From the Mind of An Archer #4
For this month's edition I decided to look again and share with you the LittleBig Waves: Hip Switches video from 2 years ago. I believe that this video offers a potent principle and a few exercises which are perfect for trying and researching at home.
So if you haven't seen the video yet please watch it before you continue reading.
Since I've made this video I have been researching and developing some underlying concepts further and would like to add a couple of points which might help you integrate the ideas that are in the video into your own practice.
First, hip switches in relation to perception.
Inspired by the works of Juhani Pallasma, Barbara Tversky and Morris Berman I have slowly began questioning the connection between our ability to move in the world and our ability to experience the world. This connection can seem obvious but extracting pedagogical conclusions which influence the choice of movements and the design of a practice shouldn't be taken for granted.
I've found that the consideration of the word 'mind' as a verb rather than a noun is a good beginning for integrating this theory with a practice. This implies that every concept or definition, whether it is sensual or mental is being broken down within us into a spatial idea. Learning something is moving towards it, forgetting something is creating distance and practicing is carrying and idea with us. Logical thought in that sense, is based on the distances of ideas from our definition of ourselves or in other words, proprioception is a key for understanding how we grasp both what is around us and what is within us.
My ability to articulate this theory is quite limited due to the rather short time I have been moving with it, but I will continue to develop this and hopefully will share more in the future.
Then, practically and in relation to the video.
The hip switch is an essential coordination in my practice. It connects to my theory about perception through two main aspects: Gravity and Proximity.
If I establish a position and find a way to use my contact with the floor (or any surface for that matter) to switch my hips, I actually change both the gravitational forces on my structure and my distance to the floor without actually changing the position. A change of direction in the center of the mass without a change of the connectivity between the surface and our physical structure.
Technically, it is a subtle bio-mechanical shift that initiates a big change in essential information and force. I think this is very useful for adapting patterns and positions into larger or smaller spaces.
Having the ability to change the direction of my hips often, or more often than I would in an open space, has helped me a lot to adapt my movement practice to the small space of my living room in the last month of quarantine.
Try to think about the relationship between the information I present in the video and the principles of Proximity and Distance. Try to observe how it opens up more possibilities in adapting the movement to the space in which it is practiced.
After the embodiment of those ideas, it might seem like a representation of your own mind moving in a smaller (or bigger) space.
Nowadays I believe more and more that the skilful way which I find practical principles that increase my freedom to move, directly affects my personality, my decision making and my vision towards my daily life. It is still challenging to prove or articulate logically but hopefully, minding my body and minding my life slowly integrate into a coherent and clear perception.