Odd ducks and investing in loss
The temperatures are approaching nice in these parts. The days are still warm, but the mornings and evenings are not at all bad, and this morning my walk to the coffee joint was absolutely pleasant.
There's an interesting woman at the next table, wizened, somewhere between middle and old age. She's reading the newspaper, not drinking anything, and has a large, overstuffed suitcase beside her. Today she's dressed in a rather elegant, long, royal blue velour dress. The last time I saw her here, it was a totally groovy striped mini-dress with calf-high gogo boots.
An odd duck, but she exhibits only a few alarming behaviors.
***
We've got some new white belts at the kung fu school, a trio of guys that have all trained in muay thai. I've sparred one of them and spoken with another, and I don't think they understand how we spar at our school. They want to win, and it's not supposed to be about winning.
At my kempo school, it was about winning. There, we did tournament-style points sparring. Two points for a kick, one point for a hit, first person to five points wins. At the kung fu school, sparring is not competition. It's practice. It's learning. Instead of scoring points, we spar to practice the application of techniques. If you try a technique ten times, twenty times, thirty times, and your partner blocks your attack and gets in a counterstrike every time, it's okay. Losing is fine. We invest in loss. It's how we learn and advance. It's hell on the ego, but many people invest too much in ego. I certainly do. (I think there's much wisdom in this approach, this idea of investing in loss, and I've been trying to generalize these lessons to the rest of my life recently. But I guess pursuing a career as a writer requires similar investment, which is one I've been willing to make for years and years.)
So, when one of these muay thai guys was bragging to me about his sparring conquests, I had to walk away. It's not my place to correct his attitude, but I hope he gets it, and soon.
***
But, oh! We've got a four-hour sparring class Saturday in the park! I'm gonna be so beat, and so beaten up. But I can't wait!
***
Shaolingrrl has a much more cogent entry about martial arts and writing that I commend to your attention.
***
Okay, when I wasn't looking, the lady at the next table changed her outfit. Long-sleeved blue shirt, black skirt, black socks and shoes. I hope she changed in the restroom.
There's an interesting woman at the next table, wizened, somewhere between middle and old age. She's reading the newspaper, not drinking anything, and has a large, overstuffed suitcase beside her. Today she's dressed in a rather elegant, long, royal blue velour dress. The last time I saw her here, it was a totally groovy striped mini-dress with calf-high gogo boots.
An odd duck, but she exhibits only a few alarming behaviors.
***
We've got some new white belts at the kung fu school, a trio of guys that have all trained in muay thai. I've sparred one of them and spoken with another, and I don't think they understand how we spar at our school. They want to win, and it's not supposed to be about winning.
At my kempo school, it was about winning. There, we did tournament-style points sparring. Two points for a kick, one point for a hit, first person to five points wins. At the kung fu school, sparring is not competition. It's practice. It's learning. Instead of scoring points, we spar to practice the application of techniques. If you try a technique ten times, twenty times, thirty times, and your partner blocks your attack and gets in a counterstrike every time, it's okay. Losing is fine. We invest in loss. It's how we learn and advance. It's hell on the ego, but many people invest too much in ego. I certainly do. (I think there's much wisdom in this approach, this idea of investing in loss, and I've been trying to generalize these lessons to the rest of my life recently. But I guess pursuing a career as a writer requires similar investment, which is one I've been willing to make for years and years.)
So, when one of these muay thai guys was bragging to me about his sparring conquests, I had to walk away. It's not my place to correct his attitude, but I hope he gets it, and soon.
***
But, oh! We've got a four-hour sparring class Saturday in the park! I'm gonna be so beat, and so beaten up. But I can't wait!
***
Shaolingrrl has a much more cogent entry about martial arts and writing that I commend to your attention.
***
Okay, when I wasn't looking, the lady at the next table changed her outfit. Long-sleeved blue shirt, black skirt, black socks and shoes. I hope she changed in the restroom.
4 Comments:
Shooter never came back, did he?
By Jon Hansen, at Fri Sep 22, 10:42:00 AM MST
Oh, no, Shooter is there almost every day. He seems much less threatening to me now, but that might just be because I'm used to his presence. And probably he's merely a bit odd, rather than actually threatening.
By Greg van Eekhout, at Fri Sep 22, 11:06:00 AM MST
I aspire to be that lady one day.
By jackie m., at Fri Sep 22, 09:48:00 PM MST
There were moments when I aspired to be that lady today.
By Greg van Eekhout, at Fri Sep 22, 09:54:00 PM MST
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