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Showing posts from June, 2026

The Joy of Beginning

It is something that must be done daily, usually multiple times daily to keep mediocrity at bay. It is repetition of practiced motion. So practiced that it becomes ever easier to do it without thought, and only mindful repetition allows me to make progress and gain the benefit.  I think about Kung fu a lot when I’m brushing my teeth. Especially this past week.  I had a cleaning recently and the dentist I had mentioned that I must be right-handed from the condition of my teeth on one side of my mouth compared to the other. She explained that the angle of your dominant hand changes the way you angle the brush on each side of your mouth.   I decided to become ambidextrous. It has been extremely awkward so far. I feel like a little kid again trying to exert control over my arm and having it go rogue no matter how much I scrunch up my eyes. I had a moment of self-reflection after starting this (literally, I was standing in front of the mirror after all). I realized that I am n...

Solvable or Unsolvable?

I’ve been trying to focus on a particular section of my Broadsword form recently. When I was building the technique I was looking at it from a Big Picture perspective: unwind from the previous move and cut leaving the sword low to create a false opening.  Now I am trying to refine the details, trying to optimize it, but my left hand is causing me all sorts of issues. I know I want it to be involved and I know I want it to have rotation and rigidity, but what path it’s taking to accomplish that has so far been eluding me.  - I have tried expanding during the technique but that throws off the motion of my hip paired with my sword - I have tried rolling with the motion of the blade but that changes my stance, which makes the false opening less open. - I have tried changing the angle of the sword during the transition but that wrecks the way I pivot into my stance The more I play with it the more I realize I have created something with very challenging vectors. The wall that I see...

How to be Sick

Two days after the tiger challenge, I got sick. I’m just started to get better and starting to get things back on track because my numbers have taken a severe hit during the week (and a bit) I was recovering.  I always try to include at least one non-physical personal requirement so that if I get sick or injured I can still maintain my kung fu and practice mastery. The trouble is I almost never employ these requirements when I am not doing well physically. I know I should be using those contingencies I built for scenarios like this, but I also think it is a bit unreasonable to make any meaningful progress when I am feeling well and truly sick. If I can’t even take a break when I am ill can I ever take a break? This thought is scary, because I know Mastery is relentless (and this may just be because it’s coming off the heels of the tiger challenge) but lately it is feeling a bit too relentless i.e I’m feeling a bit burnt out and its making me fear my requirements rather than seeing...