Repetition - Boring? Not!

Repetition does not necessarily mean to "do the same thing over and over again with out deviation." That statement is worth "repeating."

Repetitive practice has more variety and we all know variety is the spice of life or in our case as martial artist's, the lifeblood of repetitive practice.

Lets take a side trip for a moment.

In the ken-po goku-i the first two lines talk of paths and circulation. Heaven, Earth and Human's to coexist harmoniously and to exist follow natures path "repetitively." The blood circulating, as referenced to nature by the Earth, Moon and Sun circulating through the cosmos as a repetitive task.

It the blood, in a literal sense, fails in its repetitive tasks, we cease to exist. If the Sun, Moon or Earth deviate or cease to continue repetitively to follow its continuous and repetitive cycles around one another they cease to exist or at a minimum support life.

All of this is a constant, continuous and repetitive process.

Yet, we have seasons; yet, we have weather; yet, we have tides .... We have night and day along with other variations occurring while continuing to the same old repetitive orbits, rotations and circulations.

If not for all these variation the Universe would indeed by boring. No season, no night and day, just round and round and round - boring.

BUT, if we peek beyond the surface of repetitive literal practice we find depth and breadth in practice, for beyond the same old boring repetitive practice.

Chakusen Irimi is a good example. In the beginning of one modern form of sportive competitive combat those combatants used this chakusen irimi as the dominating form of conquer and win. Soon, it became well known and thus well overcome so those same folks who spurned variety of repetitive tactics came back to the classic form of martial arts and now incorporate shifting, etc. into their repertoire of tactics.

If you don't deviate the threat or opponent will see it, change their response and intent to that tactic and thus achieve victory over your dogmatic and repetitive combination of techniques.

In practice and training imagery, visualization and tori-uke one-step to free style application of encoded by repetitive practice such things as basics achieve a realization that through varied repetitive practice a new ability to see or hear inspirational discovery of more bunkai is achievable and desired. Bunkai of basics and kata are at least a level of three techniques each yet through inspired discovery you achieve more as you imagine, visualize and apply them in chaotic free fighting/sparring/training that more rises up like a batter rises to the heat for a full, delicious and complete cake with frosting and all the other more feel good desserts.

Repetition is not just a dogmatic, strict and boring set of moves but a set of moves that open doors to additions and improvements discovered only as an individual can through an open awareness that promotes inspired discovery with out outside influences - the mind is truly a wonder when you achieve proficiency in this manner, repetitive practice.