We often hear in our training moving naturally, or moving in terms of nature- but what does this mean with regard to the physical arts?
We also hear about spiritual and mental concepts, and ask how do we train in them?
Meditation and exercises outside of physical training and class? I'm going to try and capture the expression of this understanding in a direct and to the point post as it is an important part of our martial arts movement and training.
In training the san shin no kata one learns how the body moves naturally- the optimal way to move in unison and with the body working together.
If you can discover this, internalize this, and move without having to think, you are moving in nature. You will flow and adapt and a training partner that doesn't know how to move naturally will break down in movement even faster.
From the first strike things will move to a natural conclusion.
The physical training of taijutsu *is* the meditation and spiritual exercise- one is learning to see with the eyes and mind of god. As you training in the dojo, you learn about distance, timing, and rhythm through physical interaction- feeling & intention, being physically present, not academically or intellectually.
Over time this physical training, this taijutsu body art training allows you to begin to see other and outside things happen. Through naturally movement you begin to see how other things ar connecting and are taken to a natural conclusion.
We have to be careful in speaking openly of such things, not because they are necessarily secret, but due to the necessity of understanding that they can only be understood through the experience of getting in the dojo and moving around- training.