# The body don't lie



## Flea (Sep 27, 2009)

I had an interesting reminder today of the mind-body connection.

We were working on strikes this morning.  Zero pressure, just work on accuracy and form.  As I worked, I was telling my partner my sad tale of frustration in prepping my condo for sale - the stoopit contractor stood me up at a key phase in my renovation, and now I have to take bids all over again ... :rpo: ... At which point he smiled at me and commented that I must be really angry because my strikes had totally changed.

Sure enough, all my form had gone out the window.  I tried again and found my next effort to be even more skewed.  So I overcompensated and it got even worse. :uhyeah:  The only thing that fixed it was changing the subject and talking about something neutral.

Of course it's obvious that our minds affect our body language in profound ways, but it was good to get such a concrete reminder.  The story had a happy ending, because my partner gave me a good referral for someone after class.  So it was well worth throwing all those crummy punches.


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## Omar B (Sep 27, 2009)

Like Bruce Lee said "emotional content, not anger."


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## girlbug2 (Sep 27, 2009)

Omar B said:


> Like Bruce Lee said "emotional content, not anger."


 
I never understood _what_ other emotions that quote referred to. Sadness? Joy?


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## Chris Parker (Sep 27, 2009)

Hi,

Within Japanese martial arts there is the concept of Mushin (no thought, no mind -  there are other connotations, but those are basic enough). This concept is more about quietening down emotional extremes is stressful situations, as emotional extremes tend to distort your perceptions. Some classic examples of this are "blinded by rage", "frozen with fear", and references to vision changed through jealousy (the green-eyed monster), or even happiness (rose-coloured glasses).

In essence, any emotional extreme will change your view of the world. But it will also have an effect on your physiology, as well, as different emotional stimuli will set off different hormone and adrenaline responces. If you are focusing on anger as a power source, you will find that your targeting will become off, and there will be more tension in your movements, actually slowing you down. Similar results come from fear, or happiness.


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## Flea (Sep 27, 2009)

Quite so.

I told this story to another MA friend of mine last night, and he gently suggested that I "leave my baggage at the door.  That's what we do in my class."  Well, _duh._  :duh:  It sounds great, and it's good advice.  But it's not always realistic.

That said, I realize that I need to go back to my meditation practice.  It's a boon to me on so many levels.  After yesterday I can add one more level to that list.


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## Ken Morgan (Sep 27, 2009)

Flea said:


> Quite so.
> 
> I told this story to another MA friend of mine last night, and he gently suggested that I "leave my baggage at the door. That's what we do in my class." Well, _duh._ :duh: It sounds great, and it's good advice. But it's not always realistic.
> 
> That said, I realize that I need to go back to my meditation practice. It's a boon to me on so many levels. After yesterday I can add one more level to that list.


 
I've gone to class faithfully to train, and found my brain running through multiple unrelated items. I excused myself and bowed out of class. Its not to smart to keep training when you're distracted, to much of a chance to get hurt. I find going for a run or a very long walk can get rid of some of those distacting thoughts. Oh, or wine, wine always works!!

Don't sweat it flea, you have your whole life to train hard.


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## jks9199 (Sep 27, 2009)

Flea said:


> Quite so.
> 
> I told this story to another MA friend of mine last night, and he gently suggested that I "leave my baggage at the door.  That's what we do in my class."  Well, _duh._  :duh:  It sounds great, and it's good advice.  But it's not always realistic.
> 
> That said, I realize that I need to go back to my meditation practice.  It's a boon to me on so many levels.  After yesterday I can add one more level to that list.


Add a small ritual to your training.  Use that ritual as a reminder to dump the extra baggage.  For example, as a Catholic, when I enter the church, I dip my fingers into the holy water and bless myself.  Among other things -- this serves as a reminder to me that it's "church time".  Bowing into class is another example, specific to martial arts.  Or use a particular item of clothing as a reminder that it's training time.  It can be as simple as a t-shirt or belt.  What you're looking for is something simple you can do to just signify to yourself that it's class time; leave the other stuff for later and be in the moment of training.

And... sometimes, it won't work.  We're all human.  Personally, I encourage you to train anyway, unless your distractions become so great that you endanger others.  Force yourself to do things properly, even if it means slowing down.


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## Jenna (Sep 27, 2009)

Flea said:


> I had an interesting reminder today of the mind-body connection.
> 
> We were working on strikes this morning.  Zero pressure, just work on accuracy and form.  As I worked, I was telling my partner my sad tale of frustration in prepping my condo for sale - the stoopit contractor stood me up at a key phase in my renovation, and now I have to take bids all over again ... :rpo: ... At which point he smiled at me and commented that I must be really angry because my strikes had totally changed.
> 
> ...


