Kicks, punches, and harmonies, oh my.

         I've been on a mission to improve my kicks, punches and the harmonies between them, both external and internal.  Now you're probably thinking that I should always be on that mission, since becoming a white belt.  Well yes, obviously that is the correct answer, but there is more to that now.  I've been keeping an eye on the quality of my kicks and punches and how they differ between the different activities. I've been looking at the quality of my kicks and punches that I throw during warm-up, versus the ones I do during forms, versus actually hitting a target like a heavy bag or shield.  Should they not all be the same?  Simple answer would be yes, if I have proper technique throughout all of them, they shouldn't be any different, so why are they?

        My first answer when it comes to kicking in the air is that I don't have a target to give me any feedback.  I'm also having to pull both my kick and punches because I obviously don't want to overextend my elbow or knees, where as with a target, I don't have to worry about that, because if I'm in proper range, I'll have the force of the object to prevent that from happening.  Intent would be the next thing I look at.  Throwing in the air, my intent is usually on proper form, getting a good crane stance, and proper foot position, balance, and control.  Those things are all important when hitting a target, but my intent is different, because my intent is to now transfer my energy into that target, and hopefully have proper technique behind it.

        What about my forms?  There again, it is my intent that has changed, and this one is quite interesting.  I find my kicks and punches change the most during my forms, because my intent for my forms is changing depending on what it is I am trying to work on.  If I'm working on flow, my kicks and punches become softened.  If I'm working on speed, they become harder and rougher.  If I work on slowing down my form, to really work on technique, then my kicks and punches  not only become softer, but it gives me time to really work on the technique and making sure my harmonies are aligned.  My transitions are a big piece of this puzzle too, having my intent shifted will affect my transitions, which in turn affects my footwork, my stances, and ultimately the end product of my kick or punch.

        It's important to keep all of these working parts at the forefront of my thoughts when I'm training because it is going to affect the effectiveness of my training, depending on what I'm working on.  If I'm working on a heavy bag, my intention is about moving my body in a way that I'm transferring the most amount of power with control and balance; and that includes my internal harmonies and the transfer of my internal Qi .  If I'm training on throwing kicks and punches in the air, my intent shifts to making sure my external harmonies are aligned and working together.  When training my forms, my intention is improving on the quality of my form, which can mean many things.  It can mean flow, balance, technique, stances, finishing techniques, phrasing, power, or when to pull back, etc..  The importance of having these thoughts is so I don't confuse one aspect of my training for another and get frustrated with myself.  All of these things are still leading me towards the same goal , just in different ways.

        So when I say I'm on a mission to improve my kicks and punches, it could mean something specific like throwing kicks in the air or against a heavy bag, which I do daily; but it can also mean the kicks and punches used in my many forms.  They'll look different, but that's okay, because they are all developing aspects of the technique that I need to improve the technique as a whole.