Is it a good thing to push for numbers?

We are often told on the I Ho Chuan (IHC) team that we shouldn’t just be trying to get numbers in as though checking off tasks on a task list. We are supposed to be fully present, paying attention, doing things with intent… You get the idea, I hope. Yet, as I do the push for achieving the number goal for my sword form I’m finding that I’m still noticing things that I might not have before.

·      Should I make the “sentence” (phrase?) end here or there?

·      Can I, should I, deepen the stance(s)? Which ones?

·      Should I speed up or slow down in this part?

·      Am I swinging the sword on the correct planes?

·      Am I getting the slicing action right, everywhere that there should be one?

·      Am I blocking with the right part of the sword?

·      Am I blocking in the direction where my opponent would actually be?

·      Am I looking where I should?

·      Are things working independently, together?

·      Am I keeping the sword close to my body in the parts of the form where I should?

·      Am I facing the blade in the right direction (rather than risking cutting myself if I was using a sword with a live edge)?

·      Am I holding the sword like I would hold a bird; tight enough not to let it get away but not tight enough to harm it? Maybe that’s not right in Kung Fu, I don’t know, but it was drilled into me in fencing, where it could mean the difference between being disarmed or not.

·      Is my heel down when it’s supposed to be?

Numbers:

Pushups: 3822

Situps: 2923

Weapon Form: 624

Hand Form: 365

Random Acts of Kindness: 111

Sparring: 245

Kilometres: 1405

Memorize “Mastery”: Nothing to report

Nuture Relationships: Nothing to report

Blogging: 41

Declutter my life: Continues

Greatcoat project: No progress since last blog