Power and Control

 I am sure many of us, if not all of us, are familiar with the significance behind the bow that coloured belts use and the bow that black belts use (to be specific, I am talking about the bow we use when entering/leaving the mats, addressing someone, etc. Not the opening bow). With the hand placement in the black belt bow representing the balance and coexistence of both power and control, this was a concept I understood but did not fully comprehend for quite some time. Or atleast, I thought I completely comprehended it, but it turns out it was only at a surface level.

 When conducting my sparring reps this summer, I would often use a tree (as I was in the middle of the woods and had nothing better available) as a target to work on my centering and movement around a focal point. When doing this, I eventually realized that despite using most of my strength and speed in my strikes, I would consistently stop roughly an inch or so from the tree. Obviously I was not striking the tree for a reason; I am not Tigress from Kung Fu Panda. I would break my hand. But something I did not realize is that I was not thinking about not hitting the tree. I was simply striking and automatically stopping at the last second. Yet when working with soft targets, I make solid contact.

On this same note, something I realized after sparring with everyone present during class a month ago in the Level 2 Adult Class is that I do not actively adjust my power levels when I am sparring people of various experience and abilities. Again, it happens somewhat subconsciously. When adjusting my levels to my opponents, it is something that just happens. I do not consciously assess the level at which my opponent is sparring; I subconsciously do both the assessment and my own readjustment. 

I believe now that this is a better representation of what the "control and power" balance signifies. They work in harmony and exist in tandem and as you practice and experience them, you get better and more accustomed to using the two together (does that make sense?). At some point, you stop thinking about it. When discussing mastery, I believe this balance is one that you are always in pursuit of, even when it feels like you have a proper handle on it. As I continue my personal journey into intent, I believe I will continue to develop this balance and strive even further along the path to this fascinating balance.