I have recently began a quest to learn more about the art of TaiChi. This interest is not really something new. Many, many years ago I had a guest instructor come teach Taichi. Maybe it was not the right time for me, maybe he was not the right instructor for me, or maybe and most likely I was not patient enough to learn. Whatever the case at the time, the practice did not resonate with me. I have been fortunate to find a teacher who does resonate with me. It doesn’t hurt that he is also a Jiujitsu Black Belt and among those who he teaches are military special operators. TaiChi is considered more of an internal martial art. The focus is on the internal versus the external. The concept of internal vs. external focus can apply to many areas of our lives. Another example of internal vs. external focus can be seen in our physical training system. I have recently been encouraging people to embrace internalization in their training. In Ken Hutchin’s book, The SuperSlow Technical Manual, he describes the idea of internalization. In summary, he states that you are not competing against the weight but focusing internally on engaging the proper muscles to take them to fatigue and thorough inroad in order to stimulate a positive hormetic response. He even says that with advanced training, the true training begins when you reach failure. If you would like to dig a little deeper into Ken’s perspective, you can read pages 113 and 114 from Chapter 25 in his book. This internal focus is exactly what we are encouraging when we say that the Primary Objective of the exercise is muscle stimulation not simply the often assumed objective of moving a weight for a certain number of reps. I also find it fascinating that some of the basic teaching in TaiChi also align directly with our “Three Simple Things.”Posture/AlignmentBreathMovement Speed/IntentionInternal vs. external focus is certainly not relegated to physical training. I think it is especially easy in this day and age to have a general focus on the external. With constant distractions such as social media, cell phones, television, etc. constantly demanding our attention, it is easy to live a distracted life. As a result of this distraction, we often avoid internal focus and self-reflection. The attention economy, as it is called, is a 7 trillion dollar a year business. Click here for an old segment on “Brain Hacking” from 60 minutes that looks at this concept. As I learn more, I look forward to sharing more, so that, your training can be much more than an opportunity to become stronger but one where you can come to know your true self. |