This last weekend the staff and a good number of Kung Fu students went on our annual retreat at Mt Baldy Zen Center. It was a beautiful, sunny weekend; the weather always seems to cooperate with us, so continued thanks to whoever is in charge of that. We arrived Friday afternoon, set everything up, ate an early dinner and did our first drill.
First Lessons
We started with a flow drill where we build a long combination with our partner (similar to partner form in Tai Chi). I usually start with the same first few steps and then see how we can create something different each time. In 10 years we have never had two flows turn out even remotely similar. This year, we started with a totally different attack because I wanted to see how it would go. It was a spur of the moment decision made as I was demonstrating it for the first time. This change made things interesting and challenging for me and the senior students helping me (we almost got stuck a few times). Yet it was ultimately a good thing that we started in unfamiliar territory since we ended up with a totally unique set of techniques and I believe one of the best flows we’ve done. This was a great lesson in taking chances and living on the edge of discomfort to discover something new.
Responsibility
After this drill I spoke about the theme of the weekend, taking responsibility for your technique. I reminded everyone “nobody else is coming to save you!” It’s up to you to make sure your technique is good. We handed out book marks that were an aid in keeping a practice log. They had suggestions about how to practice with different intentions. For example instead of just repping a form you might do it with full speed 5 times, then switch to slowing it down and visualizing your partners. I find that this is a great way to make better all-round progress and keep things interesting. Whether we are in class or practicing on our own, it’s usually best to have an intention for that session. What specifically are you working on? How can you take responsibility for improving your technique today?
time to learn
This year we wanted to provide some extra time for students to prepare for the tests they have coming up. We allowed for extra down time and open mats to give everyone an opportunity to focus on what they need to improve on. Over the course of the weekend many people finished learning their forms and nailed down lots of other things they needed to test. This reminded me of the power of scheduling down time or free time. It can seem that scheduling free time takes the spontaneity out of life, but I love the balance between planning and creativity. From my observation, most people don’t end up with enough free time. They struggle to take care of themselves and whatever needs to get done outside of work. Try scheduling some free time today!
More lessons
Saturday morning we hiked up to a beautiful waterfall and did kihon combinations with shields. We had a larger audience than normal as there seemed to be a small family reunion happening nearby. This was a great chance for us all to let go of distractions and being self-conscious. We then meditated and headed back after some down time.
We continued the weekend with great drills around the Zen Center. Everyone did a good job of taking responsibility for their practice and making progress.
Every time we go on retreat and hike up to the waterfall I am reminded of a Morihei Ueshiba quote, and whenever I read this quote I think of practicing by the waterfall.:
One does not need buildings, money, power, or status to practice the Art of Peace (Martial Arts). Heaven is right where you are standing, and that is the place to train.
It’s true that with the right mindset, heaven is right where we stand no matter where that is. Yet having an inspiring setting and wonderful people to practice with sure helps.
