VKR 02: Weighing Water

 As I was having a hard time thinking of a blog topic this week, I figured it was a good opportunity for the next entry into my VKR series.

One of my biggest struggle areas is forms and techniques that require my water visualization, which is why I am starting with it. In essence, I believe water is the visualization that embodies soft flow and a balance between high velocity intensity and perfect stillness (if that makes sense?). Although I believe in this concept, I struggle reaching it.

My visualization of water has always naturally been akin to a waterfall or a whirlpool rather than a calm stream. As such, my soft forms and techniques have always felt, well, not soft. I feel heavy and crushing and I would rather feel smooth and clear, y'know? This understanding is part of why I have begun to develop my VKR; instead of fixing the issue by adjusting how I operate, I believe benefit may be found in adjusting my visualization (considering I wrote a small novel on this in the first VKR blog, I won't press this matter much further here). How I am doing so can be roughly displayed in the following "equation";

Water visualization attributes I have: heavy weight, medium velocity, hard flow, pressure

Water visualization attributes I want: light-medium weight, medium-high velocity, soft flow, smoothness

Adjustments required: Reducing the weight of the visualization while maintaining the existing velocity and intensity as much as possible

Intended outcome of these adjustments: The reduction of weight while maintaining intensity will force my flow to become softer, without losing strength.

The visualization I have been using for the time being has been snow. It maintains the speed, velocity, and intensity I desire while drastically reducing it's weight, allowing it to flow smoothly, softly, and freely. I have begun to apply this technique to my weapons form, moving in such a way that allows my vectors to rapidly change directions while moving forwards, similar to a snowflake caught in the wind. As snow is also a form of water, I figured it was an appropriate approach, at least for the time being. Once I have this visualization properly formed in my weapon, I plan on adapting and adjusting it to see if I can use it for Tai Chi, or if it is at least a step in the right direction. 

I apologize for how discombobulated this blog is, it has been a hectic couple of weeks with the school year wrapping up and all. My brain is a little mushy right now; I sat in the black belt class meeting room for several minutes yesterday before my mother informed me spring break was a thing. Whoops.