Outside Perspective

         Helping out at the level 1 and 2 classes and watching from the bench at our Black Belt class has offered me the ability to observe and take in more.  I shouldn't be surprised, but am nonetheless, reminded that when you're "in it", in this case actively participating in class, you tend to be in a bubble.  That bubble is you doing the work, and all you can see is what you're focused on.  Sorry, no 3rd person perspective for you.  When you step outside of that, the world is full of opportunities.

        For instance in our Black Belt class, the class worked on Lion Dancing.  You and I have seen lion dancing before.  It's awesome, it's fun.  We have both been told that it relates to our Kung Fu too.  Yeah, totally, I can draw some connections.  Lets be real though, when you're in it, and it is new to you, and you're learning, it is hard to make those connections.  Kind of like helping out at the level 1 class, I am drawing more from those lessons now than I did when I was in that class.  So when Sifu Brinker was teaching the lion dancing and telling everyone to think how this applies to self defence and our Kung Fu, boooiiiiinnnngggg.  Eyes open.  I see false openings in some of the movements, especially when the head goes up and snaps down right away.  I see multi-opponent sparring in the unicorn stepping as the lions move and the head snaps to focus on a target.  There's the timing of techniques to the drum, which becomes more apparent with 7 star, because even though the beat seems more chaotic, there is still the original 3 star beat there hidden.  The way we position the lion adds to how we would hold ourselves.  We wouldn't walk around or engage in sparring with our head down, NO, we are focused.  Lots of possibilities hidden in that dance.

        Helping out in the level 1 and 2 classes has been really helpful in my own training, especially my eye for detail.  I find I'm noticing things more and more, even the subtle things of a foot position.  I'm picking-up on it right away and making connections to how that is influencing the next sequencing of moves.  Even in Tai Chi I'm seeing this.  I am also drawing parallels to other lessons we've had; most recently, the front thrust kick.  watching how others throw that kick has been interesting and makes me think about how I throw that kick now versus how I started off.  So, I can empathize with the students and can see that they are trying to do what the instructors have told them, and at some point I think you just have to allow them to get the body moving a certain way first before adding on and making corrections.  I also realize how important our words are when describing a technique.  I see a lot of people pushing the hip to engage it in the front thrust, instead of throwing it out there.  I'm paying a lot closer attention to people's feet, where their weight is, the positioning, how it is through transitions.  I can tell where the weight is being displaced on the feet, which is pretty cool.

        As for my own training, I've discovered some subtle things that have been helping.  They seem small, but at the same time kind of mind blowing.  In particular the knife hands at the end of DMH V, I've really been focusing on the wrist rotation more than anything, kind of how I would when working on the sparring drills, and it's really changed how I move.  I noticed by focusing on the wrist the shoulder still moves, but it is being driven by the wrist.  One of those instances where you watch someone else and you think you're doing it the right way because the end result looks similar, but really the way you and them are doing it are totally different.  Still working on those darn monkey blocks at the very beginning of the form, but I'll get there.