De-concentrate.....I like that VEB. And I agree with you that training can be like a meditation. For me that is the attraction of ILC. I've trained hard and soft styles and in the end it seemed that I was accumulating an enourmous number of techniques but I couldn't find a style that just cut to the basics. And I got very tired of different styles thinking that they have the inside running on MA. Generally there is very little flexibility between styles, most are fixed and can't accomodate difference. Changing styles is viewed as a lack of commitement and even if you have a higher belt in one style, if you change, you go back to the beginning because they can't accomodate your background. ILC simply absorbs you and off you go refining your practice from day one.
After 25 years training other styles, the first few classes in ILC were spent pointing out what was wrong with my structure! Ouch. This of course led to the question "what value was the teaching I got from these experts I've been training with?" Six years later I'm still working on a deeper understanding and feeling of those early lessons. Having said that I am able to see how all the punches, strikes, kicks, grabs, locks, throws etc. I have learned up are beneficial......once I make contact and bridge and take control using ILC.
One of the things I admire about Master Sam is his linking the mind/body via the concepts of mindfullness/structure. I think this is a very insightfull and brings the Zen priciples to a dynamic physical practice. And in Zen meditation the so called simplicity of watching the mind belies a lifetime of hard work for most practitioners.
I think it would be very interesting to analyse a bit further how people come to develop a practice of ILC and there must be some key differences between those people with and without a MA background. In fact there may be some benefit to develop seperate streams for these two backgrounds. I guess that just happens naturally based on each persons' ability.
Cheers
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