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| Water |
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| Profiling Water |
| Symbolism |
The Water is the symbol of things in a liquid (reactive) state.
| Body Language |
A person embodying the Water attitude usually has a voice which is openly emotional and registers excitable tones. Their body language will often exhibit nervousness or anxiousness.
| Personality |
They will appear followers rather than leaders. They hide from criticism, avoid humiliation or embarrassment, and like to "fit in," or "go with the flow." They have a pronounced need for affection. They are often hyper-sensitive, secretive and moody. They may feel hatred at someone who they feel threatens them. They can be reflective, private, emotional, compassionate, instinctive.
| Fears |
They dislike situations that make them feel threatened.
| Desires |
They desire comfort and contact.
| Psychological Faculty |
They rely on their feelings for discovering the truth.
| Subjective Feeling |
During combat they feel defensive, cautious, unreachable.
| Body Motion |
Their centre of gravity will appear to be in their abdomen, their movement will be characterised by rocking or hinging motions, and retreating footwork.
Embodying Water
In order to apply WATER TACTICS successfully, the warrior should be in a WATER state of mind. The Kuji Kiri (mental focusing) process that follows is designed to develop through stimulus-response conditioning a "trigger" for entrance into a WATER state. Alternatively, step 1 can be replaced with visualisation of a SNAKE (or another animal that embodies the WATER principle).
1. Imagine your body is an OCEAN, with WAVES swelling and then crashing onto a beach.
2. Inhale for a count of eight seconds, hold for three seconds, then exhale forcefully. Pause for three seconds, then re-cycle. (LONG IN - SHORT OUT).
3. When feelings of flexibility, adaptability and responsiveness are at their strongest, touch your thumbs together with your ring fingers, forming two circles. Simultaneously say "I am the WATER."
4. Release your fingers and when ready, slowly rise.
5. Break your state by briskly walking for a few seconds.
6. Test your "anchor" for the Water state by forming the finger circles once again, as you recite the vow "I am the WATER." If it has been successful you will experience feelings of flexibility, adaptability and responsiveness. If you do not enter the WATER state, recycle to step 1.
| When next you are feeling unresponsive, rigid, or enmeshed in excessive thought during sparring (or real combat), and desire to be more responsive, "going with the flow," fire off your trigger for the WATER state. |
| Water Tactics |
Countering
Countering is the defensive tactic associated with the Water (Reactive) Attitude. The counter consists of a parry or block followed by an immediate counterattack. The Water fighter waits for the opponent to attack, then attempts to shield against that attack and then counter strike or kick to the targets that have opened. While the counter is a common tactic in martial arts, it suffers as a result of the delay between block and counter. There are two types of counters, the Riposte (a single counter off the blocking/parrying limb); and the Reprise (a combination counter following an initial block).
Drawing
The Water Fighter prefers counterattack over purely offensive strategies. Consequently, the tactic of Drawing is preferred over direct attack. Drawing involves changes in Posturing, deliberately making available a target by dropping or raising one's guard, inviting an opponent's attack to the open area. By making a target available in this way, the Water Fighter is able to predict where their opponent is going to attack, and so is able to have a counter ready. The Drawer should initiate their counter the moment they are certain the attacker has taken the bait. An attack can also be drawn through Distancing, by leaning forward or extending a limb offering a target, making the opponent think you are closer than you really are, thus forcing them to strike out.
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