I really enjoy the myriad ways that regular living connects with martial art training. The other day in class the lesson was about flowing with a sudden pressure rather than resisting -- times when a willow's flexibility is preferable to an oak's stubbornness. Giving way, or flowing with the pressure, can save energy, reduce pain, and increase options . . . and is very hard to learn. The alternative is even harder, however, ending with a good hard smack with a staff (or memorable lesson).
These same choices are present everyday in multitudes of interactions. Seeing the connections is like fitting a whole piece of one form into another -- it clicks together into a new thing entirely.
It's a good thing martial arts training goes on and on. I don't think I could absorb these lessons any faster.
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Anne, your post makes me think of my experience as a blind person and is applicable to anyone who is challenged in some way. A challenged person can be like the oak, holding strong to their convictions that they require what they have lost in order to function normally.
ReplyDeleteThey may also choose to be like the willow, bending to the challenge, finding new ways to accomplish their goals, flowing with what life has dealt to them and setting their own standards of what is normal.