Lately I have been looking for my flow. I feel a bit like Bruce Lee Roy from Berry Gordy’s the Last Dragon. The hero in the story is looking for the golden glow that only a true master can find. I am no where near that sort of level. But I am still searching for my flow, rather than a glow.
Removing the herky jerky from my movements is more problematic that I thought it might be. I can feel my head going up and down as I do my movements. I might as well send my opponent a telegraph. Dee, deet, dee … here he comes. Being a bobber on the water is a sure fire way to catch a boot to the head, or something equally unpleasant. Well maybe not a tax audit, but I might get my feelings hurt. Keeping my body quiet in terms of movement has been hard work. The constant changes in height is just poor technique and bad basics.
It can be frustrating to know what you are supposed to do and not be able to do it correctly. Calming my body had been a challenge. I know how to line up my punches and kicks but keeping my height constant has been a challenge. It seems natural to me to want to rise up as I move. I believe that when you are in stances the forward movement makes you want to rise up as you step forward. Moreover, this little problem makes my kata look bad. I look like an airplane with engine trouble. The good news is that I have identified the problem. As they say in the 12 step programs, admitting you have a problem is the first step. Hi my name is Rob and I bounce up and down when I do kata. Hi Rob. I think I know where I am going to be focusing my efforts over the next few weeks.
I like to do self evaluations every couple of months. I try to evaluate my technique to see where I have come from and where I am going and how I am going to get there. I have taken to taking some private lessons from my Sensei to help me see where my problems are. Anything worth doing is worth doing well. For now I have to work on keeping my lower body quiet as I move. If anyone needs me I’ll be practicing.
Filed under: Kata, Martial Arts
