Introduction
We have 1013 cells (twelve round trips around the moon) and we carry perhaps as many microbes. 80 or so organs carries by over 200 bones held together some 600 muscles and a mass of lubricated tendons and ligaments, all with variable elasticity and shape. The whole is a massive ferment of barely understood chemical and electrical activity ordered into countless elaborate feedback systems.
Objectives
Our training is to improve health and well-being by developing the fundamental habits of correct breathing, relaxation, posture and balance. It is simple and undemanding and suitable for all ages and is drawn from many sources and a great deal of practical experience with tai chi, aikido, systema, and yoga.
Fundamentals
Fundamentals – without correct breathing, you cannot relax properly, without complete relaxation you cannot move properly, without correct movement you cannot adopt correct posture, and without correct posture you are using your body badly – wearing it out prematurely.
Oxygen is the most important thing in our lives – a few minutes without it and we die. Our cells have evolved to deal with any interference to the oxygen supply by stopping their normal work and preparing for emergency action and we become stressed. This is a vital and very ancient safety mechanism but we overuse it by habitually stopping breathing when we do not need to – that grunt/sigh when you sit down, stand up, bend over etc gives it away. Continually subjecting ourselves to such needless, albeit low-level stress, radically reduces our efficiency and wears us out/kills us, prematurely.
You cannot be too relaxed – every least part of you, at all times. Tension tires and slows us and impairs awareness, intuition and response by overusing our immune system which had to spend time dealing with avoidable damage instead of doing its proper job – looking after us
Without relaxation you cannot move properly and without correct movement you cannot achieve correct posture. A rigid object transmits impact through itself. You need to respond like a tree in the wind not a steel column! Whatever the impact – mental or physical – relax and check your breathing (see below).
Your posture should be such that you use the least effort to perform any task – standing, walking, fighting, putting the kettle on – softness in all things, at all times.