Armin
08-20-2005, 12:45 AM
Hi to all!
Ok, there's an experience of awareness I'd like to share with you.
Please try this at training in the next few days.
You stand right in front of your partner - distance: he has to take half a step forward to touch you. Now, tell him, that you will attack him with one single straight punch to his head e. g. with the right hand. He is supposed to defend against this attack.
Now, concentrate as strong as possible on this attack. Mark the spot with your eyes and put all you concentration into how you'd lift your right hand and punch your partner. Than punch.
Your partner will easily (depending on how long he's been training) block you attack.
Again. Now, don't concentrate on the attack. Try to keep your mind free. For the beginning e. g. try to remember how the last meal you had tasted. Was it good or not? You have that picture in your head? Fine, attack again.
Wow, you hit him!
What happened? Ok, tell your partner what to do and try it yourself. With his first attack, you really feel the moment of his attack. And the second attack? You don't feel anything! Well, that's what Musashi meant, when he pictured the moon mirroring in the sea. If there is movement under the waterline (here the will to attack) you can see it on the surface.
Hm, fine. That's very esoteric, isn't it? Let's try another explanation. If you concentrate on attacking, you slightly put your whole body under tension. The shoulders and the knees slightliy sink, your head comes forward a little, the muscles tense. Your conscious doesn't realize these changes - but your sub-conscious. It filters the information and only 10 % or less information ist getting into your consciuos. But the sub-conscious trys to warn you. How? It's the feeling. And that's why you are prepared in the first situation.
Now you can start learning how to listen to your sub-conscious. Trust your feelings and start to free your mind from everything (that's much better than having to think of your last meal every minute, right?). It's the first step of getting aware.
Armin.
Ok, there's an experience of awareness I'd like to share with you.
Please try this at training in the next few days.
You stand right in front of your partner - distance: he has to take half a step forward to touch you. Now, tell him, that you will attack him with one single straight punch to his head e. g. with the right hand. He is supposed to defend against this attack.
Now, concentrate as strong as possible on this attack. Mark the spot with your eyes and put all you concentration into how you'd lift your right hand and punch your partner. Than punch.
Your partner will easily (depending on how long he's been training) block you attack.
Again. Now, don't concentrate on the attack. Try to keep your mind free. For the beginning e. g. try to remember how the last meal you had tasted. Was it good or not? You have that picture in your head? Fine, attack again.
Wow, you hit him!
What happened? Ok, tell your partner what to do and try it yourself. With his first attack, you really feel the moment of his attack. And the second attack? You don't feel anything! Well, that's what Musashi meant, when he pictured the moon mirroring in the sea. If there is movement under the waterline (here the will to attack) you can see it on the surface.
Hm, fine. That's very esoteric, isn't it? Let's try another explanation. If you concentrate on attacking, you slightly put your whole body under tension. The shoulders and the knees slightliy sink, your head comes forward a little, the muscles tense. Your conscious doesn't realize these changes - but your sub-conscious. It filters the information and only 10 % or less information ist getting into your consciuos. But the sub-conscious trys to warn you. How? It's the feeling. And that's why you are prepared in the first situation.
Now you can start learning how to listen to your sub-conscious. Trust your feelings and start to free your mind from everything (that's much better than having to think of your last meal every minute, right?). It's the first step of getting aware.
Armin.