiration, we see the great things about the other (and sort of ignore the less-than-great-things), we arrange our schedules to spend time with the other, we hang on to their every word, and listen for the phone to ring. Sound familiar??
And so…two of you get together, things are going great, communication is good, you enjoy each other’s company and all is good. Then, what happens? Time goes on, and the honeymoon phase ends. Although the excitement of being with the other person is still there, it is definitely not like the first few months. Although you care deeply for the other, over time you’ve seen the other’s true self, outside of the dating persona. If you choose to be with the other’s true self, you find that he love is indeed always there, but the feeling is not that sense of urgent pacification of the desire to be with the other person…..it is not that feeling of butterflies in your stomach when you see them, it is not that feeling of having to say and do all the right things. Instead, if all goes well, the feeling gains a sense of deeper meaning, a higher understanding of the other, a sense of trust, and a true sense of connection. You then begin to truly enjoy the time together, instead of merely being addicted to the activities.
On the other hand….if the relationship gets too one sided, or if your expectations of the other person turn out to be so over-estimated that you become disappointed that he or she is not the epitomy of perfection you so thought them to be, you’ll soon be looking somewhere else to satisfy your desire for companionship. Or, you try to keep your expectations of them, trying hard to look for anything positive and ignoring anything that doesn’t fit what you’re looking for. Also, in some cases, you might meet someone that seems so wonderful, but they show an attractive personality just long enough to secure your willingness to stick around or for whatever ulterior motive they might have…..then they drop the ball and you’re high and dry.
Whether you stay strong in a relationship, you leave the relationship, or the other person leaves you, you learn a lot of things about yourself along the way. Some of these life lessons may not be easy pills to swallow, but hopefully, we learn to look at ourselves with an honest eye. We learn to not place the total blame on the other person, nor do we take all the credit for for a wonderful relationship. We learn that any relationship is based on the efforts of both people.
Martial artists will know exactly how the dating scene relates to our paths in martial arts. I see it all the time. New students are so gung ho about their training. They come to class as often as they can (sometimes every day, and even stopping in to practice during non-class times), and they’re attracted to the benefits and challenges that the activity brings. They’re making new friends, getting stronger and more skilled every day, and they love it so much that they sometimes say "I wish the school had this class every day". They do their best to show good technique, respect, and gain favorable nods from the instructors. As instructors, we say "This gal or guy is gonna be good!".
Then, with some folks, the initial excitedness wears off. The interest is still great, but they realize that they have other responsibilites outside of martial arts class, and their attendance drops to a more realistic level. Their participation in class then begins to show that they’re not trying hard in practice to impress the teachers or senior students….they begin to practice for *themselves*, and that’s when we as instructors see their "true colors". If the students sticks around, they do indeed gain a sense of deeper meaning, a higher understanding, a sense of trust, and a true sense of connection with the art of their affection. You begin to learn a lot more about yourself and how to relate to the art. You begin to truly enjoy and experience the time, not just satisfy your need for activity.
And…on the other hand, if your expectations of an art are overestimated (or in many cases, wrong altogether), uninformed, or stereotyped, you might be surprised when you begin to find the true nature of the art. I’ve had many people come into my school assuming that Tai Chi was merely a type of slow happy dance (really, I’m not kidding). Or, they stereotype Tai Chi as only an exercise for the elderly, infirm, or those undergoing physical therapy. Some do learn through a bit of research that Tai Chi is a great exercise for all ages, and a good activity for stress relief and meditation. But when I pull out the combat applications of Tai Chi out of my hat, some people are taken aback in disbelief…..even when I tell them from the very beginning that Tai Chi is first and foremost, a martial art. "What! You mean those movements can actually be used for combat? I’m outta here!". In these cases, I try to refer them to an activity that would best suit them.
I’m not even going to get into studios or teachers that put forth a big attractive personality, then don’t deliver what they claim. These schools are very few, thank goodness. For the most part, martial arts schools are professional, staffed with skilled teachers, and honest with their students.
So, to repeat myself again: Whether you stay strong in a relationship with your art, you leave the art, or the art distances itself leaves you, you learn a lot of things about yourself along the way. Some of these life lessons may not be easy pills to swallow, but hopefully, we learn to look at ourselves with an honest eye. We learn to not place the total blame on the art, nor do we take all the credit for for a wonderful relationship with the art. We learn that any relationship is based on the efforts of both people.
As someone who has been been around the dating scene a little bit in the last few years, I am sort of amused by the parallels between dating/good relationships, and martial arts training / mastery. I’m in no big hurry to find the person of my dreams at a dating service or at the supermarket and have them sweep me away. Nor am I in the biggest hurry to become an Nth degree Grand-Poobah-head honcho master. But one thing is for sure in both cases…..I’m going to keep looking, striving to be at my best and true to my personality, goals, and dreams…..hopefully, it will result in favorable situations in both cases!
So, I ask you, dear reader…..have any of you been through any interesting martial arts "Dating Experiences" lately? Doesn’t necessarily have to be in comparision to martial arts…….Let’s get your 2 cents! Feel free to comment.
