Use of Imagery in the Martial Arts

Republished from Dirty Dao.

This is something that modern martial artists struggle with when it comes to the traditional martial arts:

Often the terminology in the traditional martial arts is flowery and quite physically impossible. The reason for this is that when communicating with the body (in other words, the part of the subconscious that deals with the body), telling it exactly what to do produces the wrong result. Here's a classic example:

"Straighten your spine."

The result will be that the student will tighten the muscles of the back, leading to a spine that is inflexible and, yes, bent.

"Imagine that your body is relaxed, and that it is hanging from a rope attached to the crown of the head."

The result will be that the spine will naturally straighten without losing its natural flexibility. The head will be slightly bent forward, which is necessary for a straight spine.

The second choice is actually quite impossible, but the body responds correctly.