Dear Flea I really hope that your sale goes through ok I am positive that it will in the end and you will wonder why you were caught up in it 

And you know I think that you make a very important point indeed - if, when we get angry then our form is poor, our stances are weak and we are preoccupied with our anger, then we must work [you suggested a meditation] to ensure that we are capable of keeping our anger in check when we have to call upon our martial skills for real.  I think yes, anger is a natural primary response when we are under attack and yet it is not helpful one bit in a fight so you are absolutely right..  

And but all my wishes to you for a best possible outcome and a little happiness [or maybe lots and lots of it] Jenna xo


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## Brian King (Sep 27, 2009)

Much of the advice and comments above are very practical and good if your training is about training, but, Systema is much more than a martial art. Flea your training that night taught you and your training partners some valuable lessons even if you are unaware of them all at this point.

It is important to monitor ourselves and to feel those spikes in our psyches and our physiological and physical systems and then to cleanse them right away. The more advanced and sensitive the practitioner is the sooner they feel the spikes. The sooner the spikes are felt the easier and more completely they can be cleansed and our body returned to a healthy baseline. Of course, one you learn to recognize and level out the spikes in our own systems we will be better able to recognize those spikes in the systems of those around us and either help them to level out or to manipulate them combatively as the situation dictates. 

I strongly disagree with the leave your baggage at the door folks. Use your training to learn to deal with that baggage, right now not later at a more convenient time. During our life we will thankfully feel anger fear and all the other emotions, during combat and other stressful circumstances it is much healthier to deal with those emotions right then and there while also dealing with whatever situation is on hand. Taking the little spikes as a learning advantage helps us discover ourselves (Poznai Sebia) and if we can learn to successfully deal with the little spikes it helps prepare us to deal with the larger steeper spikes that we may have to deal with in our lives.

I would suggest that the next time you feel emotional from a prior or future situation, while training (or anytime) distracting from the task at hand, that you think back to the push-up exercises and how you linked your breathing to help you survive and complete those exercises. Learn to recognize spikes (whether from bodily pain or other physical trauma, mental fear or anxiety or spiritual doubts or confusion whatever is causing that current spike) in your spiritual, physiological and physical systems and learn to link your breathing and movement to facilitate the cleansing and leveling of these spikes and to do so while performing multiple tasks simultaneously.

Good luck with the selling of your home. Moving is one of the more stressful situations modern man can face, along with child bearing and divorce. Learning to deal with stressors in a healthy productive calming meaningful way is one of the purposes of our training and experiencing life in my opinion.

Regards
Brian King


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## Flea (Sep 29, 2009)

This has nothing to do with body language (with the exception of a happy happy dance!) but it seemed a good place to mention that I finally have my kitchen floor installed!!

artyon:


Now all that remains is basic cleaning-up: hang a couple more pictures, that sort of thing, and I'm ready to go.  WHAT a relief.


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## Flea (Oct 17, 2009)

I had another "body dont lie" moment today, much more positive.  Also a fantastic learning experience.

I've always been violently ticklish around my midsection.  It's not something I normally think about, so it's rarely an issue for me.  Unless I'm in class, doing knife work.  (You can see where this is going, right?)  Sure enough, someone poked me right in the gut.  I reflexively jumped a foot in the air, giggling like a 3rd grader.  There was just _no_ getting past that reaction.  All I could do was try to let go of the ego as my partner teased me about the Pillsbury Dough Boy.    :enguard:  Ultimately the whole room had a good laugh.  It was fun.

When I first started MA people told me it would be humbling, but I didn't think it would work quite like _that_.  But why not?


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## Ken Morgan (Oct 17, 2009)

Flea said:


> I had another "body dont lie" moment today, much more positive. Also a fantastic learning experience.
> 
> I've always been violently ticklish around my midsection. It's not something I normally think about, so it's rarely an issue for me. Unless I'm in class, doing knife work. (You can see where this is going, right?) Sure enough, someone poked me right in the gut. I reflexively jumped a foot in the air, giggling like a 3rd grader. There was just _no_ getting past that reaction. All I could do was try to let go of the ego as my partner teased me about the Pillsbury Dough Boy. :enguard: Ultimately the whole room had a good laugh. It was fun.
> 
> When I first started MA people told me it would be humbling, but I didn't think it would work quite like _that_. But why not?


 
Learning comes in all packages.

(Note to self, If I ever meet Flea she's ticklish...)


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## Flea (Oct 17, 2009)

Ken Morgan said:


> Learning comes in all packages.
> 
> (Note to self, If I ever meet Flea she's ticklish...)



Note to Ken, Flea is _like this_ with the Pillsbury Dough Boy and knows how to kill a man with a warm biscuit in 26 different ways.

:ninja:


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## Ken Morgan (Oct 17, 2009)

Flea said:


> Note to Ken, Flea is _like this_ with the Pillsbury Dough Boy and knows how to kill a man with a warm biscuit in 26 different ways.
> 
> :ninja:


 

Our hero, knowing that he was thus defeated by superior powers this time, backs away very slowly and cautiouslyall the while thinking, in a Homer like voice, mmmm biscuits


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