The importance of forms
09 Apr 2009 Leave a comment
This is sort of a continuation of my February 25th blog entry…….
Just as there are many multi-purpose exercise machines out there, forms are indeed multi-purpose exercises. The forms train the cardio-vascular system (yes, even in Tai Chi!), strengthens the upper and lower body, enhances our senses of proprioception, balance, and coordination (i.e. "moving from center"). While there are many ways to practice moving from our center, a most used exercise is Forms. "Kata", "Taolu", "Sets", or whatever your art calls these pre-arranged sets of movements, are great ways to practice moving from center. While many people might dismiss forms as "antiquated", "useless for real fighting", or a "waste of training time", I, for one, believe that forms are the heart of many martial arts.
When I was much younger, I admit I did not like practicing form. I liked to spar back then, and I would do form because I knew that sparring came after forms practice. However, when I realized that if I put just as much effort in Kata as I did in Kumite, my kumite improved. After that realization, I became a "forms freak". I strived to keep my best posture and stance in my kata…..wow, it sure was much more challenging to try and keep good posture and low stance, all the while keeping each movment powerful. It was so easy to just "walk" through the forms with a "kiai" every now and then…..but to do Kata with good posture and technique *for every movement*, was much more challenging.
I found that by strengthening my legs, my cardiovascular capabilities, my balance, and most of all my intent, my sparring improved. I was better focused and better aware of where my body was moving in a given space, and was able to map out my sparring techniques against an opponent much more effectively. Granted, trying to defend oneself using a pre-arranged set of movements is probably not the best way to defend oneself…..but if there’s one important lesson from forms that I’ve learned, its that forms intrinsically teach us "movement concepts". To train in forms gives our bodies a sense of a "reference point" from which to move from, and teaches us to move with agility. In a sense….we have to learn to keep a pattern before we can learn to break the pattern. The reference points and movement concepts can then be used effectively in a real situation.
Does forms practice have to consist only of stances, blocks, parries, kicks, and strikes? No, of course not. Keep in mind that forms are "sets of pre-arranged movements. Any drill given to you by any coach, Sensei, Sifu, etc., can be considered "form". That combo your coach showed you with "jab-cross-hook-uppercut"?….that’s a type of pre-arranged set, isn’t it? That fun drill your Sensei taught where you had to "kick-punch-two pushups" for a warmup….that’s considered a pre-arranged set. So, if you’re one of those anti-form people that prefers those punching drills on the focus mitts….well…those drills can be considered "form". You have to practice your fundamentals somehow, right?? "Form" is a good way to do that.
Funny thing…..while I can jog for miles or jump rope for many 3 minutes rounds, nothing beats forms practice for cardio exercise, in my opinion.
Another benefit of forms…… when you learn form, you are being part of the "history" of your art……..the "living history", so to speak. You are most likely learning the same forms that your grandmasters practiced long ago…..and that, is a wonderful feeling.
Forms…."They’re just not for tournaments anymore"!
Choosing what to hold on to….
08 Apr 2009 1 Comment
A recent conversation spurred me to tell this fable that I heard many years ago:
Long ago, two monks were traveling along a rural road, whereupon they encountered a woman crying at a river’s crossing bridge. The bridge was washed out from a recent heavy rainstorm, leaving travelers no way of crossing the river.
The younger monk said "Child, why do you weep?"
" The bridge is washed away, and I must attend my cousin’s wedding…it begins soon and I have no way of getting there…" the woman sobbed.
The older monk chimed in. "Do not worry, my lady…we will carry you across so you do not miss the wedding"
With that, the older monk instructed the younger monk to fashion a sling from their long scarves, for the woman to sit on. The monks each slung a side of the sling over a shoulder, and the older monk said "Here, my lady…please sit in the sling….we will support you so you do not fall". With that, they all proceeded across the river. The younger monk was in disbelief, but he obeyed hi mentor anyway. They were not permitted to touch women, yet here they were basically embracing the woman while trying to keep her steady on the sling seat! The younger monk was appalled, and tried to think of a way to bring up his concern to the older monk.
After they crossed the river, the older monk set the lady down. "There you go…in time for the wedding, and with dry clothes. Buddha be with you and happiness to you".
"Thank you dear Monk, I am indeed grateful" the lady smiled as she walked on her way.
The two monks walked for quite some time before the younger one finally asked "older brother…you know well, that we are not allowed to touch women…yet you picked up that woman and she held on to you for the whole 15 minutes it took to cross the river! How will we atone for this?"
"Younger brother…..we put that woman down at the river bank! Why are YOU still holding on to her?"
———–
Sometimes, I find myself holding on to things past when I need not do so. Most times, the things I held onto for days, weeks, months, and even years,.were negative experiences. A hurt feeling here, a percieved insult there..I held onto them and even actively re-lived some of them in my mind over and over again. I’ve caught myself holding on to sadness, utter despair, and negative situations and had to ask myself "What the hell am I doing? Why do I want to keep re-living that sadness? Why do I choose to do that?" When I do catch myself doing that, I have to remind myself that it takes much more effort to collect the negative energies and stow them away in its own "file folder" in my mind, than simply absorbing and enjoying the good energy=
Fixation and overattachment
25 Feb 2009 2 Comments
“With one eye so firmly fixed on the destination, you only have but one eye with which to see the way there”….
