Keep the vertical line straight

This was a great lesson, as it involves much more than meets the eye, and opened up a topic of learning method involving specific words and following instructions, that I’m just now starting to get a grasp on. While learning these moves, Master Chen was showing and helping us place our body in different positions related to the principles of ‘Punch to the ground and turn right (to double kick). One of these involved stretching the body out very far, concaving the chest, dropping the shoulder of the hand that was in front (right hand in this case), dropping the rear kua and placing the opposing side foot (left) behind you to feel the power of this type of structure. Allan and I had been repeating Punch to the ground for about a half hour before this next level of training was given, so our bodies where warmed up, but not sure my brain was. :).

While Master Chen was standing in front of me telling me where to place all of the above body parts in attempts to get me into the structure, he told me to ‘put your foot back there’. At this point I couldn’t move or compute what he was saying because he was pointing horizontally at the back wall behind me. He then had to say it two more times before I knew I needed to make some attempt to follow the instruction. So I lifted my foot off the ground in a ‘back kick’ style posture in the direction to where he was pointing. And without any consequence he then said ‘ok, now put your foot on the floor’, and continued the lesson as if I had done nothing out of the ordinary (I’m grateful for this).

After returning to self practice time and reviewing his words and the lesson in my mind, I suddenly burst out laughing realizing what my natural instinct was to do, vs what he really wanted me to do. I over thought the instruction far beyond its simple meaning. My foot was already on the ground, I should have just moved it back as told, but instead I was so intent on being accurate, I could not truly hear the instruction and offered an off base interpretation.

I’ve often heard Master Chen say ‘When I mean this, I only just mean this’. It never hit me so clear than in this lesson, after hearing that quite a bit through the last few years. I’ll do my best to not over analyze and over think in the future. Following instructions is what where told to do, actually allowing ourself a to do so isn’t as easy as I thought! Anyone else have any experiences like this or want to expound on the subject of following instructions?

Reply