Flow
Last week we cut in class. I've swung the sword after surgery, but this was my first time cutting after the surgery. Of course I gotta test my body out and see where it's at! This is my thought about it...
It was a very strange feeling. I've watched videos of the class many time and replayed it etc. A lot of times the results were what they were supposed to be, but it had no "flow" so it was more than it needed to be or looked tight. Before the surgery, when I was cutting, it just felt so in sync. I was excited to cut again so I would be watching videos of myself and man it felt so right. Ki, Ken, Ta ichi. Spirit, sword, body as one. I feel like I'm not cutting from what I know but more muscle memory at the moment. The results of the cut doesn't matter as much how you get the results. It felt as if I was in another body when cutting this time.
This makes me realize how important "flow" is. When you practiced to a certain point, techniques become natural in a way. You don't have to think about the details, it just happens but it feels so synced. But is that from being happy or comfortable where you are? Do you learn more when you're un-synced? I believe so. Cause now you're thinking about how to fix what is wrong. In a way, you gotta make mistakes to learn right? Your flow can be halted through injury, or even a new insight into training. My flow was halted so now it's time to get it back on track.
The things I did wrong with my cutting that day -
1) Too much umph. It should always start from the lower body and stream its way through your arms. I was just forcing with my arms. I think part of this is partly due to the frustrations and how much damage was done to me through my surgery, so I wanted to return the favor in a way. Of course you shouldn't be emotional during training but it leaked out a bit. Time to practice more sitting and cutting haha.
2) Frustration. As a teacher you tell your students don't do this or don't do that. Certain techniques I've done so many times felt like it reset. Old bad habits reappeared and it frustrated me cause I was doing what I told my students not to do. Using my arms too much, leaning on sui hei etc. Bah, frustrating just writing about it haha.
So I feel like I'm 25 again. This was 25 me. I was able to do techniques but that was because I was using my body more so than technique. At that time I knew the techniques but I didn't "know" the techniques. I realized this then and worked hard to fix that and make it mine. When I watched the videos from that night, it reminded me, of well 25 year old me. Time to get older again.
It was a very strange feeling. I've watched videos of the class many time and replayed it etc. A lot of times the results were what they were supposed to be, but it had no "flow" so it was more than it needed to be or looked tight. Before the surgery, when I was cutting, it just felt so in sync. I was excited to cut again so I would be watching videos of myself and man it felt so right. Ki, Ken, Ta ichi. Spirit, sword, body as one. I feel like I'm not cutting from what I know but more muscle memory at the moment. The results of the cut doesn't matter as much how you get the results. It felt as if I was in another body when cutting this time.
This makes me realize how important "flow" is. When you practiced to a certain point, techniques become natural in a way. You don't have to think about the details, it just happens but it feels so synced. But is that from being happy or comfortable where you are? Do you learn more when you're un-synced? I believe so. Cause now you're thinking about how to fix what is wrong. In a way, you gotta make mistakes to learn right? Your flow can be halted through injury, or even a new insight into training. My flow was halted so now it's time to get it back on track.
The things I did wrong with my cutting that day -
1) Too much umph. It should always start from the lower body and stream its way through your arms. I was just forcing with my arms. I think part of this is partly due to the frustrations and how much damage was done to me through my surgery, so I wanted to return the favor in a way. Of course you shouldn't be emotional during training but it leaked out a bit. Time to practice more sitting and cutting haha.
2) Frustration. As a teacher you tell your students don't do this or don't do that. Certain techniques I've done so many times felt like it reset. Old bad habits reappeared and it frustrated me cause I was doing what I told my students not to do. Using my arms too much, leaning on sui hei etc. Bah, frustrating just writing about it haha.
So I feel like I'm 25 again. This was 25 me. I was able to do techniques but that was because I was using my body more so than technique. At that time I knew the techniques but I didn't "know" the techniques. I realized this then and worked hard to fix that and make it mine. When I watched the videos from that night, it reminded me, of well 25 year old me. Time to get older again.
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