Month: July 2013

Stepping out of the line of the attack

A student asked how do I approach this idea of stepping out of the line of the attack:

Getting out of an incoming direction is one sided. We re-act to another persons actions and are defensive in nature. To avoid this we can use a few changes in our state of mind and body awareness.

Mind: Exchange the “getting out of the line of the attack” with placing ourselves at the back of the partner or attacker or if you are working with children placing a sticky note on their back. This will keep you active moving and also take you out of the line of the attack.

Body: Make sure you are paying attention to all of your parts and slide a limb (moving from the body from the start) on the coming partner and add the entire body after it so you maintain contact or avoid it at will and again using action instead of re-action.

Heart: Look at your partner or opponent and see something in him or her you can appreciate. It can be a well maintained kit or good smooth walking and work yourself to connect with him or her without malice or fear as another human being. (The same counts for dog attacks for example with simple appreciation to nature) Once the fear is cleared to it’s right place as a tool you will see the way already in front of you.

Simple does not equate to easy. Remember this and work diligently at your practice. Be of service to your loved ones and it will return to you many fold.

To the beat of a different drum

We march at night silently. We march. We march. We march.

Soldiers must work in groups to attain their goals but so do everyone else. To learn to work together and on the reverse angle of this to learn to work within someones resistance we must be aware of their tempo of movement and work within it.
How can we do this ?
1 place your hand relaxed on your partner and work to feel his pulse. Once there work to feel both yours and his or hers without letting the two affect each other. Freedom must precede action in the mind.
2 Allow your partner to attack you using different speeds and always work slower then him or her to gain both mental and bodily smarts and again freedom from repeating what was just uttered.
3 Attack your partner and from time to time freeze in motion and see how this affects his attention and movement. Do this drill with a swift exchange of roles so there is no fixation on waiting. Waiting is a key step in dying.