This quote was one I heard many times over the years. Over time I’ve learned (and often the hard way!) that attachment to a goal can hinder our progress because fixation blurs our vision on how to get there. Like many other kids that were in my Karate class, I wanted to be the best Karate person there ever was. I was obsessed by martial arts, I checked out every book on martial arts from the library, even begging my parents to take me to the Downtown library so I could get more books. I was the first to class, the last to leave. As I got older, I eventually learned to slow down a bit so I could enjoy the journey instead of obsessing with the goal of “mastery”. In hindsight, I see I missed out on a lot of things that I could have learned at that time….life lessons, different ways to practice, different concepts, etc.
Last night, I came across a situation that made me look back on those past days of “fixation”…..
An acquaintance of mine, whom I’ll call “Andy”, one who is relatively new to martial arts, is a great guy. He has been doing martial arts for less than 2 years, and he desperately wants to be good at what he does. Last night, he approached me and asked “Why do we practice forms?”. For a split second, I looked around as if there was a hidden camera somewhere. It was as if I was on a game show called “This is your Zen Moment”.
“Why do you ask?” I inquired.
“Well, Bruce Lee says that forms are useless. So I don’t understand why we have to practice them. What’s the point? How will it make me a better fighter? What’s to gain from it?” the student asked. He sounded impatient,….as if he wanted an answer right NOW.
“Well, first of all, Bruce Lee didn’t say that forms are useless…he meant that closed minded attachment to them was useless.” Andy interrupted me a few times during that relatively short sentence to ask more statements, such as “I want to be able to not have to think about what strike or kick to throw next,” and “I heard you say that forms will help with that, and I don’t see how if I have to memorize a set pattern”, and “How are you supposed to get ‘flow’ if I’m doing a pre-set dance?”
I sort of glared at him as if to say “if you want me to answer your questions, then stop interrupting me”.
I grinned, sat down on a nearby chair, and explained, “Forms are a way to teaching us how to flow freely from one movement to another, it builds cardiovascular fitness, they allow us to hone and perfect our techniques…” He tried to mumble in between my words, trying to get a word in.
Andy leaned in over me, I was cut short by “Will ya just answer the question?”
My “soft” glare turned hard. His dominant body language took me aback, and for a brief moment, I thought “How dare you try to lord over me!” I moved to the edge of my seat, as if you stand up quickly.
“Back up, there buddy….” I whispered. I raised my voice to an audible pitch and said “You ask me a bunch of questions, I’m trying to answer them, and here you are wanting one answer right now at your demand? I spent 30 years of my life trying to find these answers, and you want the answer on a golden platter after less than 2 years?….Do you or do you not want me to answer each one of your questions? Back up, and let’s try this again!”
Andy literally backpeddled away from me as his shoulders sunk. “I’m sorry. I should back up and re-think this….”
“Yeah, you do…” I retorted.
“I realize you have much more experience…” he said in an apologetic tone. “….and…. I guess I just want to know how to get where you are…..”
Still a little miffed at how his previous body language showed so much impatience, and took a deep breath and said “Bruce Lee did practice forms. He became so good at them that he began to think outside the box”. He researched many fighting systems, noting that while all of them have something of value when it comes to effective fighting, there were other things that were simply ‘ritual’. Bruce was indeed good at (Wing Chun) forms, but his skill became what we know it today, because he allowed himself to think outside the box.”
Andy looked confused. “I still don’t understand why we have to practice kata though. Who’s really gonna fight like that? No one is gonna attack me on the street as its done in bunkai (forms application). What good is choreography if it won’t help you fight? I want to be as good as Bruce Lee”.
“You’re kidding, right?” I was surprised that I said that out loud. “Are you looking for an excuse not to practice forms in your class? Is that it?”
“No, I just don’t see the use for them….I just want to be a good martial artist, not a dancer”. Andy said.
“Well, if you feel you are dancing, then you’re not doing them correctly.” I answered. “And, if you’re not feeling any physical gains from doing forms, your mind isn’t putting effort into them…and if your mind isn’t in the ‘game”, you’re gonna get hurt in a fight, plain and simple”.
I had to mentally pause there at that point. My mind raced backward to my younger years when I thought the same way as Andy.
“Let me give you a hint, Andy”…..know what your goal is, but don’t obsess on it. You want to be good at martial arts NOW…and that’s messing you up badly at this moment! You’re forming opinions about the unimportance of forms practice even before you even learn to do a ‘real’ form correctly. You know what forms teach you? Balance! Rhythm! Strength! Fluidity of movement! Intention! Commitment! All those things you would need in a real fight!”
I added, “Be mindful in each class you go to, and fully experience each class. Each experience will gain you new jumps in progress. But there’s no easy way there. Ya gotta walk that path if you want to get there”.
I hope Andy learns to open his other eye. I’d love to see him excel in his art.
Don't Fight The Tao 