“You will feel a tingling sensation
in your hands and arms from
effectively conducting this exercise.
This is the kinetic energy built up
from the force and momentum of the
motions used.
Take your hands and rub them
all over your face, drawing that energy
back into your body.
Do not hold babies or small animals
when doing this on your own
until you have completed all steps.
This is chi. This is extremely important
in your development as a martial artist.
Please allow me to demonstrate.”
He then threw a simple punch
but you felt the exertion of his movement
in the air and
through the floor.
That was power.
Such a calm man
but he was a dragon.
He knew things. When Master spoke
you wanted to listen.
I left his teachings when I picked up the bottle
but I still practice those movements
as a pale, diminutive shadow of what I once was.
Sometimes I can still feel that tingling sensation arise
in my fingertips and up my arms
like a long lost friend from a
far away place.
The power has never left me.
It just lies deep inside
waiting
as it does in all of us.
hernanjmonzon.com 
“I left his teachings when I picked up the bottle
but I still practice those movements
as a pale, diminutive shadow of what I once was”
– Love this passage, and the use of diminutive.
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whatever. You just like the notion of me being a pale shadow of my former self.
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Not at all! (dances in a fit of revelry on ashes of who HJM was)
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What would happen if you would hold babies or small animals before completing all steps?
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The energy built up in your body, particularly in your hands, could transfer to them and because they are small and susceptible it could cause damage. This wasn’t your typical dojo; the master was a fifth degree black-belt and the focus was generally on using a sole thrust to take an opponent down. I am sorry that I had quit but I had just failed my black-belt for what I believe to be unjust reasons (in another organization entirely -one that was extremely commercial, which is why I switched to this master) and my heart wasn’t in it anymore. I have never heard of a case of that type of damage happening but he said it each and every class.
It’s funny. This blog helps me remember a lot of things that I don’t want to. But that at least was a valuable experience. You should have seen this man perform a basic strike. I was in awe of his ability.
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I am a great believer in the humans’ capabilities, so I am always in awe when someone is actually able to use whatever they have at a higher level than most people. Be it energy or brain cells or anything else we have that is being stored or dormant in our body, I think most of us are complacent and only use 1%… I also believe with the proper training and focus we can all use more of our resources. I know, sounds terribly cliche, but it’s the truth, I really believe that.
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I truly believe that as well.
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You have the enviable skill of taking a piece of personal experience and paring it fown to the absolute minimum. It looks as though it could be prose- but this piece has rhythms 0f it’s own- and you couldn’t cut a thing. Every word pays its way. Great stuff.
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Shameful ! All those typos ! Here it is again. You have the enviable skill of taking a piece of personal experience and paring it down to the absolute minimum. It looks as though it could be prose- but this piece has rhythms of its own- and you couldn’t cut a thing. Every word pays its way. Great stuff.
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Thanks man! That is what I attempt to do. I must admit that sometimes it works better than others.
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