Kurt Thomas, Bart Conner and Nadia Comaneci were gymnastics heroes when i was in gymnastics too.
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Sorry Tom, so much i have already said, so much here to say, i had to put this aside at first like hiding from a light that was as too bright..
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But, had to come back around as i knew i would, So..
Da'wife was asking last night if i thought learning to ride bike was a perhaps a most important life lesson growing up, as we try to watch and align 2yr. old grandkids path thru this gauntlet of life lessons; and what to make sure is in that path to be found. i said yes; partially cuz can't remember learnin'to walk and the friggin balance that took at first... But no less, bicycle, gymnastics, motorcycles and climb/rig became the Natural extension of all that. We didn't have AIDS in high school, so less alarm if some faint pink found on a paper passed down across row; as i worked out all year round to point of being called 'hamburger hands', that even seem to just crack open and start bleeding walking home in icy winters feeling like arms ripped from shoulders after practices; but always back for more! Hands about looked like feets cuz had to sand down callouses to be able to close hands fully. Another special Natural thing in Gymnastics and Climbing is weight bearing on arms and chest that human form forsakes mostly; unlike other land dwellers.
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Perhaps from my own background, but the basic lessons to me are of balance, and listening to, then adjusting bod to achieve said balance. Few things did this for me like walking, bicycle, yoga, gymnastics, motorcycle, climbing then extending same out of self to rigging, with a knowing of how those 'bodies' feel in the rig etc.
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Too many lessons to say; developing a feel for how things work, by visualizing and commanding how they work thru you as less tangible, more internalized lessons. Such internalized lessons of forces that are present in all things easily lends towards Zen-Sanskirt philosophy of the knowing achieved. Working to Iron Cross, taught respect of cos, sin like no other i think;even if took years to sort; it's all there.
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Also, in any of these things, working from can to can't (see); stressed thin to the line between can and can't (do) and what trick makes it thru to then take that trick to other places as pivotal. And do you have the grit to force self to that point, then beyond to the gold. Eventually learning to sometimes weaken or handicap self to be simply a better, more sensitive instrument of detection and sorting. For if you can vanquish easily you don't make best ranging scale; but if can get self into twilight betwixt can and can't to sift strategy, then throw thru at full force with that strategy, can be game changer! Whenever in weakened position otherwise, told my self it was for those lessons; for as Google has shown data can be king. And that the eagles claw was only as sharp as what (s)he had to draw it against; and later added to include:the angle of that draw. Very good setup fer treework, was already littlest guy, then went to land of giants were we all were the littlest, and continued..
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Even how i hold an adjustable wrench to turn into the lesser pawl, is as rotating on high bar in direction of the smaller pawl of grip (thumb) to not peel off bar at high velocity; comes from gymnastics.
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Delving into zen meditation and the book "Tao of Physics" were of the time and pivotal to align more wholly what i was doing. Focus of Intent was much later lessons extending from "The Active Side of Infinity"; in what was doing in some ways, to more purposefully focus on extending as a force aligned thru these channels.
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Balance so important, is like happiness/ doesn't want to change, is satiated. Thus, the world itself is in balance, cuz any part that isn't/wants to change, is not satiated; and the auto adjustment to balance of forces makes up the difference to show as roaming force of imbalance looking for promised rest. Like tree falling will only stop when it meets it's equal /opposite partner and is satiated in peaceful rest of balanced forces. i think that is where many of the Eastern movement exercises with philosophical lessons go, whether yoga or martial arts; they simply are not the only paths, perhaps just best documented in time. Finally, climbing and rigging trees the biggest ball busting exercise to all this, i try to share out this as it's greatest gift; tho sometimes is so deeply hammered down inside, forged in careful folds as Samurai sword that made up each layer and pounded down; can take a while to unravel to sort and show.
