I can’t say it enough that you need to consistently cross train and have new experiences. Yesterday I was cross training in scuba diving in preparation for some dives later in the year in Hawaii and California. Precision is essential in scuba. You really do not want to make a mistake as it could be catastrophic! So you need to follow your safety measures and protocols. This same type of precision is essential in our Martial Science training. Practice with precision to eliminate your errors and in the moment you may not be as precise but you will be efficient. Another essential in scuba is relaxation. This is also essential in the Martial Sciences. Relax…. If you wish to be a good martial practitioner you need to consistently relax so that you can perform effectively. One of the most important things in scuba is to consistently breathe. In fact it is the number one rule!!! In the Martial Sciences you also cannot be effective if you are not breathing regularly. Heck in life that is pretty essential! Breathing properly allows you to be relaxed and effective. Holding your breath drains your energy and your ability. Relax, breath and be precise in your training!!!
Brian R. VanCise
Note: This blog is opinion only and neither Instinctive Response Training LLC or Brian R. VanCise are responsible for any third party actions.
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As my Taijiquan Shigong (teacher’s teacher) once said when asked about breathing and Taijiquan….Yes you should 😀
And I don’t think I will be trying scuba diving anytime soon since I have a real big problem with being the master of the planet and apex predator on dry land and taking one step into the ocean and becoming a part of the food chain…darn sharks
But to cross training or my current version of it
I came to the conclusion that cross training, or at least my current version of it, which means going outside of my standard martial arts training which means training Taijiquan and Xingyiquan and training others Jun fan Gung Fu and Wing Chun has given me great insight into my regular styles and the applications in those styles. It also means training my favorite style (Xingyiquan) with different teachers, that too is giving me some very interesting views.
Awesome post Tim.
However, give scuba a try you might really like it. Funny thing is that to sharks in the water we are big and strange and kind’ve scary! 🙂