Rediscovering Balance.
DISCLAIMER:
These clips are for entertainment and general informational purposes only. We are not instructing you, or encouraging you to do or to believe anything, except to view, enjoy, and think. Never forget that martial arts, like any rigorous course of physical activity, presents the risk of injury, sometimes serious, disabling, or even fatal. Actual techniques should only be practiced in a controlled environment emphasizing safety, under the direct supervision of a Black Belt instructor (in whom you have trust and confidence), and only after you have been cleared by your personal physician.
Once, many years ago, I visited my friend and mentor, Master Isidro Archibeque. He had been following my write ups on his steachings, and chided me for failing to properly emphasize balance in my articles.
"Archie," as Master Archibeque prefers to be called, is the originator of many unique training techniques and philosophies, some of which have been previously shared with readers of Tae Kwon Do Times (Iron Fist Archie's Junky Fighting Tactics (November 1991); Iron Fist Archie's Exercise Junk (July 1987); Lesson of the Iron Cross (January 1991)). Updated versions of those articles can be found on www.ironcrane.com.
Like all great Masters, Archie emphasizes basics, in many instances, using mastery of basics to propel performance beyond the ordinary.
Archie reminded balance is essential to every aspect of the martial arts. "Once a stance becomes fluid, it manifests as a body in harmony, or having balanced motion...if you will. Power is delivered to the target only to the extent balance remains intact at point of impact. A stance can be strong only if allied equally to strong balance."
Archie recalled my early visits to his camp. Though I had already attained black belt status in other styles, I was unable to pass even his basic test for balance.
It was a sore memory and, for that reason, long since forgotten (by me!).
His words brought it all back. Like a vision from the past, I saw the image of several stakes mounted in the ground with a 2"x4" board suspended edgewise between them. On that distant occasion, while his students worked out, he challenged I should walk the thin edge from one endpost to the other. I appraised it to be a feat for circus performers and let the challenge pass, thinking he wasn't serious. He thereupon lined up his students and each traversed without fail. When the last student crossed, Archie pointed to me and ordered, "Now, your turn!"
At first, I failed, the second step spun me sideways off the board. Archie's students stood respectfully quiet. No one in his class would laugh at incompetence, having been there themselves. By their measure, what deserved laughter was acceptance of incompetence. Clearly, my frustration signaled I would make the effort to master the skill, whatever it took. The remainder of that visit, I practiced crossing the board. I spent hours! The 2"x4" was soft beneath my feet. As I leaned right, the board oscillated left. When I finally managed several steps, it oscillated unpredictably, throwing me like a wild buck. I asked Archie's students to "demonstrate their technique." They lined up and crossed smoothly. One student did it backwards, another hopped across on one foot. Still another stunned me by doing the moon walk.
When class ended, I questioned Archie how I could master the skill. He responded balance was either there, or it was not. He stressed I should not think of it so much as a skill but rather re-discovery of a natural physical ability. He explained balance was related to mechanisms in the middle ear, which existed for everyone. When functioning normally, they would make the trip across the board an easy feat, even when the board was soft and spongy to my step.
"How did I lose the ability?"
"I'm not concerned with how you lost it ... I'm concerned with whether you can get it back. Look at your lifestyle. Look at how you spend most of your time. Sitting at home, sitting at work, sitting at the TV, sitting in your car. It's a wonder your body even functions, considering all the time you've spent molding it into the shape of a seat."
He invited me back promising to reveal "the secret." Of course, I accepted.
The secret meant nothing other than hard work. For several hours each class, I stood at the exercise station attempting to cross over. By week two, I had strung five steps together, without falling. This increased slightly each passing week, until eventually, I proudly succeeded in my first crossing.
For more information on this topic, visit: http://www.ironcrane.com/html/balance.htm
Used with Permission. Copyright 2000-2009, Mc Cabe and Associates, Tacoma, WA. All rights reserved.
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MCC - 162 Mind Over Matter (Archie at 73)by Spreadswings219 views
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