Dojo Wisdom for Writers

I'm still enjoying this book by Jennifer Lawler. Just about every chapter title is a bit of wisdom that applies both to my study of martial arts and to my work as a writer.

Like "Let your intuition speak," and "Aiki, the impassive mind, brings strength," and "Self-consciousness prevents action."

One chapter I looked at last night, though, impressed me as a martial artist. In "Find your Passion" (that title is advice for life that I firmly believe in), Lawler describes a friend whose passion is forms. But this person knows more about forms than anyone I know! Listen:

She can do every form she ever learned (dozens of them) backward, forward, reverse, according to count ("Do the sixth move of Choryo form. Now the seventh move of Dan Gun"), eyes closed, mirror image, practically any variation you could think of.

I had a ballet instructor, Carol, who made us do this with "combinations," the little bits of dance we do in class. I used to cringe when she called out "OK now, reverse it!"

I am very glad we do not practice this in TKD!