Redemption through Connection

Let's be honest. Life ain't easy. You're going to get gut punched, heart stomped, and at some point doubt whether the whole process is worthwhile. In the end we "lose", we end up broken, bed-ridden and fade away, that is if you are lucky and don't get hit by a truck.

Part of the struggle in life is to find something to make it worthwhile. That is what "redemption" is all about. You find something to make your little flash in the pan worth something. This is a deep, personal question and I am sure there are an infinite number of answers, many of which I will never know nor understand.

I would like to offer one "answer" that seems to be universal and that is connection. First we have to connect to life itself. That means letting go and fully experiencing the world around you through the senses, the body and through emotion.

Emotion may be the most important part of being human as it is quite simply a reaction to living. Emotions must be fully embraced and allowed to flow. Modern life has a way of pushing people into their heads and giving them reasons to clamp down on emotion. You can spend your life worrying, wishing and planning rather than experiencing. This route leads to malaise in your younger years and eventually leads to insanity. I see it all the time.

You have to breathe naturally and relax the body and get out of your head as much as possible. Yeah, it's the whole "live in the moment" thing. You have to do it while you are relaxing, walking, talking, doing your taxes, fucking and, of course, fighting.

Once you are paying attention directly to reality rather than your mental map of it, life becomes richer and more beautiful and makes a lot more sense. When you are fully opened and have your attention directed outward to the world around you, you can start to connect to other people as well. You can have those amazing fulfilling conversations that are so much fun. You can dance with someone and experience something so fulfilling that you walk around for a couple of days just smiling. You can get together with someone to accomplish something and create a collaborative cooperation that is greater than just two people. You can truly love another person.

When you don't find a way to really connect with people, they can seem to be obstacles more than anything. When you do connect with them, it easy to see how people make life worth living.

As I continue to post about the details of wing chun or fighting, I would like to make something clear. This connection I am talking about is at the heart of the art as I see it. If it isn't there, not only will it not work, there is really no point of doing it. I use wing chun as a way to study the principles of connection and interaction rather than the other way around.

Also, if you have trouble letting go and connecting with people, there are probably good reasons for it. Nothing inherently wrong with you. It may take time to overcome these obstacles. Its not as easy as just saying "I am going to let go and really feel my emotions and connect with people." I will try to offer some suggestions in the future. The first suggestion is if you are locked up in your head in thinking loops, check to see if you are breathing relaxed and naturally.