Training Consciousness to be "There"
Day 2 Afternoon | GM Sam F.S. Chin Annual Intensive | Fishkill, NY
The afternoon session shifts focus from the mechanics of the body to the mechanics of the mind. Training is not about "doing" a technique, but about maintaining the consciousness required to see things as they are.
The Goal of Conscious Training
In training, the primary obstacle is the tendency to fall back into reflex. When attention is weak, the mind retreats into past habits to "succeed" in an interaction.
Cultivation vs. Performance: Real improvement comes from staying conscious through the experience, not from merely proving you can "do" a move.
Clarity as a Anchor: Clarity is the ability to see the difference between things. When the situation is perfectly clear, attention naturally stays "there."
Removing Distractions: There is nothing to "build" in concentration. Concentration is the natural state when nothing is pulling you away. Training is the process of recognizing what disturbs you and draws you away from the present.
"The training not only starts in the room; it starts when you open up your eyes."
The Geometry of the Half-Line
The instructor clarifies the relationship between Meeting and the Half-Line. If you are meeting the force directly, the opponent has no path to pass your line.
Meeting Direct: When you meet at 90°, you link up immediately. If you maintain this meeting, the opponent cannot get around you.
The 180° Barrier: The half-line provides a 180° field of defense. Even if an opponent attempts to move around the initial point, they are met by the "points behind"—the alignment of centers that continues to block their path.
The Defensive Point: Meeting has an inherent Fullness. This fullness is a defense point that engages the opponent's structure, preventing them from bypassing your guard.
Summary of the Instruction
To be "in the moment" is to remain at the point of contact for the purpose of knowing and changing. The sequence remains:
Flow: Maintain the point of contact.
Fend: Establish the link and the fullness of the defense point.
Align: Ensure all points behind the contact point are supporting the meeting.
