Sharon Friedman – Vigilance and Tranquility

Today we worked on knife defence and other related subject and the usual stuff came up. When confronted with new ideas or devices, we tend to fix ourselves on them, we attack with just the knife leaving the body elsewhere or defending from just the knife as the rest remains open. Each move can serve several purposes if you are free in mind and body and the use of tools like the knife and other tools like swords sticks of a rolled newspaper can bring that to the surface and learn to free ourselves from it.

When we roll we usually consider a shape in mind or a circle or something alike. Try just following the true surroundings and using them in your place in space to your benefit as you roll. Start by rolling slowly over the body of your mate. Slow practice brings up your lack of balance becasue you do not hide behind momentoum. Much like a spinning ball, once the spin slows down the imperfections surface. Another drill would be to close your eyes and let the partner push the blade or hand onto you. As you feel the touch, move with it with intent and awareness but without the will to win. Just let the blade move and shape yourself in a way that you remain close (as to not allow further attack and to be able to respond) and kep form. Do not escape and lose energy and freedom of movement by tilting your body to the side (if possible) move as a whole and remember to bring the moment to the simple outcome of survival. You can flatten against a blade and use the entire body to counter. See that your movements do not fall into aggression. that way your partner or attackers will mirror you and you will be feeding their ill will.

If for example you find yourself in a head lock during the movement toward survival, simply align the torso and one leg with the head and you might find that state a lot easier to continue from.

Each principle is simple to understant and implement. awareness and form are easy to see as benefits even in mathematical terms. We tend to protenct the air around us in fear of an attack instead of moving the body to end the attack. The same goes in our minds as we think if it is simple it has less value or if we see something that has little flash and think nothing of it untill we try it ourselves.

Last drill for today: have two or more people converse and walk toward them and from time to time you will attack with a knife or something. It facilitates the survival and relaxation in general life and we need to learn that no one is perfect and you need to develop a fighting spirit even if you are cut or surprised at first.