Embodying Technique

I was asked today about whether I experience ups and downs in my training. Of course, it’s only natural; progress is never a straight line. If, however, we spend too long judging our own performance as good or bad, then we risk not actually ever experiencing it.

I notice this when holding a target for some students. Sometimes they miss and become so annoyed at themselves that their next three kicks are equally as bad. Only after they have been able to let go of the self condemnation can they start kicking effectively again. As soon as we judge ourselves, we separate from ourselves and can no longer connect with the energy of what is occurring in the present.

Of course the technique must first be learned, but then a wonderful performance is unselfconscious and allows for a deep spiritual connection between technique and partner. In many ways we embody the experience.