We have two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak. - EpictetusThis week at class, Jack was teaching us the importance of having a light feeling in the hands. The important thing was to use our hands to contain the opponent, rather than to try to force them into compliance and make a technique happen. In fact, when done correctly, the more the Uke struggled, the more the technique 'worked' and occurred naturally. But, in order for the Tori to feel the Uke and apply the technique correctly, there could not be too much tension in the hands.
After one of the more successful attempts, I mentioned how different the outcome was, and how different the technique felt during execution. Jack said, 'we have two ears and one mouth for a reason'. I nodded understanding the expression, at which point he simply said, 'This is the same thing'. In other words, we have to use our senses (afferent nerves) to understand what is happening, and this is more important than using our muscles (efferent nerves) to try and force a technique.
