Practice slow and prosper

For those who practice Tai Chi or other martial arts for self defense. Do you ever practice your forms / katas at super slow motion speed?

I teach my students what my first sensei drilled into my head; the slower you go, the harder you work. By eliminating momentum and reflex, we put our attention on nuance and feeling every bit of every movement. Slow and controlled.

It takes tremendous concentration to move smoothly and with consistent speed and light muscle tension at ultra slow speeds. We are so used to moving quickly in our day to day activities that our bodies structures and mindset are used to moving without sensing.

When we slow it all down, I find that most folks notice their bodies jumping/jerking or skipping through some sections as the nerves and tissue reactions are firing away.

Training in the slow method of mind-body movement smooths these jumps, helps to release the knots and bridge the gaps. Resulting in slow, gentle, continuous flow.

Give slow motion a real try and see how you do.

Advertisement