Month: March 2007

This is a nice quate: “Glory won on the battle field remains on the battlefield” I think it sums up doing things for a good reason and not to get something in return or for your own glory. Next time you do something great like teach your kid something new or save a life remember there is something greater than you and it will bring you higher.

In urban areas and on the water there are many reflecting surfaces. In day light, moon light and any other source of light casts it’s shadows. To learn to use those as well as the line sight stand in front of a large mirror or hold a mirror in your hand and stand with your back to your partners. Now using what you see defend yourself and see how you work and learn. Later on you can use the shade people cast as they walk to walk away from unwanted touch or toward someone without making eye contact (it is more noticble). There are many variations. THere are but a few.

Lean on the wall and start to “walk” on it from side to side and up and down. Turn to face it and back again and see how you can place your arms and legs and move your middle at the same time. Note how the tension creates a path to keep your form and how it releases as you move and breath. Enjoy your movement and if you feel it is the time add some collapsing toward the wall and pushing off it from various states and movements. The same can be done with the legs of course and you can move on it using your middle too.

Balance yourself on your behind with all other parts in the air and do it on top of your partner who is flat on the ground. Now move using only this part on this surface to go up and down and over any part possible. It is a great relaxation and natural movement drill and a relaxation drill for your partner with benefits well over the bodily ones. Move with your breath.

Think of your surrounding in terms of tension ups and downs. You have classical music and metal, books and television, nature and urban and many things in between. Become aware of the effect it has on you and know how to move yourself in the right direction and lead a good life. Some time in nature is important but becoming a hermit is not for everyone. find your path.

To learn to move upright  and freely we need to learn with the body first. Hold your arms at your back (hands clapped or if you can hands holding onto opposing elbows) and stand up. Now move about a little, sit down and get up and than lie down and get up in various ways. Roll on the ground as you maintain this hold and get up again. Now with a partner move to evade and deflect his strikes and holds. At first you may start to overcompensate with lots of movement and your partner will be glad to show you how and where you are out of control and after a while you will relax and teach yourself to move well with the body and legs thus freeing your arms to do other work. Have fun and remember not to go for something in the horizon. Progress now.

Yesterday my students showed me how giving a drill more time can really help you develop. Try to go further than before in your studies. Do a 10 minutes static push up. Roll without stop for 10 minutes. See how you can get to know yourself better.

Some poeple work in teams to get things done. If you are attacked by more than one person than you know you overlooked something or got pulled by a trick. For example if the smaller attacker comes by and sneezes it catches your attension long enough for the other guy to get the club out. Practice noticing this by trying to pull this off in your group of friends (it can be a social game of some sort) and than you also learn to survive it. Remember people are not stupid and they feel your intensions. Be clean as you can in your work and you will see and feel more. If you feal fear let it work for you. It is a tool nothing more. Fear can take many forms. It can  be fear from retaliation as the gang approaches or fear of a mistaken identity. Do what you think is best and relax. Pray if you believe.

With one person standing up and the other on the ground or as you wish move, rotate twist and lever a limb or anything else and let your partner solve the problem without rushing. Once this is not creating tension you can add more people to the pool of twisting or anything you want. A blind exercise with several people twisting your limbs is great for dealing and getting over the “sorry for yourself” state of mind. Do no harm and train with honesty

Another way to train the eyes to see is to use one at a time. As we learn to move better by using one arm to work with people using both you can do the same for the eyes. Close one eye and do any drill you care to and note how it changes your perspective and how you hold your head. Remember it is all connected.