Since my name was mentioned, I would like to talk about an issue that arises from "all of this." First, let me quote something I wrote for an upcoming blog:
"Before I even begin writing, I spoke with KJ about this on Facebook and I think we both have great respect for each other, but you can see the issue that I am talking about. Kenneth wrote:
"We have all heard some variation of what is believed to be "primitive movement patterns". Gray Cook has his set, Dan John has his and Paul Chek has his… the list goes on. What all of them have in common is a lack of spiraling and twisting along with kicking, throwing, punching and hand dexterity. " (See:
http://www.kettlebellinstitute.net/tip3/)
I wrote Kenneth about this and I noted how basically all of my career has been in the field of throwing (Ha! “Field of throwing”) and it is simple a part of what we do at least 10,000 times a year. His follow up is important, too:
“If I may ask: why did I never see you teach or talk about this stuff at the events we were at together?” I thought about this a while. I met Kenneth when he was my daughter’s Team Leader at the UCLA cert and I think once more when I did either another cert or something in Minnesota. In neither setting did I have really have the opportunity to really even do the basics of the methods that I use as a teacher or coach. I was teaching out of a manual that I helped add bits and pieces, but it was another “system.”
So, you might read my work for years and be absolutely convinced that I don’t teach twisting and rotation work. But, after two days with me at Discus Camp, you will have turned, twisted, rotated and spun so many times you may wonder why I haven’t mentioned the “Hinge” a single time, although that’s all I talk about with an adult population of office workers."
When people would leave the RKC, we often noted that within a year a new DVD would come out and we could see something along these lines:
"I used to teach this, but now I teach THIS!" Frankly, I never saw a difference in any of it. I'm not being a jerk, but I have listened to loooooooooong discussions about whether or not the blank exceeds blankity blank in the blank and I never see any difference in any of this. Fundamental Human Movements will have some variation because we do have some differences, but I always think: "If it looks right, it flies right."
The problem with leaving community is not always obvious. Community exists in two directions, vertical and horizontal. In a school, for example, the vertical community would be teacher and student. The word, Religion, literally means to "link back" and often schools of thought...you see this in the Martial Arts quite clearly...use the vision of the founder to continually link back. If you leave community, as a schism or new prophet arises, it is often the case that you adopt a whole new way of thinking. If you decide to go on your own, your followers will or may follow you.
So, if you start your own path, there is a moment where you have to "put out your list." Your creed, your commandments, your list, your charter or whatever must be done. Somewhere in this process, you have to deal with your former beliefs.
This is why Horizontal community is so important: these are your friends, your confidences and that magical inner circle of people you can interact with on a regular basis. In my tradition, we call the most intimate "Anum Cora." My daughter, Lindsay, has a keen eye to bring me back in when my wild horses of ego inflame. With how I teach the hip hinge, I can talk to literally dozens of people and get information from the eastern traditions, football, yoga, movement and elite sport. In my quest to understand, teach or explain, I walk with many people along the journey.
So, when we break away or apart, there are steps that must be taken. I know for sure that I could start my own cert tomorrow; it has been suggested by some and laughed at by me. I know that the bulk of my material is begged, borrowed and stolen from brighter minds than mine. Moreover, I would also lose the ability to dialogue and discuss the big and little fine points that truly unpack learning.