UTF BASIC TRAINING PRINCIPLES
These principles apply to our martial arts training as well as to improving our total life.
Awareness - through ever-expanding levels of self, of others, of situation.
Relaxation - enhances power, agility, speed of response, decision making, and reduces wasted energy. (See “The Force to Knock Over a Bull” and “Power Robbers” for a more thorough discussion.)
Timing - refers to various expanding levels of interaction. An early level might be the proper timing of a person’s own muscles to produce an effective technique or action. Another level would be a person’s timing of their actions to another person’s for effective sparring or teamwork. A more extended level of timing would be a person ordering their actions and accomplishments in order to have the most effect in the world around them. Proper timing enables a person to achieve the most effect for the effort expended.
Realistic Application - is the idea that what the student is doing has a real-world application beyond exercise, and that practice and training should be done in such a way as to best fulfill that purpose for a student’s current skill level. Realistic application is the standard against which techniques, methods and ideas can be measured in order to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of training.
Repetition - underlies all other principles. Our principles, techniques and tools can only be mastered through aware repetition. Our minds must know and our bodies must know, and be sufficiently trained to be able to respond automatically whenever needed.
UTF ADVANCED TRAINING PRINCIPLES
are based on Basic Training Principles, and a certain degree of mastery
of them is necessary before these advanced principles can be approached.
Integration - is the idea that the principles of force, power and training need to be used simultaneously in the proper balance and proportion to realize the maximum effect possible. For example, twisting the hips to power a technique will be most effective when the mind, body and spirit are centered, relaxed, focused, and all other principles are contributing to the effort.
Spontaneous Adaptability - the ability to “be in the moment” and act according to that moment’s needs without distraction from past events or future plans.
Flow - force is managed physically with the least amount of damage when changes in position and direction are made smoothly; this applies to our joints, to personal encounters and to our lives. Our lives are the most rewarding when the coordinated forces of our mind, body and spirit can unselfconsciously respond and interact with the world around us, united in the flow of life.
2-15-08