Folks, we live in a dangerous world. There is simply no denying it! Just turn on the news and you will realize this is true! It is a beautiful world with a vast majority of wonderful people. However, there are also some really dangerous people. These people have no problem killing you or killing me. They are wired just a little bit differently! I have always wanted to be physically effective. That is why I originally started studying in the Martial Sciences and also why I continue to this day. I want to be physically effective if anyone ever tries to hurt me or my loved ones. I am sitting here reflecting on yesterdays training because it fits with today’s topic. Yesterday I got up got the family going and then headed out for my first private lesson. We worked on single-stick, double stick, knife, trapping hands with a tiny bit of joint locking and also some hand striking with the focus mitts. Afterwards I headed out to the range where I proceeded to work with a 9mm handgun and a 45 caliber handgun. (both Glocks because I love them) Then I proceeded to sight in one of my rifles (30.06) scope. Later in the evening I got in a quick kettlebell work and followed that with some grappling exercises. You see in Instinctive Response Training we train every day. Some times it is more some times less but every practitioner should try to get some training in even if it is only some mental training. We train with Tools/Weapons, Kicking, Empty Hand Strikes, Trapping and Joint Manipulation and finally grappling. IRT at its core is having a well-rounded approach! Why well-rounded? Well IRT practitioners want to be able to deal with any situation. It is in the end about being able to survive a violent confrontation or just to survive in some sort of crises. (ie. earthquake, storm, tornado, etc.) The world we live in is dangerous. Some times mother nature may throw us a problem or some violent individual could engage with us. I want to be able to survive and be physically effective irregardless of the problem. Now I may never have to use my skills again. (yes I have in the past) Or I may have to use them again. I prepare and train for that one or two instances in the rest of my life where I may need them. Hopefully my training will give me the edge and I hope you prepare as well so that your training will give you that edge as well! Stay strong and train always!!!
I have learned because of my knee issues that I can and have to train just walking, basically I have to do what I call mindful walking and be very aware of how I move and the alignments and where the energy for stepping comes from and where it goes. Before I started that reinjuring my knees happened every few days.
My Taiji help with that because you work on proper alignment and getting the energy from the root to where you want it to go. Years ago I realized I could train that just by opening a door; power from teh root is directed by the waist and goes to the had and pushes the door and do that with as little obvious force as possible.
My point is that you can train constantly, it is just sometimes you need to look at the things you do every day differently, like I had to with just walking
Excellent point Tim!!!
Some times if my day is really, really busy all I may be able to do is meditate and visualize some movement. Quite often that is some of the best practice that I can get! 😉
I think it was Bruce Lee that talked about the importance of visualization. How do you execute a particular move, what would you do if attacked right now at the location you are at.
Today the only thing I would call training that I did today was a Qigong form that is from Baguazhang and today, it was the best practice for me. There generally is not much visualization in this Qigong form but there are movements in it that can be used for precisely that and they are awesome
Nice post Tim!