The Forest: Serene and Powerful

It has been quite some time since my last Visualization to Kinetic Representation (VKR) post. When I first started initially working on my VKR series, my plan was to use blogging as a way to record my “research” and aid me in my search for the Visualization which best represents my Kung Fu. To be completely honest, I anticipated this to be a very arduous journey. I was expecting blank after blank and to be so frustrated I would want to change my perspective altogether. I guess you could say I got lucky; it did not take me long at all to figure out what I needed.

I spent four months living in a forest in the middle of nowhere this summer. I talked about it quite a bit in previous blogs; the serenity of living and training in a location that was in a very natural state. As I was doing my forms in a clearing in the woods, it had occurred to me; the forest is my visualization. One of the biggest struggles with VKR that I mentioned in my initial posting is that I could not quickly change gears between different visualizations. Another struggle is that my many visualizations did not embody the whole of me. Using the forest fixed both of these problems relatively quickly.

For issue number one, I have broken it down as follows. A forest is not a concrete or singular entity; it comprises many living organisms and habitats and is in a state of constant change. As such, I can “hone in” on different aspects of a forest to use for my different intents. Previously, when shifting from Tai Chi to Lao Gar, I would switch from a Water visualization to an Earth one, which resulted in a muddy blend. Now, I can make that same transition by shifting from the visualization of a creek bubbling in the woods (Tai Chi) to an animal dashing through the trees (Lao Gar). Two different settings, tied closely together. 

As for having a visualization that properly represents me, I think the forest also is a very appropriate fit. It is an environment in which I am very passionate about; I have chosen a career that lets me take an active role in protecting and managing it. It is also an environment I have grown up in very close proximity to (quite literally, in my backyard). As such, I like to think I can visualize it very efficiently. 

After I realized that this could be my golden goose, I applied it to my weapon form. Lo and behold, the shoe fit. Since then, I have been able to break down the moves of my forms into very specific, individual visualizations that allow me to channel my intent significantly smoother than I ever have before. Since each individual visualization is a different “snapshot” of an event which occurs within a forest, I can cycle through them with ease and coherence. While this has been easy to do with my weapon form, the next step will be to begin applying it to the rest of my forms and techniques. 

I believe this is the essence of my personalization; an aspect of my Kung Fu which is uniquely me.