Kata Connection
May. 5th, 2012 07:37 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
blairmacgIt has taken me ten thousand words to discover the karate book has a trio of recurring challenges: stumbling through transitions, facing the imposter syndrome, and the struggle I have with process-versus-results. The sledgehammer of realization came when relating my struggles with kata: the manner in which I learn and refine my forms reflects how I approach life. Suddenly and at last, I have a structure for this book.
Then I thought about Chant, and realized its characters often struggle with transitions, processes, and some form of the imposter syndrome. Then I thought about the characters in written and outline-only novels I've been working on--the Indy project, my old Velshaan novels, the Drunk, the Slaughterer, and so forth--and even my shorter works. All but two (I think) focus on resisting/ignoring/facing transitions, process and/or imposter syndrome.
How odd, suddenly realizing what the writing projects of two decades have in common.
Over the past six months or so, I've been aspiring to approach life differently. Oddly enough, that's the same span of time I've been training kata in an entirely different manner. Sensei must be sick to death of telling me to yield, to relax my chest, to move rather than step. "No tension--BAM!--no tension," is his instruction. When I get it right, it doesn't feel as if I worked hard enough to generate as much power as I am. It feels like magic.
I'm looking forward to ther aspects of my life feeling as such.
Perhaps this discovery of theme and connections is the underlying reason I wanted--needed--to work on this project above all others.
Wax on, wax off.
Makes sense, yes.
Then I thought about Chant, and realized its characters often struggle with transitions, processes, and some form of the imposter syndrome. Then I thought about the characters in written and outline-only novels I've been working on--the Indy project, my old Velshaan novels, the Drunk, the Slaughterer, and so forth--and even my shorter works. All but two (I think) focus on resisting/ignoring/facing transitions, process and/or imposter syndrome.
How odd, suddenly realizing what the writing projects of two decades have in common.
Over the past six months or so, I've been aspiring to approach life differently. Oddly enough, that's the same span of time I've been training kata in an entirely different manner. Sensei must be sick to death of telling me to yield, to relax my chest, to move rather than step. "No tension--BAM!--no tension," is his instruction. When I get it right, it doesn't feel as if I worked hard enough to generate as much power as I am. It feels like magic.
I'm looking forward to ther aspects of my life feeling as such.
Perhaps this discovery of theme and connections is the underlying reason I wanted--needed--to work on this project above all others.
Wax on, wax off.
Makes sense, yes.
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Date: 2012-05-06 12:37 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-05-07 01:03 am (UTC)While touring the country in an old RV. With my kid and my dogs.
Yep, I've officially gone nuts.
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Date: 2012-05-07 01:04 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-05-07 01:10 am (UTC)