1. The mind and body must work in unison to achieve perfect motion.
2. A quiet mind allows the body to move with fluidity, power and effortlessness and also enhances the performance of accurate and precise motion, especially when under pressure.
3. A state of ‘relaxed concentration’ allows the mind to set the intent for the motion, to which the body then responds.
4. The meditative state and ‘the zone’ are synonymous; the former trains the mind to achieve stillness, the latter is the experience of stillness while in motion.
5. The ability to perform under pressure is best achieved by quietening the internal dialogue and controlling the bio-chemistry; thus activating the ‘relaxation response’ and preventing the breakdown of technique.
6. Mindfulness of breathing is the simplest and most direct path to reaching and retaining ‘the zone’ of relaxed concentration, and can also quickly re-establish a neutral state.
7. An equipoised mind, balanced between effort and relaxation, allows the chain-reaction of muscles in a complex movement, to activate in the correct sequence.
8. Over-thinking the technical aspects of motion disrupts the signals sent to the motor-system, and results in clumsy, ineffective movement and poor form.
9. Power and stability are generated from the ground upwards.
10. All motion is rooted in the feet, moves through the core and is expressed in the upper-body.
11. Leverage is the result of ground-force energy being transferred from the feet, through the spine, then the waist and into the arms/hands.
12. The navel area (T’an Tien) is the body’s centre of gravity; it acts as a fulcrum or pivot point around which motion is generated, thus the inside of the body moves the outside of the body.
13. The performance of perfect motion requires correct muscular-skeletal alignment, a state of physical relaxation and a quiet mind, in the moments before the motion begins.
