Programmed Muscle Memory
Muscle memory to me is just as powerful as thought memory and this is determined by action that simply becomes involuntary, like blinking your eyes or breathing. You don't have to think about it, it just happens. The same could be said for repetitive actions when performing day to day activities. Once the task begins your body reacts and moves on it's own and away we go due to continuous repetitive movements. Programmed muscle memory is great because we can include thought, or not, while going about our business and this provides the ability to change on the fly, or options needed. It can however, be detrimental to martial arts progress and requires a lot of repetitions to correct....like a lot. They seem to have very strong memories and when programmed for years become very stubborn to change. You change things up but they always seem to go back to the original train of action. This is where the hard work through repetitions comes in.
I noticed this past week while practicing my forms and heavy bag work, and especially my axe, that I am using more upper body again and I'm becoming tense while transitioning. I know exactly why, programmed muscle memory. As said before I am working on a bridge and it is bull work and for 20 years as an Ironworker the upper body and the legs are used steady, but there is no connection between the two such as the center we utilize in Kung Fu. So the go to for years has been the upper body and that has always reflected in my Kung Fu when I started to train in the art.
My muscle memory has reverted back to what it knows and how to adapt to the change of familiar repetitive action. I have been training quite a bit the last while basing everything from the center out, but a few weeks of bull work has knocked me back a few steps.
The good part to all of this though is because of all the training and repetitions I have managed to get in and the growth of awareness in relation to my Kung Fu lately, I have already started to reprogram and the base is created. If I can start to train myself to base everything from the center out, not just in my Kung Fu, but in my work as well; then my Kung Fu will be with me at all times and the reprogramming of muscle memory will succeed. If I can move and react this way and practice this repetition through this thought and action it will become natural. I really hope my theory works because at the moment my body doesn't know what to do or think!
The last few days of the week I did my best to start all actions from the center out. For example when I'm working off girders or angel wings swinging a sledge while driving drift pins, using my wrenches and sleever bar or on the grounding picking up steel and throwing it around, packing timbers or whatever else comes into the picture. It's kind of neat actually once I started to introduce it all together. It may be a long shot but I guess we'll see what this upcoming week brings.
One last thing to mention also was the amazing Kung Fu I witnessed yesterday while watching the Tiger Challenge. All of the students that have adapted their Kung Fu to the limited space and modifying their forms so they could compete in tight quarters was beyond impressive. Some have been learning most of it on line and that in itself is incredible, good on you all. I'd have to say no one skipped a beat and the individual signatures, dedication and hard work was pretty damn cool as well. But none of this would happen if it weren't for our Sifu's that are so commited to the school, the success of it's students, and the art. They found a way to make it happen, rolled the dice and took the risk to hold a virtual tournament. As far as I know nobody tried this, awesomeness indeed. Thanks to you all for your time and efforts, they are beyond appreciated. See you on the screen.
Brian Chervenka
