Decision on martial path

The input from everyone here was crucial in focusing my thoughts on this issue. I have been thinking about this for months prior to posting about it.

After looking at a number of arts and lots of reading in Borders, its clear to me I just can't do a form based art anymore.

I will continuing on the ROSS path. For now I will work solo - CST, body flow, tapes. Down the line I will hopefully get going with soft work.

I will be reading everyone's ROSS posts with great interest.

Hoprfully more can be explained about the relationship of the solo work to ROSS development.

Bill

[rbibbs]

There are many here more-qualified than I, to answer and to lead, Bill. I can offer my support and observations.

My humble (perhaps simplistic) observation, that solo work develops the neuromusculoskeletal hardware, and ROSS develops the application software wherein the hardware responds instinctively and efficiently to a dynamic situation.

CST and Body-Flow support all performance activity; beyond that, they support all motion... even rolling over in bed with an arm-feed instead of an elbow, or being-breathed while sweeping the porch. Agile biomechanical grace and efficiency (to me, anyhow) is a priority quality-of-life attribute. To have had it naturally in youth, lost it to age and disuse, and recovered it through these disciplines (again, to me) is as dramatic a delta as a young extreme-performance athlete experiences going from reciprocal to circular training.

ROSS is the fun part! The part where real-life starts to resemble impromptu choreography from "The Matrix". Seeing yourself do "impossibly" easy and effective attacks, defenses, counters... outside the structure of "forms"... without the processing overhead of cognitive response... chaining principles seamlessly, extemporaneously. This, from the perspective of a formerly-barely-mobile 57yo with zero prior background in martial sport, is revelatory. If ROSS can do that for me, suggests the ultimate power of "formless" combat.

Thanks Bill, for the open-thread to express these observations, hopefully to the benefit of the general forum readership.

Rick

Thanks for the thoughtfull reply - seems to me you have a good understanding.

The arm thread roll over is hysterical. I totally do that.

Bill

[Scott Sonnon]

Bill,

I am frequently asked the question, "what's the difference between CST and ROSS?" The answer is simple, but... sophisticated in its realization. You and I were actually discussing this just today in your Free Style Fight Club Training Log when you wrote that you decided to, "look at the movement as just a that, a movement to be unraveled and mastered."

In CST, one learns to integrate one's breathing, movement, and structure. I'm certain you see this repeating theme throughout all of the CST courses.

In ROSS, one learns to dis-integrate the opponent's breathing, movement and structure. You will definitely see this repeating theme throughout your exploration through ROSS.

I think the essential distinction can be stated this simply. Good luck on your journey, amigo. Please keep us posted on your discoveries.

Coach,

I see that. This is dicussed/demonstrated in the first Athrokenetics tape but makes more sense in terms of CST by thinking of it as the inverse of your own integration. (I have obviously been out of formal philosophy too long since that turn of phrase looks silly to me now, previously I would have thought it was cool), but I get it.

Bill

[Scott Sonnon]

At least I'm not the only geek on board. :wink:
I should have figured you would peg that distinction pretty easily.