The Balance

I am returning to the philosophy of circles.

When I began martial arts, it was with the focus on the circle. Techniques were always completed with this concept in mind; defences were based upon rounded movements, such as jiu-jitsu usually is. This philosophy became the basis of my training. And while I haven't forgotten this, somewhere along the way I started to take my own philosophies for granted.

You see, as I grew to be a more experienced striker, I learned the value of a linear approach to defence to complement the circle. I learned about centre lines, jabs, and crosses. Attacking on angles and doing kata in line formations. Often, it seemed, the quickest route to reach an opponent was in a straight line.

My circles never went away, though, I just didn't focus on them in the same way I once did. But my mind is returning to it, now, albeit in a more layered manner than before.

I like to look at a karate reverse punch as a good example of combining straight lines with circular movements. The punch, to be quick and effective, must travel directly at its target – in a straight blast of power. The foot, also, lunges into a forward stance, aimed in the same direction as the arm. But, the circle is still there. The fist corkscrews as it is extended; the hips turn in order to generate power. It is a perfect balance of both concepts at work.

Lately, I have been hoping to increase my jiu-jitsu training once again. It's like going home and I'm excited. I am once more thinking in circles both small and large. And I am applying the philosophy to what I have learned in the meantime, blending the two, hopefully, into seemless, coherent actions.

awkwardness and incompetence...

lately, i've experienced epic amounts of awkwardness and incompetence while trying to learn new sword, stick, and staff techniques. aside from one bo kata, i've spent very little time using these weapons, and believe me, it shows.
 i am a total beginner again; it's amusing and frustrating all at once.
i guess, in the past, i have always avoided weapons training (empty hand defenses notwithstanding). i've always felt that i'd rather spend the time on basic self-defense than on something i'd never use, like a sword. but lately, well, it's been kind of pushed on me.
my initial reaction was to just to do it and get it over with. smile, learn a few techniques, then return to empty hand drills. but after being forced to spend more and more time at it, i knew this was not the right way to look at the situation. don't get me wrong, i still am ambivalent, but i am trying to balance out my point of view.
so i'm looking at the weapons training as a way of expanding and exercising my brain; i'm looking at the link between empty hand techniques and those of weapons; i'm further understanding combat mechanics and how a weapon can be an extension of your body; and i'm getting a bit of a history lesson when i think of the countless soldiers and civilians who were once trained in these arts.
and the beginner's mind is good, after all.
it's just that sometimes i need to be forced into it.

what we like and what we need....

Inevitably, when it comes to training, there are aspects we all enjoy more than others. However, we all tend to suffer through the areas we don't like as much to better ourselves all around.
I'm not a fan of weapons (defense I appreciate, but I'm talking about weapons for combat). That said, I often find myself practicing with them.
So here's how I look at it:
- it could happen that in desperation I pick up an object to use in a life or death situation.
- it makes me better understand the attacks so I improve my defense in the process.
- it can't hurt my coordination skills.

I guess this is how I spin it, anyway.
Kata is another area where I do this sort of reasoning with myself. A bit of kata I think is valuable... I think we all can figure out reasons why this is so. However, I find too often I get bogged down in so many forms of it that my head spins like a top.
But what if I only practiced what I like? Would that improve my skills to the level I want them to be at? While sometimes the answer feels like it should be yes, I still trust my teachers, and try to focus on the good that can come from doing the things I don't enjoy.

A Visual Approach

In general, I spend a lot of time in my own head.

Like all things, there are pros and cons to this nature, but one of the aspects that I try to embrace to its fullest is my strong connection to visualization.

In fact, I get obsessed.

For example, every technique I do in the dojo--physically--I do a minimum of two hundred times in my mind when i'm not on the mats. Even kata, which at times I don't enjoy, plays through my head like an old TV rerun before bed or walking down the sidewalk.

Attackers, I picture endlessly; sparring matches, the same.

I even throw strikes at the heavy bag.... as i sit idly daydreaming at work.

Maybe I'm nuts. Or maybe just borderline.

Perhaps, for me, it's how my nature works.

avoiding burn-out

Monday night was an intense class of kata, stance work, and knife defenses. Last night was white belt basics, due to a new member in attendance.
And I loved both.
The change of tempo suited me well last evening, especially as I've had kata coming out the gi lately, and a chance to step back and reacquaint myself with the fundamentals of jui-jitsu was perfect. I worry when the simple aspects get lost in too much advanced technique and I am always happy to return to the basics to make sure these foundations are still intact. Or at least close to it.
As I've alluded to before, rust can form quickly, and bad habits may easily return.
I also feel intensity is a great aspect of training--going hard after what you want can be amazing--but burn-out is never far behind without a pendulum shift. I think last week, this burn-out was getting close.
But today I feel ready for more.

Hello, kata my old friend....

The summer hiatus is over.

My brief time contemplating what aspects of training I hope to focus on next in my studies was redirected this week--almost instantly--to the contemplation of sore muscles from hard training.

And I'm glad.

But it's funny, really, as I have recently thought so much about what I feel I should be working on next, that I stepped back into the dojo and was quickly reminded of the fact that it is largely Sensei who determines what I should be doing (I can surely think for myself, don't get me wrong, and I can ask questions and suggest things, but he has his opinion, too. And I value it.).

So, however reluctantly, I spent two hours of intense kata when I had in mind many other ideas of what my first class back might be like (Kata is a double-edged sword to me... I feel it's benefits but also resist it on all occasions...).

But what I decided long ago is that I am handing my trust over to my teacher. I trust him to hone what skills he thinks i need to, and also keep in mind that I am sharing his wisdom with other students that may need different areas of focus than myself. However, the message I recieved from such an intense kata class was that Sensei decided we needed a good humbling and to cast off the rust that so quicly accumulates from time off.

And believe me, in all my soreness, message recieved....