Listening

We all have habits in how we move that are actually hindering our progress in the art and can even be harmful to our overall health. We become so accustomed to these habits that we lose sight of what our bodies are trying to tell us. This can be seen everywhere you go.

Look at posture for example, how often do you see others walking around with their shoulders slouched forward instead of relaxed and back, or their toes pointed outward instead of ahead while walking or standing.

When practicing kung fu, your body will tell you if your are not properly aligned, you will feel that something is off, but only if you are listening. If you do not pay attention or even choose to ignore it, it will become more difficult to overcome the longer you leave it. In order to improve you must actively listen to what your body is telling you all the time.

For example, if you kick improperly, this causes unnecessary strain on your hip. Over time this strain turns into damage and overtime the damage becomes more difficult to heal without intervention. This is why it is so important to fix the error sooner than later. When you feel strain on your hip, you are probably executing the technique wrong and need to evaluate how you are doing it. Even once you come up with a plan and adjust your approach, you must still listen to your body to determine if the right action was taken. Re-evaluate, adjust, repeat.