Originally posted by pknox
Excellent philosophy, pesilat. Keep in mind, though, that the weapon never "follows its nature" until we've trained enough to allow ourselves to yield to it.
Actually, the weapon
always follows its nature. It's up to us to keep out of its way and let it follow its nature on our intended target
You do have to train to yield to it, or, I prefer, "cooperate with it," but the weapon will follow its nature regardless. If you don't cooperate with a blade, for instance, it will just as happily cut you as your opponent. It's just following its nature
Basically, you are then at the point when your movements become instinctive, which is the goal every martial artist, whether classical or otherwise, hopes to achieve.
I guess that's what Sijo Bruce really meant when he said that JKD was about simplifying -- once we get all of our preconceived notions, thoughts, and extraneous movements out of the way, we can allow instinct to take over. Kind of like the old Zen philosophy of constantly readying yourself for enlightenment to come "spontaneously." I guess its not as paradoxical as I used to think it was.
So, in a way, I guess we're training to forget as much as we're training to remember. What a comforting thought for when I keep forgetting things!
Absolutely. "Before I studied the martial arts, I thought a punch was a punch and a kick was a kick. After I studed martial arts, I thought a punch was more than a punch; a kick more than a kick. When I understood the arts, I realized that a punch was a punch and a kick was a kick."
The best analogy I've ever heard for it is driving a car.
When you were a kid, you watched your parents drive, and they were just driving the car. Nothing to it.
Then you started learning to drive and suddenly it became much more than "driving a car." It was steering, braking, shifting, clutching, turn signals, mirrors, wipers, AAAAHHH!!!
After several years of driving (different people develop at different rates), it was just "driving a car" again.
Mike