It Makes Sense Today...We'll See About Tomorrow

I am hesitant to admit out loud that I am making progress with my side heel.  After many repetitions, I am feeling more balanced, more centered, more grounded and overall, more confident.  I have not mastered anything, but I am making headway.  In fact, I felt a shift the other day where I knew, undeniably, that I had thrown a few kicks that were strong and pure.  It felt as though I had no other thoughts in my head other than my heel making impact with my target and every other part of my body just did what it needed to do.  My efforts continue and I hope to make those pure kicks outweigh the others.

Further to this, I realize I am also developing my understanding of the 6 harmonies, specifically when it comes to Intent.

Initially we learn the individual steps of a technique.  In this case, the side heel.

Bow stance. Crane.  Pivot.  Kick.  Pivot.  Crane.  Bow stance.  

Along with this, we have many details we are trying to remember and implement as well.  

Guards up.  Drive from hip.  Toes down.  Blade foot.  Heel out. 

Slowly, over time and with many repetitions, these individual moves and details start to become more fluid.  

Bow Stance, crane, pivot, kick, pivot, crane, bow stance.

Guards up, drive from hip, toes down, blade foot, heel out.

Then, after more time and more repetitions, 

Bowstancecranepivotkickpivotcranebowstanceguardsupdrivefromhiptoesdownbladefootheelout.

And then, hopefully, we eventually start to approach it as one motion, rather than several.  The separate moves and the separate details within those moves, become one...

Side Heel Kick

But it's not that each move and detail is no longer there, it's just that they are happening so quickly, so fluidly, so harmoniously, that it feels like one pure technique.

And I started to think that perhaps intent works, and develops, in this same way.

With each and every physical component in a technique...with each and every fine detail...there is intent.  Many, many little moments of different intent.  But again, over time, as we complete more and more repetitions, these many bits of intent become more and more fluid...the transitions between each happen faster and faster...perhaps some even start to happen simultaneously....until, just like with the physical part of a technique, it will eventually seem like one single intent.  Again, it's not that those original bits of intent are gone, they are just working in such complete harmony that it feels like there was really only one intent from the start.

Why is this important?  I can't say for sure because my brain is tired from all the thinking.  I can see some other thoughts veering off on different tangents, but I will refrain from following them just now.

But I do think that because I didn't really understand how complex intent was, I found myself trying to almost force my intent to get my desired outcome.  Not realizing that I need to develop my intent, just like I would develop physical skill.  I always thought of "pure intent" as just one single focus.  But I think when our intent is pure, it's more that all the many bits of different intent are working in perfect harmony.  And that will take time.

I also think that when technique is pure and intent is pure, that's when those rare moments of perfection happen....those rare moments of effortless effort.

Although I could also be dead wrong about all of this.  But it makes sense today.