Solid, Liquid or Gaseous - Heterogeneous Training and Practice of Martial Systems

I have posted on the three phases of training and practice. I wanted to use a metaphor to help me understand the process and maybe you will find it useful and helpful in your dojo.

All of us have begun at the same level - solid. That is a rigidly followed path where you do exactly what you are taught for a long, repetitive and somewhat boring time. You have to spend the time here the most simply because it lays the foundation, the fundamental principles of the martial system. The shame of this is most dojo never realized for a number of reasons that this is a transitional state but due to the lack of awareness have remained in the solid state for their entire career's. This solid state must start to transform into a liquid state.

The liquid state is where the practitioner turns up the heat to forge a unique practice of martial systems, their system of choice - the system that is the foundation laid on the ground work done with the fundamental principles. This state or stage begins when a person reaches the level of Sho-dan, the initial stage of the black belt levels. If you have studied the philosophy of Bruce Lee you know he advocated a system that goes beyond the dogmatic adherence to specific patterns - the patterns are the blueprints that lead to the liquid state of practice.

As you progress and literally create ad-hoc a personally unique application of your system you begin to go beyond the liquid and due to the increased heat of forging the mind, body and spirit you start to reach a more gaseous state. The gaseous state is even less restrictive in nature where solids remain in a rock like form, liquid then allows to reach into the cracks and crevices exposed in the solid state filling them until the solid disappears completely leaving only liquid where continued efforts slowly heat to past the point where liquid can remain intact thus gaseous. Gaseous permeates everything and everywhere beyond that of liquid.

Liquid is still held to the gravity pulling it to the lowest levels within and around the solid slowly eroding it to simply liquid but gaseous is that state and ability that transcends any rules of the Earth allowing it to flow freely up, down, left, right and into any and everything on the Earth and in the Heavens which translates a state that is totally mushin, zanshin and present moment spontaneity.

Solid to Liquid and finally to Gaseous - enlightened application of martial systems in life! Heterogeneous - diversity of character, content and substance in the different phases of martial practice and training.