Just Flow With It

Hanshi says he’s force-feeding me more than any student he’s ever had. This is largely a symptom of having a small, mixed-level class, combined with the fact that I have a high retention rate.

Saturday, Jeff and I worked kata as Hanshi dissected and corrected our moves, made adjustments, and quizzed our knowledge. Wunsu kata, the second kata I had to perform in order to pass my blue belt test, continues to unfold for me. I am just now starting to understand, spacially, how the spinning kick and concluding strike and kia move together.

Hanshi said my form has improved greatly, then he paused and concluded: “It’s very perfect. ..now you need to learn how to flow with it.” Then he demonstrated the movements and it looked as though he was moving under water—grace and strength—a sort of formalness without the rigidity.

“Flow with it. Ok,” I said. “I think that’s a good metaphor for my life, actually.”

Next, we worked Anaku (small bird form) and Empi-Sho (flying swallow form), both of which are far over my head. I followed as best I could and still managed to learn a bit. If nothing else, this early exposure will help impress these forms into my mind at the level of pre-thought. Since over-thinking is my most natural pathway, this is in fact for the better.