Muscle, like our mind cannot do two things at once. Either it is at relaxation, ready for use, or it is in function and therefore unusable. It is sometimes possible to find a median, which is pathological or transitional (aches or injuries). For a rapid response, without interference facing a stimulus ,it should be that our muscle are always in a state of alertness but relaxed ... hmmm, the paradoxes begin.
In such a situation, we are often mired in unimportant verbal jousts and we reach more to find words. Afterwards, we did not want to say this or that. During the altercation, our mind was tense due to a projection into the future or the memories of the past, too occupied to access the present, we were totally paralysed.
That is what state our body is in much too often!
What we are looking for through the practice, a body that consumes as little energy as possible, not stupidly using it but one which responds instantly when it is appropriate. We are helped in life by natural 'drugs' manufactured by the body, they allow us to overcome. But our mind is so tormented by our compulsive thoughts and we are so ignorant of the mechanisms of defence that it cripples rather than helps us. Discharge of adrenaline that goes through our body in an emergency will often be interpreted as a feeling of weakness. In reality it is a feeling of lightness that is there to be followed by action, "contractibility" perfect our muscles to be ready for anything.
Our body should be relaxed to respond appropriately to these signals, otherwise it requires terrible effort to struggle between a desire to remain paralysed, and this "involuntary" (the principle of life of each cell) natural call to be ready to act. For this relaxation, it is necessary to have a daily practice that will keep our structure in its natural state of relaxation. The "relaxation" has nothing to do with softness advocated by the hysterical followers of the illusion of non-violence. It is a transient state between two actions of life, the simple or complex. The body is toned but not hard, the mind relaxed but not asleep.
Our mind is an essential factor for the relaxation of the body. In a spontaneous action, there is no unnecessary energy expenditure. In an action gavée thoughts contradictory and confused, the body is tense and frustrated in a packaging of "wrong doing". The work of the relaxation of the body through relaxation of our "box thinking". For an exercise to be useful, it must not be intellectualized early in the learning phase: This is it useful to just follow the advice of his teacher without asking too many questions. When the whole body / mind is relaxed in the realization of the gesture, suitable or not, then it is time to discuss. Too often young practitioners seeking to discuss the form and what they will do before they have outlined the slightest gesture. The professor who returned with them in a debate of ideas is a bad teacher: It flatters his ego in an argument through which he will spread his knowledge and spoil any chance of discovery of "young beetles. The professor who wishes to profoundly change his pupil not said anything except "to the job and shut up!".
The intention is to initiate actions, but it will quickly become a problem. With the intent, we all wait and hope in a gesture that would remain in the field of pure action. On a strike, the desire for power fantasies and the outcome will affect the success of it. The intention is a starter, as with a car of 80 years, but rolling out the choke with insurance is a very sad result.
The intent is useful in the learning phase, but still a handicap in the practice phase, while the use in the arts of combat, it is a disaster!
The achievement is a reflection of training and preparation is in the "Yi" (intent) will be useful. In practice it is a weight that clutters.
The exercises that have followed the stages of learning and practice will be ready for use. It will be unnecessary to add an intention, expectation or a prayer, it will be too late!
In Chinese medicine the liver is responsible for the smooth flow of all manifestations of energy in the body (blood, nourishing and defensive energy, body fluids). Tension of the mind or body hurts and then it is reluctant to do its job properly. Even from a cellular stress is tight and the cells that are less efficient for a given action. Too intentions reported number of practicing martial arts angry and sick, sad and a little crazy ... too much tension!
For their natural spontaneous gestures of a human being relaxed and healthy, we need to relax. The exercises without apparent purpose, the daily work on intimacy with our body and the work of recognition of our mind is what to do!
