When training in martial arts it is often our primary
concern that we are training in a way that will make us effective in combat. Although
this is important in these modern times there is another consideration that is
just as important. Are we training in a way that improves and optimizes our
health, also will we continue to have full physical expression of the art we
study even as we age?
As human beings we have two arms and two legs yet there is
an infinite variety of combative movement that can be performed with the human
body. How do we determine which of these movements is effective and at the same
time determine if these movements fall within the range of movements that are biomechanically
feasible and healthy over the long haul. There are movements we can perform at
age 8 that we may not be able to perform at age 80 yet if we start practicing the
correct movements at age 8 we will have capabilities that surpass the average
80 year old if we are blessed enough to live that long.
In Ving Tsun we often discuss the attribute of sensitivity usually
it is in reference to our training partner or opponent, we must remember that
it is important to have sensitivity in reference to yourself. Can you feel your
own balance, can you feel the alignment of your various bones and muscles, and
can you tell when you are using your structure in the most optimal way. It is
very important to have this awareness of your own body, in combat you must be
aware of your opponent and yourself. Also it is important to feel when you are
using your body in a way that it was not meant to be used. The older we get the less
forgiving our bodies become of incorrect use. Our study of martial arts should be a study of nature's laws and the exploration of our mental, physical, and spiritual limits within those laws. Through this endeavor we learn more about our world, ourselves, and each other.
