Forms... Patterns...
It is common in martial arts to have a series of movements that are prescribed and learned to practice the art. They have different names depending on what art you are choosing to study. The name of our series of movements in kung fu is form. This is important because it indicates what the focus of the practice is.
When we first are learning our forms, we honestly are focused on the pattern. There is a sequence that we need to learn and commit to memory. Some people find this stage easier than others but none the less, all must go through this stage. It is common in the stage to be more focused on what is coming next, to have long pauses while we remember where we are and where we are headed and simply to forget it all. This stage is honestly only the very start of the journey.
The second step is where we will spend the rest of our lives working - form. By the very nature of the name, the focus is not on the sequence or pattern of movements. The pattern is critical to the practice but it is not the key focus of the practice. The key is to be focusing on mastering the form of each individual moment within that sequence. It is the practice of seeking mastery of each movement and intent within the sequence. It allows a structured way in which to practice these deeper concepts.
It is not enough to say that you know the form. We must move past knowing to mastering. Part of the requirements of the IHC program is to do 1,000 repetitions of two forms throughout the year. There are two ways this can be accomplished. You can take the approach that you must just get it done and just blow through the requirement like it is a hoop to jump through. (Just a hint, this is not the intent behind the requirement at all, not to mention would be incredibly boring.) The second is to focus on the mastery of each moment, intent and movement within the form, practicing and applying an eye for detail. This is can frustrating at times but if this is truly applied, it will not be boring. Out of the struggle and frustration will come growth that can can't be realized through mindless practice. The art of kung fu is so rich with detail that you will never, ever run out of tweaks in the mastery journey.
Monday, 29 July 2019
Wednesday, 10 July 2019
Knowledge and Application
What sets a black belt apart?
The first thing people often think of is the area of knowledge, particularly in the area of kung fu. It is true that there is always more knowledge that can be obtained, but a vast amount of the knowledge you need is shared early on in your training careers. The instructors at Silent River are free and giving of this knowledge. They share concepts with white belts that they may have little hope of truly understanding but the seeds are planted for the future. If you listen in class and ask questions, you cannot help but grow in the area of knowledge.
The area where a black belt shines is in the application of this knowledge. They take the information that they have received and they translate it into how they move their bodies. We can all sit there and recite how to do some of the more basic techniques but can we consistently perform that technique over and over no matter the situation. The example used last night was the side heel kick. This kick is one of the most basic building blocks of our art. We all know how a bladed foot should look. We all know what we should look like in this kick and how our body is to be aligned. We all know that the chamber is critical. By the time you reach black belt, the expectation is that this kick will be thrown properly every single time.
Another area of this applied knowledge is in our applications. As we are learning each technique, we will have a few different intents as we move through the sequence. A black belt's intent is to always be in the present moment and is constantly shifting as the moments unfold. The difference is two or three intents versus a thousand intents in one technique. This can only come through repetition, repetition, repetition..... As this is developing, it is common to see that the intents are clearly broken up. Often the intent to finish the technique is so strong that the intent to block the very first attack is missed or not executed well. This first block is vital because if you don't survive the attack, the rest of the technique is unnecessary.
The final area where this is evident is in the harmonies. A black belt has the internal and external harmonies working together and not fighting each other. There is an unbroken relationship within the harmonies that allows chi to work for you. As we grow in this area, we use our growing eye for detail to analyze how movement feels and then look for the relationship (harmony) that is out of balance. A black belt has the eye for detail to be able to self correct. As we walk our journey towards black belt, this sensitivity is to grow but can only do so if we are consciously focusing on it.
There is a huge difference between a white belt and a black belt. This gap is able to be overcome through consistent and intentional practice. The closer you get to stepping over the line of having earned a black belt, improvements will feel incrementally smaller and smaller but this is where the consistent and intentional practice is even more important.
The first thing people often think of is the area of knowledge, particularly in the area of kung fu. It is true that there is always more knowledge that can be obtained, but a vast amount of the knowledge you need is shared early on in your training careers. The instructors at Silent River are free and giving of this knowledge. They share concepts with white belts that they may have little hope of truly understanding but the seeds are planted for the future. If you listen in class and ask questions, you cannot help but grow in the area of knowledge.
The area where a black belt shines is in the application of this knowledge. They take the information that they have received and they translate it into how they move their bodies. We can all sit there and recite how to do some of the more basic techniques but can we consistently perform that technique over and over no matter the situation. The example used last night was the side heel kick. This kick is one of the most basic building blocks of our art. We all know how a bladed foot should look. We all know what we should look like in this kick and how our body is to be aligned. We all know that the chamber is critical. By the time you reach black belt, the expectation is that this kick will be thrown properly every single time.
Another area of this applied knowledge is in our applications. As we are learning each technique, we will have a few different intents as we move through the sequence. A black belt's intent is to always be in the present moment and is constantly shifting as the moments unfold. The difference is two or three intents versus a thousand intents in one technique. This can only come through repetition, repetition, repetition..... As this is developing, it is common to see that the intents are clearly broken up. Often the intent to finish the technique is so strong that the intent to block the very first attack is missed or not executed well. This first block is vital because if you don't survive the attack, the rest of the technique is unnecessary.
The final area where this is evident is in the harmonies. A black belt has the internal and external harmonies working together and not fighting each other. There is an unbroken relationship within the harmonies that allows chi to work for you. As we grow in this area, we use our growing eye for detail to analyze how movement feels and then look for the relationship (harmony) that is out of balance. A black belt has the eye for detail to be able to self correct. As we walk our journey towards black belt, this sensitivity is to grow but can only do so if we are consciously focusing on it.
There is a huge difference between a white belt and a black belt. This gap is able to be overcome through consistent and intentional practice. The closer you get to stepping over the line of having earned a black belt, improvements will feel incrementally smaller and smaller but this is where the consistent and intentional practice is even more important.
Tuesday, 2 July 2019
Demo Mishap...
Yesterday was Canada Day.
It started out as a beautiful day. I took my morning walk then popped into the bath for a soak. When I got out of the tub the weather had changed drastically...
The clouds seemed to not only bring in some pretty significant showers but also brought in some funk too. I can't really describe how I was feeling except to say that I was just off. Not a great day to feel that way but I pulled myself together and off to the demo we went.
I felt really quite calm going into the demo. I walked out and planned to really snap that first pose. I put a little extra wrist into the snap but instead of snapping my fan into place, I ended up throwing it to the ground with a little extra gusto....
All I could think was what happened?!? What can you do?
I picked up my fan and carried on. It took a couple moves to settle back in but I feel that I finished fairly strong considering the start. I honestly do not believe that the issue was caused by a lack of preparation. We can always be more prepared but this was really one of those weird moments. I have really been struggling with feeling very disappointed in myself.
Everyone did such an amazing job. In many ways, I feel like my mistake was a blemish on such a fantastic demo. Well done team! Thank you for rocking it out and helping take the focus off my mistake.
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