Posted by KC Elbows on July 26, 2002 at 06:56:19:
In Reply to: Re: Attention KC Elbows. posted by FERAL EXCRETIONS on July 26, 2002 at 02:45:58:
Well, awareness is a rather broad concept, so I'll give my input to what I think you are discussing, if my post is tangential to the actual topic, well, I just misunderstood.
Internal works awareness, I would agree. Probably most forms do, external or internal, but for the internal in forms practice, awareness might be equally important to the form itself.
For instance, there is a section on my internal form where you need to be looking forward, and also have awareness on the middle finger of each hand, as well as the forward leg. The reason this is important is because the leg, in action, would be feeling for a leg trap, the hands would be alternately attacking or defending in a motion that centers around the middle finger, and, of course, you should be looking in the general direction of an opponent.
However, and I'll probably get some flack for this, but I do not believe in the immediate and endless repetition of form. In my opinion, until you know a form intimately, down to and including a host of its applications, you will simultaneously be drilling correct practices AND errors into your form. Thus, for me, when I am learning a form, I have had the most success from doing a modest repetition of the form during the course of say the first year, and only drilling for long durations segments of the form that I am very strong at. Only once I have the form down pat do I feel all right drilling it for long durations. Anything else only sets back my practice by making me have to unlearn things I assumed about the form, but were erroneous.
As far as awareness and internal, it is likewise important to be aware of wandering thoughts, incorrect posture, etc. Although it is probably more correct to be aware of your surroundings in place of concentrating on NOT focusing on the wrong things, if that makes any sense.
Is this what you're getting at, or are you speaking of awareness in another sense? Perhaps more meditational?
*; =qq(