foundation, grace, and speed

I've previously said grace, speed, and power, in that order, but I need to amend that.

Before grace comes foundation, the flexibility and strength that enables grace.

Also, true power is not the same thing as what is generated by muscles, although it does encompass that. However, the pursuit of power is dangerous, and can lead to a very dark place. Power comes of its own accord, when needed, and manifests through the practitioner rather than residing within them.

Therefore, foundation, grace, and speed, in that order, but be wary of the desire for power.

sitting in horse stance

Granted that this is a little silly, but if you can get past that it might actually work for you.

When not overdone, horse stance is a great way to build leg strength, as well as to stretch muscles that can become resistant to stretching on a steady diet of walking.

But just 'sitting' in horse stance can be really boring.

My advice is to combine it with something else, like to occasionally substitute horse stance for a chair when sitting at a table or watching television.

Once you've built up the strength and flexibility to maintain a low stance for more than a few seconds, you may even find that this is more comfortable than most chairs, at least for a short time.

More importantly, so long as you don't overdo it, in other activities you'll be far less likely to injure your legs!

the martial context

The martial arts may have begun as an expedient means to train warriors to fight and hone their skills, to improve their chances of survival and success in battle, but they've long since evolved into something far broader and richer than that.

What unites them all is that they take combat as context, but what they do with that, including how literally they take it, varies widely.

That context provides a framework which renders meaningful what might otherwise be random, pointless movement. If near-term utility is a pressing concern, as for soldiers training for impending deployment, that context can also be a powerful source of motivation.

But even when utility is not an immediate priority, or no priority at all, having such a demanding context can help to focus the mind and drive practice towards perfection. One trains to make one's actions real, to invest them with integrity, as defined by the context, even if one has no expectation of ever using the skills developed in combat.

More importantly, through practicing in this manner, one is brought face-to-face with one's frailties as well as one's strengths, and ultimately with oneself.

grace, speed, and power

Grace will serve you in all things, even those not involving physical movement.

Grace and speed may be enough to keep you safe in most circumstances.

If you've already acquired grace and speed, you have recourse to options not requiring power, and are free to not use it, even after developing it.

Therefore, grace, speed, and power, in that order.

perhaps not such a bad start after all

Now that I've had some time to get over my initial disappointment, I find there's more value here than I'd been thinking when I quit posting, in early 2014.

So, if and when I do make another pass at this, it will most likely be as a continuation of this blog rather than in any other format.

that's all, for now

I'm really not happy with how this blog has turned out.

Yes, there are some good ideas here, but what I've posted really doesn't make those ideas as accessible as I would like, and there are problems with the (lack of) organization and with not having had a clear idea of what I wanted to say at the outset.

Also, I can't go as deep into this subject as I would like without addressing the application, self defense, which becomes more important as one becomes more vulnerable with advancing age. I believe that it is possible to incorporate this consideration into one's physical activities without having it encroach into aspects of one's life where it does not belong, but this is something of a balancing act which I don't feel I can do justice to in this format.

So, I'm going to consider this a false start, which I may or may not ever get around to replacing. If not, it will have to stand as is, for however long Google consents to keep it online.

If I do come up with something better, I'll post a pointer to it here.

attentiveness and the integration of practice into life

When your practice is about a quality of mind and motion, rather than about particular motions, every moment becomes an opportunity to apply it and to hone your skills, and this is never more true than when one's body isn't functioning normally.

As one ages, one discovers how easy it can be to handicap oneself. An afternoon of immoderate exertion is all too likely to be followed by days of pain and weeks of tenderness.

While avoiding this in the first place is preferable, the need to favor an ankle, knee, or hip can be an interesting, useful experience, putting a fine point on issues of balance, kinetics, and inconvenient neurological responses to pain, like when your leg suddenly decides to go limp and collapse beneath you.

Avoiding too much stress on the better leg is an important part of this process, just as important as avoiding further strain to the leg causing trouble.

But you needn't wait for an injury to put this principle to work. The first step is to pay attention to what your body is telling you. If you feel cramped, you probably need to readjust your position, perhaps expand your lungs. If you feel fidgety, you probably need to move. If you can't get up and stretch try rocking from side to side or front to back.

Pay attention to posture and body mechanics, especially when doing something unfamiliar or lifting more weight than usual, and don't be afraid to ask for help if that weight is more than you should be attempting to lift by yourself. There's no shame in having limits; it goes with being human.

On the other hand, don't be afraid to cautiously explore those limits. You may be surprised how much latitude they afford, even in your later years.