Below is an excerpt from a post at Zen Sekai - Japan 2 @ 70, regarding the authors's reflections on his many faceted approach to his own personal training. The full post may be read here.
I always enjoyed Kali, working with a partner, feeling the rhythm, the practical flow.
When I first took an interest in it, it was back in Los Angeles, not far from the Tai Mantis school I was training at.
The
Kali Academy, founded by Danny Inosanto, had a reputation. Mostly
because of the students who wanted to be the next Bruce Lee; he had
taught there, Jeet Kune Do.
There was a friendly rivalry between our schools. Someone once asked me, “What do you want with that stick-fighting stuff?”
I laughed, because I already knew the answer: the same thing I wanted from everything, understanding through motion.
Chiang Mai , The Yearly Return
Recently, during my yearly training pilgrimage to Chiang
Mai, I made a pleasant discovery: a Kali school tucked away in the same
city where I usually study Wu-style Tai Chi.
I started Wu Tai Chi
years ago after learning it was more internally focused than Yang, yet
still retained combat practicality…a kind of bridge between stillness
and application. Another big plus in Chiang Mai is that my teacher
speaks English, and I have partner to train with. That might sound
small, but it makes a world of difference.
Even when I work with
my own students, the experience is different. Their foundation is built
on what I taught them. When training in a new style or under a different
system, I have to dial back both skill and ego. That’s often harder
than learning a new move.
Keeping the cup empty, that’s the real discipline.
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