Shiva Nata Level 2 Squares
I did one round of Level 2 with Legs following the video on fast speed. I only made a couple of mistakes so I thought I’d take Havi’s advice and move on to squares. I did squares without the video. I started with the video, but your back is turned for so much of it, I just stopped it and did it myself. It’s a little tricky having to keep track of where you are yourself. After having followed the video these past few days, I now have to remember which arm is which.
And I was back to my old patters. I slow down when I get to the switch. I started feeling comfortable near the end though, and could go through the switch at full speed. The issue is that I am afraid of getting lost. I am afraid of flailing, so I intellectualize. Instead of flailing, I slow down. I don’t give my intuition a chance to learn.
Then I decided I wanted more. I hadn’t flailed enough. So I put it on Level 3. I had done level three a few times before, but not with the video. So I started on slow setting. It’s sooo slow. Like watching molases. They obviously slowed the video down. I think I have time to count to 10 between each movement. So I stopped it and started writing this entry.
Next time: I’ll try level three on fast. That will get me flailing. I’ll also do level 2 again with squares to get past that hangup I’ve got.
6 Comments
by Pearl Mattenson
On January 13, 2010 at 6:46 am
Wow- so why am I not even letting myself glimpse at levels 2 & 3? I am only allowing myself measured flailing and know FOR SURE that I am not even close on the leg and arm movements when I put them together in LEVEL 1! How long have you been at this Eric and why am I such a wimp?
by Eric Normand
On January 13, 2010 at 12:18 pm
Pearl,
I started Shiva Nata back in May, then took a few months off. Or slacked a few months off might be more accurate.
I did it every day for over a month, then once or twice a week for another month. Then zero.
But I kind of cheated. I’ve been doing Tai Chi, Yoga, and Kung Fu for a long time. I really think those things helped. Especially the Kung Fu. The system I learned was based on learning lots of different movements. We would be taught sequences that take 5 minutes to go through in an hour. We had to remember foot positions, turning directions, and hand movements. I think I mastered mirroring someone as they do movements.
But that mastery did not come easily. When I was starting out, I would learn one move at a time. Sometimes, my teacher would show me the next few moves and then I would instantly forget them. What took weeks to learn took thirty seconds to perform. Eventually, we got better at following the whole body–including all of the limbs. Everyone in the school started that way. It took months to get good at digesting the forms so quickly.
I think it gives me an advantage. I get to jump ahead quickly. But as you know, it’s not a race. You will develop the skill in time.
If I could give a pointer that helped me while I was learning Kung Fu:
Do it with the video and alone. Forcing yourself to do the movements from memory or your own internal sequence is important. You should be following your own internal sense of what’s next even when watching the video. When your internal sense is wrong, you’ll mess up and learn. If you’re just following the video, you’ll just mess up.
by Willie Hewes
On January 14, 2010 at 11:14 am
Hey, Eric, you have a blog too! Yay!
Have you tried using a metronome when you practice on your own? It’s what I do to keep myself from slowing down at the tricky points. You can also slowly up your own speed.
Google ‘metronome’ for an online gadget you can use straight away.
by Eric Normand
On January 20, 2010 at 5:56 pm
I’ve never used a metronome. I should try that. Thanks!
by neil keleher
On April 3, 2010 at 6:31 pm
agree with eric, learn the moves, memorize them. or figure them out for yourself (write them down) and then practice from memory. do the arms separately then the legs separately and then glue them together. Mistakes are part of the fun and part of the beauty of the dance of shiva is that when you can spot yourself making mistakes then you are progressing. If you can spot your self when you make mistakes then you can correct yourself. you become your own teacher.
by neil keleher
On April 3, 2010 at 6:32 pm
Like the metronome idea also. Suggest memorizing positions first, get comfortable with them and then push yourself by keeping time with the metronome. When doing so let go of the idea of being right, instead stay in time and let the mistakes happen. then do it again each time with the idea of staying in time. doesn’t matter if you do it wrong, notice where you make the mistakes. Then practice the parts where you make the mistakes and then try the whole thing again with the metronome. You will truly learn to flow then.
Leave a Reply