Maternal Instincts

We have a student in class at the moment who is about 7 months pregnant; obviously we take every precaution to ensure her (and her baby’s) safety during classes. That said, there are many things that she is still more than capable of practicing. One of those things is Chumuk Cheegi (Punching) free motion with a partner.

Being paired up with this student is quite extraordinary. She has always been extremely focused and a formidable opponent, but she has even more of an air about her recently. Paired with her this morning I became incredibly aware of how relaxed she was standing, and how she couldn’t help but keep her weight low. Now I’m not advocating that everyone goes out and gets pregnant, but I think there is a lot we can learn from this experience. The more we relax, the more we hold our weight low and release our shoulders, actually the more confident we seem and the greater our ability to use our power effectively.

Another student also pointed out that the maternal instinct to protect one’s child would naturally make a mother a fearsome opponent. It reminds me of the quote: “The fighter can best fight if he thinks of himself as being already dead.” Faced with an aggressive situation, the mother will think nothing of her own safety; her only concern will be the protection of her child.