A life without consequences is not one worth living.
To understand the flow, both of life and of the martial arts, you must first have a grasp of consequences. These can be both positive or negative but both equally affect our flow. This concept is something that not only is quite difficult to understand at its root, but I feel as though we in this country increasingly run from this concept. But as I said there are two applications to this idea. The martial arts and life outside of our training. What is learned in the former should affect the latter and vice-versa.
Within the Kwoon and martial arts training:
With each technique that we learn, with each form we master, we are becoming something more. If we are truly committed to our training, we are learning how to become a weapon when necessary and a keeper of peace the rest of the time. We must understand what each technique we learn will actually do to a person. How it will affect them internally, externally, in the moment, and possible futures of each action. Now I'm not saying we should become psychic, but I am saying that we should be aware of the choices we make. Not every situation calls for the most severe technique, not everyone who attacks you needs to die for their mistake. In observance of the flow, in knowing just how our techniques will affect people as well as our fellow todai while we practice them, we can become that much more precise with what we learn and how we teach others. Tapping into this method of learning and then teaching, in my opinion, are the beginnings of flow.
Outside the Kwoon and in life:
The things we say, how we come off, the actions we take, even how we act around people can affect them much deeper than we understand or think about in the moment. Culturally, we have been moving towards a life style that says "do what you want, as long as it feels good and does not hurt anyone else". This is not possible with human emotion as a factor, but more and more our culture tries to eliminate the human emotion as a factor. As practitioners of the martial arts we can at the very least be a counter to this growing mentality by affecting people positively. Be aware of the consequences and possible consequences of choices you make before you make them and the flow can continue in this way.
Lately, I've been trying to think more about the butterfly effect when it comes down to how I behave around people. I used to think I could mope around everywhere and have no affect on anything or anybody.
ReplyDeleteI really think now that if you affect somebody in a positive way, they're more likely to be happier and treat somebody else more positively, and it could actually have a huge affect on things in the long run.
Exactly, Lian!
DeleteI would call this saponihtaan. There's no concept like it in English. In essence, saponihtaan is the way you prepare conditions within an exchange relationship. If you set them up poorly, the reciprocation (pommakssin) will be be poor as well. If you're a long-term thinker, and you're constantly arranging conditions and feeding the relationship based on that vision, then a lot of benefit will result. It's a matter of balance with the 'po' (exchange), what you're referring to here as 'flow'... whatever the saPOnhitaan you put into it will determine the POmmakssin response
ReplyDeleteCharlie I haven't seen you in training lately, when you plan on coming back?
ReplyDeleteYeah I trained with you but I never seen Charlie in training. Also, I am wondering about Todai Kiew too. Where is she?
DeleteI'm coming back tomorrow night for sure!! Sorry all, work has been running me ragged this last week.
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